From: Staffing

Effective Training Characteristics

Effective training requires thorough planning and preparation. Planning requires that employers establish both training goals and strategies as the foundation to the training program. The following are critical elements of effective programs:

• Training classes should be conducted by qualified instructors. The qualification of the instructor not only extends to training ability, but also to the subject matter and the employer’s industry and policies.
• Training should be accomplished in a reasonable amount of time and sessions should be tailored to accommodate the employee’s attention span and concentration levels. Employees should not be required to endure lengthy hours of instruction but rather reasonable sessions of intricately planned education that is easily retainable.
• Trainers should employ effective teaching methods so as to maintain the audience’s attention and interest, such as the following:
  • Use humor, war stories, and examples to teach.
  • Use hands-on problem solving techniques to get participants to be actively involved in the class.
  • Use visual aids.
• Training should be evaluated for effectiveness and usefulness in the targeted employment area.

The training of a large workforce on a subject such as harassment can be expensive, and some large employers are using computer programs to accomplish the task. The use of computer programs may be efficient, but should also be reviewed by counsel to ensure that the training material is legally current and defensible.

A collective approach to training can involve any combination of classroom training, self-paced instruction accessed via the Internet, live classroom training, CD-ROMs, or printed material. Importantly, the content of the training material may be the subject of a challenge in subsequent litigation. Trainers should customize the educational content of each training session to the employer’s culture, ensuring that the employer’s policies are being taught. Regardless of the training format, careful documentation must be kept of those who attended the sessions and the curriculum material that was used during the sessions. If an employee misses a particular session, management should provide for make-up training at a later date.