Recently, I tweeted about the possibility of a new approach to corporate training. This topic has stuck with me and, with a desire to maintain and help others maintain the highest level of output; I decided to look into it further.

Current statistics show us that there are challenges facing today’s corporate learning programs, which is not a huge surprise. Glenn Eckard, COO from Rapid Learning Institute, believes that in order to effective training methods that result in employees who are actually engaged, we need to evaluate the trends in the baseline of employees.

Since the desired outcome of corporate training is to create more knowledgeable, higher engaged employees, the corporation itself must first recognize the employees that they have working for them. Company loyalty is no longer an assumed characteristic of the workforce. Because of this fact, managers have to take advantage of new situations, such as addressing the “forgetting curve” of employees. Managers have to be willing to provide pieces along the way and lower the forgetting curve by focusing on effective follow up.

It is important to maintain that effective follow-up combines a multitude of components, yet centers around solid program planning and targeted activities, both during and after the training. The learning intervals need to be planned and focused. One assumption that can always be made is that employees want to learn, but they do so most effectively in snippets, as they are short on time and attention!

Reducing the forgetting curve not only benefits the company by having more engaged employees, but it also benefits the employee in numerous ways. Employees, as a whole, view their relationship with the company they work for as a direct reflection of their relationship with their manager. When managers engage in the snippets of post-training, it causes the employee to have a better relationship with the employer and therefore a better image of their relationship with their company.

In addition, corporate learning is well positioned to positively impact manager-employee relationships by better training the managers. A rising number of less experienced, younger managers will require increased efforts by the company, and those efforts will be trickled down into all employees.

The article regarding corporate training, entitled ‘A Case for a New Approach to Corporate Training’, can be accessed here http://ow.ly/qCIwY.

What can corporations do to improve their training today? Initially, the process must begin with the understanding of why training fails, so that those obstacles can be avoided. Second, the company must be open to changes in their approach! Remember, if it’s broken, we need to fix it! Thirdly, education of both company executives and co-workers of the truth of the situation is vital. Fourth, develop a plan to meet the need that you are working towards accomplishing. After these four steps are completed, then the execution of the plan needs to take effect.

When corporate training is adapted to the current environment and implemented properly, everyone benefits. You will see results such as high user engagement, increased follow-up from managers, enhanced knowledge retention and excellent return of investment!

Rick J. Stern

author

Rick Stern is an entrepreneur, educator, and dedicated professional. He received his MBA from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester. Rick has 20 years of experience managing continuing education programs and over 30 years in registration system development. Xenegrade Corp was founded by Rick Stern with a focus on service to educational organizations. His expertise provides valuable insight into the needs, demands, and trends of the continuing education market.

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