Question:

What could be done to increase the likelihood of transfer of training if the work environment conditions are unfavorable and cannot be changed? How might you motivate managers to play a more active role in ensuring transfer of training? Almost everyone has had a learning/training experience that was not in the best of circumstances, whether in school or at work. You may be able to use those experiences to give you perspective now.

The Transfer of Learning

The true test of the worth of training comes when employees go back to the job. Are they able to use their new skills? The work done up to this pointcarefully designing the training to align with the goals of the organization and paying attention to the training and trainee "fit"will be wasted if the employees cannot transfer what they learned back to the job. Some key points to note are the following:

• What the employee was taught in training should closely resemble the task the employee does on the job. For example, if the training involves equipment, the equipment used to train on should not vary widely from the actual equipment on the job.
• There should be some kind of "job aid" or handout, reminder, or visual aid to give the employee pointers when he or she gets back on the job.
• There should not be a significant time lag between the training and the time an employee is expected to begin the new task. (There is a loss of new learning over time if people are not given an opportunity to practice; don't train employees on a new skill in June that they are not expected to begin using until September.)
• The manager or supervisor should be supportive of the employee's efforts to use the new skills. Often using a new skill means that an employee is less productive than before; this may make the employee nervous, and he or she will revert to the "old ways" in an attempt to avoid disciplinary measures. A couple of things to help with that:
  • Managers should be urged to build the new skills into the performance measures as soon as possible. Are the skills part of the employees' performance management criteria (are they going to be held accountable in their appraisal)?
  • Have the newly trained employees coach others in the workplace in the new skills. (Teaching others is a great way to continue to learn.)