Kirkpatrick's Model Of Training Effectiveness

Training effectiveness is the only biggest challenge to evaluate the ROI of training and its impact in learning effectiveness

In an organizational environment, where training is a considerable part of its employee development programs, calculating the ROI of training is the best way to truly understand the impact of training and learning effectiveness. However, training effectiveness is often subjective when the training imparted is in areas of skills that take time to show up. Let us take a quick look at calculating the training effectiveness in organizations and map it to calculating the ROI of training to justify this view.

One of the best ways to evaluate the effectiveness of training is through models like Kirkpatrick’s model for evaluating

It has been a fact acknowledged that millions of rupees is spent on devising training programs which in the end failed to obtain from the employees the necessary development in the areas in which the training is designed. Here, Kirkpatrick’s model helps us in understanding in a step by step way the main objective of the training program and how in sync it is with the organizational goals.

The sources used to evaluate basing on the Kirkpatrick model include job records, focused group discussions, in-depth interviews with all stake holders concerned like the peers, managers, clients, trainees, etc, observations, checklists, self rating, overall ratings and forming questionnaires. Here the subjectivity of the effectiveness of training comes onto play. The chief reason for subjectivity is that mostly training programs fail because of lack of employee motivation and trainer’s expertise in the subject.

Individual assessments are the first steps taken in evaluating the training effectiveness. However, these are mostly held at the end of the training programs when the participant is more interested in clearing the assessment than in applicability. An in-depth assessment seeking detailed written feedback on various aspects involved will prove more effective in this

To truly evaluate the ROI of training, it is important to keep in mind the two fundamental conditions i.e: Need to quantify both the cost and effect of training and isolate the effect of training. This meant that focus has shifted from evaluating the efficiency of the training and development program to the effectiveness of the solution. Training and development is basically a process to drive forth the results, not provide a solution for the results