Expert performance measurement is one more duty for HR teams to accomplish in addition to the various activities related to running L&D programs. And that’s on top of all the other tasks that busy HR pros need to handle every day. So, is the time and effort dedicated to expert performance measurement worthwhile?
The Many Modes of Expert Performance Measurement
HR professionals who are involved in learning and development must deal with the issue of metrics. With so much investment by companies in employee development experts and programs, and due to the importance of acquiring workplace skills, the industry has devised many evaluation methods. These include the CIRO Model, Anderson’s Model of Learning Evaluation, and Kirkpatrick’s Four-level Training Evaluation Model.
Then there’s the issue of what to measure. At first glance, many people think that evaluating the performance of a workplace training expert is mostly about:
- Enhanced skill levels for employees
- The effectiveness of the expert, often with an emphasis on “likeability”
But there’s actually a lot more to it, for instance:
- ROI or similar measurements that seek to compare the expense of the course and the expert to the L&D benefits that the company receives
- Retention metrics that look at how well the expert’s training is retained once the course is over
- Training satisfaction levels that relate to the style of course content, the quality of the expert, and the relevance of the material to an employee’s tasks
And that is just for starters. In addition to choosing what you will measure and the method of measuring it, you still need to:
- Establish goals
- Explain, issue, and collect evaluation forms
- Analyze and act on the results
However, despite all the effort, establishing an effective expert performance measurement system is vital for many reasons. Following are just a few of them.
Employee Satisfaction and Retention
The number one reason for employees to quit has almost always been a lack of development opportunities. Turning this situation around with a well-qualified L&D expert can go a long way towards increasing retention rates. But, beyond that, good workplace training experts impart many other employee-oriented benefits such as:
Improvement
Obviously, employees receive training to improve skill levels. The feeling of being a competent worker is an important part of job engagement and satisfaction. And, to optimize such skills, using a top-notch expert is a crucial factor.
Interest
A talented expert does more than rattle off instructions. They also motivate, provide valuable advice, and generally make a course into an interesting experience. As a result, workers tend to learn more and be more aware of the importance of their role within the organization, which is an important aspect of employee engagement.
Investment
Look at it this way – providing a sub-par instructor to employees will not make them feel as though they are vital to the company’s future. On the other hand, excellent instructors demonstrate that the organization is investing to the benefit of all stakeholders.
Inspiration
Employees do not live in a vacuum. Once their course is finished, they will discuss it with their peers, and they will definitely mention the performance of the training expert. When this discussion is positive, there’s a good chance that other employees will be inspired to attend courses as well.
Organizational Performance
Companies also require high-level workplace training experts who are instrumental in building effective employee skills. In turn, these skills:
- Support productivity
- Enable strategy
- Increase competitiveness
Yet there are a series of other advantages that can be had when experts are the best they can be, for example:
Cost Effectiveness
As stated, companies spend lots of funds on L&D programs. But much of that goes to waste if the instructor is not effective. Working with outstanding L&D experts gives the organization a better chance of boosting skills and spending money wisely.
Time-Saving
If you aren’t evaluating your L&D experts, then employees probably aren’t getting the skills they need. This is not always a disaster if there is sufficient time to retrain them with a better instructor. However, by following the right evaluation process, you’ll find out relatively quickly if another expert should be brought in as a replacement.
Repeat Engagement
Even if you are late in making an assessment, it’s still important. If you find an excellent instructor, you’ll want to hang on to them for next time. On the other hand, a poor evaluation shows that you should not ask that particular expert for another engagement.
For Expert Performance Measurement, Growthspace is Ahead of the Game
Learning and development programs have traditionally faced many challenges, especially when it comes to metrics, and particularly for soft skills. How can HR track the performance of every single employee after every single course? How can you objectively measure something that is basically subjective, like a soft skill?
That’s why the Growthspace platform focuses on metrics. Each course begins with the setting of goals and ends with both employees and managers evaluating their experience. Moreover, Growthspace simplifies the process with its proprietary measurement methods. Like all Growthspace functions, it’s intuitive, fast, and effective.
