This article will explore both training and development models in detail, including their key advantages and disadvantages, when to use which model, and best practices for HR professionals when using instructional design models.

Contents
What is the ADDIE model?
What is SAM?
Benefits and drawbacks of the ADDIE Model
Advantages and disadvantages of SAM
ADDIE vs. SAM: Key differences
ADDIE vs. SAM vs. Agile Models
When to use the ADDIE Model
When to use SAM
Using instructional design models: Best practices for HR professionals

What is the ADDIE model?

The ADDIE model is a systematic instructional design framework consisting of five consecutive phases:

• Analysis phase: Discovering what training or learning your team needs.
• Design phase: Defining learning objectives based on your findings.
• Development phase: Developing appropriate learning modules.
• Implementation phase: Rolling out your training initiative and giving employees access to the learning modules.
• Evaluation phase: Measuring the skills and knowledge employees have gained and collecting feedback from them.

Florida State University (FSU) developed the ADDIE training model in 1975 for military purposes, which is why it’s built on a precise and cumulative approach. ADDIE is sometimes known as a “waterfall” design method because each step builds on the previous one, meaning each model phase must be carefully completed before moving on to the next.

For this reason, the ADDIE learning model suits methodical workers. It works well for structured, comprehensive projects that need a measurable model. However, unexpected changes to project goals can move you back to the analysis phase, and discovering mistakes later on can make it tricky to pivot due to a lack of flexibility.

The ADDIE model could also call for a significant investment of time and money because of the upfront analysis and planning.

What is SAM?

Dr. Michael Allen created SAM (Successive Approximation Model) as a quicker, more creative training model. It’s a rapid development model that opts for a continuous iterative approach throughout the development cycle rather than ADDIE’s linear, step-by-step approach. 

The SAM model consists of three main phases:

1. Prepare: Gather information.
2. Design: Design appropriate training based on the findings, make a prototype, and then review it (continuous process).
3. Develop: Develop, implement, and evaluate the training module (continuous process).

This agile model relies heavily on quick solutions, testing, and pivoting directions as you go. It suits employees or teams who think well on their feet, embrace change, and work on tight deadlines.

SAM is particularly useful for developing dynamic and engaging training programs, especially when building soft skills. However, the model requires continuous collaboration and communication, which can make it slow and unpredictable. Because of this, it cannot guarantee clear or consistent results.

Benefits and drawbacks of the ADDIE Model

Depending on the kind of project you’re involved in and how structured you want it to be, ADDIE has several benefits and drawbacks.

Benefits:

• A linear, sequential model
• Suitable for larger, long-term projects
• Focuses on producing a high-quality final product
• Aligns with learning objectives 
• Clear objectives, metrics, and parameters for success
• Suits learning with strict parameters (e.g., compliance).

Drawbacks:

• Unsuitable for smaller, short-term projects
• Requires more thorough upfront analysis and design 
• Fewer collaboration opportunities due to siloed tasks.

Advantages and disadvantages of SAM

Like ADDIE, SAM has its advantages (like greater flexibility and quick solutions) and disadvantages (such as final product quality and more required resources).

Advantages:

• Suitable for smaller, short-term projects
• Accommodates flexible and adaptable requirements
• Circular and iterative model
• Responsive to learner feedback
• Great for tight deadlines
• Offers solutions quickly
• Works for soft skill or self-care training that’s hard to measure
• The process can repeat until a perfect solution is found
• Suits an in-house collaborative environment.

Disadvantages:

• The quality of the final product is usually lower than it would be in the ADDIE model
• Requires more resources for continuous improvement throughout the process
• Learner feedback is harder to quantify compared to clear metrics
• Continually iterating but not seeing an ROI.

ADDIE vs. SAM: Key differences

In addition to the advantages and disadvantages of both ADDIE and SAM mentioned above, HR professionals should be aware of a few key differences between the two models.

Timeline

• ADDIE: Suited to a project with a longer deadline and lots of time to find the perfect solution. 
• SAM: Suited to short deadlines and situations where a solution is needed quickly. 

Objective

• ADDIE: Uses clear metrics and parameters, including ROI analysis, to determine effectiveness. 
• SAM: Relies on difficult-to-quantify learner feedback. 

Type of learning

• ADDIE: Best suited for training and development areas that have strict parameters, such as health and safety training or legal compliance.
• SAM: Effective for training that is hard to measure, including soft skills like communication and teamwork. 

Design trajectory

• ADDIE: Linear approach that involves choosing and developing one solution.
• SAM: Cyclical or iterative, meaning it entails testing multiple solutions quickly until it finds the most suitable one. 

Stakeholders

• ADDIE: Offers clear objectives and easily replicable results, making it suitable for vendors. However, there is also less opportunity for collaboration.
• SAM: Suitable for a collaborative environment where people can test and amend solutions to maximize their chances of success.

ADDIE vs. SAM vs. Agile Models

Let’s explore the differences between ADDIE, SAM, and Agile models.

HR tip

No matter which model you use, make sure you have enough time and a large enough budget to discuss the effectiveness of all parties involved and how to improve things.

When to use the ADDIE Model

The ADDIE model should be used:

• When you have a strict deadline
• For complex, long-term training programs
• When the aim is to produce a high-quality, “perfect” final product
• When conducting training with strict parameters
• For employees who learn best in a methodical, structured way.

When to use SAM

The SAM model should be used:

• For projects with a short deadline and quick turnaround time
• When you’re more confident in the development process
• For projects that will benefit from SME involvement
• In adaptive learning environments
• When conducting training that is hard to measure using metrics
• For employees who embrace change and like to think on their feet
• When you want regular feedback.

HR tip

SAM is particularly useful for updating courses, training programs, and other learning materials based on new feedback or policy changes.

Using instructional design models: Best practices for HR professionals

Here are some best practices HR professionals should apply when using instructional design models like ADDIE and SAM to develop and implement training programs.

1. Understand your needs

Understanding the specific needs of your organization and its employees is the first and most important step. This includes training complexity, objectives, timeline, and budget. 

For example, if your vision for the training program is set in stone, the ADDIE model will help you build a clearer, more comprehensive program. On the other hand, if your vision is more flexible, SAM will help you develop a dynamic program that is more responsive to feedback. 

2. Opt for the best of both models

In many cases, choosing one model and sticking with it is not the best approach, as both have their limitations. Many organizations opt for the best of both worlds by combining the strengths of both models.

For example, you might use ADDIE to build the initial curriculum for your training program, and SAM could then be used to design the best course that will engage your learners and help you fulfill your objectives. 

HR tip

Take a hybrid approach and switch between both models during different phases of your training development process.

3. Aim to move your project forward

If you decide to use the ADDIE model to develop and implement your training program but later realize you need to do more iteration, you can still return to the previous phases. However, remember to maintain thorough documentation of each phase (including modifications), reevaluate training objectives, and ensure learning objectives remain aligned with overall business goals.

As long as you observe the above tips, you can revisit the previous phases as often as you need—there are no hard and fast rules here. What’s most important is creating and delivering an effective training program that helps you achieve your goals.

To sum up

When it comes to weighing the pros and cons of ADDIE vs. SAM, neither model is inherently better or worse. Your choice should depend on your organization’s objectives and employees’ needs. Use the guidance in this article to make an informed decision, and don’t be afraid to pivot along the way based on your findings.

The post ADDIE vs. SAM: Key Differences To Master Training & Development appeared first on AIHR.

Training lays the foundation for increased employee productivity, competence, and even job satisfaction. It empowers employees by providing them with the necessary tools and resources to perform their work more efficiently and effectively. A robust training program has short- and long-term benefits, including increased employee engagement and retention rates, mitigating compliance risks, and encouraging creative thinking.

According to LinkedIn, approximately 94% of employees say they would stay with an organization longer if it invested more in employee training and learning. 

Contents
What are employee training materials?
The importance of employee training materials
What to include in your employee training materials
Examples of employee training materials
7 steps to create engaging training materials for employees

What are employee training materials? 

Employee training materials are the resources used to train, educate, and develop an employee’s knowledge and skills. It’s a broad term and includes a variety of delivery methods, tools, resources, and documentation. 

Employee training resources can come in many formats, including digital or printed materials. Each piece of content has a specific learning goal or desired outcome. 

The importance of employee training materials

Employee training tools are essential for several reasons, including:

• Skills development and competence: Training materials are important for helping employees develop their skills and ensuring they have the proper tools and resources to meet their job expectations. 
• Employee retention: Employees who are trained effectively are more likely to remain with their employer for longer. It’s expensive for a company to replace and retrain new staff. So, from a financial perspective, it’s beneficial for a company to provide adequate and relevant training to its employees.
•  Consistency and clarity: Well-crafted training materials provide a consistent and clear source of information for employees, which results in a more uniform learning experience for all. This consistency is vital for maintaining quality standards, regulation compliance, and operational efficiency. On the other hand, inconsistent training materials can lead to confusion and a lack of understanding. This may result in an employee not knowing how or when to use the correct processes or procedures.
• Reference material: Employee training materials are an important resource that employees can refer back to when they need to refresh their knowledge.

What to include in your employee training materials

HR must consider what content needs to be included before creating employee training resources. HR can consult with management or other key players to gather input. 

Here are some of the main elements that employee training materials should cover:

1. Learning objectives: Be clear and specific about desired training objectives, outcomes, and expectations. 
2. Table of contents: Develop a table of contents that provides an overview of the topics covered in the training. Employees can use this as a quick reference after the training. 
3. Detailed instructions: Make sure any training instructions are clear and easy to follow. Include step-by-step instructions when appropriate.
4. Visual aids: Include photos, videos, charts, graphs, or other visual aids that will enhance the learning experience. 
5. Organizational charts: Organizational charts reflect how a department is structured and functions. Including charts in employee training tools can help them better understand where they fit in the organization and how their work contributes to the overall company goals and strategy. 
6. Practice activities: Develop interactive and engaging opportunities that include “real-life” examples for employees to practice and apply the skills and concepts they learned in the training. 
7.  Assessments and knowledge check questions: Include questions throughout the training to check for comprehension and understanding. This can help gauge whether objectives have been met. HR can analyze the results over the long term to determine if training needs are being satisfied or if revisions to the training need to be made. 
8. Glossary of terms: Include a list of terms and definitions that were included in the training that employees can refer back to.
9. Additional relevant resources: Provide some additional links, training, or reference materials that complement the training so employees can expand their knowledge even further.
10. Accessibility considerations: Be mindful about making employee training materials accessible to all participants, including those with disabilities, by using accessible formats and learning styles.

Finally, keep training materials updated. Keeping training materials current is essential so employees are provided with the most relevant information. 

Examples of employee training materials

Employee training materials can be developed, used, and delivered in a variety of methods, such as instructor-led training, e-learning,  or self-paced learning, depending on a company’s needs. Below are some training materials examples:

Employee handbooks

Employee handbooks contain structured information on company policies, procedures, safety and compliance information, standard operating procedures, and even step-by-step instructions for specific tasks or use of equipment.

Training manuals

Training manuals are usually a smaller version of an employee handbook in that they include information or instructions on a specific process, job, or body of work. 

Instructor-led training materials

Instructor-led in-person or virtual training includes more of a classroom setting where a facilitator leads the employees through a series of lessons, exercises, and discussions. 

The training tools provided typically include PowerPoint presentations, worksheets or workbooks, and other related resources. These resources can be given as handouts or distributed electronically. They also provide consistency as all the employees being trained receive the same materials.

Interactive courses

Interactive training tools include video or in-person training courses that engage the employees by including simulations or role-playing scenarios, video vignettes, etc.

Checklists

Checklists are typically simple, easy-to-read lists that include the necessary actions/steps that need to be completed for the task at hand.

Quizzes and knowledge checks

Incorporate knowledge checks or quizzes that are placed throughout the training. Keep the knowledge checks brief and simple but still allow for measuring the level of content mastery. 

7 steps to create engaging training materials for employees

Now that we’ve looked at examples of training materials, let’s dive deeper into how to create the actual employee training materials.

Step 1: Identify training needs and learning objectives

Training needs and learning objectives go hand-in-hand and serve as the foundation of the learning and development process. It helps determine the type of training content needed. 

Consider the following:

• Who is the audience and what should those employees achieve by the end of the training? 
• What skills gap needs to be addressed? 
• What company-specific or compliance information needs to be included? 
• What is the most effective delivery method to achieve the best results?

Be clear and specific about what employees are expected to know or be able to do once they’ve completed the training. Materials need to be relevant to an employee’s overall role and responsibilities. 

While training materials on company policies and procedures will be the same for all employees, job-related training needs and delivery methods may vary by role and job function. For example, the training content for marketing or sales jobs may vastly differ from training content for engineers or information technology roles.

Step 2: Review existing training materials

Does your company already have certain training materials available? If so, review any existing materials to determine if the content is still relevant and what may need updating. Existing training materials will help save the company time and resources if it doesn’t need to be completely developed from scratch. 

Step 3: Choose a delivery method

The training delivery method impacts the type of training material that needs to be developed.  There are various training delivery methods, including:

• In-person training
• Written training manuals
• Asynchronous computer-based training
• Live webinars
• Slide decks
• Online classes.

HR can decide on the training delivery method based on the training needs and business operations. For example, a small company may decide on in-person training. A larger organization with various locations might find it more effective to conduct online training – which requires less coordination and saves time and travel costs.  

Get input from management or other key players when deciding on the most effective training delivery method, g. If a company uses an outside vendor to deliver training, the vendor will usually provide the training materials. 

Step 4: Create a training plan and timeline

Create a training plan and timeline. This helps define how training will be delivered, how long it will take to develop training materials, and determine a target training and completion end date. 

Include specific steps in the process, such as identifying the resources that will be needed, costs, time commitments, and communications related to the training schedule, delivery, and requirements. After identifying those main steps, a training schedule can be developed. 

Also, include a tracking mechanism so the completion of training can be tracked and documented. Factor in makeup classes/training should unexpected or last-minute conflicts that arise. 

Step 5: Develop a training outline

Prior to developing the training content, create an outline or “lesson plan”  to help identify all the main topics. This will help break down the content into the necessary sections and topics. 

Step 6: Create the training tools and materials

Employees need to absorb the information they learn in the training. The training should be tailored so that employees can easily absorb the necessary information without being overburdened or confused by too many details. 

Developing high-quality and effective training material takes thought, time, and effort. Once the outline is developed, focus on defining the training content. Add visuals and interactive activities to keep learners engaged, which will help them retain what they learned in the long term.

Step 7: Conduct periodic training audits

Training needs and methods will change over time based on business needs. So, it’s essential to conduct training reviews and analyze previous training assessments to understand what needs improvement. 

HR tip

Test the training with a pilot group prior to rolling it out across the organization. Select a group of employee “testers” from different departments of the company and gather their feedback. This will help you gain valuable insight from various perspectives and identify issues in the content, such as unclear language or information overload.

Questions to ask employee testers include:

• Is the learning material interesting and engaging?
• Is the content clear and easy to understand?
• Are the training materials relevant to daily work?
• Did the training offer opportunities to apply what was learned?
•  How can the training material be improved?

To sum up

Training and development are essential to the employee experience and can even be the difference between employee retention and turnover. Developing and delivering effective employee training materials, tools, and resources are a major component of a company’s training initiatives.

Properly trained employees are a “win-win” for both the employee and the company. Retention tends to increase when employees feel engaged and feel that the company is investing in them. In turn, this helps the company’s bottom line and contributes towards building a strong and positive work environment for employees at all levels of the organization.

The post 2024 Guide to Developing Employee Training Materials (With Examples) appeared first on AIHR.

79% of millennials see mentoring as crucial to their career success. Outside the confines of a traditional mentorship setting, group mentoring creates a mutually respectful and enthusiastic environment for people aiming to climb the career ladder, seeking fresh perspectives, or looking to unlock their full potential.

Contents
What is group mentoring?
Group mentoring vs. individual mentoring: The differences
Types of group mentoring programs
What are the benefits of group mentoring?
What are the challenges of group mentoring?
9 steps to start a group mentoring program
Group mentoring best practices
FAQ

What is group mentoring?

Group mentoring creates an environment of collaborative engagement, diverse perspectives, and accelerated personal and professional growth. Unlike traditional one-on-one mentoring, mentors and mentees meet in groups rather than pairs.

One or more mentors provide guidance, support, and advice in a group dynamic that allows the mentees to share experiences, knowledge, and support. Because group mentorship programs are scalable, it’s possible to mentor a larger number of people at once.

Group mentoring is particularly beneficial in professional development settings and community organizations. It’s a model that encourages collaborative learning, creates a sense of community among participants, and enhances the learning experience by exposing mentees to a broader range of perspectives and ideas.

The group setting helps reduce feelings of isolation and increase engagement. It also leads to improved outcomes for mentees, such as increased self-esteem, better performance, and enhanced social and professional skills. Additionally, it provides mentees with networking opportunities and a supportive peer group that lasts beyond the formal mentoring program.

In Smarter, Faster, Better – The Secrets of Being Productive, Charles Duhigg, wrote: “When successfully facilitated, group members can feel like they can speak up, expose their vulnerabilities to one another, suggest ideas without fear of retribution. Creating a “sense of togetherness while also encouraging people to take a chance.”

HR tip

Create “themed” mentoring sessions
Organize group mentoring activities around specific themes or challenges relevant to your organization’s goals or pain points. For instance, if leadership development is a priority, set up sessions focused on leadership skills, inviting experienced leaders from within or outside the organization to share insights and facilitate discussions.

Group mentoring vs. individual mentoring: The differences

Types of group mentoring programs

What are the benefits of group mentoring?

• Diverse perspectives: In group mentoring, the collective wisdom of multiple mentors and peers provides a multifaceted view of challenges and opportunities within the workplace. This diversity in thought and experience creates a learning environment where participants gain comprehensive insights into industry practices, career pathways, and problem-solving strategies. The variety of perspectives encourages mentees to think critically and approach situations with a broader, more informed viewpoint.
• Peer learning: The group setting enables mentees to learn from the successes and mistakes of their peers, encouraging a culture of shared learning. It’s a collaborative approach to problem-solving that allows participants to offer and receive support, enhancing the learning experience. Peer learning catalyzes the development of soft skills such as communication, empathy, and teamwork, which are fundamental for professional growth.
• Feedback from multiple sources: Feedback in a group mentoring context comes from a range of individuals, including mentors with varied experiences and peers with different levels of expertise. This multiplicity of feedback provides mentees with a well-rounded perspective on their performance and development areas. It allows employees to refine their skills and strategies more effectively, promoting personal and professional growth.
• Enhanced network opportunities: Group mentoring programs expand networking opportunities by connecting mentees with multiple mentors and fellow mentees. This access to a broader network can open doors to new career opportunities, collaborations, and professional relationships. Networking within a mentoring context often leads to more meaningful connections, as relationships are built on shared experiences and growth.
• Increased accessibility: By accommodating multiple mentees within the same program, group mentoring makes mentorship more accessible to a larger number of people. This scalability ensures that more employees benefit from mentorship opportunities, which might be limited in one-on-one settings due to mentor availability. Increased accessibility to mentorship leads to a more engaged, motivated, and skilled workforce.

What are the challenges of group mentoring?

• Varied learning paces and styles: People bring their own learning preferences and speeds to the group, making it challenging to design sessions that cater to everyone effectively. A one-size-fits-all approach may leave some participants feeling bored or overwhelmed.
  To mitigate this, mentors can incorporate various teaching methods and activities that appeal to different learning styles, though this requires careful planning and flexibility.
• Limited individual attention: In a group setting, the mentor’s time and focus are divided among multiple participants, which can limit the depth of personalized guidance and support each mentee receives. This situation may make some mentees feel overlooked, especially those needing more one-on-one time to thrive.
  Address this challenge by ensuring that sessions include individual feedback opportunities and being available for one-on-one discussions outside the group meetings.
• Scheduling and coordination: Finding a time that suits all participants for regular meetings can be a logistical nightmare, especially in diverse groups with varying personal and professional commitments. This issue can lead to lower attendance and engagement.
  Using scheduling tools and agreeing on regular, fixed times for sessions can help, as can recording sessions for those who cannot attend.
• Group dynamics: The success of group mentoring can be heavily influenced by the group’s dynamics, including how well members interact with each other and the mentor. Conflicts, dominant personalities, and shy individuals can all impact the group’s effectiveness.
  Establishing ground rules, creating an inclusive environment, and actively managing group dynamics are essential strategies for mentors.
• Diluted focus: With participants likely having different goals, backgrounds, and challenges, maintaining a focus that feels relevant and engaging to everyone can dilute the impact of mentoring. This may result in some mentees not having their specific needs or goals addressed.To combat this, mentors can periodically focus sessions on common themes, rotate the focus to cater to different mentees’ goals, and encourage peer mentoring for more tailored support.

9 steps to start a group mentoring program

Implementing a group mentoring program requires careful planning and execution. As an HR professional, here’s how you can approach each step to establish a successful program:

Step 1. Define objectives and scope

Start by clearly defining what the mentoring program aims to achieve. Whether it’s enhancing leadership skills, driving diversity and inclusion, or improving employee retention, having clear objectives will guide the development of the program.  Consider your organization’s specific needs and how the program can align with its broader goals.

Step 2. Gain support from key stakeholders

Securing the endorsement and support from senior management is essential for the program’s success. Explain the benefits of the program, such as improved employee engagement and knowledge sharing, to gain buy-in. Also, identify potential mentors within the organization who can champion the program.

Step 3. Develop a program structure

Decide on the logistics of the program, including its format (virtual, in-person, or hybrid), duration, and frequency of meetings. Create a structured yet flexible agenda that allows for both guided discussions and organic mentor-mentee interactions.

Step 4. Recruit and select mentors and mentees

Develop criteria for selecting mentors and mentees that align with the program’s objectives. Look for mentors with a track record of leadership and a willingness to share knowledge. For mentees, consider employees who are eager to grow within the company. Use applications or surveys to match mentors and mentees based on their interests and development goals.

Step 5. Create a structured agenda

Develop a curriculum that outlines the topics and activities for each session. The agenda should balance structured content, such as leadership development exercises, with open-ended discussions that encourage sharing experiences and challenges.

Step 6. Train participants

Offer training sessions for both mentors and mentees to set expectations and provide them with the tools for successful mentoring relationships. 

Training for mentors might cover coaching skills and how to provide constructive feedback. Mentee training could focus on setting goals and making the most of the mentoring experience.

Step 7. Implement the program

Kick off the program with a clear timeline and communication plan. Consider an opening event to introduce mentors and mentees and to build enthusiasm. Ensure all participants have access to the resources and support needed to engage fully in the program.

Step 8. Monitor and evaluate

Establish metrics for evaluating the program’s success relative to its objectives. Regular check-ins with mentors and mentees provide insights into how the relationships are progressing and identify any areas for improvement.

Step 9. Ask for feedback and iterate

At the end of the program cycle, collect feedback from all participants to assess the program’s impact and areas for improvement. Use this feedback to make informed adjustments to the program structure, content, and matching process for future cohorts.

HR tip

Create cross-departmental mentoring groups

Mentoring groups that include employees from different departments or functions develop a broader understanding of the business, encourage knowledge sharing across silos, and build a more cohesive company culture. Facilitate these groups by identifying key areas where cross-departmental collaboration could be beneficial and setting up groups with diverse participants who can bring different perspectives to the table.

Group mentoring best practices

When implementing group mentoring in your organization, consider these best practices:

• Choose a diverse selection of mentors: Diversity among mentors enriches the program by offering mentees multiple viewpoints, encouraging creativity, and promoting an inclusive atmosphere where everyone learns from varied success stories and challenges. Actively seek mentors from across the organization and even consider external mentors who bring unique insights into the program.
• Identify key competencies to develop: The foundation of a successful mentoring program lies in clearly defined objectives, including the specific skills and competencies that the program aims to develop. Identify key competencies early on to tailor the program content, match mentors and mentees more effectively, and measure the program’s success against these objectives. This ensures the program aligns with your organization’s overall talent development strategy.
• Promote your company’s group mentoring activities: Raising awareness about the group mentoring program is essential for attracting participants and gaining organizational support. Use internal marketing channels such as emails, intranet posts, and presentations at company meetings to highlight the program’s benefits, share success stories, and call for participants.
• Encourage networking within the group: Networking is a pivotal component of mentoring, providing mentees and mentors with valuable connections that can support their professional growth. Facilitate networking opportunities by organizing group activities, encouraging the sharing of contact information, and hosting events where participants can interact in informal settings. 
• Gather feedback and implement improvements: Continuous improvement is key to the long-term success of any group mentoring program. Regularly solicit feedback from both mentors and mentees regarding what is working well and what could be improved. Collect this feedback through surveys, focus groups, or one-on-one conversations.

To sum up

Group mentoring is a great way to bring people together for professional learning and growth. It’s different from the usual one-on-one mentorship setting because all group participants, mentors, and mentees share their knowledge and experiences. This setup creates an engaging and respectful community where people can gain new insights, support each other, and work towards their goals together.

It’s especially useful in workplaces because it allows many people to learn from each other at the same time. It encourages everyone to work together, share different viewpoints, and support each other’s growth. Group mentoring can make people feel more connected and engaged, leading to better performance and stronger professional skills.  

FAQ

The post What Is Group Mentoring? 9 Steps To Start a Group Mentoring Program appeared first on AIHR.

Contents
What is talent development?
Talent management vs talent development
Talent development examples
Why is talent development important for businesses?
How to create a talent development strategy
FAQ

What is talent development?

Talent development refers to strategically developing employees’ skills based on organizational objectives. It is an organizational process that builds upon employees’ existing skills and knowledge while identifying and filling skills gaps to drive business performance.

In other words, talent development helps employees advance in their careers while also achieving organizational goals. This includes focusing on learning and development (for example, through a mentorship program, leadership training, and on-the-job training), creating a tailored development plan for each employee, and more. The aim is to uncover hidden talent and grow and retain your high performers inside the business. 

For employees’ training and development to be successful, the talent development strategy must align with business objectives and business needs. Employees who are on board with company goals already have long-term career success in mind. They can see where they want to be in the organization in the near future and are willing to stick around if an employer is willing to invest in their career. They also must see a clear connection between their personal goals and the long-term goals of the organization.

An organization that wants to secure its place in the future understands that employees need structure, support, and encouragement to maintain a high set of skills and knowledge. That’s where a talent development program with a strong basis in company objectives has a better outcome than one that is limited or non-strategic.

Talent management vs talent development

The terms talent development and talent management are often used interchangeably; however, there is a difference between the two, and both are important when it comes to the growth of your employees and business. 

Talent development focuses primarily on developing, motivating, engaging, and retaining existing employees in line with their professional goals and the wider goals of the company. The objective of talent development is to help employees enhance their skills and knowledge, which in turn contributes to the organization’s growth and success.

On the other hand, talent management is a broader term that refers to a strategic approach to managing human capital in an organization. It encompasses a wide range of HR activities aimed at attracting, recruiting, developing, and retaining employees. These activities include performance management, succession planning, and employee engagement.

In summary, while talent management is a comprehensive approach that covers various aspects of managing and optimizing the workforce, talent development is a subset of talent management, specifically focused on improving the abilities and potential of the organization’s current employees.

Talent development examples

Here are some real-life examples of talent development strategies that have led to greater motivation, engagement, and performance among employees. 

Adobe

Adobe offers on-demand courses to its employees so they can build a variety of skills, and they offer financial support for external academic pursuits ($10,000 per year for long-term courses and $1,000 per year for short-term ones). They also offer “Accelerate Adobe Life,” which is an extensive feedback program that allows new and current employees to choose specific areas where they would like development support.

The company has a 33% internal hiring rate and a 20% annual promotion rate. They also have an overall satisfaction score on Indeed of 4.3 out of 5.

Costco Wholesale

Costco created a “Journeys for All” program, which offers employees the chance to upskill, be mentored, and network. There’s also a “Supervisor in Training” initiative where qualified warehouse employees can explore and familiarize themselves with managerial duties and a merchandising training course to give employees a solid background in Costco’s core business.

These talent development strategies have led to Costco consistently placing in top positions on the World’s Best Employers list by Forbes. In addition, 60% of employees have been in the company for more than five years, and most warehouse managers were promoted within the company from an hourly role.

Why is talent development important for businesses?

If you are concerned with the growing number of skills gaps in your organization or struggle to retain your top performers, talent development can be the difference between success and failure.

Here are some reasons why your organization should prioritize an integrated talent development program.

Reducing skills gaps and future-proofing the organization

With 87% of companies worldwide acknowledging that they have a skills gap, the continual development of employees is more important than ever to help them and your organization thrive. Talent development strategies can help to bridge skills gaps, empower your employees, and prepare you as a business for the future. 

While new technology is expected to make many jobs obsolete, it is also creating new types of jobs and demanding new skills at an accelerated rate. According to Boston Consulting Group, tens of thousands of new jobs will be created by 2030, and as much as 60% of the workforce will require training by 2027.

As a result, the need for skilled labor in computer-focused, STEM, healthcare, social services, and education is expected to increase but will suffer the most shortages. Factors outside of technology that continue to create talent shortages include the retiring of an aging workforce, more adults getting retrained or switching careers, and economic factors driving candidates toward higher-paying careers.

A talent development program can prepare your workforce to face an uncertain future and empower employees to develop their skills and competencies. In turn, making sure that your workers have the skills and capabilities to help you reach your business goals will give the organization a competitive advantage. A McKinsey survey showed that 99% of respondents who said their company’s talent management was very effective also said they outperformed competitors compared to 56% of all other respondents.

Improved employee engagement and performance

When employees understand their role and how it contributes to organizational goals and have the skills and knowledge they need to perform, they are more engaged and productive at work, will exceed their KPIs, and will perform better. 

Employers can boost engagement by designing a tailored career path for each employee, which takes into account their skills and interests, and then develop a learning program for them to succeed.

Generating new ideas and business opportunities

If you want to increase innovation, take on bigger and better clients, and become more profitable as a business — a talent development program can support these factors.

Employees who are encouraged to learn new things have more confidence and willingness to bring their ideas and knowledge to the table. This can increase collaboration and help to identify new sources of income generated from previously undiscovered opportunities and clients.

Developing more effective managers

Talent development isn’t just for new hires; it’s for managers to build solid careers too. According to Jocelyn Stange of Quantum Workplace, “Managers play an important part in defining and driving the employee experience. But they might not be equipped to make an impact without support from leadership and ongoing training.” 

Increased employee retention rates

Employees who feel valued and can see that their employer is investing in them and their growth are more inclined to stay in their jobs and be loyal to the company in the future. Plus, research shows that one of the top reasons why employees look for a new job is due to a lack of growth opportunities. Offering ample learning and development opportunities will help you keep top talent on board longer.

How to create a talent development strategy

Creating an improved talent development program for your organization requires planning and cooperation between your HR and learning teams. No matter what stage your talent development plan is at, here are some best practices to improve your efforts over time.

1. Understand your company objectives

Your talent development plan needs to align with your organizational goals and your business strategy for the near future. This will help you make sure that you’re investing in the right initiatives.

A key question to ask yourself is what your organization strives to achieve through a talent development program. It could be engaging and motivating employees, retaining your top performers, filling a skills gap, or something else. 

Let’s say your company is planning to work more heavily with machine learning over the next five years. That would mean that developing your employees’ skills in that area will be crucial for the future success of your organization.

2. Identify upskilling and reskilling opportunities

Assess each of your current roles and the skills and capabilities required for them. Next, take an inventory of current employee skills using a combination of tests, surveys, and interviews. With this information, you’ll have a clear idea of the skills you need versus the skills you currently have and where you’re lacking. 

Having a solid grasp of underutilized expertise and knowledge is also helpful when considering the skills that new jobs will require in the future and adapting or developing these accordingly.

Which employees already have the basic skills that you can focus on developing? These are great candidates for participating in upskilling initiatives. Also, if there are jobs that are at risk of becoming obsolete while other roles are emerging, consider how you can reskill your existing employees to take on the new positions.

3. Provide many learning options and methods

There are many options when it comes to providing learning and training opportunities to your workforce. Talent development isn’t just about formal training and can also include on-the-job learning, mentorship programs, coaching, e-learning, micro-learning modules, self-learning, and more. 

Different methods are effective for different types of training. What’s more, each person has a unique learning style, so offering a variety of learning options will help engage employees and facilitate effective learning and growth.

For example, developing presentation skills in an employee would typically require some kind of face-to-face interaction in person to mimic a real-life presentation setting. In contrast, if you need to develop health and safety skills or certification amongst certain employees, an online course could be more suitable and make it possible for employees to organize their learning around their existing schedules. 

Involve managers in the process and create directories of learning resources. These should be readily available to your employees.

4. Align talent development with your employee life cycle

Your talent development plan should consider every stage of the employee life cycle and provide your employees with opportunities for learning and development from the moment they’re hired until the day they leave.

For instance, new hires could be paired with a work buddy so they can learn essential on-the-job skills and enroll in any relevant workshops or training sessions that are crucial for their daily responsibilities. Employees who have been with you for a while could be offered the chance to reskill and develop to be promoted to a more senior role or to make a lateral move into a different department or role. 

Promoting your talent development efforts in your recruitment process is a great way to demonstrate how much you value your workforce and show candidates why they should choose to work with you rather than a competitor.

5. Implement employee development plans

Every employee should have a unique development plan that is tailored to their personal career goals. Such a plan helps them understand the role they play in meeting organizational goals as well as what they need to do to exceed expectations and advance in the company. 

An effective employee development plan considers both the needs of the employee and the business and holds the employee, HR, and management accountable. It makes for an effective way to address skills gaps, boost employee engagement and productivity, and reduce turnover. 

A common problem with employee development plans is that both managers and employees are often too busy, which leads to regular check-ins and learning being deprioritized. This is why it’s important for HR and managers to sit down and carve out a space and time for learning and plot in regular check-ins to ensure employees are on track and know where they stand.

An employee development plan template can help with this and provide the structure needed to properly monitor progress.

6. Create a culture of continuous learning

Encourage active learning and focus on developing adaptability by giving employees time to learn something new or acquire a new skill every day, week, or month. Make continuous learning a cultural core value of your organization and find ways to instill this mindset into your workforce.

A great example of this is Visa, which has created a strong culture of learning by establishing a learning team, a corporate university, and an ongoing effort to provide an industry-leading customized curriculum for its employees.

6. Promote performance coaching

As a form of on-the-job learning, performance coaching stimulates employees to improve their skills through everyday interactions. It plays a crucial role in talent development.

For example, managers can use a skill will matrix to determine the right coaching strategies for individual employees. Learning should always be linked to performance, which, in turn, should be defined in measurable parameters.

7. Train managers to support talent development

As discussed, managers play a critical role in talent development when it comes to encouraging and developing the employees who work under them. Therefore, training managers to support your talent development efforts is essential in ensuring that everyone is on the same page and able to nurture and support your workforce.

There are many ways to do this, including the above-mentioned performance coaching, as well as encouraging employees to share the knowledge and skills they acquire with the rest of their team to inspire them, and recognizing and rewarding people who are actively participating in talent development initiatives in the company. This contributes to creating a culture that celebrates learning.

8. Include leadership development

Who are the future leaders of your company? Start identifying these people now by assessing their skills, competencies, and aspirations, and prepare a leadership development plan for them. This will help your organization build a solid leadership talent pipeline for the future. In addition, focus on helping managers develop better behaviors to improve their relationships with their team members.

9. Get the support of key stakeholders

Foster communication between all the people who can build your employee development and training program. This includes Human Resources, talent managers, team managers, and the employees themselves.

Having the support of the right people is essential for acquiring the resources needed to get your program off the ground and running. You can, for example, create a committee to regularly discuss gaps, monitor progress, and cheerlead the talent development strategy.

10. Monitor, evaluate & improve

For your talent development program to succeed, you must collect and analyze data and measure it against your performance goals. Having a KPI for each goal will help you monitor progress. For example, you may want to measure turnover, L&D spending, retention rates, high-potential talent rates, employee engagement, and more.

Many learning management systems offer reporting that can help achieve this. However, don’t forget to regularly check in with your employees and gain their feedback on how valuable they think your program is, along with suggestions on what would help them develop further. 

This data will help you gain valuable insights into the strengths, weaknesses, and gaps of your talent development strategy so you can make changes accordingly.

To sum up

By building an effective talent development strategy, your organization will experience many benefits:

• Increased competitiveness due to highly skilled and knowledgeable employees
• Improved engagement levels, leading to greater profitability
• Better retention rates, which reduces the burden of recruitment.

The investment in your employees will help you meet business goals and future-proof your workforce. 

However, it’s important to note talent development is a long-term process that requires careful planning, design, and implementation. But when your organization is committed to developing employees, they will feel valued, nurtured, and committed to helping you achieve organizational growth and sustainability.

FAQ

The post Talent Development 101: Strategy & Examples for Your Business appeared first on AIHR.

In a survey by HR.com and Together, 66% of HR professionals agree that coaching leads to increased individual performance, while 57% said it improves organizational performance. 

Through coaching, employees become self-aware of their strengths and shortcomings and can take a proactive approach to addressing them with the help of a company-sponsored coach. Employees taking ownership of their performance and development enhances their productivity and work commitment, ultimately benefiting the organization. 

Let’s better understand what is coaching, and the various coaching models and styles to consider when implementing coaching across the organization. 

Contents
What is coaching in the workplace?
Types of coaching models
5 coaching models
5 styles of coaching in the workplace

What is coaching in the workplace? 

Workplace coaching is a collaborative relationship between a coach and an employee (the coachee). Employees set specific and measurable goals that are aligned with their jobs as well as organizational objectives. Employees take a journey of self-discovery while the coach provides support and guidance. 

HR may be directly involved by coaching employees based on their needs and career aspirations. They can also design and deliver coaching programs targeted for specific teams or organizational goals. 

HR can also train managers with coaching skills and give them access to coaching resources via templates and online software. They can collect and analyze data from HR-sponsored coaching programs to evaluate their effectiveness and make recommendations. 

According to Gallup, coaching is an essential part of the employee experience in an organization. The best form of development happens when employees receive coaching while working, which involves goal setting and receiving meaningful feedback. When employees’ mental needs are met, they can concentrate on mastering their jobs and producing excellent results. 

The advantages of coaching in the workplace

• Coaching helps employees improve their productivity, efficiency, and quality of work. According to Personnel Management Association, people’s productivity improves by an average of 86% when training is complemented with coaching
• Coaching increases engagement. Employees feel valued and motivated to excel with the help of the coaches
• Leadership coaching equips managers with the skills and knowledge to successfully motivate and manage their teams
• Coaching helps employees/coachees manage stress and build resilience through the action plan designed by the coach and coachee
• Coaching fosters open communication, promoting trust and teamwork
• Coaching enables employees to confidentially discuss their weaknesses with a coach, helping to boost their job satisfaction
• Coaching fosters continuous improvement. Employees are encouraged to embrace new skills, challenges, and opportunities. 

HR tip

Include coaching in your performance management process

Coach employees during performance reviews and career development conversations. Incorporating it can help employees set personal objectives to improve their skills. 

Types of coaching models

There are different coaching models to suit other individuals and address other objectives:

• Leadership coaching: Tailored for business leaders who want to successfully lead and inspire their teams. Managers learn about reaching team goals, motivating team members, resolving conflicts, and delegating tasks.
• Executive coaching: Centers on helping executives and senior managers to be more effective in their roles. It teaches strategic thinking, decision-making, communication, and interpersonal skills. 
• Team coaching: Helps teams achieve their goals through collaboration, communication, and problem-solving among team members. Team members identify their shared objectives, discuss challenges, and develop strategies.
• Sales coaching: Helps salespeople improve their skills and achieve their sales goals. Covers topics like sales assessment, design and planning, and optimization. 

5 coaching models

Coaching methods use different techniques to help the coachee achieve their goals. With that said, here are five coaching framework examples: 

1. GROW Model

The GROW coaching framework is a simple process well-suited for setting and achieving goals. It is ideal for newbie coaches and coachees with short-term goals or specific challenges. 

Example

• Goal: A marketing manager needs help to meet her sales target. She wants to raise her sales performance by 10% and increase her team’s productivity. 
• Current reality: The marketing manager’s sales figures plummeted over the past few months, averaging 15% less than the sales quota. She is feeling stressed with the performance. Moreover, her team members are not fully engaged in their work. 
• Options: The marketing manager has the following options to improve the sales targets: 
  • Develop and implement multiple marketing strategies 
  • Delegate admin tasks to her team members so she can focus on more strategic ones
  • Train her team members and be more supportive
  • Implement a new incentive program to reward best performing members.
• Will: The marketing manager formulated a comprehensive marketing plan to grow her sales targets: 
  • Use paid ads and social media to boost marketing efforts
  • Assign tasks to team members like appointment setting and answering after-sales queries so the manager can focus more on important tasks like reviewing sales performance and meeting high-value clients and leads 
  • Conduct training on different sales techniques and customer relationship management
  • Give cash incentives to sales staff that exceed their sales targets.

• The marketing manager and the coach meet regularly to track progress and make adjustments as needed. 

HR tip

Provide access to coaching resources

Make coaching services available to employees through internal coaches, external partnerships, or online coaching platforms. Making coaching more accessible promotes coaching culture and ensures every employee takes advantage of these opportunities. 

2. OSKAR Model

The OSKAR model is a solution-focused coaching methodology that aims to address complex problems and accomplish long-term goals. This model is beneficial for coachees who are feeling overwhelmed or stuck. 

Example

An employee is often absent at work. He consistently arrives late or leaves early. His behavior causes project delays and affects the whole team.

• Outcome: The coach and the employee discuss the desired outcome: the employee will comply 100% with the company’s attendance policy and be a team player. The employee must not be absent more than twice every quarter. He must also not be late or leave early at work. 
• Scaling: On a scale of 1 to 10, the coach asks the employee to rate his current attendance. The employee is aware of his numerous absences and rated himself at 5. He is late or absent due to a bad habit of procrastination. 
• Know-how and resources: The coach and the employee explore solutions to address the underlying causes of procrastination: time and stress management strategies. Additionally, the coach recommended employee assistance programs, wellness benefits, and flexible work schedules. 
• Affirm and action: The coach acknowledges the employees’ honesty and commitment to address his problems. Together, they develop a concrete plan with specific steps like: 
  • Implementing time management tools and techniques like creating a work schedule and sticking to it
  • Discussing the possibility of remote work or flexible work schedule to avoid being late or absent
  • Establishing a clear communication protocol that the employee will immediately notify his supervisor in case of absences.

• In addition, the coach stressed that the employee is 100% responsible for his attendance and encourages him to prioritize his wellbeing and work commitment.

3. CLEAR Model

The CLEAR Model is a process-oriented coaching method. It promotes building rapport and trust between the coach and the coachee. It is a good choice for coaches working with coachees new to coaching or hesitant to open up about their challenges. Organizations should build close professional relationships among employees and create a coaching culture. 

Example

A software engineer needs help meeting deadlines and passing his manager’s quality checks. He feels overwhelmed and stressed, and his performance has declined recently.

• Contracting: The coach and engineer discuss the purpose of their coaching agreement. The engineer expressed unhappiness with his performance and his desire to improve. The coach then outlined the coaching process and explained it would be teamwork in identifying solutions and achieving goals. 
• Listening: The coach asks open-ended questions to fully understand the engineer’s challenges and frustrations about his inability to send work on time and have high-quality output. The coach actively listens without interrupting or judging the engineer, providing a supportive environment that allows the engineer to be transparent with his concerns. 
• Exploring: The coach encourages the engineer to examine the factors causing poor performance. The engineer identifies his problems: difficulty managing his time, prioritizing tasks, and understanding the manager’s expectations. He also acknowledges his tendency to delay decision-making whenever he feels overwhelmed with complex projects. 
• Action: With the coach’s guidance, the engineer developed an action plan to address his performance issues. The plan includes:
  • Clearly assigning tasks to team members and the deadline for each task to create accountability
  • Submission of daily reports after work to monitor progress and flag any problems immediately 
  • Providing the necessary tools and resources to members to make them more efficient and avoid delays. 

• Review: The coach manager and engineer regularly review progress, monitor goals, and adjust action plans as needed.

4. FUEL model

The FUEL model aims to change behavior or improve performance. It emphasizes understanding the coachee’s motivation, challenges, and opportunities and creating a plan with actionable steps to achieve goals. 

Example

The new project manager has difficulty managing a complex project with multiple stakeholders’ approval, conflicting deadlines, and limited resources. He feels stressed and uncertain of his ability to complete the project. 

• Frame the Conversation: The coach and coachee establish the coachee’s goals, defining the roles and responsibilities of each person. 
• Understand the Current State: Next, the coach asks open-ended questions regarding the project manager’s challenges: problems delegating tasks, communicating with team members, and managing stakeholders’ expectations. The project manager acknowledged he didn’t have enough experience for the project and was anxious about his ability to complete it on time and satisfy stakeholders’ expectations. 
• Explore the Desired Goal: The coach encouraged the project manager to envision the desired outcome: getting the stakeholders’ approval, confidently leading, and completing the project. They discussed various steps to help accomplish the objective:
  • Implement project management tools like Agile or Kanban
  • Communicate effectively with members through progress reports and regular meetings
  • Delegate tasks effectively so everyone contributes equally to project completion and avoid missing deadlines
  • Regularly update stakeholders to manage their expectations and avoid misunderstandings.
  • The coach guides the project manager to create SMART goals to complete the project and communicate frequently.

• Lay Out the Plan: The coach and project manager collaborated to develop a concrete action plan detailing the steps, timeline, and resources needed. They also set KPIs to monitor and measure progress like budget adherence, stakeholder satisfaction, and meeting deadlines. Finally, they agreed to have weekly check-ins and coaching sessions. 

5. Peer coaching model

Peer coaching is a collaborative process where individuals work together to reflect on their practices, set goals, and provide each other with feedback and support. A peer coaching model typically involves peers taking on the roles of both coach and coachee, with the aim of fostering professional growth and development. 

Integrating peer coaching into the workplace by HR can contribute significantly to employee development, teamwork, and overall organizational success. Provide training for employees who will take on coaching roles. This training should cover effective coaching techniques, active listening, providing constructive feedback, and maintaining confidentiality.

5 styles of coaching in the workplace

Apart from various types of coaching in the workplace, there are also different styles of coaching, or how coaching can be approached. 

1. Directive coaching

In directive coaching, the coach takes a more authoritative and instructive role, providing specific guidance, solutions, and instructions to the coachee. The coach takes charge of the conversation and offers clear directives.

When to use

Use when there is an urgent need for specific actions or decisions, or when the coachee lacks experience and requires explicit guidance.

2. Nondirective/ facilitative coaching

Nondirective, or facilitative coaching emphasizes open-ended questioning, active listening, and allowing the coachee to explore their thoughts and solutions. The coach refrains from providing direct answers and encourages self-discovery.

When to use

Nondirective coaching is effective when the coachee needs to develop problem-solving skills, gain insights, or when the focus is on personal development.

3. Autocratic coaching

In autocratic coaching, the coach makes decisions on behalf of the coachee without much collaboration. The coach provides clear instructions and expects compliance.

When to use

Autocratic coaching may be appropriate in situations where quick decisions are needed, or when the coach possesses specific expertise required for decision-making.

4. Democratic / collaborative coaching

Democratic coaching involves joint decision-making and collaboration between the coach and coachee. The coach seeks input and considers the coachee’s perspective in the decision-making process.

When to use

Democratic coaching is suitable when building consensus, fostering teamwork, and when the coachee’s input is valuable for effective decision-making.

4. Laissez-faire coaching

This coaching style is characterized by a hands-off approach, where the coach provides minimal guidance or intervention, allowing the coachee to take the lead in their development.

When to use

Laissez-faire coaching can be appropriate when the coachee is highly self-directed, experienced, and capable of managing their own development with minimal oversight.

5. Situational coaching

Situational coaching involves adapting the coaching style based on the specific circumstances and needs of the coachee. The coach assesses the situation and adjusts their approach accordingly.

When to use

This coaching style is versatile and is suitable for a variety of scenarios, allowing the coach to tailor their approach based on the coachee’s developmental stage, challenges, or goals.

Key takeaway

There are different types of coaching models and styles to suit every employee’s needs and goals. When choosing a coaching model and style, HR should consider the employee needs, the organizational goals, the coach’s expertise and experience, and the specific context of the coaching session. 

HR should also select flexible coaching models that can be adapted to different business needs. Gathering feedback and monitoring employee improvement is essential to measuring the coaching model’s effectiveness. 

The post 10 Coaching Models & Styles To Use in the Workplace (in 2024) appeared first on AIHR.

Let’s unpack what exactly a training matrix is and how to develop and implement your results when conducting a training needs analysis. 

Contents
What is a training matrix?
Advantages and disadvantages of using a training matrix
What is the difference between a training needs analysis and a training matrix
Skills matrix vs. training matrix
How to use a training matrix to assess training needs
Skills matrix template
FAQ

What is a training matrix?

The pace of change has significantly accelerated over the last few decades, and we have seen this intensify recently. Effective training programs equip your workforce with the agility and adaptability needed to thrive in this dynamic environment.

An HR training matrix is a strategic tool in workforce management designed to track, plan, and manage employee training and skill development in line with human capital management best practices. Its primary goal is to identify training needs, monitor skill acquisition progress, and ensure workforce competence in alignment with organizational objectives.

Typically a grid or table, the matrix details employee information, required skills and competencies, training status, and history. It aids in skill gap analysis, career development, compliance tracking, and efficient resource allocation. Regular updates ensure it reflects current training statuses and organizational changes, making it an essential instrument for HR professionals, managers, and department heads in decision-making and assessment of training programs.

Advantages and disadvantages of using a training matrix

Training matrices offer structured and strategic benefits for employee development and organizational alignment, but they require careful management and adaptation to individual and organizational needs to avoid pitfalls like rigidity, resource intensiveness, and potential inaccuracies.

Advantages

• Skill gap identification: Allows for easy detection of skill shortages within the workforce, facilitating targeted training interventions.
• Project assignment efficiency: Aids in assigning the right employees to appropriate projects based on their training needs and skills.
• Training schedule optimization: Enables planning of training schedules, ensuring all employees have up-to-date knowledge and skills.
• Enhanced safety and quality: Promotes workplace safety and improves work quality by ensuring employees are adequately trained for their tasks.
• Increased employee engagement and retention: Contributes to higher employee satisfaction by providing clear career development opportunities and fostering a sense of progress.
• Objective performance measurement: Facilitates transparent and measurable performance goals linked to training outcomes.

Disadvantages

• Time-consuming to maintain: Requires regular updates and management, which can be time-intensive, especially for larger organizations.
• Possibility of inaccuracies: Risk of inaccuracies in data, especially if not updated regularly or managed properly.
• One-size-fits-all approach: May not account for individual learning styles or specific job nuances, leading to a generalized approach to training.
• Potential overemphasis on formal training: Might lead to an overreliance on formal training programs at the expense of on-the-job learning or informal learning opportunities.
• Resource intensive: Implementation and upkeep can be resource-intensive, requiring dedicated software or administrative support.
• Limited flexibility: Can become rigid, limiting the ability to quickly adapt to sudden changes in skill requirements or organizational priorities.

What is the difference between a training needs analysis and a training matrix

A training needs analysis and a training matrix have complementary roles in an organization’s training and development strategy. The former is about identifying and assessing training needs, while the latter is a tool for organizing and tracking the fulfillment of these needs.

HR tip

Engage directly with employees through focus groups or surveys to better understand their training needs and career aspirations. This bottom-up approach can uncover hidden training opportunities and boost employee engagement by making your employees feel valued and heard.

Skills matrix vs. training matrix

The skills matrix focuses on assessing and visualizing current employee skills, whereas the training matrix tracks and manages employee training activities and progress.

The skills matrix: 

• Identifies the current skill levels of employees in various competencies
• Assesses existing skills and competencies of employees
• Used to understand skill strengths and weaknesses within the team
• Provides a visual representation of skill gaps and strengths in a team.

How to use a training matrix to assess training needs

Combining your organization’s training needs analysis (TNA), skills matrix, and training matrix leads to improved training effectiveness, efficient resource allocation, and data-driven decision-making. By utilizing these powerful tools in synergy, your organization can create a robust training ecosystem that empowers employees, boosts performance, and fuels sustainable growth.

The TNA identifies skill gaps and training needs, which then informs the development of the skills matrix. This matrix maps required skills for each job role and assesses employee skill levels to reveal specific gaps.

The training matrix is designed using information from both the TNA and skills matrix, ensuring targeted and effective training programs are delivered to address the most critical needs.

Let’s look at the steps to using a training matrix in more detail:

1. Conduct a training needs analysis

This is the foundation of the entire training management process. It involves a detailed evaluation of the current capabilities of the workforce compared to the required skills and competencies for various roles. 

Methods like employee surveys, one-on-one interviews, direct observations, job performance data, and role-specific competency requirements are employed. The analysis aims to uncover specific areas where training is needed, whether for individual employees, specific departments, or the entire organization. This step is crucial for aligning training with both individual career goals and organizational objectives.

2. Develop a skills matrix

After identifying the training needs, the next step is to create a skills matrix. This tool visually represents the skills and proficiency levels of each employee across various competencies related to their role. It highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the workforce, allowing for targeted training interventions. 

The matrix typically categorizes skills into different levels of proficiency and can be used to identify high-potential employees for leadership roles or specialist tasks. It’s also an excellent tool for succession planning and talent management.

3. Creating a training matrix

Building on the skills matrix, a training matrix is developed to map out the specific training activities for each employee. This matrix includes details like the type of training required, its current status (not started, in progress, completed), and deadlines. 

The matrix as a tracking and management tool, providing a clear overview of who needs what training and their progress. It’s essential for ensuring that no critical training is overlooked and that resources are allocated effectively.

4. Building development plans

With the data from the skills and training matrices, personalized development plans for each employee are created. These plans should consider both the training needs identified and the career aspirations of the employee. They outline the steps needed to acquire new skills or improve existing ones, including timelines and expected outcomes. 

The development plans should be dynamic, allowing adjustments based on the employee’s progress and any changes in role requirements.

5. Implementing training programs

The execution of training programs is the practical application of the development plans. It involves organizing and conducting the actual training sessions, which could vary from in-house workshops and seminars to online courses or external training. 

The effectiveness of these programs is contingent on their relevance to the identified skills gaps and the learning preferences of the employees. Regular feedback and engagement during this phase are vital for ensuring the training is effective and well-received.

HR tip

To maximize training success, blend different training methodologies. Combine traditional in-person training with digital learning platforms to cater to diverse learning styles. Encourage on-the-job training, mentoring, and peer-to-peer learning as part of your training strategy. This blended approach ensures that training is more engaging, accessible, and applicable to various learning preferences, leading to better retention and application of new skills.

6. Monitoring and updating matrices

To maintain the relevance and accuracy of the skills and training matrices, they need to be regularly reviewed and updated. This includes adding new skills, updating proficiency levels, and reflecting the completion of training programs. This process helps in keeping track of the evolving skill set of the workforce and adjusting training programs as needed. Regular updates also ensure that the organization can respond quickly to changes in the industry or market.

7. Evaluating and adjusting 

The final stage focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of the training programs and the overall development strategy. This can be done through various methods like performance reviews, skill assessments, employee feedback, and measuring the impact on business outcomes. 

The evaluation should inform any necessary adjustments to the training programs, development plans, or even the skills and training matrices themselves. The goal is to create a continuous loop of assessment, training, and evaluation to build a culture of continuous learning and development.

This comprehensive approach to managing training and development within your organization ensures that training efforts are aligned with current needs and also adaptable to future changes – ultimately leading to a more skilled, competent, and agile workforce.

By regularly updating your skills matrix, evaluating training programs, and integrating training with other talent development initiatives, you can ensure your training programs are optimized for maximum impact. 

Skills matrix template 

To sum up

Our seven-step method for creating a training matrix starts with a training needs analysis (TNA) to identify skill gaps. This information guides the creation of a skills matrix, which then informs a training matrix detailing employee-specific training.

Key steps include developing personalized development plans, implementing diverse training programs, and continuously updating the matrices. Conclude the process by evaluating and adjusting training strategies so that you can establish a culture of continuous learning and adaptation to evolving organizational needs. This approach ensures your workforce remains skilled, competent, and agile.

FAQ

The post What Is a Training Matrix? (Plus 7 Steps To Using One)  appeared first on AIHR.

What is learning and development?

Learning and development (L&D) is a systematic process to enhance employees’ skills, knowledge, and competency, resulting in better work performance.

L&D is a core HR function and a significant part of an organization’s overall people development strategy. It plays a key role in attracting and retaining talent, enriching company culture, and engaging employees. 

What is the difference between learning and development?

Both learning and development are essential in helping employees grow and succeed, but they have distinct purposes.

Learning in the workplace is concerned with the acquisition of knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes that lead to improved job performance. The process of learning takes place through various activities, such as seminars, conferences, hands-on experimentation, and reading articles or books.

Development is the broadening and deepening of knowledge in line with one’s individual long-term professional goals. It aims to grow job-related abilities to expand one’s potential for new opportunities in the future.

Activities that encourage development include leadership training, mentoring, coaching, job shadowing, and stretch assignments. Development is typically something an employee chooses to do rather than being required to.

What is the difference between learning and training?

While the terms “learning” and “training” are often used interchangeably, in the world of L&D, they are two separate approaches.

Learning is the process of absorbing and retaining information that takes place over time. It expands one’s viewpoint and knowledge base for immediate application, as well as preparation for future endeavors.

Training is an instruction event for a specific skill or task that employees need to learn for a work scenario. It can take place on-site, off-site, or online and is typically aimed at groups of employees. For example, employee training can include teaching teams about a new product, how to respond to customer inquiries more efficiently, or how to use work equipment safely.

Let’s summarize the common terms associated with learning and development.

Why is learning and development important?

The leadership of most organizations understands the value of expanding employees’ skills and knowledge and chooses to invest in an L&D program. This investment pays off in many ways, including the following:

• Attracting and retaining employees: People want to work for organizations where they can lean into their present and future interests. They have come to expect employers to offer career-enhancing growth and development. According to a Gallup survey, 65% of workers evaluate job opportunities based on the availability of employer-provided upskilling. 
  In addition, a TalentLMS survey showed that 76% of employees are more likely to stay with a company that provides ongoing learning and development opportunities. 

• Boosting employee experience and engagement: Employees gain confidence in their performance and feel inspired to take more initiative and pursue their career aspirations. This translates to higher morale, job satisfaction, and engagement.

• Promoting DEIB: An inclusive and equitable work environment where employees of all backgrounds have access to growth opportunities is at the forefront of most organization’s cultural aspirations. Actively integrating DEIB into L&D strategies promotes a sense of belonging and contributes to an engaged, innovative workforce.

• Bridging skills gaps: Organizations must keep pace with technological advancements and frequent shifts in business concepts. This means equipping employees to face new challenges. Reskilling and upskilling individuals for specialized technical roles and developing their soft skills prepares the workforce to adapt, foster innovation, and meet the organization’s future labor needs.

• Empowering future leaders: Providing learning and development opportunities results in well-trained and educated employees who can take on new responsibilities and leadership roles. Many organizations create their own management training programs that offer employees a tangible prospect for making their career aspirations a reality.
  
  For example, the American retail membership warehouse chain Sam’s Club has a five-week learning program called Manager Quality (MQ). Its content brings customized career development to all levels of associates. It begins with a week of values-based decision-making to develop the attributes of the company’s leadership expectations. MQ’s framework has four pillars that teach foundational concepts that apply to all Sam Club roles. 

• Enhanced reputation as an employer: With so many people looking for growth opportunities in their jobs, fulfilling their desires for expanding career opportunities is a must for improving your employer brand. Employers that offer robust L&D have an advantage over others in the competition for top talent. 
  
  Multinational fast food restaurant chain McDonald’s offers L&D benefits to attract and retain workers in an industry plagued by a labor shortage. Even part-time workers are eligible for tuition assistance after 90 days of employment. McDonald’s Archways to Opportunity program has a variety of channels for employee growth and learning. This includes a career development app that provides on-demand, personalized professional guidance and learning that employees can access from anywhere.

Learning and development methods

There is no single learning method or technique that works for every individual or every organization. People have varied learning styles, and organizations have different learning objectives.

The 70/20/10 model is a well-known approach to organizational learning. It breaks down the main ways in which learning happens:

• 70% of learning comes from informal, work-based learning. This takes place during new tasks, challenging assignments, and through supervisor feedback and ‘water-cooler’ conversations with peers
• 20% of learning comes from developmental relationships. Employees experience social learning through interactions with peers and mentors
• 10% of learning comes from traditional coursework and training in a formal, educational setting.

While this ratio may work for certain businesses and functions, it is not a one-size-fits-all approach. For example, in some cases, all workplace learning occurs without formal learning.

In other cases, years of formal learning and job training are required to join a specialist profession. For these kinds of jobs, formal learning will play a much more prominent role.

Fortunately, there is a vast array of L&D delivery methods that organizations can select from, combine, and tailor to their specific business and employee needs.

Here’s a brief look at some of the most common learning and development methods:

• Formal learning in a classroom setting: This method is goal-oriented and instructor-led with limited learner interaction. It is typically a group situation and can take place in person or online. Examples include lectures, classes, and seminars.

• Informal learning: Informal learning is organic, unstructured, and more self-directed. It takes place on the job through tasks, feedback, co-worker interactions, and through individual study. Examples include conversations, online forums, and reading books or doing research.

• Experiential learning: This trial-and-error approach allows people to try doing something, observe the results, and then gain understanding from the experience. Examples include apprenticeships, internships, virtual or real-world simulation exercises, and scenario-based role-playing.

• Coaching: Coaching is a workplace relationship that focuses on empowering employees to grow and achieve their goals. The coach and coachee meet regularly for open dialogue, with the coach providing feedback, direction, and support. There are several types of workplace coaching, such as:
  • Performance coaching to inspire employees to realize their full potential by honing their current abilities and learning new skills.
    Police Now, an independent charitable social enterprise that recruits police officers in England and Wales, has a very hands-on approach to performance coaching. Its year-long Frontline Leadership Programme includes one-on-one coaching to guide participants through each training module and work through any knowledge or skills gaps. 
  • Peer coaching is where two or more colleagues team up to share ideas, learn from one another, build skills, or collaborate to solve work problems.
  • AI-based coaching leverages artificial intelligence to provide coaches with insight, augment coaching efforts, or exclusively do the coaching.
  • Establishing a coaching culture builds trust and connection with employees and empowers them to improve themselves and their performance to impact the company’s success.

• Mentoring: Mentoring is a collaborative relationship that connects employees with someone they can learn from to grow professionally. Mentors act as role models to the mentee. They listen, answer questions, and offer guidance. Examples of workplace mentoring include:
  • Mentorship programs that are sponsored by the organization provide structure and resources for mentoring relationships.
  • Peer mentoring takes place between two co-workers who are at the same or similar level in the organization but have different degrees of experience. The more experienced one shares their knowledge and offers encouragement to the less experienced one.
  • Reverse mentoring is when junior employees share their knowledge and expertise with their superiors to help them overcome a shortfall in a particular area, such as digital skills.
  • Micro-mentoring occurs in one-time or temporary settings and is focused on short-term objectives for a specific project, topic, or skill.
  • Job shadowing lets employees observe a more experienced colleague as they perform their duties. Implementing a job shadowing program is a way to offer employees exposure to other roles and new career opportunities.

• Skill building: Skill building involves helping employees acquire new skills. The purpose is to fill the organization’s skills gaps so it can achieve business goals and remain competitive. Examples of skill-building activities include new product training, customer service role-playing, and problem-solving games.

• Targeted training: Targeted training is another method for closing skills gaps. It combines formal and informal learning to meet individual learning needs. By pinpointing the most needed skills, organizations can distribute training resources efficiently. Just about any method can be used for this type of learning.

• Cross-training: Cross-training entails teaching an employee how to handle another employee’s role. When employees are cross-trained, they expand their skill set and understanding of the company’s operations. They can also cover for absent employees and pitch in when extra help is needed to distribute the workload.

• Remote training: Remote training takes place online and is for employees who are not working from the same location. It can be held either at a set time with employees participating from different places (synchronously) or accessed on demand (asynchronously). Examples include webinars, online courses, and pre-recorded video lessons.

• New employee training: New employee training is the part of the onboarding process that teaches new hires how to do and be productive in their jobs. It’s customized to each role and can involve areas of instruction such as customer service techniques, how to use software, or how to operate equipment. 

Examples of L&D programs

Learning and development programs take place throughout the entire employee life cycle. Here are some examples of L&D programs in the workplace:

• Orientation and onboarding: The job orientation and onboarding journey helps all new employees settle into their new organization and role, often equipping them with specific knowledge, training, and equipment to do their job. 

• Technical skills development: Certain roles require technical skills, which can be improved through training and education. For example, software engineers might receive training on specific software applications or take a course to improve their coding abilities. As technology rapidly evolves, keeping technical skills updated requires regular training.

• Soft skills development: Soft skills are personality traits, behaviors, and interpersonal skills people use to interact with others at work and are essential for cooperation and harmony between peers. While they are less tangible than hard skills, they can still be developed. A LinkedIn survey reported that 92% of talent professionals believe soft skills are equally or more important than hard skills when it comes to hiring the right person for a role. 

• Product and services training: Customer and client-facing roles require strong knowledge of the product or service offering. As products and services are updated and new lines are rolled out over time, regular training helps ensure that everyone has a good grasp of the unique selling proposition (USP) and benefits and can communicate these to the customer. 

• Safety training: Health and safety training is not only essential for keeping your employees safe and healthy at work, but sometimes it’s also required by law (these laws differ depending on the location in question). Some roles – such as an administrative office position – require basic safety training, while others – such as a builder using complex and dangerous machinery on-site – require more specific learning programs. 

How to create a learning and development strategy

Learning and development requirements vary by organization, but a comprehensive strategy is the foundation for any successful L&D program. The steps listed below will guide you through creating a solid learning and development strategy for your organization:

1. Align your L&D strategy with the business strategy

To understand the organization’s L&D needs, you need to know where the business is headed. Before you build your L&D strategy, consider the following factors:

• The skills your employees have and which skills are crucial to supporting business priorities
• What your business has to offer and its competitive advantage
• What your customers need and how those needs may evolve
• Shifts that may affect the organization, such as technological developments, economic uncertainty, competition, and business growth or decline
• Whether the organization is agile and prepared to adapt to known and unforeseen changes.

2. Collaborate with business leaders

Involve stakeholders directly in shaping the L&D strategy to ensure it meets the unique needs of different departments. Start by conducting surveys to gather a broad overview of the learning requirements across the organization.

Then, deepen your understanding through one-on-one meetings, where you can gather detailed feedback and build support for the L&D initiatives. Create collaborative input opportunities where department heads and senior management can actively contribute to and endorse the L&D plans and model them throughout the company.

3. Assess employee capabilities and identify skills gaps 

Start by determining the essential competencies required for each role to support the company’s business goals.

Once you know what you need, you can conduct a skills audit to ascertain the competencies and knowledge already in play throughout the organization. Follow that with a skills gap analysis to discover potential skills shortages and employee growth opportunities.

With this information, you’ll be able to see what the L&D priorities need to be.

4. Design learning journeys

Designing learning journeys is a key strategy in enabling continuous learning within an organization. These journeys help individuals acquire the necessary skills and knowledge for their specific job functions.

For each role, determine the capabilities required to perform the duties and which learning methods would be feasible and effective for training and development.

Focus groups can help you design the journeys and choose the learning methods. Questions to ask participants include:

• What tools must you be capable of using for your job?
• What helps you be the most productive?
• Which learning experiences work best for you? 
• How could your learning experience be improved?

5. Plan the implementation of L&D initiatives

Implementing L&D initiatives happens in several stages. Here are some procedures to use as a guide:

• Articulate the purpose of the initiative
• Perform a SWOT analysis to determine which learning program is best
• Establish a well-defined budget that includes all costs associated with running the program
• Provide detailed information on the program’s benefits and ROI. Describe how they align with business goals and objectives
• Conduct a trial run with pilot classes to discover any weaknesses and make adjustments.

6. Track performance

Tracking certain data can help justify L&D projects by showing that they engage employees. You can use these three metrics to analyze how effective your L&D programs are: 

• Training completion rate: How many employees enrolled in and then completed the training. 
• Assessment pass rate: The number of employees who passed the training.
• Training dropout rate: The percentage of employees who did not complete the training.

7. Analyze effectiveness and make adjustments

You can go beyond the L&D metrics to assess the training programs’ impact by evaluating them on a larger scale. Collecting learners’ feedback post-training is essential. Be sure to survey them on their overall satisfaction and what they liked and didn’t like.

The following outcomes can help you analyze the effectiveness and identify where changes need to be made:

• Did the learning strategies reinforce the organization’s priorities and goals?
• Were skills gaps addressed to improve employee performance?
• Has employee engagement, morale, and retention improved?
• Are business processes more efficient?
• Is the company culture healthier? 
• Were L&D budgets and resources distributed effectively?

Learning and development KPIs

Certain employee training metrics can help you evaluate training effectiveness, which is the degree to which training programs meet their intended objectives, enhancing the knowledge, skills, and performance of participants.

Some example metrics include, for instance, training ROI, training cost per employee, training experience net promoter score, and assessment scores and pass rates.

Evaluating a training program’s impact on business performance requires more strategic metrics. L&D key performance indicators (KPIs) can quantify that the company is experiencing greater productivity and achieving crucial business objectives.

Learning and development KPIs to consider for this purpose are:

• Employee productivity rate: The value that employees generate within a specific period – (Total output ÷ Total input)
• Revenue growth: The increase in revenue over a set timeframe – (Current period revenue – Previous period revenue) ÷ Previous revenue
• Net profit margin: The percentage of revenue that is profit – ((Operating income – Expenses – Interest – Taxes) / Revenue) x 100 

By linking KPI improvements to the timing of certain employee learning and development programs, you can substantiate the investment the organization made. This makes it easier to gain stakeholder buy-in for continuing your L&D programs and launching new ones.

How to measure ROI in learning and development

L&D professionals must know how to explain the value that their initiatives bring to the organization. By measuring training ROI, you can tangibly demonstrate how the company benefits from offering training.

This metric is not about how satisfied employees are with a particular training. Instead, it shows what impact training efforts have on the organization overall. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to make a correlation between every training experience and ROI. Often, only the ones with the most direct impact (about 5% of all programs) should be considered for calculating training ROI.

Here is an overview of three commonly used methods for measuring training ROI:

1. Kirkpatrick model of training evaluation

This model is based on four levels of training evaluation: 

Level 1: Reaction – Understand the learners’ reactions, responses, and level of satisfaction through surveys that provide the following data:

• Participation rates
• Completion rates
• Net promoter score

Level 2: Learning – Ascertain the improvements made to employees’ knowledge and skills through:

• Pre- and post-training assessments
• Performance review data
• Peer reviews

Level 3: Behavior – Assess any behavioral changes in the workforce by measuring employees’:

• Morale
• Motivation
• Engagement

Level 4: Impact – Measure how the training impacts business through increased KPIs such as:

• Sales
• Productivity
• Customer satisfaction
• Employee retention
• Work quality 

2. Phillips model of training evaluation

This method expands Kirkpatrick’s model into five levels of training evaluation:

Level 1: Reaction – Understand learners’ experience via learner reviews and surveys, AI technology, etc.

Level 2: Learning – Measure how well the learning objectives have been met by determining whether learners have acquired the targeted skills and knowledge. Attendance and learner attentiveness are also factored in.

Level 3: Application – Gather qualitative data that provides insight from learners about how they’ve applied the acquired skills.

Level 4: Impact – Determine the positive impact of the training on the organization while considering any barriers that might have hindered it.

Level 5: Return on investment – Make the link between the training and improved business results using calculations such as a cost-benefit analysis.

3. Impact study

This method is a four-step process for conducting an impact study to understand business changes occurring from a training program’s influence. For example, increased sales or market share or improved customer feedback results:

Evaluation planning – Determine the indicators to measure impact, such as certain types of sales data. Also, determine which training data to collect, such as cost and participation rates.

Data collection – Collect data from a variety of sources with specified parameters that include both pre- and post-training statistics.

Data analysis – Translate the data into a monetary value through the ROI formula: Net return on investment ÷ Cost of investment ​×100%​ = ROI

Reporting – Finalize the impact study by creating a report that explains the key findings with qualitative and quantitative data.

Learning and development terms to know

Corporate learning and development terminology will evolve. If you’re working in L&D, it’s essential to stay up on the language associated with it. We’ve compiled a list of relevant terms and brief explanations as follows:

• ADDIE model: The ADDIE model is a framework for designing effective learning adaptable to many training environments. The five stages of this instructional design model are carried out in the following order:
  • Analyze: Identify the problem to be solved
  • Design: Create an outline and prototype/storyboard for the learning intervention
  • Develop: Use the prototype/storyboard to create the training
  • Implement: Deliver the training
  • Evaluate: Assess the initial training program using observations and data from post-training assessments.

• Employee development plan: An employee development plan is a strategy for developing an individual’s knowledge and skills to equip them for current and future roles. The plan incorporates the needs of both the employee and the organization.

• Leadership development plan: A leadership development plan is a personalized, long-term strategy for helping an individual acquire the leadership competencies they must have to become a manager or leader in the organization.

• Learning agility: Learning agility is a mindset of being open to learning and accepting new concepts and strategies for better adaptation to change. It has been described as “the ability to learn, unlearn, and relearn.”

• Organizational learning: Organizational learning is the process of promoting and facilitating learning within an organization to help it thrive through improving productivity, profitability, and competitive advantage. It’s focused on knowledge creation, knowledge retention, and knowledge transfer.

• Professional development plan: A professional development plan is an action plan for an individual to progress in their career. It involves setting the goals they want to achieve and identifying which skills and experience they have, which they should gain, and the steps to get them where they want to be. This differs from an employee development plan because it is focused primarily on the individual’s goals and not necessarily the organization’s.

• Reskilling: Reskilling is the process of acquiringk new skills or training in a different field or discipline to adapt to changing job requirements or to transition into a new role. It’s a proactive approach to workforce planning and meeting future skills needs.

• Skills gap analysis: A skills gap analysis is a tool for assessing the disparity between a workforce’s existing capabilities and what the organization currently needs and will require in the future. The results of the analysis are used to design appropriate learning interventions.

• Talent development: Talent development is about amplifying employees’ existing skills and identifying new competencies and opportunities for them. The goal is to help employees grow so they can better serve the organization’s effort to achieve business goals.

• Training evaluation: Training evaluation is the process of analyzing the effects and effectiveness of a training program. It entails assessing whether the program meets its objectives, as well as collecting feedback to gain insight for making improvements.

• Training needs analysis: A training needs analysis identifies the variance between the desired knowledge, skills, and abilities and what the workforce actually possesses. It pinpoints what kind of training is needed and which employees need it. This tool is used when a lack of skills appears to be the cause of a business problem.

• Upskilling: Upskilling is an intentional process of enhancing and expanding employees’ skills to improve performance in their current role, enable them to progress within the organization, and adapt to evolving workplace demands. It supports the organization’s ability to adapt to upcoming changes.

Learning and development jobs

The one safe prediction for the current business climate is that change will be ongoing. Many organizations are putting more emphasis on learning and development to keep their employees equipped to adapt and thrive in this environment.

LinkedIn Learning’s Workplace Learning Report found that 72% of L&D leaders say that their function has become a more strategic role in their organization.

Some companies outsource L&D responsibilities, but many larger organizations have in-house L&D teams.

When it comes to jobs in L&D, a variety of positions exist, and their duties and responsibilities differ across industries and organizations. Let’s take a general look at what three of the most common L&D roles entail.

Learning and development specialist

Learning and development specialists plan and administer employee learning programs. They may be responsible for the full scope of training an organization offers or specialize in teaching certain skills.

L&D specialist duties may include:

• Coordinating with different departments to identify training needs
• Assembling data and producing reports on training status and needs
• Designing training content and participant materials
• Conducting training sessions and workshops while creating a learning-conducive environment.

The key qualifications for L&D specialists include excellent written and verbal communication skills, sound organizational skills, project management experience, and proficiency in elearning and learning management systems.

Learning and development specialists’ salaries differ depending on their level of experience and education, as well as the size of the company. Glassdoor shows a total pay range of $59,000-$89,000 US. Payscale lists the average US salary for a learning and development specialist at approximately $66,800.

Those seeking an L&D specialist position might be asked the following questions in an interview:

• How do you make sure training and participant materials are relevant and beneficial?
• Tell me about a time when you had to create a training program for a subject you were unfamiliar with.
• Explain your process for measuring the success and impact of a training program.

Learning and development manager

A learning and development manager oversees an organization’s employee training and professional development program. The goal is to encourage and grow people’s abilities, so they develop into top talent who can fulfill the organization’s business needs. 

Examples of L&D manager duties are:

• Creating learning strategies and programs in line with organizational objectives
• Assessing learning and development plans and making improvements
• Managing the L&D budget and negotiating contracts with external training providers
• Hiring and managing L&D staff.

The skills and experience L&D managers generally need include previous experience in HR, or a degree in education, HR, business, psychology, or related field, strong written and verbal communication skills, and proficiency in learning theories and training techniques and platforms.

According to Glassdoor, the base pay range for learning and development managers in the US is $75,000-$116,000. Salary.com lists it at between $88,408 and $112,255. 

Here are a few interview questions learning and development manager candidates should be prepared for:

• Tell me about a successful training strategy you implemented and why it was effective.
• How do you stay on top of the latest research and trends in L&D?
• What is your background and experience in creating training materials?
• Explain your management style and how you motivate staff.

Training specialist

Training specialists identify an organization’s training and development needs and then design, modify, and evaluate L&D initiatives. They may supervise training staff or facilitate the training themselves. 

Training specialist responsibilities involve:

• Identifying training needs by conducting skills gap analyses and collaborating with stakeholders
• Building training programs and determining the standards and benchmarks for evaluating them
• Preparing teaching plans and instructional materials
• Ensuring training efforts align with organizational goals.

Training specialists are often required to have previous experience in HR, a Bachelor’s degree in a related field, and knowledge of learning theories, training techniques, talent management, instructional design, digital tools, and project management. Excellent communication and presentation skills are also necessary.

According to PayScale, the average base pay for a training specialist in the US is $59,980. Salary.com puts the typical US range at $52,563-$65,658.

A candidate for a training specialist role might encounter the following interview questions:

• Explain how your background and related experience equip you to succeed as a training specialist
• Describe how you would plan an effective soft skill training on critical thinking
• What type of employee L&D do you think should be outsourced?

Learning and development skills

Working in L&D requires a strategic mindset, the business acumen to connect learning directly to organizational objectives, and some specialized knowledge. L&D professionals need diverse abilities to ensure that L&D efforts flourish and benefit the organization. 

Let’s take a closer look at some of the key skills L&D professionals should have:

• Instructional design: A defined process driven by learning theories and models for constructing efficient, effective learning experiences. It helps L&D professionals systematically identify the learning objectives and strategies and create presentations, instructional materials, assessments, and interactions that enhance learner engagement.
  Three widely used instructional design models are the ADDIE model, Bloom’s Taxonomy model, and Merrill’s Principles of Instruction.

• Facilitation skills: The definition of the word facilitate is “to make (something) easier.” Facilitation skills in L&D pertain to successfully guiding learners through a training program and achieving the intended outcomes. A good facilitator will incorporate tools, activities, and discussions that present the material in a comprehensible and engaging manner.

• Adult learning: Adult learning theory acknowledges that adults do not learn in the same way that children do. Adults prefer to be informed of why they need to learn a new concept to start with. They also absorb information better with less instruction and more hands-on experience. L&D professionals understand adult learning techniques and use the appropriate methods for strengthening training outcomes.

• LMS experience: Learning management systems (LMS) are digital platforms that automate the administration, delivery, tracking, and reporting of corporate learning and development. Due to their efficiency, most organizations use some type of LMS. L&D professionals must be comfortable operating LMS software and understand how to make the best use of it.

• Project management: Project management is about overseeing the process of delivering something of value. Administering L&D is the same idea. L&D professionals must be able to collaborate and communicate with multiple stakeholders, organize documentation and materials through various drafts, and problem-solve complex challenges to keep projects on track.

Learning and development trends

Organizations must continually adapt their learning and development programs with forward-thinking initiatives to suit the evolving world of work. A recent LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report discovered that over the last six years, required skill sets have been revised by 25%. This trend is expected to expand, with the percentage doubling by 2027.

By embracing the current trends in their L&D strategies, organizations can maintain a competent staff and stay competitive. Some of the new aspects L&D is leaning toward are explained below.

1. Microlearning

Microlearning is a set of ‘bite-sized’ amounts of information for learners. Each is under 20 minutes and focuses on a single topic. It’s often delivered through apps, videos, infographics, or games and contains an interactive section, such as a quiz.

People have become accustomed to absorbing knowledge through the immediate access they have to information on their mobile devices. Microlearning appeals to this form of learning by condensing targeted information that makes its point quickly.

2. AI and personalization of the learning experience

The L&D profession is well aware that the one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t apply to training. Personalized learning takes into consideration learners’ interests, needs, and abilities and provides experiences that increase engagement and knowledge retention.

Digital training methods such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), simulation, and gamification can optimize learning for certain jobs and employees. A PwC study revealed that a VR learning environment made learners feel 3.75 times more emotionally connected to the training content than if they were in a classroom setting.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is another tool for personalizing employee learning that can be used in the following ways:

• Algorithms that generate personalized learning paths by analyzing employees’ learning history, performance, and preferences.
• Learning systems that offer support or more challenging material according to each learner’s needs.
• Data analysis that predicts which learners may struggle and can recommend interventions.

By fostering success for employees on an individual basis, L&D programs can better achieve learning objectives that benefit the organization overall.

3. Soft skills training 

Soft skills are behaviors and personality traits that can be applied to any role and help people relate to and work well with others. They differ from hard skills, which are more technical and tend to be job-related.

Many attributes are considered soft skills, but the more commonly sought-after ones are self-direction, communication, problem-solving, flexibility, creativity, and integrity.

In the book The Hard Truth About Soft Skills—Workplace Lessons Smart People Wish They’d Learned Sooner, the author writes, “Whether young or old, experienced or inexperienced, what struck me most about their stories of missed opportunities and derailed careers was this: Their problems rarely stemmed from a shortfall in technical or professional expertise, but rather from a shortcoming in the soft skills arena with their personal, social, communication, self-management behaviors.”

Businesses recognize the value of soft skills in the workplace, and the demand for them will continue to rise. L&D strategies should incorporate soft skills learning, such as communication and resilience training.

4. Building a culture of continuous learning

Workers today crave learning opportunities for growing in their professional and personal lives and look for a work environment that fosters this. A Ceridian Pulse of Talent report that surveyed 2,000 full-time workers in North America showed that 86% of respondents say employer-provided learning opportunities are important to job satisfaction.

L&D should take advantage of this employee expectation and be central in building a culture of continuous learning. Coordinated efforts that bring fresh and innovative educational opportunities that empower employees to learn and grow will earn their appreciation and support. When employees see the value in and look forward to training, it feeds a learning culture within the organization.

A significant influence on company culture happens when a concept is adopted at the top of the organization. One learning and development strategy example for this is how ride-hailing, food delivery, and freight transport services company Uber found a way to have executives model a learning philosophy.

Leaders were put in five-person “coaching pods” to discuss the new strategies and behaviors they had been taught and were applying in their day-to-day activities. With a 94% satisfaction rate from the 2,000 participants across 16 countries, Uber’s leaders grasped the value of learning from each other during this program.

As they became better managers and coaches, they were also fostering a learning culture throughout the organization.

5. Generative AI and digital skills development

The rapidly expanding availability of digital tools and generative AI, such as ChatGPT, has many implications in the workplace. These emerging technologies have the potential to augment productivity and completely change how work is done in the future.

For instance, GitHub offers an AI tool for software development called Co-pilot. Its research asserts that Co-pilot can help developers code 55% faster to dramatically speed up the software development process.

Employees will need a foundational understanding of how to operate new tools properly and take advantage of everything they have to offer. Therefore, L&D programs must stay on top of digital skills development and incorporate training on how to use AI ethically and effectively. Generative AI can even make it easier to design the training because of its ability to gather and summarize information at record speed.

Learning and development certification

If you want to advance your career in learning and development, obtaining an L&D certification is an advantageous step to take. As well as increasing your L&D knowledge, earning this credential demonstrates your dedication to professional growth and commitment to a career in the industry.

AIHR’s accredited Learning and Development Certificate Program will teach you how to identify skills gaps, create an L&D strategy, use data analysis to assess L&D programs, and many other critical skills.

You’ll receive 23.5 hours of self-paced learning distributed over 11 modules and five different hands-on projects, including competency assessments. Enrolling in this course also gives you access to AIHR’s extensive resource library and live events, as well as a worldwide community of industry peers with whom you can interact and network. 

FAQ

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In this article, we explore four ways that AI is already changing how employees learn and propose an action plan for how HR can adopt AI in learning and development responsibly.

Contents
The current state of AI in learning and development
Four ways that AI is changing the employee learning experience
How HR can drive responsible AI adoption in learning and development

The current state of AI in learning and development

The Learning and Development function has pioneered the adoption of AI in HR. The online learning platform market size has increased exponentially over the past few years, and the estimated investment in the AI education market will grow to a compounded annual growth rate of 36%, reaching USD 32.27 billion by 2030.

AI has contributed meaningfully to learning management systems, learning experience platforms, and learning analytics. 

However, the adoption of AI has not been without its challenges. Firstly, the technology behind AI has not yet advanced enough for widespread use. Additionally, L&D teams have lacked the maturity to effectively integrate AI into their work.

Issues like bias, intellectual property rights, and the difficulty in combining AI with different learning platforms have also slowed the impact of AI on learning and development.

AI has been criticized as much of its adoption has benefited those creating learning content, with less of a focus on the learner and their experience. Amidst all the promise of learning personalization, AI has yet to deliver to its full potential.

These limitations are starting to become something of the past, especially with the new capabilities that generative AI brings to the table. A key focus not only on the process and management of learning and development but its actual application to the learning experience is starting to usher in a new era of AI-based learning.

We discussed the future of L&D with Ioanna Mantzouridou Onasi, CEO and Co-founder of the AI coaching platform Dextego. Watch the full interview below:

4 ways that AI is changing the employee learning experience

Let’s take a look at how AI has impacted the employee learning experience.

1. Generative AI is making learning accessible to all

Learning accessibility has always been a critical challenge, especially concerning the needs of neurodivergent employees.

Standards such as the W3C Accessibility Guidelines (WACG) have proposed principles to make learning perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust (POUR) to meet the needs of different users. In the past, achieving these standards has been difficult for learning vendors. 

Increased efforts to convert content into multiple formats, color schemes, and languages to accommodate different learning needs have been costly and often led to the exclusion of many of the workforce in online learning.  

Given the recent advances in AI, vendors can address these challenges more cost-effectively. A good example is braille translation software that converts text into braille and makes it accessible for sight-impaired learners. As with all AI, challenges remain in this area, yet there’s been significant progress in making learning content accessible to all employees within the organization.

More generally, AI has provided the ability to automatically transcribe audio and video content to text for hard-of-hearing learners and to use AI to drive auto-translation into various languages. This has opened new markets for learning vendors. Also, organizations operating across multiple geographies can provide a more consistent learning experience regardless of region while saving content development time for internal L&D teams.

AI will only get better. Today, the fact that we are able to even play with an AI coach and be in a psychologically safe environment where we can share our thoughts, get some feedback, get some advice, is great. It gives access to a diverse group of people who might not find the right human coach for them. It also allows people from all around the world to have access to coaching, and in some countries, coaching or even therapy are still taboo. Now, they have access to a digital version of a coach.

Ioanna Mantzouridou Onasi, CEO and Co-founder of Dextego

2. AI is making learning personal and curated

Given the amount of new learning content generated daily, the biggest challenge for learners is often knowing which content is applicable and relevant to their specific needs.

Even though AI has been used to suggest and recommend learning content before, recent advances have improved its accuracy significantly. Today, AI uses various data sources, such as assessment data, learner interests, career goals, and past learning experiences, to propose personalized learning.

A good example is how Capgemini has applied Anderson Pink to curate content and drive personalized skills-based learning. Quuu, UpContent, and Scoop.it are good examples of content curation tools that help look at public domain content regarding a specific topic and incorporate key areas into organizational learning strategies.

This has already created new opportunities to adapt learning to individual development plans and career aspirations. Learning recommendations tended to be somewhat generic in the past, whereas AI-based suggestions enable a more curated learning experience across content types, catalogs, and libraries.

Especially in career development, platforms such as Fuel 50 have allowed organizations to rethink internal mobility and drive career ownership, as highlighted by their work with KeyBank.

Gen Z is coming into the workplace saying, enough, I don’t like the way you teach us skills. And saying, “I need to also feel like I’m in charge of my learning”. The way AI can democratize access is by putting the learner in the forefront and saying, what do you need to learn to be successful? What are your current skills, and how can we help you get where you must be without making you feel like you’re reading a book?

Ioanna Mantzouridou Onasi, CEO and Co-founder of Dextego

3. AI is acting as a learning coach to improve the learning impact

Beyond content curation, AI has also become a learning coach that provides real-time feedback and suggestions to learners related to specific skills.

There are several ways AI complements or fulfills the role of a learning coach, including addressing queries, responding to learning challenges, and providing feedback and support throughout the learning process. Organizations are starting to implement safe and responsible AI-based coaching specific to learning utilization.

Players like Dextego focus on a fun and engaging learning experience related to human or soft skills for Gen Z learners.

Another example is Wondder, who uses AI and virtual reality to give feedback on scenarios such as performance discussions or DEIB situations. For example, they implemented a gender awareness program at Advance to give participants different experiences to raise awareness of gender inequality.

LinkedIn Learning is rolling out a new AI-powered coaching system that will enable members to seek guidance on specific business questions. Using a chatbot interface, it will act as a coach by guiding users through their learning journey, answering specific questions, and recommending related learning content based on the user’s job and situation.

As a learning coach, AI can significantly enhance the efficiency, personalization, and effectiveness of the learning experience. It provides a level of individual attention and support that can be difficult to replicate in conventional learning environments, especially at scale.

4. AI is becoming a powerful content creator

Even though this is still in its infancy, we have seen several new AI-based content generators. Specifically, in this application of AI, we extend a word of caution as the accuracy of newly generated AI content is not without problems.

Nonetheless, within the organizational context, AI can be a powerful tool as a content generator. For example, AI can be effectively used to create employee learning content for policy training or other operational processes, particularly when there is already substantial knowledge and documentation available. This provides a solid foundation for AI to learn from and generate content that is specific to the context.

Organizations such as Park+ and Preply have successfully used Narrato Workspace as an AI content creator. We expect more utilization of AI content generators in the future for both in-house and open-source content.

The opportunity for AI in learning and development will contribute to a more engaging and personalized learning experience. However, adopting AI should be done responsibly to ensure concerns such as ethics, relevance, and privacy are respected.

How HR can drive responsible AI adoption in learning and development

HR has a crucial role to play in successfully integrating AI into learning and development. Let’s have a look at six steps HR can take to ensure responsible adoption of AI solutions within the learning and development domain.

Step 1: Understand what AI needs to achieve

First, HR needs to understand what the purpose of the AI application is. For example, approaching AI as a coach for employees versus AI as a content creator will have different implications and implementation approaches.

As a starting point, draw up a clear business case of what is in and out of the scope of the AI application. This should also include looking at:

• If existing technology infrastructure, such as hardware, software, and network capabilities, needs upgrades or additions to support AI learning tools.
• How the AI learning tools will integrate with existing L&D systems and tools like Learning Management Systems, HR systems, and workflow tools.
• What skills your team might need to implement and manage AI-driven learning initiatives, for example, understanding AI and data analytics.

Step 2: Find the right partners and vendors

Next, you should thoroughly familiarize yourself with the partners you will work with. 

Unfortunately, AI has become a buzzword, and vendors often use this terminology in their marketing efforts without it translating into actual solutions. Do thorough due diligence and ensure that you include someone with technology knowledge to aid you in vendor decision-making.

Choosing partners who demonstrate a commitment to ethical AI practices is essential. This includes transparency in how their AI systems work, handle data, and address potential biases. For example, if the algorithm is trained mostly on data from a specific demographic (e.g., male employees in tech roles), it might be less effective or relevant for female employees or those in non-tech roles.

Step 3: Pace your adoption of AI and start within a controlled environment

Ensure a responsible pace of the AI implementation that allows you to answer a few questions:

• Are we clear about where AI gets its data, and do we trust the source?
• Do we understand how AI learns?
• How will we monitor AI outputs to ensure quality, accuracy, and relevance?
• Which use cases are we prioritizing?
• What can the AI not do?

Step 4: Socialize the idea of using AI with your employees

You must be transparent with your employees on how and where AI is incorporated into your learning experience.

Be open about using AI and create a FAQ document with the basic questions for learners who want to know more. It is important to specifically focus on how data is gathered, used, collected, and stored, as well as the guarantees regarding data privacy that you can provide to learners.

Step 5: Implement key control and monitoring governance

Ensure that there is transparent governance regarding how use cases will be monitored, how you will collect feedback from employees on the applicability and impact of using AI, and how to link its use to the measurement of learning effectiveness.

Step 6: Optimize the use of AI over time

Last, you can increase the utilization of AI to additional use cases and audiences over time once you are comfortable that the AI is responsibly delivering the expected value.

This incremental approach allows for careful monitoring and fine-tuning of AI systems, ensuring they meet your employees’ and organization’s learning needs effectively and ethically.

Wrapping up

AI will continue to change the learning and development landscape, and HR and L&D professionals have the exciting opportunity to lead this transformation. By implementing AI responsibly, they can continue to enhance the employee learning experience, making it more accessible, effective, and relevant to a wide range of audiences.

It’s crucial to navigate this journey cautiously. Only responsible adoption will enable long-term value while mitigating the current risks related to bias, privacy, and property rights.

The post AI in Learning and Development: Personalizing the Employee Learning Experience appeared first on AIHR.

Contents
What is performance coaching?
Performance coaching examples
How can coaching improve performance?
The benefits of performance coaching
Performance coaching models
What are the steps in employee performance coaching?
FAQ

What is performance coaching?

Performance coaching in the workplace refers to the use of various techniques to continuously stimulate employees to improve their skills, gain new ones, and reach their full potential. It’s a collaborative process that takes place through everyday interactions between a manager and an employee, but also between employees. The manager isn’t only the supervisor, they’re also a coach who continuously motivates employees to grow and learn.

Employee performance coaching is a form of on-the-job learning that addresses weaknesses and cultivates strengths. Managers use day-to-day workplace situations and regular one-on-ones to understand employees and offer personalized guidance. The goal is to help employees develop strategies for performance improvement and take control of their professional growth.

Let’s use a customer service situation as an example of employee performance coaching. When a manager is able to listen in on a call between a customer service representative and a customer, they can provide immediate feedback on what went well, what didn’t, and why.

Together, the two can reflect on the interaction and discover any hurdles that might be going on behind the scenes. The manager can make suggestions and encourage the rep to come up with ways to make customer interactions more productive. 

Coaching employees to improve performance should be an integral part of every organization’s talent management strategy, making it the HR’s responsibility to promote it among managers and employees. It can greatly impact employee engagement and productivity, leading to better overall business performance.

Performance coaching examples

Performance coaching is common in, for instance, Formula 1 racing. If you watch the moments before the race starts, you’re likely to see Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen walk around with someone whose role will be displayed on the screen as ‘Performance Coach’. Businesses are also starting to adopt performance coaching in numerous scenarios.

Here are three examples of what performance coaching could look like in practice:

How can coaching improve performance?

From an interview with one of these performance coaches, we see that their job consists of ‘making sure their driver is in optimal shape to perform during the race weekend’ and ‘to always help if there are little aches and pains.’

Bringing this into the business context, coaching for performance dedicates time to intentionally developing employees. Investing in employee growth improves their performance through different channels, such as the following:

• Immediate constructive feedback: A coaching environment allows continual opportunities to provide constructive feedback in situations that are fresh in employees’ minds. Instead of waiting for an annual performance appraisal, managers can commend employees for successes and address issues in real time for more impact. 
• Skill development: Performance coaching involves identifying improvement opportunities. Addressing these areas with training or hands-on experience helps employees develop new skills and fresh perspectives they can use in their current roles and prepare for future ones.
• Boosting employee confidence: The accountability that takes place during coaching builds self-awareness and keeps employees focused on their goals. During this process, they acquire new capabilities and discover what makes them tick. As employees understand themselves better and achieve their objectives, self-confidence builds. 
• Greater manager support: Because coaching consists of regular interactions between employees and their supervisors, there is more two-way communication. Supervisors get a better understanding of employees’ strengths and preferences and recognize what they’re doing well. When there are areas that need improvement, they can offer feedback, support, and solutions. This builds trust in the relationship. The employee knows their manager isn’t just critiquing their performance but also wants them to succeed and is willing to help them get there.

The benefits of performance coaching

Enabling employees to develop their skills and confidence has several notable benefits for organizations.

• Performance improvement: The main goal of performance coaching is obviously to improve the work performance of employees. Just as every person is different, the way to maximize someone’s potential is, too. Performance coaching enables organizations to personalize their talent management approach and get the best out of every individual. This has a positive influence on the performance levels of the organization to help it reach its business goals.
• Stronger relationships: In addition to the bonds that form between managers and employees through coaching, over 70% of coached employees say they build better relationships with their coworkers. Robust relationships in the workplace fuel collaboration within teams and across the organization to enhance its competitiveness. 
• Higher engagement levels: When employees receive personalized performance coaching, it shows their employer cares about them and invests in their professional development. Then they have higher morale and feel more engaged. As a result, they are motivated to improve their performance and contribute to the organization’s goals. 
• Better retention rates: The benefit of improved performance, stronger relationships, and higher engagement levels is that employees will find more satisfaction in their work and be less likely to leave the organization.

Performance coaching models

Successful performance coaching relies on how effectively the coaching is executed. It is necessary to have a framework for managers to follow so they have the right tools to coach well and to ensure consistency across the organization.

Here is a brief overview of three common coaching models to consider:

GROW model

The GROW model was developed in the UK by Sir John Whitmore and colleagues. It has been used in corporate settings since the late 1980s. The acronym GROW stands for Goal, Reality, Options, and Will. 

Coaches/supervisors walk employees through each stage as follows:

• Goal: Establish a goal that inspires the employee to get somewhere. This can be a target they want to reach or a behavior they want to change. 
• Reality: Define where the employee is currently. Identify the obstacles they’re facing that may factor into their struggles. 
• Options: Consider the potential options and resources that will help them move forward.  
• Will: Translate the options into action steps and set a timeline. The employee must commit to the process, including accountability check-ins.

FUEL model

The FUEL model comes from the book, The Extraordinary Coach: How the Best Leaders Help Others Grow, by John Zenger and Kathleen Stinnet. It’s designed for coaching behavioral change within organizations.

The acronym FUEL stands for Frame the conversation, Understand the current state, Explore the desired state, and Lay out a success plan. 

Here is a quick explanation of these four steps: 

• Frame the conversation: The manager and employee discuss what the coaching will entail without stating any predetermined issues or goals.
• Understand the current state: The manager asks open-ended questions to get the employee’s perspective, challenge both parties’ assumptions, and help the employee gain awareness of where they are currently.
• Explore the desired state: Both parties work together to craft a vision of success and mutually agree on how to achieve the goal.
• Lay out a success plan: The final step is to formulate a detailed action plan for getting to the desired state. 

CIGAR model

The CIGAR coaching model has been attributed to Suzy Green and Anthony Grant. It has been used in a variety of settings, including business. The acronym CIGAR stands for Current reality, Ideal, Gaps, Action, and Review.

The following five steps of this model involve recognizing and remedying the gaps between present and desired circumstances: 

• Current reality: The manager gets to know the employee to discover what’s going on beneath the surface. Questions at this stage may include, “What are your passions?”  “What motivates you?” “What are your strengths?” 
• Ideal: The manager encourages the employee to visualize their desired outcome and asks questions such as, “What would you be doing differently?” “What would change in your life if you achieved your goals?” 
• Gaps: The employee identifies the gaps and obstacles that stand between their current reality and their desired outcome. 
• Action: The two parties work together to create an action plan for the steps, resources, and timeline it will take to bridge the gaps. 
• Review: The manager and employee meet regularly to assess progress and discuss any potential adjustments to the plan.

What are the steps in employee performance coaching?

HR’s role is to enable, facilitate, and support employee performance coaching to ensure every employee is in optimal shape for their own ‘race’ and ready for new challenges.

The following ten tips are for helping HR carry out its responsibilities in performance coaching:

1. Build a coaching culture

To facilitate employee performance coaching, you need to work on building a coaching culture in your organization first. This is what that looks like:

• People trust each other
• People can question the status quo
• People are willing to co-create together, regardless of their position in the organization
• Individuals have a growth mindset and want to help each other develop.

We interviewed Ozlem Sarioglu, professional coach and co-founder of the digital coaching platform SparkUs, to get her take on how HR can establish a successful coaching culture. You can watch the full interview below:

2. Coach managers

Managers hold the most crucial role in making your employee performance coaching initiative a success. However, you can’t expect someone who has never received coaching – and experienced the benefits of it – to be a good coach to others. So, before you give your managers yet another hat to wear, have them go through a coaching process.

Bear in mind that you might need external help, such as a performance consultant, to facilitate the coaching of your more senior managers. 

Using an AI-based coaching platform can be a great way to scale your management coaching efforts while keeping costs under control. There are some great platforms that can automate a part of the process while keeping human coaches involved for the moments that matter most.

3. Help identify performance improvement opportunities

Spotting performance improvement opportunities is an essential step toward professional growth. It’s not only a matter of underperformance but also situations when high performers haven’t yet reached their full potential.

Help managers identify performance improvement opportunities by educating them about different situations where employees might benefit from coaching. Here are a few examples:

• An employee is unable to carry out certain responsibilities well
• Either an employee or their manager has noticed that the former needs to develop particular technical skills to be more effective at their job
• An employee encounters barriers that prevent them from performing at their best. For instance, obstacles such as time or tools
• An already high contributor would like to expand their contribution.

Spotting improvement opportunities is difficult in a traditional performance management approach where managers and team members discuss performance a maximum of twice a year. With so few occasions to talk about it, underperformance may be the only issue that gets addressed.

When performance management is a year-round learning process that includes continuous coaching conversations, performance improvement opportunities are more apparent to managers. Furthermore, employees also have the chance to disclose the challenges they’re encountering.

The fact that there is this open, ongoing conversation with their boss creates trust, a stronger relationship, and a safe environment. In such an atmosphere, people feel they can be open and honest without the fear that this will have a negative impact on their evaluation.

4. Collaborate on the action plan

Once the manager and/or employee have identified the performance improvement opportunity, they can come up with potential solutions together. What the actual solution looks like depends on the issue and the employee. Even when two people need to develop the same competencies, the best way to obtain those competencies may differ.

The action plan can consist of a combination of different learning and training methods, for example, an online training course and peer coaching. HR can help suggest the most effective methods. It’s important that both the manager/coach and the employee agree on the action plan and set dates for follow-up coaching sessions.

As an illustration, let’s say that a customer service team lead sees negative customer feedback about an interaction with a typically high-performing agent. In a coaching environment of trust, the team lead can easily approach the agent about the interaction. Correspondingly, the agent feels comfortable sharing their struggles.

For instance, the agent might have insufficient knowledge about a new product. Then, the two can identify actionable points of improvement together and reach out to HR for advice if needed. In this case, it could be attending a product demo and listening to call recordings of agents with a good grasp of that product. 

The team lead needs to make sure to collaborate rather than micromanage. That way, coaching engages the employee and becomes truly impactful in helping them improve.

The performance coaching action plan should also include the results or performance goals the employee wants to achieve and the timeline for doing so. Then, everyone knows where they’re headed, and the coach can evaluate and measure performance.

5. Show support

When you have successfully established a coaching culture, performance coaching becomes a shared responsibility of the entire organization. Employees should feel supported not only by their manager but also by team members, HR, and other colleagues. 

With the crucial role HR plays in establishing a coaching culture, it should be viewed as a reliable source of employee support. 

Here are a few ways to show support for employees:

• Express your confidence in them and let them know that you are there to assist them
• Check in regularly to ask them how things are going and how you can help
• Offer peer coaching or peer mentoring programs.

6. Promote continuous learning

Coaching culture and ongoing learning go hand in hand. HR needs to create a work environment where people feel motivated to learn and continuously improve their performance. One method for encouraging learning is to highlight people in the organization who show great continuous learning behavior.

Managers also need to know how to be learning evangelists and role models. The Head of People at a Swedish start-up had this to say about the role managers play in coaching and building a learning culture:

“When you’re a manager and one of your team members comes to you with a question, don’t give them an answer immediately. Instead, ask them to first think of what the answer or the solution could be themselves. If you want to, you can nudge them in the right direction, but not more than that.” 

Helping team leaders adopt this type of reflex instead of just giving their own solution will enable employees to pursue their own learning path to find solutions.

7. Encourage feedback

Feedback is an integral part of any kind of coaching process, and it must be a two-way street. In addition to managers sharing their observations and insights with employees, employees should be encouraged to offer their reactions to the coaching process.

Managers should regularly gather feedback from their employees about how they perceive the coaching activities and what could make the coaching relationship and the manager more effective. This can be done through surveys or by direct conversation during one-on-one meetings.

The insight from collecting and analyzing feedback can help you adjust and augment coaching and development strategies.

8. Customize performance coaching activities

Employee performance coaching isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Depending on people’s skills and experience, they will have varying needs. Those who are just starting their careers require a different approach than mid-level employees. There should also be a distinct program for coaching senior leaders.

Be sure that managers understand that coaching can be delivered within the flow of work as well as during the dedicated coaching sessions. 

Examples of performance coaching activities include:

• Gathering feedback from the coachee’s colleagues and sharing it with them so they can reflect on how to improve. This works for both underperformance and further development cases
• Following up on previous issues the coachee needed to solve. Let them reflect on it, ask probing open-ended questions, and walk them through a helpful process
• Providing introspection and perspective. Coaches can add their input based on their experience. Disclosing their own struggles can help create a safe psychological space and trust.

9. Regularly evaluate performance

Managers must evaluate the impact of coaching activities on people’s performance by observing and measuring progress, accomplishments, and gaps. Employees should also be able to give input on whether they reached their goals and improved. 

This can be achieved during the continuous interactions between managers and employees that take place in coaching, as well as the follow-up meetings that were agreed to in the action plan.

If performance management is an ongoing process in your organization and there is a continuous dialogue between managers and their teams, this will make it easier for managers to observe and evaluate performance.

10. Keep track of the improvements

Coaches must document employees’ developments and improvements to have a record of their progress.

One way to do that is to create professional development plan templates and share them with team leaders to help them keep track of employees’ progress.

You can also use a talent management system. This is an integrated software solution that enables organizations to keep track of performance management and learning and development, as well as other employee data. If you already have such a system, educate managers on its benefits and how to use it.

Wrapping up

Employee performance coaching is much more than a remedy for underperformance. It is a tool for providing ongoing, personalized support that can unleash the potential talent lying beneath the surface of your workforce. 

When employees are coached to take ownership of their growth and development and become better performers, they are the key drivers in your organization’s ability to win the race.

FAQ

The post Performance Coaching: Examples & 10 Steps for Success appeared first on AIHR.

Having a professional development plan template streamlines the process of employee development, ensures fairness and consistency, and aligns individual goals with organizational objectives. Standardizing this process with a template helps everyone understand what’s expected and can work together to achieve common goals.

Contents
What is a professional development plan?
Types of professional development plans for employees
7 key components of a professional development plan template
Employee professional development plan examples
How to implement professional development plans across the organization
FAQs

What is a professional development plan?

Think of a professional development plan (PDP) as a career “action plan.” Essentially, it’s a roadmap that helps employees improve and progress in their careers. It enables them to identify their skills, where they currently stand in their professional journey, what skills they need to develop, and what goals they want to achieve. After planning, they can plan the steps they need to take to achieve those goals. 

Let’s explain this in simpler terms. Say someone was going on a journey. Their PDP would be like a travel plan, showing them where they wish to go and how they plan to get there. For instance, a PDP for a Business Development Manager could focus on refining various skills and acquiring new knowledge to increase business opportunities and revenue. 

The Business Development Manager might aim to enhance negotiation, networking, sales, and presentation skills by attending specialized workshops, conducting regular market research, and participating in relevant training programs over the next six months to a year. Measurable goals might include acquiring new clients, identifying new business opportunities, and increasing client acquisition rates. 

To execute the plan, the manager would need organizational support in terms of time and financial resources and would periodically review and adjust the plan with their supervisor to align with individual career aspirations and the company’s strategic objectives. Following their PDP helps them to move forward, and just like following their travel plan, it helps them to reach their destination.

Types of professional development plans for employees

Various types of PDPs address different needs and goals within your organization. Each type has its nuances, focusing on professional growth and development areas. Here is a selection of some types of PDP plans.

Foundational professional development plan

Typically used during the onboarding process, a foundational PDP includes a 30-60-90-day plan to help new hires understand their roles and responsibilities and acclimate to the organization’s culture. It lays the groundwork for the employee’s journey within the company, focusing on essential knowledge and skills needed to perform their job effectively.

Leadership professional development plan

This plan is designed for individuals in leadership roles or those aspiring to be leaders. It focuses on developing leadership skills such as strategic thinking, people management, and decision-making. Crucial for preparing employees to take on more significant responsibilities, the leadership PDP ensures the organization has effective leaders to drive its mission and goals.

Succession planning

Succession planning involves a strategic PDP focused on developing employees to fill key business leadership positions in the future. It ensures that employees are prepared to take over critical roles, preventing leadership gaps and ensuring business operations continuity when leaders leave.

Performance improvement plan

When employees are not meeting expected performance standards, performance improvement plan (PIP) is used to help them improve. It outlines specific areas for improvement, sets achievable goals and provides support and resources to help employees meet those goals. Ultimately, the PIP ensures that employees have a clear path to enhancing their performance.

Technical professional development plan

This plan is tailored for employees needing to acquire or enhance specific technical skills related to their jobs, such as IT skills, data analysis, or machine operation. It’s essential for roles where technical proficiency directly impacts job performance and the organization’s success.

7 key components of a professional development plan template

A PDP template provides a standardized and structured framework that gives HR consistency and clarity in managing employee growth and learning while also saving time and resources. It simplifies the process of aligning employee developmental goals with key organizational objectives. It also helps to identify needs and customize PDPs for each individual, and clear, measurable outcomes can be set and tracked. 

A professional development plan (PDP) consists of several essential components that facilitate effective professional growth:

1. Professional goals

Professional goals are the heart of a PDP, as they set the direction and purpose of the entire plan. They are the driving force, dictating what skills need to be learned, what competencies need to be acquired, and what milestones have to be achieved to progress. 

They ensure that every learning opportunity, every skill acquired, and every task accomplished is leading towards desired career advancements and personal development. For instance, an employee might aspire to lead a team, gain expertise in a specific technology, or achieve a higher role within the organization, such as moving from a managerial to a directorial role.

Without clear goals, the journey of professional development can become unfocused and ineffective, diminishing the value and impact of the PDP.

2. Self-assessment

This requires individuals to reflect on their strengths and areas of improvement. For example, a person might realize they are excellent in analytical thinking but need to strengthen their communication skills. This assessment is critical for identifying the areas that require development and setting realistic and relevant goals.

Employees can create more realistic, relevant, and attainable professional goals by reflecting on their abilities, behaviors, and desires. Self-awareness and responsibility empower people to take ownership of their professional growth and to align their development efforts more closely with their career aspirations and the organization’s needs, ensuring a more harmonious and productive development journey.

3. Skill development

Identification of specific skills or knowledge areas to develop is crucial. A skills gap analysis allows for the creation of a tailored and effective PDP, ensuring that learning and development efforts are strategically directed towards acquiring the necessary knowledge and competencies.

By addressing these identified gaps, individuals can enhance their performance, contribute more effectively to organizational goals, and navigate their career paths more strategically, avoiding wasted time on irrelevant learning activities.

4. Performance goals

Setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals is crucial because it provides clear, focused, and measurable objectives that guide an individual’s professional growth and learning journey. For instance, an employee in sales might set a goal to increase sales by 15% in the next quarter through enhanced customer engagement strategies.

Creating a transparent and structured pathway that aligns employee aspirations with organizational objectives enables them to contribute more effectively to the organization’s success. Establishing performance goals within a PDP facilitates ongoing assessment and feedback and allows for a sense of accomplishment and motivation – when employees can clearly see their progress and development, they experience overall job satisfaction. The result is greater productivity.

5. Expected outcomes and KPIs

Expected results and key performance indicators (KPIs) provide clear benchmarks for success, enabling individuals to measure their progress accurately and objectively. Outcomes are the tangible results they hope to achieve, giving a clear direction to their efforts. Meanwhile, KPIs serve as quantifiable measures that help them track their advancement towards these outcomes, offering insights into areas of improvement and success.

Together, they create a framework for accountability and continuous improvement, allowing employees to adjust their efforts and strategies based on real, measurable data, ensuring that the development plan remains relevant and aligned with both personal and organizational goals. This alignment helps maintain focus and motivation, as individuals can see the impact of their development efforts. A sense of accomplishment propels further learning and growth.

6. An action plan

An action plan outlines the steps to be taken to achieve the set goals. This could involve attending training sessions, undertaking additional responsibilities, or seeking mentorship. For example, an employee aiming to improve project management skills might plan to attend related workshops and actively participate in project planning sessions.

7. Feedback and evaluation

Regular feedback and evaluation are vital for assessing the progress of the PDP and making any necessary adjustments. It can involve discussions between the employee and the manager to review progress, address challenges, and refine goals and strategies as needed.

Employee professional development plan examples

Professional development plan (PDP)

A PDP is a strategic document designed to help individuals identify and achieve their professional goals. It includes components like self-assessment, skill development, SMART goals, action plans, and regular evaluations to help employees grow in their careers.

Benefits

• Encourages continuous learning and skill development
• Aligns individual goals with organizational objectives
• Increases employee engagement and job satisfaction
• Enhances employee performance and productivity
• Helps in retaining top talent by fostering a growth-oriented environment.

30-60-90 day plan

The 30-60-90-day plan is a strategic plan used during the onboarding process of new employees. It breaks down the first 90 days of employment into three segments, each with distinct objectives and tasks. It’s designed to help new hires understand their roles, responsibilities, and the company culture, allowing them to integrate smoothly into the organization.

Benefits

• Accelerated learning curve for new employees
• Clear expectations and goals from day one
• Enhanced productivity and performance from the outset
• Identifies potential issues and challenges early
• Enables a sense of accomplishment and job satisfaction.

Performance improvement plan (PIP)

A PIPerformance Improvement Plan Template & Guide [Free Download]P outlines specific areas where an employee needs to improve their performance. It consists of clear expectations, measurable goals, and a timeline for achieving them, providing support and resources to help employees meet those goals.

Benefits

• Offers structured support to underperforming employees
• Clarifies expectations and provides clear, attainable goals
• Encourages open communication between employees and management
• Identifies and addresses performance issues proactively
•  Can lead to improved employee performance and productivity.

Leadership development plan

This plan is focused on developing the skills and knowledge necessary for leadership roles. It’s tailored for current leaders and potential future leaders, emphasizing strategic thinking, people management, decision-making, and other leadership competencies.

Benefits

• Prepares employees for leadership roles, ensuring organizational continuity
• Enhances leadership skills, fostering better team management and decision-making
• Contributes to organizational success by developing effective leaders
• Strengthens the leadership pipeline, reducing the risks associated with leadership gaps
• Improves employee morale and organizational culture through effective leadership.

How to implement professional development plans across the organization 

By supporting managers and providing resources and assistance, HR plays a pivotal role in facilitating the implementation of Professional Development Plans (PDPs).

Here’s a step-by-step guide for HR professionals to implement PDPs across an organization:

• Step 1: Gain leadership buy-in: Secure support and commitment from top management to implement PDPs, emphasizing benefits such as improved employee performance, satisfaction, and retention.
• Step 2: Develop a framework: Create a structured and adaptable framework for PDPs, considering various roles and departments, that managers can utilize to develop individual plans.
• Step 3: Train managers: Provide training to managers on developing and implementing PDPs, including setting goals, identifying skill gaps, and providing constructive feedback.
• Step 4: Communicate the initiative: Clearly communicate PDPs’ objectives, process, and benefits to all employees, emphasizing the organization’s commitment to employee growth and development.
• Step 5: Identify goals and skill gaps: Assist managers in identifying professional goals and performing skills gap analyses for their team members to pinpoint areas of development.
• Step 6: Create individual plans: Support managers in developing personalized PDPs for each employee based on their goals, skills, roles, and career aspirations.
• Step 7: Provide resources and opportunities: Offer learning and development resources like workshops, training programs, e-learning platforms, and mentorship opportunities to help employees achieve their goals.
• Step 8: Monitor progress: Encourage regular check-ins between managers and employees to discuss progress, address challenges, and adjust plans as needed.
• Step 9: Evaluate and adjust: Help managers assess the effectiveness of PDPs through KPIs and employee feedback, making necessary adjustments to the plans and overall approach.
• Step 10: Recognize and reward: Advocate for acknowledgment and rewards for employees who achieve their development goals to reinforce a positive culture of learning and development.
• Step 11: Collect feedback: Gather feedback from managers and employees on the PDP process to identify areas for improvement and make continuous enhancements.
• Step 12: Continuous improvement: Regularly review and refine the PDP framework, implementation process, and resources based on feedback and changing organizational needs.

To sum up

A professional development plan (PDP) template is a standardized and structured framework that ensures consistency and clarity in managing employee growth and learning and aligns individual developmental goals with organizational objectives, paving the way for mutual success. By streamlining the developmental process, a template makes it easy for HR to identify and customize PDPs that meet each employee’s needs and aspirations, saving time and resources too.

The template facilitates the setting and tracking of clear, measurable outcomes, enhancing employee engagement, motivation, and satisfaction by demonstrating a commitment to employee development. A transparent and equitable development process contributes to organizational harmony and productivity.

FAQs

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