What are the best practices for evaluating the impact of hands-on training on job performance?

1 Define your goals and objectives

Before you design and deliver your hands-on training, you need to define what you want to achieve and how you will measure it. What are the specific skills, knowledge, or behaviors that you want your employees to learn and apply on the job? How will you align your training goals with your organizational goals and strategy? How will you communicate your expectations and criteria to your employees and stakeholders? By clarifying your goals and objectives, you will be able to design your hands-on training in a way that supports them and makes them measurable.

3 Select appropriate metrics and methods

Depending on the evaluation model and level that you choose, you will need to select appropriate metrics and methods to collect and analyze data. Metrics are the indicators that you use to measure the impact of hands-on training on job performance, such as productivity, quality, customer satisfaction, or revenue. Methods are the tools and techniques that you use to gather and interpret data, such as surveys, tests, observations, interviews, or focus groups. You should select metrics and methods that are relevant, reliable, valid, and feasible for your hands-on training context and goals.

4 Plan and conduct your evaluation

Once you have defined your goals and objectives, chosen an evaluation model, and selected appropriate metrics and methods, you are ready to plan and conduct your evaluation. You should plan your evaluation in advance, considering the timing, budget, resources, and responsibilities involved. You should also consider how you will address potential challenges, such as ethical issues, data quality, or stakeholder buy-in. You should conduct your evaluation systematically, following the steps and criteria that you have established. You should also document and report your evaluation process and findings.

5 Use your evaluation results

The final and most important step of evaluating the impact of hands-on training on job performance is to use your evaluation results. You should use your results to inform your decisions and actions regarding your hands-on training program and its improvement. You should also use your results to communicate and demonstrate the value and impact of your hands-on training to your employees, managers, and other stakeholders. You should use your results to celebrate your successes and learn from your failures. You should use your results to create a culture of continuous learning and improvement in your organization.