THE NEW SCHOOL Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
, BY DEBRA ELLIS
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Thinking of buying a new CRM system? Save your money until your employees know what they're talking about.
Technology alone won't help you provide customers with a seamless shopping experience. But knowledge will — the kind imparted to staffers through on-demand training.
What's that? It's an educational course that workers take when convenient and finish at their own pace. In most cases, it's done online.
And firms are embracing it because the old teaching methods no longer work. Manuals are obsolete before the ink is dry. Scripting sounds calculated and insincere. Hands-on training is expensive.
But on-demand training is flexible — there are no seminars to schedule and no travel costs. Certification is easier. And people can refresh their skills with regular updates.
Even better, young people prefer to learn online.
Think of it — your salespeople will speak with knowledge and confidence instead of being tied to a script. And that's only one of the many benefits.
But there's one challenge: How do you serve the baby boomers on your staff, who aren't so plugged in to technology?
It's easy — by combining traditional and on-demand training in a hybrid system. You can avoid culture clash, while getting the best results out of everyone. Above all, you want the boomers to share their knowledge with younger workers — the so-called gamers — before they retire.
Not all on-demand training is conducted online. It can also be done using color-coded flash cards — this works especially well in a warehouse envrionment. But whatever the channel, on demand training will help you link your training and business goals, while generating a verifiable return on investment.
So how do you go about it? Many vendors provide virtual training with their CRM, order processing and financial systems. And there are many fine interactive systems on the market.
Of you can create a custom program inhouse. But that's harder to do — you need programing skills and a high level of interdepartmental cooperation.
You may want to outsource the programming or purchase third-party courseware tools. The benefits greatly outweigh the time and cost.
Start by evaluating your current program, using a process known as ADDIE (analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation).
How do you do that analysis? By using the Kirkpatrick Four Level Model for training evaluation. It works for both traditional and on-demand programs.
The levels are:
Reaction
This helps you determine how the students perceive the training and get feedback on how to improve it. The more you involve the end user in the planning, the better the results. Ask your employees:
How relevant is the training to your job performance?
Is it interesting?
How easy is it to access the information when needed?
What is missing from the program?
Learning results
In this stage, you measure how well the program meets its objectives. This is done by administering tests to new employees before and after you train them.
Workplace behavior
Here is where you find out how well the information was retained. If you already had a traditional educational program, you can combine the old and the new to compare how they worked.
But advance preparation is needed if your company doesn't routinely check employee knowledge. Inform your staff that the purpose is to improve their access to the information — otherwise, morale will suffer.
Business results
This gives you the big picture — the effect of the training on your business. You may have to rely on anecdotal data if you don't have an established measurement program in place, but it's well worth the effort.
Never underestimate the information provided by the trainees. They're the ones who have to turn education into application.
Okay. You've identified your strengths and weaknesses. Now it's time to act on the information. This is where on-demand training is especially useful. It allows you to create a test model and revise it as needed.
Just as you would with a catalog mailing, test a small segment, modify it until it works — and then roll out.
