Measure and Evaluate

In order to fully evaluate the impact of OJT it is necessary to undertake, where possible, a qualitative assessment of the impact and assign a quantifiable value to it. Measuring the positive impact on the business will help to determine whether the methods used have been effective, what still needs improving, further training needs that exist, training savings made, enhancements in quality of work practices and outputs etc.. More subjective assessments of the value of OJT will be necessary as it is acknowledged that it is not always easy to collect data - for instance, recipients opinions on the value to them of the OJT, how it has affected their enjoyment or sense of fulfilment (satisfaction) relating to their role in the organisation and other similar measures of OJT success.

As with all measurement systems, one focusing upon OJT should be designed to manage and measure OJT and be aligned with the culture, mission, and strategy of the organisation. The following provide some ideas on how OJT practices can be assessed:

• OJT Hours or days training per employee e.g. average number of hours or days of on the job training per employee or, % employees undergoing OJT per period. This measure assesses the amount of on the job training given to employees and can be tailored to assess specific employee groups e.g. new employees existing employees and specific employee groups. The type of training given could also be segmented e.g. OJT Vs classroom style training.

• Training enrolments e.g. the number of employees who have enrolled in a company training and development program, or number of employees who have enrolled as a % of the total number of employees.

• Training attendance e.g. the number of employees who have attended or received training as compared to the number enrolled, or as a % of total no. of employees.

Training enrolment and attendance measures can be important for monitoring employee development and the skill base within the organisation. They can provide useful information for training budget considerations and for planning when relief workers are required.

• Training awareness e.g. the % of employees that are given training to make them aware of a current initiative(s). Such data can provide an indication of the level of communication of strategies and or initiatives throughout the organisation.

• Training courses delivered e.g. the number of training courses delivered per period. This measure indicates the frequency with which training is given to employees and can be tailored to assess different types of training (e.g. OJT v's off-site) or those offered/delivered to different employee groups.

• Training Costs e.g. average cost of training per employee per period. Overall, this measure assesses the average cost of training per employee, but can be tailored to assess the training given to new employees, existing employees and specific employee groups. The type of training given could also be segmented e.g. OJT Vs classroom style training.

• Employee skill set increase e.g. the increase in skill level over the last year. A framework for assessing the general skill levels of individual employees would need to be designed to most adequately collect meaningful and useable data for such a measure. However, it could be based on performance appraisal and training needs assessment documentation/systems.

• Training methods - budget share e.g. the % of training budget allocated to different methods of training delivery, or the % of budget used for specific delivery methods. Data from this measure will provide and indication of the amount of money used, allocated or needed for the future for specific training delivery methods e.g. OJT v's off-site training.

• Training impact e.g. the % difference in the rate of productivity before and after training or, the % difference in the defects rate before and after training or, proportion of training programmes resulting in productivity improvements or, proportion of training programmes resulting in quality improvements (reduction in defects) or, number of employees indirectly benefited from a single participant etc.. Measures such as these provide an indication of the impact of training programmes in terms of both quality and productivity.

• Training Satisfaction - e.g. the impact that the OJT has had on the recipient from his/her perspective in terms of factors such as clarity, usefulness, relevance, and effectiveness. The approach and quality of training practices can impact strongly on employee satisfaction and therefore retention, so this is an important consideration.

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