Before Training: Survey Your Class
02/26/07
Neglecting to survey a training class is like shooting darts blindfolded. You have a general sense of your target, but hitting it is mostly a matter of luck and guesswork. Gathering information on attendees several days ahead, however, gives you time to profile the group, customize your presentation to its makeup, and maximize your company’s return on its training dollars.
An emailed questionnaire can expedite their responses and provide the information in a format that’s quickly summarized on a spreadsheet which makes it easier to review and digest. Collect details from these three areas:
1. Experience and Responsibilities
If trainees have similar jobs, this information may not be terribly important. If they come from a cross-section of positions or management levels, though, it’s good to know some general information about their current positions, major responsibilities, and career history. Use it to build rapport with various members of the group, draw on their individual backgrounds for examples or viewpoints; develop thought provoking questions; deal discreetly with controversial or sensitive topics; and generally “work the room” for more class participation than you’d get if you simply walked in with a blank sheet of paper.
Ask for these basic facts:
Job title
Department
Major duties and responsibilities
Number of people supervised
Length of time in present career
Length of time in current position
Years of service with the company
If you’re training a large class that may group itself according to jobs, departments, or similar criteria, you can use this information to make advance seating arrangements. For example, you may want to separate employees from the same department to discourage them from “talking shop” and encourage interaction and idea sharing with classmates from different jobs or areas.
2. Education and Training
Getting educational information helps you choose an appropriate discussion level. You wouldn’t want to talk down to a class of college grads, talk over the heads of people with only high school diplomas, or repeat a lot of material that they’ve learned previously. Query them about:
Formal education (degrees earned and schools attended)
Specialized training provided by former employers
Previous training provided by your company
Training their supervisors have recommended by way of recent performance evaluations and/or career development plans
3.What Do They Want?
Some trainees will likely have specific problems or pending decisions that they want help with ASAP. Asking them what they want from the session makes you a partner in their success, not just a rote presenter of general principles or practices. Asking about their expectations in advance also increases their enthusiasm and anticipation about the session; you’ve given them something tangible to look forward to. Ask questions such as:
Which duties or responsibilities would you like this training to help you do better?
Which specific work-related problem(s) would you like to solve using information from this session?
Which professional skills do you want to acquire or improve by attending this session?
4. Get Work Samples If Necessary
If you’re running a hands-on workshop to teach employees certain “hard” skills such as writing reports or processing claims, have them enclose samples of their work products along with their completed surveys. This gives you time to assess their individual proficiency levels and identify participants who might benefit from supplementary handouts, self-paced exercises, or other materials that would enhance the value of their experience.