Author: Todd Raphael

Are you thinking about moving some of your skills training online? In an interview with Workforce, Steve Zahm, the co-founder and vice president of DigitalThink, talks about the new world of digital training.

 

What should a company look for when choosing an online training company?
Look for “true Web-based training.” This means training that includes all lessons, exercises and collaboration within the Web browser. Also, look for tutor support of courses by real experts — people who review student exercises and provide feedback throughout the course.

What infrastructure should a company have already in place to begin?
True Web-based training is effective because it doesn’t require any additional infrastructure investment. Students should simply have a computer that is connected to the Internet and can run a Web browser. If a student can access a search engine such as Yahoo!(R), they should have everything they need to take a Web-based training course.

What types of training are being done online?
Nearly anything that can be taught in a classroom can be taught online. The exception? Face-to-face teaching that involves reading body language, gestures, or facial expressions.

What about videoconferencing, which allows you to see another person online?
Videoconferencing and other synchronous tools have their uses, but not for training. They’re useful for making presentations or communicating information using “audio-graphics.”

Again, remember what the advantages of Web-based training are — collapsing time and distance. Synchronous tools collapse distance, but the whole time challenge, i.e., scheduling meetings between several people, still exists with these tools.

For example, you can easily have a conference call using the phone. Has this made it any easier to schedule a meeting? If you’re like everyone at my company, it’s just as hard to schedule a videoconference as a face-to-face meeting.

I’m not saying it’s not simpler with regards to not having to travel, and so on. I’m just saying that people are always busy, and I can send an e-mail or voice-mail much more easily than I can schedule either a meeting or a teleconference. E-mails and voice-mails are asynchronous, and that’s why they’re used so much more than synchronous forms of communication. Face-to-face instruction online will occur, and much of it will have to be synchronous. But the asynchronous variety (e.g., streaming video) is not really effective today.

Are trainers trained enough?
Interestingly, classroom trainers often do not make the best online tutors or instructors. The skills required for online instruction are the ability to communicate effectively via e-mail, and the talent to conduct an engaging dialogue in text. Classroom trainers often rely on in-person dynamics to teach effectively, and may find that training via e-mail support is not their preferred means of teaching.

Does Web-based training have potential for laziness, with the trainer thinking they don’t need to offer human help?
We’ve found that online training succeeds because of human help, and rarely without added human help. Online training should never be about removing people from the training experience. Instead, it’s about collapsing the twin factors of time and distance. Note that getting rid of time and distance as limitations has nothing to do with getting rid of people. It simply makes training more convenient for the learner.

Is there a lack of employee skills (i.e. Internet savvy) to do the training itself?
Well-designed training doesn’t require technical skills. The Internet did not get to have more than 120 million people using it because it’s difficult to learn. For example, online training that requires users to start off by installing “plug-ins” to their browser is poorly designed online training. The Internet is becoming a ubiquitous part of everyone’s life — employee skills in using the Internet should have nothing to do with the ability to take online training.

How is Web-based training saving companies money?
The reason why companies should investigate online training is because it’s convenient and effective for students. This means students actually enroll in courses and, most importantly, complete those classes. This helps companies create and retain skilled workers. Readers should ask themselves, “Is there any other way to significantly increase the amount of training our company does each year?” and “Can our company stand not to significantly increase the amount of training we do?”

What’s the one area or thing HR professionals could do tomorrow to improve employee skills?
Use the Web to buy a book or airline tickets online. Once you have an appreciation for what it means to use the Internet, learn about online training. Go to one of the many sites online and learn about online training. Once you understand the power of the Web for everything from shopping to research, get your employees online. Stop coming up with reasons not to be online, and start empowering people to be on the Internet.

Here are seven real-world questions to ask yourself while planning a training program. Click on each question for an example.

1. Does anybody really need this training?
2. Does everybody really need this training?
3. How much will this cost per person, and what are the economies of scale?
4. How can I measure the success of this program quantitatively?
5. How can I measure the success of this program qualitatively?
6. How quickly will this training become outdated?
7. How will this training affect retention?

1. Does anybody really need this training?
   You’ve just installed the latest version of Microsoft Word for 10 employees. Do they need to be trained for it? Or can they figure it out on their own? Keep in mind, oftentimes employees may be confident they can manage without formal training, but there may be aspects they aren’t considering (in this case, there could be word-processing or graphical functions they’re not aware of).
   
   
2. Does everybody really need this training?
   You’re about to open another unit of your upscale restaurant, and plan to send waitstaff to an all-day workshop on customer service and interpersonal skills. Should your bussers go? You may need to look at the overall goals of your business or organization. If you own a restaurant and your selling point is going to be customer service, you may want to train the whole staff. If turnover among bussers is sky high, and customer service isn’t your first priority, you may be able to forgo the training for the bussers (though keep in mind the commitment you show by providing training may reduce turnover in the first place).
   
   
3. How much will this cost per person, and what are the economies of scale?
   As a high school superintendent, you want to keep your staff up to date with the latest in teaching methods. There’s a great conference that the 20 teachers in your high school are interested in attending, but it’s 500 miles away. Will it pay to send them there? What kind of a discount can you get for 20 people? Sometimes, costs simply make a training program prohibitive for all parties; you may have to train 10 teachers now and 10 at the end of the semester.
   
   
4. How can I measure the success of this program quantitatively?
   As the HR director for a large corporation, you’re concerned about the ability of several of your employees to interact with the media and with community groups. You’re considering bringing in a media-training specialist to practice skills such as dealing with reporters’ tough questions. You may want to think of creative ways to measure the outcome quantitatively. Can you measure the amount of media attention (i.e. in column-inches) your company was receiving before and after the training? Can you measure the ratio of interviews to stories written about your company before and after training? Are there other measures you can use?
   
   
5. How can I measure the success of this program qualitatively?
   Using the example from question four, think of ways to measure your outcome. Rate all newspaper clippings and broadcast reports (positive coverage, negative coverage, neutral coverage) before and after the training to measure the success. Have trainers or other employees evaluate the interviewing ability of your trainees before and after. Look for other measures.
   
   
6. How quickly will this training become outdated?
   The hospital in which you work bills itself as an advanced medical center on the cutting-edge of health technology. You learn of a new medical test that can save time and money for doctors and nurses. What can you do to find out if this is a passing fad or a method with staying power? Will it pay to train every nurse and every doctor in the new procedure if by the time you’re done it is out of vogue?
   
   
7. How will this training affect retention?
   Your insurance company has hired lots of new employees straight out of college and has told them throughout the process that it likes to “promote from within.” Are you providing managerial training to these employees? Do they know how to conduct interviews and how to draw up budgets? Make sure your company goals and your training mesh, or your employees will go somewhere where they really are being groomed for top spots.

Ross Kerr, a Toronto native pursuing a Master’s degree in human resources management at Rutgers University, talks about where he and the rest of his HR-generation are headed.

Please describe your educational background.
My educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts at King’s College, in Halifax, Canada, with majors in sociology and history. I also have a certificate in human resources management. This certificate allowed me to write the standard exam for the Human Resources Professional Association of Ontario (HRPAO).

So why did you choose to pursue a degree in HR?
I applied for HRM certification and took a summer job in the HR department of a major Canadian insurance company. Since I enjoyed the work and did well at school, I decided to take a full-time HR position with that company.

My role began as an administrator of forms for managers to change the pay and status of employees. As I developed relationships with the managers, I looked for opportunities to increase my value to them. Soon, I was interviewing and providing guidance on administering HR policies. My role quickly expanded to include consulting with managers on employee-relations issues, process improvement initiatives, and the reorganization of the Canadian division of the company.

Do you think a Master’s degree is necessary in this field?
To get a position in which one can make a significant impact on an organization, a higher degree—such as a Master’s—is helpful. A Master’s opens the door to more responsibility as a result of the skills that students gain and the credibility it offers. For those who want to be consultants, a Ph.D. is probably the better choice since much of the work is research-based. Many business-strategy consulting firms still prefer individuals with an MBA or Master’s in economics.

You said you had an HR certificate. You didn’t feel that it was enough?
Though I already had a certificate in HRM from Canada, I decided to pursue the Master’s (MHRM) for three reasons. First, the program offered a high profile education to help me compete for a role in the global labor market—that is, it would help me reach higher levels of an organization in any number of countries. Second, Rutgers is well known for its faculty; I wanted the opportunity to study with some of the leading researchers in the HRM field. Third, major U.S. corporations recruit from the Rutgers MHRM program and I wanted to test the employment waters south of the border.

Is HR education these days focused on “old HR” or “Real HR, Real Impact”?
The advantage of this program is that it offers studies in the traditional functions of HR (selection, performance management, etc.) and decision-making skills (financial analysis, statistics and research methodology), as well as the integration of those areas into an HR strategy that aligns with the business strategy. The program’s curriculum is focused on providing a comprehensive and integrated outlook on HRM practices, including courses in managing the global workforce, management and development of teams, and soft-asset due diligence during acquisitions.

Do you think an MBA is necessary for an HR professional to impact the business world?
I believe that it’s important to build an expertise—or a perspective—from which one can make decisions and base opinions. I chose to develop my skills from the HRM perspective. However, I also strongly feel that an effective HR professional must have the basic skills and knowledge taught in an MBA program.

Understanding the business and being able to speak the language of the others around the management table opens the door for HR professionals to deliver a significant impact on organizational performance. Since the combination of HR and MBA credentials provides the necessary competencies to implement an effective HR strategy, individuals with those skills will soon become one of the most sought-after commodities in the management labor market (if they aren’t already).

Is an MBA in the cards for you?
A balance must be found between work experience and education in order to make either one valuable. I plan to work toward an MBA during the course of my employment.

Was the accreditation worth the effort?
Without a doubt, accreditation is an important factor contributing to the acceptance of HR professionals as top management in organizations. People can see the process that an HR professional has followed to achieve some level of proficiency in the field. When I first wrote the exams, I thought it was a waste of time—but while I was working in the field, I saw a significant disparity between those who had HR education and those who didn’t. Those who have an HR education are clearly in a much better position to influence organizational decisions. The individuals tend to be regarded as innovative and thoughtful because they have substantive research and case studies to back up their positions.

What is your generation of HR professionals looking for?
For the most part, my colleagues (at school and at work) share the same driving ambition for HR professionals to be in a more influential role in terms of organizational strategy and implementing HR practices that effectively use the firm’s intellectual capital to generate greater economic value. The reality is few firms are adopting high-performance HR practices and many still view the payroll as an expense rather than an investment.

Will these firms change?
The future of HR rests in the hands of the current generation of HR professionals. As strong as the HR wave is, it may only last until the next economic downturn. The goal is to demonstrate the impact that HR can have on the economic value of organizations, at least to the extent that employees and the HR roles are no longer the first cuts to be made when the economy begins to slow down.

HR professionals today are, for the most part, more highly educated than in the past; we have standardized credentials—as do accountants and lawyers—which provide a solid basis for others to evaluate our skills.

As the global labor market expands, knowledge is an important asset that individuals will carry with them wherever they work. The future will hold promise for those who can become experts in at least one profession and then begin to make in-roads into other professions. It’s hard to argue with someone who understands your field as well—if not better—than you do.

Workforce Extra, May 1999, pp. 2-3.