Recently, I had the pleasure of moderating a panel discussion, “Bridging the Gap Between Training and Outcomes,” with Amanda Hagman, Ph.D., and John Louviere, Ph.D., to discuss the Atana solution. And the conversation was a hard reiteration of a recurring observation of mine and many others in this industry….
Intrinsically, business leaders — the C-suite, even the CFO — understand learning and development (L&D) to be integral to organizational health. For one, L&D boosts productivity and innovation. But it’s more than that. A strong learning culture underpins employer culture itself. Employees who have access to dynamic, tailored opportunities for career development stay longer. Done right, even perfunctory training can sing.
Few employees ever jumped for joy at the opportunity to watch yet another video on harassment prevention, however. So, first, how can L&D departments make learning, especially so-called mandatory or required compliance-related training, engaging and inviting? And, second, how can L&D departments get better at “showing their work” and linking investments in L&D directly to bottom-line improvements?
As we all know, there are three domains of learning:
Cognitive: What we know.
Affective: How we feel.
Behavioral: What we do.
Behavioral science is showing that mandated training can become a vehicle for real, lasting, measurable change.
Traditional L&D focuses mostly on cognitive (knowledge acquisition), particularly in the case of compliance training. But what if compliance training could also focus on behavior change and affective learning, developing positive attitudes, values, and emotions towards these initiatives through the learning experience? Behavioral science is showing that it can be done and that mandated training can then become a vehicle for real, lasting, measurable change.
Bridging a Not-So-Obvious Gap
Most organizations conduct regular employee engagement surveys to better understand the culture of their organization and measure factors that either support or detract from efforts to create a workplace that is both respectful and safe (physically and psychologically).
Simultaneously, mandated compliance training is attempting to help the organization reach the same goal—the creation of a respectful, safe work environment. But the two efforts don’t always support one another. Answers obtained from the surveys don’t always reflect what is seen in employee behaviors and training doesn’t always have the impact needed to achieve positive ROI.
Behavior-based compliance training sets out to change that by doing the employee assessment piece during the actual training.
When we weave assessments into the fabric of training programs — specifically capturing employee attitudes and perceptions in the context of relatable workplace training scenarios within the course — it encourages employees to embrace their participation rather than passively absorb the information. This makes the learning more engaging while yielding authentic answers from learners and actionable data on employee performance and organizational culture. Employers gain insights into how likely training programs are to improve behaviors and enhance risk mitigation. The actionable data helps identify strengths and weaknesses within the organization, allowing L&D leaders to fine-tune their strategies and drive continual improvements.
What’s more, the data collected can be used to foster a culture of accountability and transparency. By combining in-context behavioral assessments with various other models for measuring the effectiveness of workplace learning, organizations can more effectively demonstrate the value of their L&D initiatives. This, in turn, can lead to increased investment in learning programs, ultimately boosting productivity, innovation, and profitability.
Looking Ahead
It is no longer enough for training programs to simply relay information — they must captivate, inspire, and provide tangible benefits to influence employee retention, the quality of work, and ultimately, the bottom line.
Compliance training may be an administrative necessity. A robust learning culture, on the other hand, should be your strategic priority. It is no longer enough for training programs to simply relay information — they must captivate, inspire, and provide tangible benefits to influence employee retention, the quality of work, and ultimately, the bottom line.
One way to get there fast is by incorporating employee assessments into the training course itself to capture feedback in context through the trusted connection established with the learner. This is the innovation we need. It’s an innovation that makes learning more enjoyable, yields actionable data, and leads to dynamic outcomes proliferating the organization. With any modern learning approach, after all, isn’t the goal to move beyond traditional training to empower employees, foster a positive employer culture, and drive sustained business success?
About the Author: Brent Skinner
Founder + principal of Open Window Strategies LLC, Brent has spent nearly two decades in human capital management. An industry analyst twice previously, he has also worked at several of this market’s best-known cloud software brands. In these capacities, Brent has partnered with and advised executives and others in sales, marketing, and customer success to help drive positive business outcomes.
