Consider a tailor sewing a custom garment. It’s not a matter of cutting into the material and hoping for the best. The tailor needs to work efficiently to avoid wasting valuable fabric, plan out the process so the garment is ready on time, and most importantly, evaluate the fit. Without this key evaluation step, the tailor does not know if the garment is fit for purpose, looking and performing as the customer expects.

A big part of learning is evaluation to measure the impact of training programs on business performance. Business impact measurement and return on investment need to be considered as an integral part of the design and development process, from conception to realization.

Explore seven key steps to help set up easy evaluation and measurement practices after training has been deployed.

1. Determine business needs

First, it’s critical to clearly understand your business needs and expectations so you can create an aligned training strategy. Just as the tailor follows a pattern to guide the end result, business goals provide the foundation so training can be designed to support achievement and business development. Existing training can be mapped against business goals and refreshed to fill in any gaps.

2. Link to performance goals

Any good garment should fit, flatter, and function, and the tailor will have considered this during the initial design stage. When it comes to training, you need to define what your employees need to do to assist you in reaching your business goals. By determining performance outcomes and links to KPIs and organizational objectives, you can design training that teaches content that learners really need to know.

3. Consult with SMEs

Often, the knowledge you need is within your organization, it just needs to be collected. Subject matter experts (SMEs) are a valuable resource and through consultation, you can uncover what learners really need to know, and you can use this information to drive training from the beginning.

4. Create context, not content

My bet is that most tailors are busy creating garments that their customers have an immediate need for. Otherwise, what would be the point in investing the resources? With training, learners want content that is relevant and specific to the daily role and tasks performed and can be immediately “tried on” and put into practice rather than remaining theoretical. On-demand training models that allow learners to “pull” content when and where it is required should also be considered.

5. Evaluate before launching

This is the tailor’s final fitting session with the customer where the last nips, tucks and hems of the garment are tweaked so the fit is just right. Similarly, the pilot run is the final fitting session for training and is a great way to evaluate the course before it is launched. The pilot run usually involves a small group of learners completing and evaluating the training before the official release to identify issues and fix them while still in the development phase.

6. Provide opportunities for social learning

Feedback is one of the best ways to evaluate success. Deploying training through a learning management system (LMS) or learning portal allows social interaction and instant communication opportunities. An LMS also allows you to collect useful data about how training is completed and the progress of individual learners. Social media platforms can also be integrated into your solution, allowing learners to discuss training and share ideas and knowledge.

7. Futureproof your training

Any competent tailor knows to leave plenty of hem length when making clothing for growing children. Most businesses are also in a constant state of flux, so it’s important to design training that can respond to change without having to be overhauled. Always keep in mind design and development methods that make updating content easy and cost effective so that edits can be as simple as adjusting a seem!

Is your current training a good fit for your business?

Ashley Casey is the global marketing executive at PulseLearning.