New votes in L&D – Dr Anita Sagar – Thinking about learning

I really liked to open the blog to new L&D contributors throughout June. This last article by Dr Anita Sagar underlines how to answer the question “How do we really know if the employees have acquired the target skills?” This is a question that my team and I often discuss with our programs and solutions.

Dr. Anita Sagar is a learning strategist based in the region of the. She has strategy training, Edtech and evaluations, with technology and learning training, Anita works with a variety of companies in different industries to co-create complete learning strategies and reorganize L&D assessments and assessments. You can connect with it Liendin.

I do not modify or modify the written documents for me. I am not an editor, and it is not something that matters to this series. Each piece is subject to the author's own writing style. I do not check the facts either, unless there is something that should be checked.

I do not modify or modify the written documents for me. I am not an editor, and it is not something that matters to this series. Each piece is subject to the author's own writing style. I do not check the facts either, unless there is something that should be checked.

How do we really know if employees have acquired targeted skills?

While the skills economy continues to thrive and skills -based organizations become commonplace, a change in critical mentality is required for managers and employees. Traditionally, learning and development programs have prioritized the provision of information and content. However, in today's landscape, the emphasis on the application and demonstration of these skills is essential.

A crucial question often remains unanswered or not fully answered – “”How do we really know if employees have acquired targeted skills? »» Effective evaluation becomes essential in this new talent management model. We have to go beyond traditional methods and explore different ways to measure not only acquisition of knowledge, but the ability to effectively apply skills in real world scenarios.

As a learning strategist, I often meet businesses with well -defined skills strategies. They have invested in training programs and even implemented large -scale skills transformations. However, THE The crucial question remains unanswered: How do we really know if employees have acquired targeted skills?

Beyond the acquisition of knowledge

Traditional evaluations often focus on acquiring knowledge-has an employee finished a course or did he remember content for a multiple choice test? This approach is absent. Effective assessments should assess an individual's ability to apply his skills effectively and in a consistent manner in real situations.

Skills signaling: a skills evaluation continuum

Consider the development of skills as a continuum. At one end (level 0) is not a prior knowledge. As learning progresses, individuals go up in the continuum through the stages of:

• Low signaling (levels 1-2): Acquire knowledge of content through courses or modules, to take content focused on content, to be able to share their knowledge to some extent, etc.
• High signaling (levels 3-5): Apply skills in practical scenarios, including new projects, hackathons, simulations or obtaining external certifications (that is to say PMP, ITIL, etc.)

Sewing assessments: Sonar signaling

The assessments must be adapted to the specific competence and the desired level of competence according to each organization. Just as sonar signaling uses different frequencies for different purposes, we can use low signage (For example, multiple choice tests) to assess basic understanding (levels 1-2). For higher level skills (levels 3-5), we need High signaling which assesses the practical application, such as the completion of the project or the industry certifications.

Action skills signaling: a case study

A large professional service company needed an overhaul. Their Center for Excellence for Project Management (COE) lacked cohesion and strategic influence. They wanted a unified team, authorized to become appreciated partners, attracting the best talents in the process.

The challenge: measure skills

Their existing strategy focused on bases – acquiring knowledge on the surface. But how could they differentiate high performance within the CEO if everyone was measured at the same level of knowledge?

Solution: Signaling skills

To meet this challenge, we have moved the attention of the simple transmission of knowledge to the equipment of learners of the means to report their acquisition of skills; Stressing how learners can effectively apply this knowledge in real world scenarios.

Identify what matters most:

The organization had to define clear expectations for their learners. These expectations would depend on several key factors specific to the organization, in particular:

• King of the company: How would this skill contribute to net profit?
• Success measures: What measures define the success of the company?
• Learning objectives: What specific skills should learners acquire?
• KPI (key performance indicators): How will we measure progress towards these objectives?

By considering these factors, the organization could adapt the process of “skills signaling” to ensure that learners obviously acquire the most impactful capacities for their own development and the success of the company.

To adapt their skills continuum, they needed a deeper understanding of their goals. They started with two key questions:

1. Is it a critical competence? Would this competence be vital for their success in the years to come? For example, if cost reduction was a priority, skills focused on efficiency would receive higher signaling importance.
2. Does this skill require an external validation? Did this skill require an external verification by standardized certifications or tests? This helped determine the necessary evaluation depth – internal assessments may be enough for certain skills, while others may require external evidence.

By asking these two key questions, the company sparked a wave of productive discussions. Difficult but transparent conversations have emerged, tackling critical subjects:

• Prioritization of skills: What skills were essential to success and which could be considered optional?
• Expectation adjustment: What did “success” look like with regard to the acquisition of skills?
• Self-assessment: Where is the organization currently in terms of global skills?

These open dialogues allowed the company to obtain a clear image of their needs and objectives.

The result: a unified and autonomous coe

By strategically signaling skills, the company could identify the best performers, raise project management at a strategic level and attract the best talents. Their skills -based learning strategy has transformed the CEO into a unified and autonomized force, which stimulates the success of the entire organization.

Visual signaling skills:

Find the right balance

Organizations must find a balance between types of evaluation. Rely only on low -signaling assessments overlooking the capacity of an employee to apply skills. However, use only of high signaling assessments can take time and impractical for each learning objective.

The solution: a combined approach

The most effective evaluation strategies use a variety of methods, based on both a low and high signaling. This complete approach provides a clearer image of controlling the skills of an individual, allowing targeted development and the optimization of talents.