Train, train, train (repeat endlessly)

I recently came across a number of shocking bits of information around training:

• 50% of managers believe that employee performance would not change if their company's training program were eliminated (The Corporate Executive Board Company, 2012)
• only about 20% of managers are satisfied with the performance of their company's training function (Accenture survey, 2004)
• 85% of participants in training either never try to apply what they've learned, or try but give up (Mind Gym 2013)

Maybe these are data from other parts of the world, and not applicable in Asia. So what is happening in your organization ?

Has training become one of those "benefits" that the company feels more or less obliged to provide ? Is training seen as a few days "off" once in a while to keep the motivation going ? After all, participants' satisfaction is typically very high after a training session (maybe they're evaluating their satisfaction of not being at work ?). Maybe there is even the belief that training is a form of employee retention.
How are people identified for skill development training ? Is it based on an in-depth competency versus needs analysis ? Or is the selection based on completely meaningless factors like seniority, hierarchy or "we have to send X this time because last time we sent Y" ?
Is the training budget looked at with a zero-based budgetting approach ? Most often, companies increase (or decrease) the budget year on year simply based on evolution in headcount and inflation. Strategy or key development priorities hardly come into consideration when the detailed training budget is established.
Do you track in any shape or form the impact on your organization/department/team performance (in addition to the participants' satisfaction) ?

So does this meaning training is a complete waste of money ? I don't think so, but some serious changes are needed. I will describe in a next blog what I see as the key elements that are necessary to turn training sessions into building blocks of a development program. In the mean time, I would love to hear your opinions or experiences in the subject of training effectiveness ! Leave a comment in this blog, or in the LinkedIn or Facebook posts !