Implementing training programs in the workplace provides an increase in the professional qualification of staff members and satisfies the company’s needs for certain types of skills. Such training allows employees to gain new experience and to enhance their knowledge. Learning programs should be developed according to the company’s needs to ensure the further transfer of learning for trainees. As Noe (2009) claims, trainees should “effectively and continually apply what they learned in training … to their jobs” (p. 187). Managers should play an active role in the further exercising of newly acquired skills and knowledge. That is why the relevance of training programs to the needs of their department should be the key motivator for them to create a productive environment for the transfer of learning.
Line managers’ responsibility is to create conditions for the effective transfer of knowledge. However, they often express a lack of motivation to put additional effort into the implementation of such practices. As managers are generally interested in the increase in the quality of work processes, the correspondence of training programs to their needs may be used to motivate them. Thus, programs should be developed in such a way that they meet the interests of employees and managers and give the opportunity to apply new skills in their job.
The second factor that hinders the motivation to ensure successful transfer of training is the misunderstanding of the advantages that training programs can give both to employees and departments where they work. According to Noe (2009), employees should be given an insight into the training process and, if possible, options for the programs. To be able to enhance effective training, managers should be profoundly informed about its values, goals, and procedures. In such a way, they will be able to transfer this information to the staff and to speak positively about the programs.
The role of a manager is essential in the organization of the process of applying new knowledge and skills in the work process. The main factor that can motivate them to participate actively in the process of training transfer is the correspondence of the learning programs to the needs of their departments. Sharing knowledge about the programs, their goals, and content is another way to motivate managers to be actively involved in the transfer of learning.
Reference
Noe, R. A. (2009). Employee training and development (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.