Evaluation of Basic Training Program at Company XYZ

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Author: Weninger, Martin T.

Title: Evaluation of Basic Training Program at Company XYZ

The accompanying research report is submitted to the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Graduate School in partial

completion of the requirements for the

Graduate Degree/ Major: Training and Human Resource Development MS Degree

Research Advisor: Dr. Jeanette Black, EdD, SPHR SHRM SCP

Submission Term/Year: Spring 2020

Number of Pages: 73

Style Manual Used: American Psychological Association, 6th edition I have adhered to the Graduate School Research Guide and have proofread my work. I understand that this research report must be officially approved by the Graduate School.

Additionally, by signing and submitting this form, I (the author(s) or copyright owner) grant the University of Wisconsin-Stout the non-exclusive right to reproduce, translate, and/or distribute this submission (including abstract) worldwide in print and electronic format and in any medium, including but not limited to audio or video. If my research includes proprietary information, an agreement has been made between myself, the company, and the University to submit a thesis that meets course-specific learning outcomes and CAN be published. There will be no exceptions to this permission.

I attest that the research report is my original work (that any copyrightable materials have been used with the permission of the original authors), and as such, it is automatically protected by the laws, rules, and regulations of the U.S. Copyright Office.

My research advisor has approved the content and quality of this paper. STUDENT:

NAME: Martin T Weninger DATE: 4/1/2020

ADVISOR:

NAME: Dr. Jeanette Black, EdD, SPHR SHRM SCP DATE: 04/03/20

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Weninger, Martin T. Evaluation of Basic Training Program at Company XYZ

Abstract

Evaluation of a training program is the best way to ensure that a developed training program is

meeting the business needs of an organization. This evaluation should start at the beginning of

the training development. A training professional should look at all aspects of the training

program and the training objectives for complaining the evaluation. Company XYZ developed a

new basic training program and needed to have an understanding of its effects on employee

retention.

Once Company XYZ had the new basic training in place it needed to be evaluated. The

evaluation would indicate whether the training program has met the needs of Company XYZ.

This study developed the evaluation and looked at it through the Return on Investments (ROI)

process. This process used the levels of evaluation strategy, reaction, Learning, application,

impact, and ROI.

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Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my family for all their support throughout the years, I have

disrupted their lives continuing my education. Without their love and support my theses would

have never been completed. They were also my first line of defense for edits and proofing.

Thank you, Gail, Nick, Nicole, and Daniel. I love you all.

I would also like to thank my advisor Dr. Jeanette Black for her input and putting up with

my drafts. Her responses to my questions even if it was the second or third time, I asked the

question there was always great help in the answer given. This paper would still be in the early

stages of chapter 3 if she was not there for help and guidance. Only with all of help I received

from my family and Dr. Black I was able to complete my theses. I can cross off that goal!

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Table of Contents

Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... 2

List of Tables .............................................................................................................................. 6

Chapter I: Introduction ................................................................................................................ 7

Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................... 10

Purpose of the Study ...................................................................................................... 11

Assumptions of the Study .............................................................................................. 11

Definition of Terms ....................................................................................................... 12

Limitations of the Study ................................................................................................ 12

Methodology ................................................................................................................. 13

Summary ....................................................................................................................... 13

Chapter II: Literature Review .................................................................................................... 14

Organizational Culture ................................................................................................... 14

Adult Learning Theory .................................................................................................. 16

Evaluating Training Programs ....................................................................................... 17

Return on Investment (ROI) .......................................................................................... 18

Summary ....................................................................................................................... 24

Chapter III: Methodology .......................................................................................................... 25

Subject Selection ........................................................................................................... 25

Instrumentation.............................................................................................................. 26

Data Collection Procedures ............................................................................................ 28

Data Analysis ................................................................................................................ 28

Limitations of the Study ................................................................................................ 28

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Summary ....................................................................................................................... 29

Chapter IV: Results ................................................................................................................... 30

Demographics ............................................................................................................... 30

Figure 1: Total Production Retention January 2017 – August 2019 ................................ 45

Summary ....................................................................................................................... 46

Chapter V: Discussion, Conclusion and Recommendation ......................................................... 47

Discussion ..................................................................................................................... 47

Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 51

Recommendations ......................................................................................................... 52

Summary ....................................................................................................................... 53

References ................................................................................................................................ 54

Appendix A: Permission to Complete the Study ........................................................................ 60

Appendix B: Signed Consent form ............................................................................................ 61

Appendix C: Implied Consent form ........................................................................................... 64

Appendix D: Questionnaires ..................................................................................................... 67

Appendix E: Focus Group Question .......................................................................................... 72

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List of Tables

Table 1: Focus Group Demographics ........................................................................................ 31

Table 2: 2017 Attrition Data ...................................................................................................... 32

Table 3: 2018 Prior to Basic Training Attrition Data ................................................................. 33

Table 4: 2018 Post Basic Training Attrition Data ...................................................................... 33

Table 5: 2019 Attrition Data Through 7/8/2019 ......................................................................... 34

Table 6: Trainee Questionnaire for Classroom Activities ........................................................... 39

Table 7: Trainee Questionnaire for Classroom Activities Question Responses 1 ........................ 41



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Chapter I: Introduction

Company XYZ is a medium-sized manufacturing business located in western Wisconsin.

The main focus of the business is the development of release liners on both paper and poly film

substrates. The Wisconsin location was the focus of this research, but there are multiple

locations throughout the United States, Europe, India, and Asia There has been a problem with

a high turnover rate of production workers within the first 90 days to one year of employment at

the Wisconsin plant. With the turnover rate reaching over 70% of newly hired employees, the

high turnover rate has created extensive expenditures in recruiting new talent. Company XYZ

needed to find a solution to mitigate the high cost of replacing employees. The cost was

calculated to be on average $10,725.00 per employee with a formula developed by Company

XYZ’s corporate human resources department. Out of the seventy-two employees that where

hired throughout the year of 2017, only sixteen employees remained by the closing of the year

indicating a 22% retention rate for year. By using the formula given by the human resources

department this is an approximately $600,600.00 cost for the recruitment, hiring and training of

new employees. As a direct response to this cost, the production manager and the training

coordinator subsequently started looking at ways to increase the retention rate the management at

XYZ was looking for. With a small increase of retention totaling to 10% Company XYZ would

have seen a savings of approximately $85,800.00 in recruitment costs (Fortin, 2017).

In attempt to reduce the turnover rate, changes started with the orientation process. The

onboarding process has meant to be a time for a new start for the employee and can lead to

organization change and success (Bradt & Vonnegut, 2017). There was an existing two-day long

safety and production orientation session that included the basic OSHA safety required items, the

human resources paperwork, and basic production items such as the names and the login screens

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of the computer programs used by employees. This process had no effect on reducing turnover,

so a third day of orientation was added.

After day three was introduced, the training coordinator reviewed the historical data that

was collected by the human resources department. The turnover for 2017 was 49% of employees

within the first 90 days of employment and 78% in the first year. Exit interviews were not

conducted because there was seldom a notice of the intent to quit, employees would simply not

return to work. The data supplied by human resources, identified a disconnect between newly

hired employees and a lack of training the new hires received once employees started working on

the production machines. The third day proved to be unhelpful, which was evident by a lack of

change in the retention rate of new employees. As a result, further investigation into other areas

of employee engagement and retention had to be considered.

Company XYZ has a variety of issues present with production employee development.

The data showed that new employees were not receiving the expected training in the first weeks

of employment following the two or three days of orientation. As a result of the continuous

circulation through new employees, the shift leaders and trainers at the machine thought that

training time would be wasted if new employees would not be working there in a week or two

anyway. Because of this viewpoint, the new employees would get the feeling of being

underutilized and boredom would set in due to the new employees not knowing what to do

throughout the shift. To add to the lack of training issues, in order to maintain the needed

production rates, the machines were required to run at high speeds. These speeds were required

by the product’s standard operating procedures. The standard operating procedures were set to

meet the rate of order completion and to fulfill the needs of the customers, constant attention to

the machines was required, to the point where the experienced employee's attention had to be

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focused on the machine instead of training the new hire. Finally, there were not enough

personnel available to work one on one with the new employees. With the lack of time, speed of

the machines, and manpower, there was a need for more knowledge, skills, and behaviors to be

taught before the new employees were sent to assigned working stations. The three-day

company’s orientation was to be replaced with a basic training.

In October 2017, management decided to develop a new onboarding program. This

program was designed to be a four-week basic training program, mandatory for all new

production employees. In response to the lack of training being received, the new training

addressed issues through the involvement, assessment, and employee awareness of both the new

hire and the seasoned employee to help develop better transfer of training to the workstations

(Kodwani, 2017). Each of the four weeks of training were to be stand-alone weeks, meaning that

new employees could start in any one of the four weeks and had to undergo each week before

completing training.

The weeks were presented in the following manner: 1) Safety and quality, 2) roll

handling, 3) machine maintenance and warehouse, and 4) machine week. There was a dedicated

area with a smaller machine where the new employees would spend the entire basic training

program learning their new skills. Each day of the week was broken into training modules. For

example, the first module in the afternoon of day one of the safety and quality training is forklift

skills development and assessment. Every new training week started on a Tuesday afternoon, so

the employees who are already in the training program could work with their new skills at the

workstations Monday and Tuesday morning. Also, any new hires could complete the orientation

on Mondays and with completion on Tuesday morning.

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During the development of the training, days which were called machine days and one

full week was called machine week was set aside to use the newly learned skills at the

workstations of the new employees training group. With the training in full rotation, each week

means that there would be the potential of new employees completing their training and being

sent to work in production. This way, there was no concern about not having enough new

candidates finishing training promptly.

Employees who missed time during the basic training could make up training modules.

This was because during the development of the training, time was developed for the trainees to

be at the workstations and see what they would be doing throughout the workday. The makeup

training for missed time could then be completed during the periods that were set up as machine

days or a machine week.

The basic training was tested in July 2018, and the first groups of trainees completed the

program in August 2018. The next step was to measure the success of the training intervention.

The measurement would look at the goals that had been set for the training program: a reduction

in turnover, faster time to full production for the new employees, shorter time for new employees

to advancement, and a positive return on investment.

Statement of the Problem

Upon completing a series of evaluations, Company XYZ found that there was a

connection between high employee turnover and training. While looking at the business costs,

Company XYZ found there was an extraordinarily high expenditure on employee recruitment.

This caused a loss of revenue and a constant cycle of recruitment. The results of the orientation

process needed to be assessed to determine the training’s effectiveness by addressing the

employee attrition problem.

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Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study was the measure the effectiveness of the newly developed four-

week basic training program at Company XYZ. With the pilot group of employees completing

the training and the classes in full rotation with newly trained employees coming out of training

each week, there was a need for an evaluation of the program. Completing an evaluation of the

program would be the only way to measure the organizational benefit of the program (Phillips &

Stone, 2000). Looking at the objectives of the program, the main focus was a lower turnover

rating. There would be an expected drop of 10% in the initial 30, 60, and 90 days of

employment. The second objective was reduced time to advancement. This would be a lower

time to more advanced training and increased production. Before the basic training, new

employees would take a full 90 days or more to achieve what is currently being trained in the

four-week program. With both metrics being met, the expenditures for employee recruitment

should drop extensively.

Assumptions of the Study

While working on the study, many items were consitered as outside the control of the

study. These assumptions included some of the following items:

1) Company XYZ is supportive of the study. Support would come from management

that there would be data collection needed. The data would include unemployment

statistics, surveys, interviews, and focus groups.

2) There will be a transfer of learning from the basic training program. This comes from

the early testing of the training program with a member of the staff in non-production

roles such as human resources, maintenance, and quality.

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Definition of Terms

The topic-specific terms used in this paper will be defined in the following listing — this

will to allow the reader to understand the topic and provide the intent of the writer.

Andragogy. “Is an honest attempt to focus on the learner. In this sense, it does provide

an alternative to the methodology-centered instructional design perspective” (as cited in Knowles

et al., 2012, p. 1).

Angoff technique. Utilizes subject matter experts to evaluate test questions to estimate

to chances a test taker would pass or fail a question (Coscarelli & Shrock, 2008).

Champion. An internal leader (Phillips & Phillips, 2016).

Organizational Climate. Defined by Black and Sorrell (2018) as the different

influencers on the behavior of the people who are part of the organization. The influencers can

be noticeable or unnoticeable but do remain measurable. The Organizational Climate is the

value system in place in an organization.

Return on Expectation (ROE). “Is the measure of satisfaction by key business

stakeholders that demonstrates the degree to which their expectations have been met” (Beich,

2014, p. 43).

Return on Investment (ROI). For the purpose of this study, the return on investment

will be looking at the value added from the prevention taken. This added value can be measured

in time, profit, and/or turnover rate. ROI = Net Benefits/Costs (Phillips & Phillips, 2014).

Limitations of the Study

The limitations to this study were as follows:

1) The main limitation of this study was that the turnover rate was affected by the low

unemployment rate, and therefore the data collected may be skewed.

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2) There was also going to be a limitation on the motivation of the trainees. As in any

training program, there would be different levels of motivation in the learners.

3) The trainability of newly acquired people depends on their past knowledge from

previous working experiences and their ability to retain the needed information.

4) This study may not be generalizable to other locations of Company XYZ or other

organizations.

Methodology

For the methodology questionnaires, focus groups and employee retention data was used.

The questionnaires looked at the transfer of learning, trainee satisfaction, and gaining ideas for

continued improvement of training. Focus groups were used to determine the satisfaction of the

trainees, floor trainers, and area managers. The employee retention data was looking at the

improved retention of employees to lower the recruitment costs of new hires.

Summary

Chapter 1 discussed the development of the training program and the reason this was

done. Chapter 2 will review the following categories of literature. These categories include

organizational culture and how the culture pertains to the transfer of learning, adult learning

theory, evaluation of training programs, and Phillips return-on-investment. Chapter 3 will

review the methods to be used for this study. Chapter 4 will discuss the analysis of the results of

this study. Chapter 5 will present the findings and recommendations of this study.

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Chapter II: Literature Review

Company XYZ has had an issue of high turnover. The attempt to gain some control over

this turnover and reduce the costs associated with hiring and training, the decision was made by

starting an onboarding training program. In order to discover whether or not the training

program had significantly reduced the employee attrition problem the program would need to be

assessed. To develop a proper finding of the evaluation results, a literature review was

completed.

The aspect of organizational culture and how this can affect the learning and

development of employees was another factor that needed to be addressed for a true evaluation

of the training program. The literature review looked at the different elements of organizational

culture, ways of evaluating training programs, return on investment, and adult learning theory.

Organizational Culture

Schein (1996) stated that the organization’s culture was defined as “shared norms,

values, and assumptions in how organizations function” (p. 229). The experience of the workers

showed through when looking at these concepts through the lens of the culture of an

organization. This knowledge was developed through the totality of the beliefs of the

organization (Black & La Venture, 2015). Very distinct characteristics were found when the

culture of an organization was people-centered. These characteristics included the following:

people-first core values, “walking the talk,” open door policy with open communication, high

change response, talent development, and human resources that align with the operations of the

organization, and an organization that is resilient (Black & La Venture, 2015, p. 16). A people

centered culture placed employees first by showing the importance of people and this benefited

the organization through higher organizational commitment (Black & La Venture, 2015). There

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were seven key elements that have been found in people-centered cultures, suggested through the

research completed by Black and La Venture (2015) in The Human Factor to Profitability;

Building a People-Centered Culture for Long-Term Success and listed as:

• Leveraging people-first core values;

• Leadership that walks the talk;

• Open communication;

• High trust levels;

• Aligned operations and work environments focused on HR and talent development

practices;

• Change responsiveness;

• Organizational resiliency (p.16).

Black and La Venture (2015) stated the culture of an organization was forefront in the

aspects of the way training was accepted and integrated into the workforce. When looking at

performance an organization that has a people-first culture, this organization looked at the

individual and the contribution the individual has made. There was a chance to ensure that the

proper measurement will be in place for not only business success but also people success. By

ensuring people success, employees were more engaged and willing to continue working and

learning in the organization. With this drive, the business should have demonstrated higher

productivity. The learning function was established through the development of employees.

This allowed personnel to be more flexible and apt to continue employment with the

organization (Black & La Venture, 2015). When the move to a learning organization was made,

or some type of training completed, the organizational leader wanted to find the measure of the

success of the move.

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Training was determined to be only one aspect of a people process culture. Leaders were

recommended to review the following: the motivation of the employees, focus for the training,

how effective the managers perceived the training to be, and the different barriers that prevented

the training from being transferred to the job (Miller, 2010). Miller (2010) continued that the

training department needed to be involved at the start of the project. According to Fang and

Wang (2006) organizations needed to develop a learning culture with a continuous learning and

innovation mindset. By doing this, people became the core of the organization’s values

(Bodinson & Kendall, 2010). Values were best expressed through quality communication

practices expected of the employee (Akdere & Schmidt, 2008). Communication was the most

important tool for the organization to use to express the business objectives and should between

employees and managers (Black & Sorrell, 2018). When managers discussed the importance of

training, the attitude of the employee learner improved (Chih, Liu, & Lee, 2008). This

environment was referred to as the organizational climate (Black & Sorrell, 2018). The

organizational climate is the system that will show that the organization truly values learning.

Adult Learning Theory

When the way in which adults learn was evaluated, the trainer needed to find what the

learner was looking for as a result of the training. This was best achieved by using the

participants experiences, having an experience that the learners would find useful and working

with the individual learners’ relevant experiences (Barbazette, 2008). This art of adult education

was coined andragogy by Malcolm Knowles in early 1970s (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson,

2012).

Knowles, et al., 2012, identified six principles of adult learning:

1. Adult learners need to know why they should learn something.

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2. The learner’s self-concept. Adults are internally motivated and self-directed.

3. The role of the learner’s experience. Adult learners bring a wealth of experience to

the learning situation.

4. Readiness to learn. Adults are most ready to learn those things that will help them in

the present or the near future.

5. Orientation to learning. Adults are life centered (or task-centered or problems-

centered) in their orientation to learning.

6. Motivation. Adults are more internally motivated, increasing the chance for job

satisfaction, self-esteem, or quality of life, and so on (p. 3).

Instructors of adults were recommended to use the experiences of the learner to develop the

strategy to be used when facilitating an adult learning function (Sink, 2014).

Adult learning could be either the process by which the individual was educated, or the

set of activities e designed to bring about change, or a combination of both (Knowles et al.,

2012). Learning that had been developed for adults had goals that would fall into three

categories: individual, institutional, or societal (as cited in Knowles et al., 2012, p. 148). The

authors continued that the individual aspect allowed for personal growth, whereas institutional

category referred to the productivity of the individual or organization. The societal category

addressed the maintenance of social order and relating to others for the benefit of both parties

(Knowles et al., 2012, p. 216).

Evaluating Training Programs

There have been many ways to measure training that a learning and development

professional needed to consider when providing results of the success of the training (Phillips &

Stone, 2000). For example, the success of training measured by completing an evaluation. One

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of the most important things established were methods used to cause change during the

intervention and what was responsible for the development of different knowledge, skills, or

attitudes. Finding the answers to the questions of success and what led to the success was

required to be answered with the collection of data (Phillips & Stone, 2000).

Return on Investment (ROI)

Return on investment differed from a cost-benefit analysis which was completed before

the creation of the training. On the other hand, the return on investment was completed after the

training had been completed (Biech, 2005). Once the evaluation of the learner had been

completed, a decision was made as to whether the learning event has added value to the

organization (Phillips & Phillips, 2014). The question that needed to be answered was to what

extent did this event add value. To complete the calculation, a cost analysis was completed by

taking the cost of the event and looking at the revenue that the event generated. According to

Rowden (2005), the ROI was measured in a variety of ways, including taking the cost of training

and comparing this to untrained.

Rowden (2005), determined that the best way to measure the Return on Investment was a

cost-benefit analysis. ROI was expressed as either a value of the cost-benefit ratio, divided the

cost of the program with the benefits aligned with the outcome of the program (Rowen, 2005).

Another method used was the time needed to receive payback for the program, Phillips &

Phillips (2014) Found by taking the total cost of the program and the benefits received and

analyzing when the total of the benefits met the cost of the program.

The success of the project was also evaluated with return on expectations. The return on

expectations looked at what the main stakeholders expected the training to accomplish. When

the needs assessment was completed, this assessment indicated what results were expected from

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the training intervention or event (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2014). The results were sometimes

sought for other than financial results. These results were reduced turnover rate, increased

quality, less waste, or lower cases of absenteeism (Beich, 2005).

The ROI method was developed by Jack Phillips using Kirkpatrick’s four levels of

evaluation and add the fifth level Return on Investment (Phillips & Stone, 2000). Along with

measuring the four levels, Phillips and Philips (2016) discuss the necessity of measuring the

return on investment. The reaction and learning data were the easiest and most frequent items

measured and the one that had the least show of results. This data also showed the early chances

of project success. Application and impact data were more difficult and time consuming to

collect but provided the results to show that the program was working.

Level zero evaluation, input and indicators. When the training was developed,

presented, and evaluated, there were items that were needed to be looked at during the

evaluation. According to Phillips and Phillips (2016), some of these items included the expense

of the materials being used during the training, the people that provided the training, and those

who were trained. This showed the investment for the program and data gathered at this level

demonstrated the support and the commitment to the project. This commitment showed that the

organization was willing to make the needed investment into the program, but commitment did

not portray any value from the program (Philips, 2008).

Level one evaluation, reaction. Kristiansen (2008) emphasized the importance of

observing level one reactions because this concept allowed for the trainer and the management to

investigate the perceived quality of the instruction from the trainees’ point of view. The reaction

evaluation never directly led a manager to make program decisions, but such evaluations

identified a place to start investigating, such as the program for updates or continuation with the

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current product. Philips and Stone (2000) stated, “It is necessary to collect data at all four levels

because of the chain of impact that must exist for a training program to be successful” (p. 73).

Kristiansen (2008) reported that this allowed managers to make better decisions about the

training while allowing for a few bad reviews. With the knowledge gained from the level one

reaction evaluation, a continuous improvement cycle needed to be developed. To obtain the

proper chain of impact all four levels needed to be evaluated and data collection needed to be

completed (Phillips & Phillips, 2016).

When looking at a well-developed reaction evaluation data, the reactions of participants

in the training allowed for the ability to find areas the training program needed to be improved

(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2007; Phillips & Phillips, 2016). As the trainer reviewed the data,

there were clues as for how to make improvements if in fact any enhancements were needed.

This continuous improvement of the training process formed a closed loop training cycle which

was similar to the plan, do, check, and act cycle (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2009; Kristiansen,

2008).

Level two evaluation, learning. The second level of evaluation measured the outcome

of the transfer of learning. The training event was developed to have outcomes that enhanced

knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The importance of measuring learning establishes whether or

not an individual was expected to see any change in behavior and if something was learned for

the training event. When evaluating learning, there were a few guidelines that needed to be

followed to ensure that the knowledge gained was truly being measured (Kirkpatrick &

Kirkpatrick, 2007). First, a test or performance evaluation was developed that was successful in

measuring the needed knowledge, skills, or attitudes (Coscarelli & Shrock, 2008). The test

needed to be effective and valid (Phillips & Phillips, 2016). To ensure the effectiveness and

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validity there were five steps that would be necessary for the test. First was analysis, simply

listed as testing to the highest-level skill for the task or activity that was being evaluated. By

doing this, the evaluator was able to observe whether the lower levels have been learned at the

same time.

Coscarelli and Shrock (2008) indicated that once the analysis of the test was completed

and the highest-level skills were tested that would ensure that the test was measuring the correct

items. The reason for this was to ensure the validity of the evaluation. Coscarelli and Shrock

(2008) also stated that the best way to ensure the validity of the test was to enlist subject matter

experts (SME). The SMEs reviewed the objectives and test to ensure that the best level of

evaluation for the competency was completed which established content validity (Phillips &

Phillips, 2016).

After the evaluation was created, the standard for measuring the competency needed to be

set. To complete the standard, the SMEs analyzed the evaluation and determined if a “minimal

competence level” (Coscarelli & Shrock, 2008, p. 517) had been reached. Coscarelli and Shrock

(2008) suggested the Angoff technique to achieve this, in which SMEs measure the level of

difficulty of each question at a rate of 0-1.0 at which the minimally competent learner would fail.

By adding up the scores provided by the SME’s the level of competence could then be

determined. Another way to develop the level of learning was to use a control group to test

against the learners (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2007). Once standard had been set; the next step

was to evaluate reliability.

When looking at the reliability of evaluation, the check was to see if the evaluation was

consistent (Coscarelli & Shrock, 2008). Coscarelli and Shrock explained that the performance of

an on-the-job skill, the reliability of the evaluation became questionable if traditional

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measurements were used. This was because when completing on-the-job training, the final

aspect of the training was going to be trainee competency. This prevented a large spread of

scores from the evaluation.

According to Phillips and Phillips (2016) level two data’s most important function was to

provide the feedback to the program facilitator. The feedback provided the needed information

on the design of the program. This allowed the facilitator to see the program in terms of a

transfer of learning. This data demonstrated where the program needed improvement or more

time needed to be allocated to the training through low a score by all participants. Phillips and

Phillips (2016) stated that level two data also allowed the facilitator to evaluate how the training

was presented.

Level three evaluation, application. Once the training event was completed, the time

came to ensure that there was a transfer of the knowledge, skills, or attitudes to the job, measured

as behavior (Phillips & Phillips, 2016). This level was considered more difficult to measure than

levels one and two. There were times that application was unable to be measured directly after

the training was completed. The reasons for such delays was that the behavior was not needed,

because the items that had been trained were not used for any of the tasks being completed or the

trainee never used the training. (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2006). When observed, the barriers

of the training program could be addressed and minimized, whereas enablers could be exploited

(Phillips & Phillips, 2016).

Level four evaluation, business impact. Phillips and Phillips (2016) stated that the

results of the training intervention needed to be measured against the mission of the organization,

and the business impact was the most difficult and time-consuming level to measure. In most

organizations, the evaluation was done from an extremely narrow point of view. A complete

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perspective was one that looked at the whole of the organization, not just one area or department.

The evaluators were no longer looking at the individual but the effect of the training on the

whole company. In a for-profit business, the evaluator looked for different indicators which

were the drivers of the business, such as profit, sales, and quality (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick,

2015).

The measurement of results had tools that could be used. These tools included action

plans, follow-up sessions, and performance monitoring (Phillips & Stone, 2000). Action plans

were developed by learners demonstrated in some detail how the learning was used to change

behavior utilizing the training received. Follow-up sessions were designed to break up the

training into smaller sessions, so the learners used to further develop the new skills in-between

the sessions. Evaluating the training process was difficult due to the time that was devoted to

this evaluation (Phillips & Stone, 2000). Training monitoring was completed by management.

Key criteria were identified for evaluation which was then measured by members of the

management team (Phillips & Stone, 2000).

Level four, business impact has been the most misunderstood level of the four-levels

according to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2014). This was attributed to the evaluation being

improperly aligned. If the evaluator looked only at the department level instead of the

organization, this created what Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2014) referred to as “silos” or

“fiefdoms”. According to Phillips and Philips (2016) when the evaluation was aligned properly,

there were many different areas that the data would assist, including justifying the budget,

program improvement or expansion, and stakeholder satisfaction to name a few.

Level five, return on investment. The Return on Investment (ROI), a business measure

that helped with the development of a monetary value of the training intervention. The ROI was

24

measured as either a benefit cost ratio or ROI, which is a percentage (Phillips & Phillips, 2016).

The benefit cost ratio (BCR) took the benefits of the program and divided this by the program

costs. The equation was presented as BCR = Program Benefits/Program Costs. This produced a

ratio of 1:1 that showed that for every dollar spent, one dollar was recovered in benefits (Phillips

& Stone, 2000).

The ROI on the other hand produced a percentage of value gained. The measure based

the gained value on the net benefits of the program. The net benefits resulted in gain of the

program and subtracted from the costs of the program. From here the equation was as follows:

ROI (percentage) = Net program benefits / Program cost X 100% (Phillips & Phillips, 2000).

The BCR measure resulted in a 1:1 ratio of 0% ROI.

Intangible benefits. There were benefits that an evaluator found hard to monetize.

Phillips and Phillips (2014) referred to these benefits as intangible benefits that often resulted

from level four evaluation and were considered soft data. These benefits were seen after the

completion of the training program or intervention. While these intangible benefits though not

converted to a monetary value, these gains were still a valued measure. By adding the intangible

benefits to the evaluation, the outcomes resulted in a more balanced measure (Philips & Phillips,

2016).

Summary

Chapter 2 reviewed the following categories of literature: Organizational culture, Adult

learning theory, and Phillips Return on Investment (ROI) Method of evaluation; the framework

used for this study was Phillips ROI method of evaluation. Chapter 3 will discuss the

methodology used to gather the needed data for the project.

25

Chapter III: Methodology

When Company XYZ investigated the expense of replacing employees, there was a large

expenditure on recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and training employees. The high rate of

turnover added this expense. The senior production manager and the training coordinator

decided to investigate the possibility of developing a four-week training program. The program

would cover basic skills, knowledge, and attitudes the new hires would need once assigned to the

designated work areas. The development of basic training was designed to increase the retention

of employees who have been newly hired. There was also the intent to reduce the frustration of

the more seasoned employees who have been participating in the never-ending instruction of

new employees due to the revolving door of new people. The success and return on investment

of this training program needed to be evaluated to ensure that the training was cost-effective.

The completion of the research was conducted after receiving permission from management of

Company XYZ This letter of permission found in Appendix A.

Subject Selection

The subjects for the study were a subset of the employees working for company XYZ.

The subset included were 20 new hires who have completed the basic training program, 15

production trainers, and four area managers. These subjects were in the study for an initial

period of 90 days. Once the new hires have completed their first 90 days of employment, the

new hires were then be removed from the study and tracked by the normal policies developed by

the human resources department.

The only requirements for members of the study were that new employees were never

before employed by Company XYZ and were assigned to the production floor. The subjects

ranged from high school graduates entering the workforce for the first time to retirees reentering,

26

and anywhere in-between. Other subjects were the area managers for the production staff.

These subjects had worked for Company XYZ for a period ranging from 10 to over 30 years.

Production trainers were also participants who have risen to the level of shift leader or had a

proven track record developing coworkers’ skills and were skilled operators willing to pass on

knowledge. This group had members who had been employed by Company XYZ for at least one

year to over 25 years, are both male and female, and varying ages from mid-twenties to fifties.

Each individual that participated in the study gave informed consent before involvement. The

signed consent form is found in Appendix B and the implied consent form in in Appendix C.

Instrumentation

Instrumentation was completed in many ways; these included questionnaires post training

found in Appendix D, focus groups found in Appendix E, and retention data. Each instrument

was used to find data for different elements of the study. The questionnaires examined trainee

satisfaction, and questionnaires investigated the trainee’s observation of how the training has

helped, assessing if trainees felt that the skills transferred the training to the job. The last area for

the questionnaires was the trainer’s reaction to the training.

The retention data was used to check on the percentage of personnel continued to be

employed and for how long the employment lasted after the basic training was completed. This

data included the percentages of those who completed basic training, remained employed, the

percentage of those who have started the basic training program, those who have not stayed at

Company XYZ long enough to complete the training program, and the overall retention rate of

all employees who have started since the basic training program had started. This number was

compared to the past retention rates at Company XYZ before the start of the basic training

program.

27

Post training questionnaires. There were three different questionnaires in use for the

study. One was completed online through Company XYZ’s Moodle training server. There was

a series of eleven questions asked. The first nine questions were to be rated with a number of 1

to 4. One indicated that the participant found the training was not helpful to the success on the

job, while four indicated that the information was extremely helpful to the success on the job and

was completed each week during the training. The second questionnaire looked at the trainee’s

perception of transfer of learning to the job, completed each week during the training and then

every two weeks until the completion of the first 90 days of the employment of each new hire.

This questionnaire had seven questions geared at gathering how the learning helped in the day to

day working conditions.

The third questionnaire was for the production trainers. This was the reaction of the

trainers and how trainees used what was learned on the job. The questionnaire contained the

same seven questions that were asked to the trainee so a comparison could be made. Each trainer

completed the questionnaire once a week while the trainee was in training and then was

completed every two weeks until the new employee competed the first 90 days of employment.

Focus groups. The focus groups included the area managers and the trainees who

completed basic training. Focus groups were used to discuss both the level of training with the

area managers and the areas of success of the by the trainees once basic training had been. The

managers met near the completion of the study to complete the focus group. The manager’s

focus group intended to determine the level of success of the training program and what could be

changed to ensure the future success of new hires from the manager’s point of view. The

trainees’ focus group met two weeks after the basic training was completed and then again four

weeks later.

28

Data Collection Procedures

The data was collected in a variety of ways such as gathering data from the human

resources department on employee turnover, student course evaluation completed on the Moodle

training server installed on the Company XYZ’s intranet, pencil and paper evaluation received

from the production floor trainers and the trainees, focus groups with the employee’s managers,

and focus groups with the employees after the training had been completed. The turnover and

retention rate included historical data from before the basic training program began back to the

beginning of the year as well as previous years. Turnover and retention data of the new

employees for the first 30, 60, 90 days was also collected from the beginning of the basic

training program to the completion of the study.

Data Analysis

Once the data was collected, the analysis of the data began. There were different areas

being measured, so the analysis of each needed be discussed. Historical data was used to

establish the difference of employee retention from before the start of the basic training program

through the finish of the program. Answers to the interview and focus group questions were

analyzed to see if the training was having a positive impact on the retention of employees.

The data set was analyzed see the if there an increase in the retention of new employees.

This percentage was taken against the savings from the cost of turnover as compared to the cost

of the training program. Program costs included the salaries of the trainees and that of the

trainer. The trainee’s salaries were not included in the study during the time of training while

working in assigned areas.

Limitations of the Study

The limitations to this study were as follows:

29

1) The turnover rate was affected by the low unemployment rate and the data collected

may be skewed because of this.

2) A limitation on the motivation of the trainees. As in any training program, there

would be different levels of motivation of the learners.

3) The trainability of newly acquired people depending on past knowledge from

previous working experiences and their ability to retain the needed information.

4) This study may not be generalizable to other locations of Company XYZ or other

organizations.

Summary

Chapter 3 reviewed the methodology of collecting data and the instruments used. These

instruments included questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, and retention data gathered from

the human resources department. Chapter four will discuss the results that were found during the

data collection.

30

Chapter IV: Results

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the basic training program established by

Company XYZ to increase the retention of employees. This basic training program is a four-

week onboarding process for newly hired production workers. Management made the decision

to develop the training program after previous attempts to increase new employee retention had

failed. In the year prior to the basic training program being started, Company XYZ had a

20.83% retention rate.

To determine the success of the basic training program an evaluation of the retention data

was performed. The evaluation covered the two years before the basic training program was

initiated until eleven months after the start of the program. This data was used to show the

economic effects of the training program. Any increase in retention was used to determine the

savings from costs in the hiring process to replace the terminated employees. Focus groups were

used to determine the success of the training from the manager’s point of view and the trainee’s

point of view. The focus groups for the managers had five of the six managers attending, with an

83% participation rate. The training program had seventy-two trainees attend during the study.

There were thirty-four still actively employed with Company XYZ during the focus groups.

The trainees focus groups had fifteen of the thirty-four trainees attend the focus group., with a

44% participation rate for the trainees. The trainee questionnaire for classroom activities had

eighteen trainees respond with a 53% participation. Trainers and trainees each had ten

individuals complete the questionnaire for machine day activities for a 29% participation rate.

Demographics

In order to gather the needed data for evaluating the training program, focus groups were

used. A random process was used when choosing focus groups members. Each group contained

31

from 5 to 10 members. The area manager group had all 5 managers attend the focus groups. The

trainer and trainee groups each had 10 members chosen randomly.

Table 1

Focus Group Demographics

Title Male Female 20-30

Years

old

31-40

Years

old

41-50

Years

old

51+

Years

old

Managers 4 1 0 1 3 1

Trainers 7 3 3 5 2 0

Trainees 5 5 3 3 2 2

Total 16 9 6 9 7 3

Focus groups were used in the gathering of data. These focus groups consisted of a

subset of employees from Company XYZ, including managers, trainers, and employees who

completed the basic training program. The manager group consisted of five area managers. The

time on staff was a range of twelve to thirty-one years. When looking at the trainers’ group,

there were a total of ten trainers. A cross section of trainers were chosen randomly from the

plant. This cross section included all of the different areas of the production floor. The time on

staff of the trainers chosen ranged from five to thirty years. The trainee group was a group of ten

employees who completed basic training within the previous twelve months, were still on staff,

and were randomly chosen. Aliases were used when discussing the responses of focus group

attendees to protect the identity of participants.

In order to determine if the basic training program was successful, the following list of

items were evaluated: the retention of the new hired employees who had completed the training,

32

the transfer of training, and other intangible factors. Theses intangibles include contributing

elements such as employee attitude while on the job. These items were presented during the

focus groups with both the managers and the new employees. There was a questionnaire given

to the new hires at the completion of training week looking at the perception of the training

quality.

Retention data. The retention data was gathered from 2017 through the completion of

the evalustion study in 2018. The data from 2017 contains all newly hired production workers

through the year. The 2018 data is broken down by hew hires before the start of the training

program and the data continues from the start to July 23, 2018. 2019 data is all new hire from

the beginning of the year through the completion of the study in June 2019.

Table 2

2017 Attrition Data

Time on staff Number new of employees terminated

Turnover Percentage

Less than 30 days 16 23.5% 31 – 60 days 7 10.3% 61 – 90 days 2 2.9% Total 25 36.7%

Table 2 breaks down the employee attrition by the number of days on staff. Listed as less

than 30 days, 31-60 days, and 61-90 days. In 2017 there was a 36.7% turnover rate in the first 90

days of employment. The largest percentage (23.5%) was in the first thirty days. Company

XYZ had a total of 68 new hires during this period.

33

Table 3

2018 Prior to Basic Training Attrition Data


Turnover Percentage

Less than 30 days 14 35.9% 31 – 60 days 5 12.8% 61– 90 days 4 10.3% Total 23 59%

Table 3 breaks down the attrition by day from hire broken down to 30, 31-60, and 61-90

days for the period in 2018 prior to the start of the basic training program. The turnover rate in

the first 90 days of employments was 59%. As in 2017, the largest percentage of turnover

happened in the first 30 days at 36 or 5.9%. The total number of new hires by Company XYZ

for this period was 39.

Table 4

2018 Post Basic Training Attrition Data


Turnover Percentage

Less than 30 days 17 23.6% 31 – 60 days 13 18.1% 61 – 90 days 4 5.6% Total 34 47.3%

Table 4 refers to the data gathered after the basic training program was started. The table

was broken down by days of employment. This was expressed in less than 30, 31 – 60, and 61 –

90 days. The total turnover rate was 47.3% for this period with the largest percentage happening

in the first 30 days of employment with 23.6% turnover. Company XYZ had 72 new hires

during this period.

34

Table 5

2019 Attrition Data Through 7/8/2019


Turnover Percentage

Less than 30 days 5 10.0% 31– 60 days 6 12% 61 – 90 days 3 6.% Total 14 28%

Table 5 presented the retention data from the start of 2019 through the eighth of July.

The breakdown of turnover by days is less than 30, 31-60, and 61-90. The total turnover for this

period was 28% with the largest percentage (12%) occurring in the period of 31-60 days. Over

this period Company XYZ hired 50 new employees.

Retention data was gathered during 2017 and 2018 prior to the beginning of the training

program and was measured against the retention data for the eleven months after the basic

training program was implemented. These results were examined as a return on investment.

Management’s stated goal was an initial increase of retention of 10%. There were also items

listed that were not measured by this study. The main item discussed was employee satisfaction,

which was an initiative developed by corporate headquarters and not addressed in this study.

In the year prior to the beginning of the basic training program, sixty-three new

production employees were hired. Of these sixty-three, only eight remained on staff as of the

ending of the evaluation period, this resulted in a 12% retention of employees. Since the start of

the training program in July of 2018, there have been eighty-seven new hires starting the

training. Of the eighty-seven who started the training, sixty-eight went on to finish the training

for a 78% completion rate. There are 43 trainees still employed by company XYZ as of the date

of the completion of the evaluation. This results in a 49% retention rate for all new employees

and a 63% retention rate for the sixty-eight new employees who completed basic training. The

35

main reason for the loss of employees has been attendance. This loss was either from the

employee not showing up to work and not calling in or they were late too many times for the

start of the shift.

Managers and trainers focus groups. During the focus groups for the managers and

the trainers, the main theme being brought up with almost each question was that the results of

the training depended mostly on the individual being trained. However, the trend was that the

more engaged the trainee was the more likely to stay through the training and then succeed with

the work at the machines. This discussion then led into the fact that because of the engagement

of the new employees were more willing to learn the new items for the job and continue working

and returning to work each day. These employees were more concerned of safety and the safety

of the co-worker than in the past. As the training program was being developed, some

improvements were discussed which led into the areas of where the training was the most

effective.

While in the focus group the managers and the trainers spent a large amount of time

considering how each employee individually works and learns. Because of this there is

difficultly making broad statements about the achieved results. There has been a wide range of

results throughout the basic training period. During the training when employees are at the

workstation, the employees tend to have more knowledge and are working in a safer manner than

before the basic training. This was demonstrated by a 3% reduction in near misses with new

employees and a 7% reduction in forklift incidents. Each group stated that the employees seem

to be better equipped to do their daily tasks and are more attuned to the safety expectations for

the company.

36

Two main issues needed to be addressed to improve the offered training. The first issue

was the need for better training on the warehouse bin numbering system. The best way to do this

was thought to be more practice for the trainees. The next issue discussed was more training

with forklift attachments. There was a tendency for the trainees to be more nervous and

apprehensive when operating the forklifts with attachments.

The managers felt that the trainees were achieving the level that was expected when the

basic training program started. The most common phrase used during focus group discussion

was as follows: “employees were much more comfortable working on the machine and asking

questions since the start of the basic training program”. Because of this, the employees seem to

be learning faster and are more conscientious of safety.

Discussion of the program’s improvement again reverted to the operations of forklifts and

clamp trucks. The managers stated that one of the major tasks of all operators is driving the

forklift and clamp trucks to bring the needed materials for production. These materials are

necessary for the operator to maintain the efficient operation of the machine areas and putting

away the finished product in the warehouse in the proper bin locations. The main issue for this

task was speed. Bill made the statement that “operators need to be comfortable on the forklifts to

ensure the pace of the machine is not effected”.

As the discussion in the focus group shifted to what can be changed to ensure the transfer

of training, the managers and trainers both spoke of having more hands-on or on-the-job training.

The more time that the trainees can spend practicing their skills, the better the chance of

remembering these tasks for future use.

Throughout the focus groups, every question came back to the employee’s willingness to

engage. After the questions were asked, the first response given by Bill for four out of the six

37

questions was, “a lot of that depends on the person and their drive to learn”. The discussion

would then move to the statement “but, since basic training has started there does seem…” This

would then lead into further discussion on how the training has helped with the overall learning

and development of the employee. The following questions were asked during each focus group.

1. What could be done differently with the training to ensure the transfer of the training?

Employee safety. As this topic was being addressed, the main theme was to utilize more

hands-on training and to provide more time for this. The suggestions made by the managers and

the trainers were for more forklift driving practice and more clamp truck drive practice. Each

individual in the focus group also stated the trainees needed more time working at workstations

during the training to practice the new skills learned.

2. In what areas are we getting the training correct when it comes to our basic operator

training?

Employee inquisitiveness. The main theme for question two was where Company XYZ

was getting most areas correct. As always, there was the acknowledgment that inquisitiveness

depends a lot on the individual new employee. The discussion then shifted to how much more

the employees are engaged when working in their areas. Jill stated, “Trainees are asking

questions” [five times during the discussion] and, “The trainees are not just standing and

watching. Each one is getting started on the items that they learned throughout the last week.”

3. What areas are we getting the training wrong when it comes to our basic operator

training?

Program improvements. As the discussion of question three was starting the focus

groups noted the fact that Company XYZ trained new employees with the basic training program

was a vast improvement from the past. Ken, one of the managers, stated that “there is difficultly

38

finding anything wrong with the new training program.” All sixteen focus group members went

back to the hands-on training and forklift driving time.

4. What areas are we close to getting the proper training when it comes to our basic

operator training?

Getting the training right. The question four discussion was similar to question three.

Each member of the focus group stated that Company XYZ was way past being close with the

training program and far exceeded what was expected. Ron stated that “Company XYZ now has

new employees that have the basic knowledge needed for the job, where before the employees

were thrown to the wolves. This is much more than what was expected at the start of the

program”. Jordan, a trainer, also said that by “going from a three-day orientation to a four-week

basic training on-boarding program, we went past getting close to getting the training right.”

5. In what ways is our current performance level where we should be?

Employee engagement. In response to question five, Bill stated, “The skill level all

depends on the individual”. The discussion then moved as Jill said, “but we are seeing much

more engagement when new employees come to the machine to train. The new employees tend

to be asking more questions and getting active in the tasks faster.”

6. How supportive is management when it comes to job application and practice once

employees have their training?

Management support. The first statement made by Ken during the discussion for this

question was, “when this started, we were told that no matter how short the machine was, all new

production employees would be going through the basic training program. We knew that this

was a program that came with the support of the plant manager and production manager. We had

to support the training program as well.” Management was in full support of the training

39

program, and this was communicated to each employee before the program started. The training

facilitator and training coordinator were asked to inform all employee of the training program

and how the program was going to work before the first group of new employees attended

training. In the managers focus group, Ken stated, “this training program is to be set as the new

standard, and we are seeing positive results in all employees.”

Trainee questionnaire for classroom activities. When the trainees had completed the

basic training program the trainees were asked to complete a questionnaire at least two weeks

after the employee was working in the area. From this group, eighteen responded. The resulting

response rate was 53%.

Table 6

Trainee Questionnaire For Classroom Activities

Question 1 2 3 4 Total Average Mode Mean

Amount of Information

Given

0 2 9 9 20 3.5 4 3.5

Length of the Program 2 5 6 4 17 2.7 3 3

Skills of the Facilitator 0 0 4 13 17 3.3 4 4

Company Specific

Information

0 1 10 6 17 3.3 3 3

Job Specific Information 0 4 10 3 17 2.9 3 3

Information on Company’s

Safety Culture

0 0 5 12 17 3.7 4 4

Information on Company’s

Policies

0 1 9 7 17 3.4 3 3

Information Regarding

Benefits

0 3 10 4 17 3.1 3 3

Total 2 16 63 58

40

Table 6 gives a breakdown of the responses that the trainees made when answering the

questionnaire. Each question was asked to be responded with a number from 1 to 4. The

response of 1 - was set as not helpful, 2 - somewhat helpful, 3 - helpful, and 4 - extremely

helpful.

Looking over table 6 there are a few items to note. The only question to be rated a one is

the length of the program. The length of program also received the lowest over all scores. The

skills of the facilitator and the company’s safety culture are rated the highest. The score given

fell in line with the discussion in the trainee’s focus groups. There was a total of 20 respondents

to the questionnaire.

41

Table 7

Trainee Questionnaire for Classroom Actives Question Responses 1

Response Times Response

given

Percentage

of Response

The hands-on learning on the machines that a person is hired

for.

4 20%

Taking time to learn to drive the forklift. 1 5%

Being that I haven't worked in this type of business before, the

training was all pretty helpful, and gave me some insight into

the day to day operations of Company XYZ.

1 5%

The several walks through the facility which help with

location.

1 5%

You learn the computer programs used on the production floor. 1 5%

All is very informational and found important. 1 5%

Learning the basic operations in a slower environment was

very helpful.

1 5%

The safety training and equipment training. 1 5%

The walk around and see my machine in action was good. 1 5%

Having a basic understanding of what I was supposed to do

and what was expected was literally the difference between me

staying at this job and quitting.

1 5%

No Response 7 35%

Total 20 100%

Table 7 lists the responses to the question; was there any part of the program that was

particularly helpful to you as a new employee? The table will first list the individual responses.

There will then be the total times each response was given. The last column will list the

percentage that the response was given in the questionnaire.

42

There was a definite concern listed in the responses to this question. The new employees

are concerned that there was not enough learning on the machine that will be assigned. When

this was a reasonable response there has been a miscommunication to the new employees of

what the basic training program is intended to do. This was an immediate area of concern that

was addressed in the first day of the employee orientation.

Table 8



given

Percentage

of Response

I was hoping that HR knew more about our benefits and took

the time to answer questions. I don’t feel that would be the job

of the trainer to provide this information.

2 11%

Taking time to learn to drive the forklift. 1 5%

On an overall basis, the training program was pretty standard

for all areas of the plant. The training program would have

been more helpful if there would have been more training on

the machine or department where each individual was being

placed to work after training.

1 5%

Some of the policies regarding the specific department that

you are to work in.

1 5%

How to trouble shoot things 1 5%

The what we do and why. 1 5%

Provide more machine time. 1 5%

Provide more practice on reports used daily for each job. 1 5%

No Response 12 60%

Total 20 100%

43

Table 8 lists the responses to the question; was there any information not included that

you hoped to receive as a new employee? The table will first list the responses. Then the table

lists the times the response was given in the second column. Then the last column gives the

percentage of the response.

As the responses of this question were being analyzed there was a definite need of the

clarification of policies that Company XYZ has. There was also a need for more practice on

different areas being trained. Through an update to the Basic training program these concerns

will be addressed.

Table 9



given

Percentage

of Response

Trainer was an excellent trainer and knew her information.

She would be a great lead trainer.

3 15%

The training program is a wonderful introductory program for

new employees to go through when starting work here at

Company XYZ. But I feel that more time should be spent on

the actual training in the area for which the employee was

hired for.

1 5%

Overall, the training program was a great training program and

was extremely helpful for a new employee.

1 5%

There needs to be a little more time on forklift and clamp truck

training.

1 5%

44

More training on the machine and more one on one training

more on the clamp truck than just once.

1 5%

Have the newer people work with rolls on the forklifts and

packing in every other way.

1 5%

Provide more machine time. 1 5%

This was an excellent program, and I believe that the program

will help with employee retention greatly. Being able to have

basic skills, knowing the language, and a good understanding

of the safety practices really made all the difference in the

world.

1 5%

No Response 10 50%

Total 20 100%

Table 9 lists the responses to the question; do you have any additional comments you

would like to provide? The table lists the responses in the first column. Then the table lists the

times the response was given in the second column. Followed by the percentage of the response

last.

While table 9 shows the least responses, the table represented very good results for the

success of the basic training program. When evaluating the responses there was a tendency of

the trainees to think that the trainer and the program was a benefit to the skills needed to

complete the job. With a positive response rate of 40% for the program and the trainer this

provided the impression that the overall feeling of the program was regarded as beneficial.

The breakdown of the retention of new employees is listed in Table 10 below. The Table

begins with a 7.68% retention of employees in 2016, followed by a 20.83% retention in 2017. In

45

2018, Company XYZ started the basic training program. In 2018, there was an overall retention

rate of 36.04%, which raised drastically from the previous retention rate of only 12.82% prior to

the start of the training program in July 2018. The retention rate in 2019 to the end of the study

was 71.43%. Out of the seventy-two trainees who entered basic training, 78.16% completed the

Training with a 55.88% retention rate once the employee completed the training. The overall

retention rate for production employees after the start of the basic training program was 49.43%.

Figure 1. Total production retention January 2017 – August 2019. This shows a definite

increase in retention. There was also a steady increase of retention as the basic training program

went on. From 2016 to the end of the study, there was an increase of over 42% in retention.

49.43%55.88%

78.16%71.43%

12.82%

36.04%

20.83%7.69%

0.00%

20.00%

40.00%

60.00%

80.00%

100.00%

1

Employee groupOverall Retention allproduction employees After the start of BasicRetention of production employees who have started and completed basic trainingEmployees who started basic training and completed Basic TrainingRetention 2019Retention 2018 before Basic Training StartedTotal retention 2018Retention 2017 to presentRetention 2016 to present

Rete

ntio

n pe

rcen

tage

• • • • • • •

- -

46

Summary

In chapter four, the data was presented and explained. The data consisted of focus

groups, questionnaires, and the retention of new employees. This data suggests that the basic

training program was successful. In chapter 5, there will be a discussion of the success of the

basic training program, what should be done going forward pertaining to the basic training

program and the limitations of this study.

47

Chapter V: Discussion, Conclusion and Recommendation

The purpose of this study was the evaluation of the basic training program established by

Company XYZ to increase the retention of newly hired production employees. This basic

training program was designed to be a four-week onboarding process for newly hired production

workers. Management made the decision to develop the training program after previous attempts

to increase the retention of new employees had failed.

Discussion

Throughout the process of the evaluation of the basic training program there has been

many different aspects to observe. There was the initial scope of the project, which was our

level zero - input. Then the reaction of the participants needed measuring, level one - reaction.

Once these two were completed looking at the learning that took place and how that learning was

applied was next, levels two and three – learning and application. From there, the next item to

evaluate was the impact to business, level four. The last level to be measured was level five –

ROI (Phillips, 2008).

Since this was a new way to develop training at Company XYZ the process was new,

from start to finish. In the past, training was primarily completed using an on the job method and

the classroom was used only for safety, business, and office skills. The training used for this

study was developed using the ADDIE model (Sink, 2014). Through this development process

evaluation of the program was considered in the very beginning (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick,

2006).

Level zero evaluation, input and indicators discussion. During the initial preparation

of the new employee basic training program there was the discussion of what the program was to

accomplish (Phillips, 2008). There was the initial expectation of a 10% increase of employee

48

retention due to the training program. A basic training program was outlined, and a four-week

time frame was set. The training program was developed, tested, and put into action. Once the

program was established, level one evaluation started (Phillips, 2008).

Level one evaluation, reaction discussion. The evaluation to the reaction of the training

was started once the first week of the program was completed. The reaction of the new

employees, the trainers, and managers to the training was recorded and reviewed by

management. Upon completing the program, a questionnaire was given to the attendees. This

was done to see how the trainees perceived the training. This information from the second week

was adjusted to allow for more machine training time (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2007).

Managers and trainers were asked to attend a focus group meeting to discuss the training

program (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2014).

Once the program had completed the initial run the attendees were asked to complete the

study questionnaire to help with the evaluation of the program. These questionnaires were

completed between two-weeks and six-months after the completion of the basic training

program. These questionnaires helped with the establishment of the engagement, relevance, and

the satisfaction of the training (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2014). The ratings that were assigned

to each question were important, but the replies to the open questions provided much more value

to the feedback (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2006).

The responses from the attendees regarding the training were positive and were rated in

the categories ranging from helpful to extremely helpful. The main area of concern for the

attendees was the length of the program. There were also comments made asking for more time

to practice different tasks, such as forklift and clamp truck driving.

49

Reactions from the managers and the trainers were of significant importance related to

the roles that these members of the organization had in training, performance, and the influence

of new hires (Brinkerhoff, 2006). These reactions were collected through focus group

discussions allowing the managers and trainers to provide thoughts and observations of the

training program (Phillips & Phillips, 2014). When looking to see the reaction of the managers

and trainers, the common theme regarding what would be of most value was getting the training

right. Each of the focus groups stated that the training that the new hires were receiving was

much more than what was expected from the program when the program was being first

developed. This program established the standard for new employee training at Company XYZ.

With employees at the forefront of production the first step towards a learning organization had

been established (Akdere & Schmidt, 2008).

Level two evaluation, learning discussion. During the training process the main tool

used to establish whether learning was happening was observation and assessing the employee

while working in the classroom (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick 2006). Tasks were instructed and

demonstrated to the employees, who were then asked to perform the task. The employees were

observed first by the trainer in the classroom for proper completion of the skills (Phillips &

Phillips, 2016). The level of success of this method was measured during the focus groups. This

was a major point for the theme of employee engagement and employee safety. The employees

were more engaged at the machine and working in a safer manner, showing a reduction in new

employees’ numbers of both reported forklift incidents and reported near misses.

Level three evaluation, application discussion. During the focus group discussion, the

employee application of training emerged from almost every question. This was completed by

the elimination of many of the barriers to the application before the training program was put

50

into action (Phillips & Phillips, 2016). To accomplish this there was an informational program

presented to all employees before the basic training program started. The informational program

was done to show what the training program was, how the training was to be completed, and

what the expectations of the program were. This was to ensure the understanding of all

employees, not just management for buy in for the project (Miller, 2010).

Level four evaluation, business impact discussion. In trying to find the business

impact management thought that looking at the turnover rates and engagement in the work was

most important (Philips & Phillips, 2016). This was to be a key measure for the success of the

basic training program. Table 10 in Chapter 4 page 36 shows that there is a retention rate of

20.83% in 2017 as compared to a retention rate of 71.43% in 2019. This equates to an increase

of 50.6% in employee retention.

Level five, return on investment (ROI) discussion. The training of all employees is

important because this can allow the company to improve all processes (Black & La Venture,

2015). The main improvement seen at Company XYZ with the new training program was a

decrease in employee recruitment. With the cost of hiring replacement employees being on

average $10,725.00 per employee this added up to approximately a $200,000.00 savings year

over year as calculated by Company XYZ (Fortin, 2017). Company XYZ was also able to

eliminate the employee recruiter position after one year of the basic training program because

100% employment was achieved.

Intangible benefits. The intangible benefits were the ones that are not converted to a

monetary value (Phillips & Phillips, 2016). Two of the intangibles seen during the training

program were an increase in questions being asked by new employees while learning on the job

and a decrease in near misses. While these measures do have monetary value, these values were

51

not included in this study. The decrease in chances of an injury is significant and should be

considered. There was also the benefit of employees having more experience in completing the

daily tasks. This will allow less required time for training of new employees and more for the

competition of these tasks and the development of more advanced skills. These advanced skills

will allow for the employee to advance in position and increase pay at a faster rate.

The last intangible benefit was with the employees who were going through the basic

training program. Once the training was completed the employees acted as mentors for the new

hires just entering the program. This was observed through the employee who completed the

training directing the new hires to the correct trainer on the floor or just by encouraging the

trainee throughout the day.

Conclusion

The primary conclusion was that the program was successful. The results of this study

demonstrated that there was a larger than expected reduction in employee turnover. There was a

better retention rate for employees in each measure of up to 30 days, 31-60 days, and 61-90 days.

Once the employee reached the 91 day plus the industry average turnover rate was reached. The

production floor of Company XYZ had full employment of the first time in over eight years.

Through the development of the training program Company XYZ was able to develop the

start of people-first core values. This was done by beginning the process of making a learning

culture, developing higher trust levels, and having better communication lanes (Black & La

Venture, 2015). By continuing this training program, the culture change process can continue to

grow.

52

Recommendations

The recommendations from this study are three-fold. First, continue with the basic

training program. Next, the evaluation of the training program needs to continue. Third, the

development of a new training program for seasoned employees should be started.

Continue with the basic training program. The basic training program has proven to

be successful through the reduction of turnover and the involvement of new employees. By

continuing this program Company XYZ can continue to grow into a learning organization. This

will allow for the production employees to reach higher levels of production and personal

achievement (Black & La Venture, 2015). The basic training program helps promote

Company’s philosophy on learning (Akdere & Schmidt, 2008).

The basic training program will help in driving the safety culture from one that the

employees follow because of the risk of punishment, to one in which the employees are the

leaders of improvements. This will promote the employee to be motivated to not only work safe

because of the rule, the employee will be internally motivated to do so (Black & Sorrell, 2018).

Safety then becomes a value – not a requirement.

Continued evaluation of the training program. The basic training program is not

perfect in the current form. By continuing the evaluation of the program Company XYZ will be

able to adapt more quickly to any needed changes in the program. Through evaluation, the

relevance, usefulness, skills, and knowledge can be examined on an ongoing basis and can be

changed as needed (Phillips, 2008). Through evaluation Company XYZ will also be able to

provide continued accountability for the program (Phillips & Phillips, 2016).

To ensure the continued evaluation there will need to be an accountability structure

established. The structure should include a champion, an evaluation leader, new goals and

53

targets, and a timetable for completing the evaluation. This will allow Company XYZ continued

improvement and development of the training program (Phillipa & Phillips, 2016).

Develop a new training program. A new training program modeled after the basic

training program used in this study should be developed to continue with the advancement of

employee job knowledge and continuous improvement for all positions in Company XYZ.

Sharing this model of learning across the organization will allow Company XYZ to model a

learning culture (Schein, 1993). The learning function should be at the forefront of the company

culture. This will show by the shared value of learning from the plant manager to the newly

hired production employee (Black & La Venture 2017). The program will need to be adapted to

production employees and create an employee succession plan. Currently there is no formal

employee succession plan in place. By adapting the training structure to work with more

seasoned employees Company XYZ will be able to have better trained employees from the new

hire to the shift leader on the production floor.

Summary

This study looked at the evaluation of the basic training program at Company XYZ.

Chapter 1 discussed the reason for the development of the training program and for the needed

evaluation. Chapter 2 developed the case for completing the evaluation and some guides for

evaluating. Chapter 3 took a look at the methodology of gathering data and the methods used to

evaluate the data. In Chapter 4 the data was presented. Chapter 5 the results of the data collection

were discussed using the case developed in chapter 2 to define the results and recommend future

studies on plans for moving forward.

54

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60

Appendix A: Permission to Complete the Study

To Whom it may concern:

Martin Weninger has the approval of our company to utilize the evaluation of the basic training

program in the completion of his Plan B paper. This will include the collection of the needed

data through different means including but not limited to questionnaires, employee focus groups,

interviews, and attrition data. When referring to he is to use a generic term such as

Company XYZ.

Signed

Senior Production Manager

61

Appendix B: Signed Consent form

UW-Stout Signed Consent Statement

for Research Involving Human Subjects

Consent to Participate In UW-Stout Approved Research

Project Title: Evaluation of Basic Training Program at Company XYZ.

Description:

We are trying to develop the success of the basic training program and it return on

investment. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have regarding this study.

Risks:

You may experience some questions that are personal in nature. You do not need to

answer them if you don’t want to answer. There is a chance your data could be seen by

someone who should have access to it. We’re minimizing this risk by keeping data

anonymous and removing all personal identifiers.

Benefits:

You may benefit by contributing to our understanding of the success to the basic

training program and whether it should continue. There may also be the benefit of an

improvement to the basic training program and this being improvement process being

added to the production floor training.

62

Confidentiality:

No identifying information will be publicized during this study. Your name and any

information regarding the study will be stored in the researcher’s computer and will be

permanently deleted once the research project has been completed.

Time Commitment:

The focus Group or interview should last between 45 – 60 minutes

Right to Withdraw:

Your participation in this study is entirely voluntary. You may choose not to participate

without any adverse consequences to you. You have the right to stop the focus group or

interview at any time. However, should you choose to participate and later wish to

withdraw from the study, there is no way to identify your anonymous data after it has

been turned into the investigator. If you are participating in a focus group or interview,

once your responses are submitted, the data cannot be linked to you and cannot be

withdrawn.

IRB Approval: This study has been reviewed and approved by The University of

Wisconsin-Stout's Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB has determined that this

study meets the ethical obligations required by federal law and University policies. If

you have questions or concerns regarding this study, please contact the Investigator or

Advisor. If you have any questions, concerns, or reports regarding your rights as a

research subject, please contact the IRB Administrator.

63

Investigator: Martin Weninger 715-796-5828 | [email protected] [email protected]

IRB Administrator Elizabeth Buchanan Office of Research and Sponsored Programs 152 Vocational Rehabilitation Bldg. UW-Stout Menomonie, WI 54751 715.232.2477 [email protected]

Advisor: Dr. Jeanette Black [email protected] 715-232-5229 242 Jarvis Hall – Tech Wing

Statement of Consent:

__________________________________________________

Name Date

64

Appendix C: Implied Consent form

UW-Stout Implied Consent Statement

for Research Involving Human Subjects

Consent to Participate In UW-Stout Approved Research

Project Title: Evaluation of Basic Training Program at Company XYZ.

Description:

We are trying to develop the success of the basic training program and it return on

investment. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have regarding this study.

Risks:

You may experience some questions that are personal in nature. You do not need to

answer them if you don’t want to answer. There is a chance your data could be seen by

someone who should have access to it. We’re minimizing this risk by keeping data

anonymous and removing all personal identifiers.

Benefits:

You may benefit by contributing to our understanding of the success to the basic

training program and whether it should continue. There may also be the benefit of an

improvement to the basic training program and this being improvement process being

added to the production floor training.

65

Confidentiality:

No identifying information will be publicized during this study. Your name and any

information regarding the study will be stored in the researcher’s computer and will be

permanently deleted once the research project has been completed.

Time Commitment:

The questionnaire or interview should last between 5 – 10 minutes

Right to Withdraw:

Your participation in this study is entirely voluntary. You may choose not to participate

without any adverse consequences to you. You have the right to stop the survey at any

time. However, should you choose to participate and later wish to withdraw from the

study, there is no way to identify your anonymous document after it has been turned

into the investigator. If you are participating in an anonymous online survey, once you

submit your response, the data cannot be linked to you and cannot be withdrawn.

IRB Approval: This study has been reviewed and approved by The University of

Wisconsin-Stout's Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB has determined that this

study meets the ethical obligations required by federal law and University policies. If

you have questions or concerns regarding this study, please contact the Investigator or

Advisor. If you have any questions, concerns, or reports regarding your rights as a

research subject, please contact the IRB Administrator.

66

Investigator: Martin Weninger 715-796-5828 | [email protected] [email protected]

IRB Administrator Elizabeth Buchanan Office of Research and Sponsored Programs 152 Vocational Rehabilitation Bldg. UW-Stout Menomonie, WI 54751 715.232.2477 [email protected]

Advisor: Dr. Jeanette Black [email protected] 715-232-5229 242 Jarvis Hall – Tech Wing

Statement of Consent: By completing the following questionnaire, you agree to

participate in the project entitled, Evaluation of Basic Training Program at Company

XYZ.

67

Appendix D: Questionnaires

Trainee Questionnaire for classroom activities

1. Amount of Information Given (1 - 4)

2. Length of Program (1 - 4)

3. Skills of Facilitator (1 - 4)

4. Company Specific information (1 - 4)

5. Job Specific information (1 - 4)

6. Information on Company XYZ’s safety culture (1 - 4)

7. Information regarding company policies (1 - 4)

8. Information regarding employee benefits (1 - 4)

9. Was there any part of the program that was particularly helpful to you as a new

employee?

10. Was there any information not included that you hoped to receive as a new employee?

11. Do you have any additional comments you would like to provide?

Trainee Questionnaire for machine day activities

Name: __________________________________

Machine: ________________________________

Trainer: ________________________________

1. Do you feel safe working on your day to day tasks?

2. What is one thing that you learned that you found interesting?

68

3. What are you beginning to master in your responsibilities? Explain your role?

4. What suggestions would you make for improvement?

5. Scale 1-4 Do you feel like you are getting adequate training to fulfill your job duties?

1 = Not at all, 2 = Very Little, 3 = Enough, 4 = More than enough

1 2 3 4

Circle a number and then explain why.

6. Is there anyone you would like to recognize for teaching you valuable skills for your job?

7. Is there anything that you feel you need more focused training on? Any challenges you

are facing? Where are you stuck? Please explain.

Trainer Questionnaire

Train the Trainer Questionnaire

Trainer’s name _________________

Trainee’s name __________________

1. Safety concerns? Are they acting safely?

69

2. Scale 1-4 how is the new employee progressing? 1 = Not understanding, 2 = needs work, 3 =

As expected, 4 = Excelling

1 2 3 4

3. Are they grasping the fundamentals of each task given to them?

4. Is the trainee asking questions? How are you engaging with the trainee?

5. What skills do you think they need to improve on? If any list them and state if they need to re-

learn them in the basic training room or just more training time on the floor?

• -

• -

• -

• -

• -

• -

6. Do they need extra practice with a forklift? Are they driving the forklift ever?

7. Rate 1-4 on each topic on how the new employee is progressing, if applicable.

1 = Not understanding, 2 = needs work, 3 = As expected, 4 = Excelling

70

8.Safety- Being aware of surroundings

1 2 3 4

9. Reading/Filling out Fin specs

1 2 3 4

10. Operating forklift

1 2 3 4

11. Packaging/Palletizing rolls

1 2 3 4

12. Rewind

1 2 3 4

13. Unwind/Making splices

1 2 3 4

14. Silicone/ coating head (cleaning, recipes, footprints, etc.)

1 2 3 4

15. Extruder (Cleaning die, bringing in/out extruder, holding paddle, etc.)

1 2 3 4

71

16. Operating programs such as

•Shop floor

•Finishing Specifications

•File Maker/SOP

•Bin inquiry

•Batch Sheet

1 2 3 4

72

Appendix E: Focus Group Question

Area Manager Focus Group

7. Do you consent to participating in this focus group? If so, please sign the consent form.

8. What are the results the new employees should be achieved through their basic operator

training?

a. In what ways could they be improved?

9. What do you feel is the current level of achievement for operators completing their basic

operator training?

a. In what ways could this be improved

10. What could be done differently with the training to ensure the transfer of the training?

11. What areas are we getting the training correct when it comes to our basic operator

training?


training?

13. What areas are we close to getting the proper training when it comes to our basic operator

training?

14. In what ways is our current performance level where we should be?


employees have received their training?

Trainee Focus Group

1. Do you consent to participating in this focus group? If so, please sign the consent form.

2. Do you feel that you have benefited from the basic training program?

3. In what ways are you prepared for your daily tasks?

73

4. In what ways could we have better prepared you for your daily tasks?

5. What should be done differently with the training to ensure the transfer of the training?

6. What areas are we getting the training correct when it comes to our basic operator

training?


training?

a. In what ways could this be improved?

8. What areas are we close to getting the proper training when it comes to our basic operator

training?

9. In what ways is your current performance level related to where we should be?


employees have received their training?

Evaluation of Basic Training Program at Company XYZ

Documents

Transcript of Evaluation of Basic Training Program at Company XYZ