Published in Training Journal - March 2003

Online performance tools

The use of computers to share information has transformed our way of communicating at work and at home, giving us access to knowledge that just 10 years ago would have been the domain of experts alone. Beyond that, the Internet, in its ability to collect and disseminate large volumes of data - and to do so anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, has revolutionised the speed, accuracy and efficiency of information transfer. The ability to slot it into our working day without having to leave our desk adds to its flexibility. The access to computers grows from the individual working alone through to multi-users in large global companies.

So many things are now available to us online from checking flight availability to purchasing a new outfit. Similarly, training resources are available online ranging from discussion groups to a wide range of tools to enhance your training.

This article examines the use of electronic performance tools and how you can use them to improve performance management. When costs need to be justified and training needs to demonstrate results; performance management is at the core. Up to now improvements in performance could be measured by manufacturing (number of widgets produced) and by finance (profit margin). Aside from being able to test trainees' fact retention in an exam setting, the training department has had few ways of directly measuring the performance of soft skills in individuals and teams.

The use of technology can become an invaluable strength in a trainer's resources. First we need to correctly identify areas of weakness or problem areas and ensure that appropriate training to improve in these areas is given. To improve performance across an organisation this may involve assessment of individuals, teams or whole departments or a combination of these. This process takes time and requires the integration of multiple sets of data, but also provides a lot of information. By using an online solution you can make this process easier and more effective than ever before.

In a recent survey conducted by MSA Interactive Ltd on the subject of performance appraisals, only 16% of organisations were reported as currently using an electronic format for appraisals. However, when asked what changes they would like to make - 26% stated that they would favour a move to an electronic format. An even higher proportion listed benefits that would be enabled in an electronic format. The use of a multi-rating system (40%), or having an automated system to reduce the amount they had to chase up outstanding forms were seen as highly desirable improvements to the current methods. Training professionals who follow this trend and use online performance tools, whether for teams or individuals, can leverage significant benefits.

What can be done on-line?

It's not unusual to create a tailored questionnaire for a group of employees. This sort of questionnaire will often target specific training needs and other areas you want to address and in a way that is relevant to your company. You might use it to focus on the core competencies or expand it to contain something that you think is particularly an issue. The knowledge gained from such an exercise can prove invaluable. Yet often this type of solid information gathering activity is left undone simply because the costs are too high and the logistics are too complex.

The first step towards reaping the benefits of technology is to produce the questionnaire online - thus creating a simple web survey. The benefits of this medium are largely around

• location - it can be accessed globally,
• convenience - it can be done at any time the respondent wishes to,
• efficiency - it doesn't sink to the bottom of an intray, never to reappear, and
• data management - results are collected electronically and processed automatically.
  

Reviews for individuals

Take this one step further and you get real added value for the training department. Using a tailored application to collect data as part of a systematic assessment of an individual's strengths and weaknesses, you can use it as a powerful way of building a personal action plan for the trainee. The report will create awareness of certain aspects that would benefit from development, and the plan can then be focused on developing these areas. You can do this by using a web-enabled 360-degree or 180-degree review. The specific benefits of using technology in this way are the security of data, guaranteed confidentiality and the ability to process large volumes of data to produce automatic reports. Compared to the traditional method of producing this type of report - using a spreadsheet perhaps - the load for you or your administrator is minimal if the web is used effectively. Not only that, but you are able to collect reviews from employees wherever they happen to be at the time. In this global economy where companies move their staff across geographical boundaries as a matter of course, this is a critical factor. The online application can make the difference between easy collection of questionnaire responses from anywhere in the world, and the previous complete inability to conduct this sort of review at a reasonable cost because of the cost of moving and handling the data.

Reviews for teams

By using a team-focused online tool, you can take the use of the web even further to create a picture of what is happening in a particular team. This type of application has the ability to view the needs of the organisation as a whole with the flexibility to focus on team and individual issues. Comparing the results of different teams or departments can illustrate where something is working well or where it is a problem, allowing you to prioritise the needs appropriately. The results of a team assessment can be a powerful way of facilitating discussion within a group in order to reduce areas of friction and increase performance.

The value for trainers

Encouraging employee buy-in - Start by considering whether the use of an online assessment will help to get the candidate mentally prepared for the training process. Overcoming the 'this doesn't apply to me', or the 'this won't work so I don't know why we're bothering' syndrome can be a challenge. Frequently, resistance to change comes packaged in different words, but whatever the form of expression, sometimes only a powerful demonstration of the need and potential benefits will overcome these barriers. By using performance tools like 360 feedback to identify the individual's development needs, you can create a compelling image for the individual that helps to personalise the training need for them.

Rationalising training programmes - Justifying why you have identified training areas as priorities can be supported to the board by the results summary. You can also schedule a repeat of an online assessment for 6 - 12 months after the initial review, to measure the improvements resulting from training programmes.

Increasing the impact of training - Just as by using an online 360 tool you can encourage the individual to take ownership of the training, you can also use the individual or team assessment to benchmark. Once you have measured and demonstrated the current level of skills, you can use that knowledge to get the training recipients to set goals linked to these measurements. Knowing where they are now, and where they want to be on any particular aspect will have a motivating effect.

Use context-linked assessments - Many online assessments used today are in the psychometric and personality profiling category. These will simply tell you what the individual is capable of, or is likely to do based on their traits. As a training mechanism, it is far more significant to be able to see how the individual is actually performing in their current role, or view a team's performance on a particular project. This provides you with fantastic opportunities to pinpoint specific actions that can dramatically improve individual or team performance. Although psychometrics and personality profiles may be good indicators of potential and are therefore useful in a recruitment context, you may get far less value from them in a training environment. After all, is it really relevant for you to know a person's potential if in fact their performance is being hampered by an inability to deal effectively with one aspect of their job? You will be far more effective at unlocking their potential if you know what that blocking aspect is, than if you simply know the scope of their potential.

Time Saving - Using online appraisals can save time in a number of ways:

• saving in the administrative time of sending out paper-based questionnaires
• saving time on chasing up uncompleted questionnaires
• saving time collating the data and creating the reports
• and most significantly, saving time in uncovering the training needs of the individual or team.

If well administered, the online assessment process - whether a simple employee questionnaire, an individual multi-rating assessment, or a team performance tool - can liberate you from administrative overload and allow you to get down to the real job of creating and delivering powerful change.
In summary:

• Use online performance tools to measure the team or individual's specific development needs
• If possible, timetable the use of the tool in the training process in such a way as to get candidates thinking about the potential benefits and the course content ahead of the actual delivery
• Multi-rating systems will reduce the potentially polarising effects of subjective opinions
• Use a team performance tool to get the team involved before conducting workshops
• Leverage the data to justify training programmes and demonstrate organisational impact.