I’ve thoroughly enjoyed opening up the blog to new contributors from L&D throughout June. This last piece from Dr. Anita Sagar highlights how to answer the question “How do we truly know if employees have acquired the target skills?” It’s a question my team and I often discuss with our programmes and solutions.
Dr. Anita Sagar is a learning strategist based in the LA area. She has a background in strategy, edtech, and assessments, with a background in tech and learning, Anita works with a variety of companies in different industries on co-creating comprehensive learning strategies and revamping L&D programs and assessments. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.
I don’t edit or amend the pieces being written for me. I’m not an editor, and that’s not something that matters for the purposes of this series. Each piece is submitted in the author’s own writing style. I’m also not fact-checking, unless there’s something that needs to be fact-checked.
I don’t edit or amend the pieces being written for me. I’m not an editor, and that’s not something that matters for the purposes of this series. Each piece is submitted in the author’s own writing style. I’m also not fact-checking, unless there’s something that needs to be fact-checked.
How do we truly know if employees have acquired the targeted skills?
As the skills economy continues to thrive and skills-based organizations become commonplace, a critical mindset shift is required for both leaders and employees. Traditionally, learning and development programs have prioritized delivering information and content. However, in today’s landscape, emphasizing application and demonstration of those skills is critical.
A crucial question often remains unanswered or not fully answered – “How do we truly know if employees have acquired the targeted skills?” Effective assessment becomes paramount in this new model of talent management. We need to move beyond traditional methods and explore different ways to measure not just knowledge acquisition, but the ability to apply skills effectively in real-world scenarios.
As a learning strategist, I often encounter companies with well-defined skills strategies. They’ve invested in training programs and even implemented large-scale skills transformations. However, the crucial question remains unanswered: How do we truly know if employees have acquired the targeted skills?
Beyond Knowledge Acquisition
Traditional assessments often focus on knowledge acquisition – did an employee complete a course or remember content for a multiple-choice test? This approach falls short. Effective assessments should evaluate an individual’s ability to apply their skills effectively and consistently in real-world situations.
Skills Signaling: A Skill Assessment Continuum
Think of skills development as a continuum. At one end (Level 0) is no prior knowledge. As learning progresses, individuals move up the continuum through stages of:
- Low Signaling (Levels 1-2): Acquiring content knowledge through courses or modules, taking content focused assessments, being able to share their knowledge to some degree, etc.
- High Signaling (Levels 3-5): Applying skills in practical scenarios, including new projects, hackathons, simulations or obtaining external certifications (ie- PMP, ITIL, etc.)
Tailoring Assessments: Sonar Signaling
Assessments should be tailored to the specific skill and desired level of proficiency based on each organization. Just as sonar signaling uses different frequencies for different purposes, we can use low signaling (e.g., multiple-choice tests) to gauge basic understanding (Levels 1-2). For higher-level skills (Levels 3-5), we need high signaling that evaluates practical application, like project completion or industry certifications.
Skills Signaling In Action: A Case Study
A large professional services firm needed a revamp. Their project management center of excellence (COE) lacked cohesion and strategic clout. They wanted a unified team, empowered to become valued partners, attracting top talent in the process.
The Challenge: Measuring Skills
Their existing strategy focused on basics – knowledge acquisition at a surface level. But how could they differentiate high performers within the COE if everyone was measured at the same level of knowledge?
Solution: Signaling Skills
To address this challenge, we shifted the focus from simply conveying knowledge to equipping learners with ways to signal their skill acquisition; emphasizing how learners can effectively apply that knowledge in real-world scenarios.
Identifying What Matters Most:
The organization needed to define clear expectations for their learners. These expectations would depend on several key factors specific to the organization including:
- Company ROI: How would this skill contribute to the bottom line?
- Success Measures: What metrics define success for the company?
- Learning Objectives: What specific skills should learners gain?
- KPIs (Key Performance Indicators): How will we measure progress towards those objectives?
By considering these factors, the organization could tailor the “skills signaling” process to ensure learners were demonstrably acquiring the most impactful abilities for both their own development and the company’s success.
To tailor their skills continuum, they needed a deeper understanding of their goals. They started with two key questions:
- Is this a critical skill? Would this skill be vital to their success in the coming years? For example, if cost reduction was a priority, skills focused on efficiency would receive higher signaling importance.
- Does this skill require external validation? Did this skill require external verification through certifications or standardized tests? This helped determine the assessment depth needed – internal evaluations might suffice for some skills, while others might require external proof.
By posing these two key questions, the firm sparked a wave of productive discussions. Difficult but transparent conversations emerged, tackling critical topics:
- Skill Prioritization: Which skills were essential for success, and which could be considered optional?
- Expectation Setting: What did “success” look like when it came to skill acquisition?
- Self-Assessment: Where did the organization currently stand in terms of its overall skill set?
These open dialogues allowed the firm to gain a clear picture of their needs and goals.
The Result: A Unified and Empowered COE
By strategically signaling skills, the firm could identify top performers, elevate project management to a strategic level, and attract the best talent. Their skills-based learning strategy transformed the COE into a unified and empowered force, driving success for the entire organization.
Skills Signaling Visual:
Finding the Right Balance
Organizations need to strike a balance between assessment types. Relying solely on low-signaling assessments risks overlooking an employee’s ability to apply skills. However, using only high-signaling assessments can be time-consuming and impractical for every learning objective.
The Solution: A Combination Approach
The most effective assessment strategies utilize a variety of methods, drawing on both low and high- signaling. This comprehensive approach provides a clearer picture of an individual’s skill mastery, allowing for targeted development and talent optimization.
