Are you Experiencing ADD (Assessment Deficit Disorder)?

For years, many companies have gotten away with an assessment approach that consisted of little more than easy self-assessment questions within learning modules, and a few tests during initial sales training (often compromised and copied with cheating rampant) to show that some kind of benchmark learning had taken place.

This approach doesn’t cut it anymore.

Just as training curriculum design and development has to be approached strategically, rightly evaluating learning effectiveness requires an assessment strategy. Here are some of the questions that need to be considered:

1. Are our tests/questions truly valid – that is, do they map to learning objectives, and are they written properly?

2. Are our tests/questions secure, or have they been compromised?

3. Who writes and reviews our tests? Are they qualified?

4. What constitutes “passing” a test, and why? What is our policy and practice on re-takes and remediation?

5. Are we using on-line technologies effectively for delivery, tracking, scoring, reporting, and analysis?

6. How does our testing fit into the overall corporate approach to retention (this gets into the area of “governance,” wherein assessment has to be looked at not merely in a learning role, but in its business/HR implications).

7. What data analysis will we do on test results to measure validity and effectiveness?

8. What security and reporting measures do we have in place for test results, in case of audit by outside entities (such as lawyers and regulators)?

Why is all this important?

• Testing that does not truly measure acquired learning puts you at risk for having unqualified reps in the field.
• A properly-designed assessment program adds much-needed accountability to the training process
• A poorly-designed assessment program puts the company at risk in case of lawsuits for unfair dismissal (e.g., a rep is fired for off-label promotion, then claims he/she was not properly trained. Do you have electronic records validating that proper training and testing occurred in this case?)

If you are experiencing the symptoms of ADD, give Impactiviti a call. We can help get you on the road toward success in your assessment program.