Training is being conducted across many offices and has been scheduled for over 4 weeks. Trainer is waiting at the rail station to board for the trip and decides to check her mobile device and finds a cancellation email from three attendees. Line Manager approval was required and received for the training. There is no HR or training policy in place at the organisation at this time. How do you manage training cancellations by staff in your organisation?
You need to be a member of DPG Community to add comments!
Replies
When I first came here, I was shocked by the number of staff just not turning up to compliance training events they were registered for and not letting us know ie what I called "no shows". After 6 months or so I decided to kick up a fuss. I e mailed the manager of any person who didn't show up, demanding a written explanation and telling them I was going to cross charge to their budget for the missed training. I circulated the request that managers cancelled their staff training in advance if they knew they would not be coming, and that they let us know as far in advance as possible. I decided to accept cancellations without cross charging, provided the reason was justified and the cancellation was made at least 24 hours ahead of the training course.
I talked to the managers of "no shows" and cancellations on the day about the situation and discussed the reasons and expressed my concerns. At the end of the year I reported the "no show" percentage to the Senior Leadership Team and the key reasons given by the managers, and requested their support for changes I had in mind to address the "no shows". Their support was a no brainer given the money we were spending to reduced effect due to no shows and their support made a huge difference as I could let everyone know that SLT expected this!
I wrote a short article in our staff quarterly magazine about "no shows" and all the reasons why it was a problem that should not be tolerated. I have been here 3 years now and the culture has changed hugely in that time. I don't recall the last time there was a no show and we rarely have cancellations as we have a much more proactively managed approach to compliance training. I have changed the approach to training all together to better fit with the business need and I have changed the way staff get booked onto the courses and have introduced training into the daily accountability tracker meetings for each area. I attend each area morning meeting once a week, to demonstrate my interest in their compliance training and their contribution to full compliance on site.
I have also introduced a requirement for managers to meet with me ahead of setting up any other training event, to discuss the objectives etc (and have a handout for managers new to this) and as well as "on the day" feedback forms we also have post-training evaluation sheets to be filled in through discussion between manager and delegate, and returned to me. I act on any feedback from the on the day sheets as wel as the post training evaluation and let the delegates know what I am going to do and why.
We have improved beyond recognition. We have gone from zero compliance to full compliance, and now it is not so much what we do that I have to worry about, as how well we do it - which will be one of my key projects this year. :)
PS The reason I specify "compliance training" in my reply is that this is my responsibility here. I use the same approach for any other training I am involved in, although it wouldn't necessarily be my responsibility.
Hi Mary
This is a tricky one and happens too often due to there being no accountability or repercussions to anyone who cancels. I do believe that a charge-back system would decrease the number of cancellations / no-shows. Line managers would view cancellations very different I'm sure if it was coming off their cost centre.
Yes the line managers and execs need to role model and ensure that whatever training is being delivered is completed but if the trainees don't feel that the training is going to be beneficial then again this can contribute to a last minute no-shows so the understanding of why the training is being done and how this links to their performance is paramount.
Whilst it is a HR policy from Northern Ireland Civil Service you may find something in here useful as a starting point
Staff Attendance at Training
PS...it's a good job the trainer checked their mobile and didn't travel otherwise it would be even more frustrating - perhaps travel costs could also be charged back ;)
Hi Mike,
Thanks for the response and the attached link. Reviewing this link actually helps write a relevant policy to deter this type of behaviour.
Mary
Excellent I thought it might help get you started.
Of course the policy won't address the root cause of non attendance but it's a step in the right direction :-)
I try and touch every "absence" as to understand why it's happened including discussions with line managers. Its difficult when the cancellations are driven by members of the executive team. Sends the wrong message about training and development.
I had the same thing recently, 3 cancellations on the morning of the session and one no show. I went and spoke and spoke to each one...... lost count of the number of times I have said to someone "I'm disappointed that you cancelled at the last minute".
Thanks for that Grant. It is becoming more disappointing but if Line Managers and Executives are not prepared to invest in L&D for staff, then these absences and cancellations are never going to be followed up on.
Have you written any policies that would discourage last minute cancellations?
I looked at it. Where I can I have training paid for from the departmental training budget rather than the HR one. Our budgets are decentralised with each area having a training budget. I try to use the HR one for more strategic interventions.
Unfortunately there is no cross charge for missing internal training.