In an interview with Gil Podrak, my former manager at the Bench company, we discussed current trends in training and what training might look like in the future. We also talked about what Podrak feels works and what does not work, and what he suggests for how to improve training in the future. Much of what Podrak said echoes current research in human resources and organizational behavior. For example, current and future trends in training seem to be less educational and more focused on specific and individualized needs. Whereas coursework seemed to be almost synonymous with training in the past, and still is to a degree in many organizations, training is now recognized as being a lot more than the “too long, too boring, ‘too PowerPoint’” training courses that yield few good results (Futurethink, 2009, p. 1). Podrak said something similar, noting that our organization had been spending too much on courses that sounded good on paper but which were neither liked by employees nor leading to any measurable improvements in employee performance. Therefore, the future of training involves assessing what works, while simultaneously recognizing that training needs to be adaptable, flexible, and tailored to the individual and the job.
Podrak noted that technology is advancing to the point that many training opportunities are being streamlined and simplified. Gamification, xAPI, and web-based training are some of...
Likewise, Wentworth & Lombardi (2014) found “some organizations find it challenging to determine what options are available and which providers to consider,” (p. 1). Because there are almost too many different options for training, a company is better off alerting employees about self-training methods that they can use on their mobile phones. Learning apps and gaming are fun ways employees can engage with material that they can immediately apply to company software. Because of this, some proprietary software companies are starting to bundle training with their applications so that employees can apply what they are learning directly to what they are doing. However, this type of training is specific to tech-based applications, and not necessarily applicable to employees in the creative or communication sectors. This is why Podrak continually emphasized diversity and flexibility in training, because there is no “one size fits all approach” as he puts it.
Gill & Grewbow (2017) are optimistic about the integration of new technology into training, especially with regards to virtual reality and gaming. Both Gill & Grewbow (2017) and Wentworth & Lombardi (2014) stress the importance of social learning. Although Podrak did not call it social learning specifically, he…
