A Foolproof Test for Selecting Trainers

TeamOJT Tip of the Month for May, 2006

If you are selecting trainers, whether for one-on-one OJT trainers or classroom, the easiest thing to do is to have them teach you something. Ask the trainer candidates to actually teach you how to perform a task, preferably one that you don't already know how to do. Evaluate their performance with these questions:

Did the candidate confuse you?
Did the candidate talk too much?
Was the candidate more involved with showing you his or her own skills than with presenting what you needed to know and be able to do?
Was the training session well organized?
Was the candidate responsive to your questions and needs during the session?
Did the candidate listen actively to what you said?
Was the candidate encouraging in any feedback you received?
Did the candidate accurately evaluate your prior skill, knowledge, and experience with the task that was trained?

Of course, you may also administer one of a number of readily available tests to determine communication and interpersonal skills and their leadership attributes. But the surest way to get trainers with the "right stuff" is to put them to the test yourself.

Human Performance Applications
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E-mail: diane@teamojt.com