intervista cut

Rosamaria Sarno, training and HR editor of Harvard Business Review Italia, interviews Emanuele Castellani, CEO of Cegos Italia and a member of the Group Committee of Cegos SA. The Cegos Group is presenting the findings of its annual survey on management training; more than 2500 participants on training courses and 600 HR/Training Managers were contacted, in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, the UK and Germany. The initial findings showed that classroom training continues to be the most widely used method; and use of blended training is growing significantly. The most widely used training methods at European level are: direct classroom attendance (87%), online training (50%), blended training (46%), one-to-one training (44%). There has been a strong increase in blended training (36% in 2015) and one-to-one methods (tutoring and coaching) (38% in 2015). Where does Italy stand in this scenario? The situation in Italy matches the situation in Europe. Classroom training leads the way (90%); in second place is blended training, which is growing even faster than the European average (52%). How do you interpret these initial results? The strong impact of digitalisation on society is also felt in training: this explains the strong growth in blended training. Blended training combines direct attendance and improves it with digital methods, to create solutions that are efficient and effective. To what extent do the various training methods meet participants' expectations? The level of participant satisfaction is consistent with the satisfaction level of HR/Training managers. We asked the participants to express their level of satisfaction with regard to participation on training courses. The answers "very satisfied+fairly satisfied" accounted for more than 90% of the answers. So there is a high level of satisfaction for all four training methods; the level of satisfaction with blended training is very close to satisifaction with classroom training. To guarantee a high level of satisfaction, the most important thing is to correctly identify the most suitable training method for the specific objectives; In a corporate environment, digital tools also have an impact on training. The survey findings confirm this. Digital transformation has a strong impact on society and so cannot not have an impact on training. We asked the managers if the digitalisation process can be seen in corporate training. 90% of the managers we interviewed agreed that corporate training is becoming digitalised (compared with 76% in 2015). Only 1% of the sample did not recognise this transformation. What concrete definition would you give to digital learning? There is a lot of talk about the digitalisation of training but a precise definition doesn't spring to mind immediately. Digitalisation in training involves a number of hot topics: the role of classroom training and the tutor, the value of gamification, the impact of MOOCs. What do HR/Training managers mean by "digitalisation in training" (2 values may be indicated): developing online training (44%), eliminating paper-based tools (35%), use of digital devices during training (34%). And where does Italy come in this area? Italy too is equally aware of the significance of the current digitalisation process. In fact, the figures clearly reflect a number of benefits associated with digital learning. According to the interviewees, digitalised training is first of all a way to: ensure that participants have access to the same content (41%), facilitate learning with collaborative tools (36%). There is an emphasis on the "democratisation of learning": providing easy and efficient access to resources for a number of people. Compared with the European data, in Italy greater importance is attached to the role of digitalisation as a way to optimise investment in training (39%). In other countries, significantly lower importance is given to lower costs. So far we have talked about training from the supply side. Another important question that emerges from the survey is the role each participant plays in their own development path. This is a vital question. The need to progress is intrinsic to human nature; so we can legitimately expect participants to play a proactive, self-aware role, and the survey findings point in this direction. Having said that, a positive trend can be observed. 94% of the participants we interviewed regard themselves as absolutely or fairly responsible for their own skills development path. According to the participants, the most effective skills development methods are: targeted direct-attendance training (28%); on-the-job training (24%); short online courses (16%); the support of their manager (15%); discussion with colleagues (11%); social platforms (11%). Remember that these factors were listed as possible alternatives to other methods (field mentoring or use of specific documentation). Despite everything direct attendance is the preferred method. The survey shows a high level of awareness among participants at European level, but the figures in Italy are lower. At European level, 63% of participants play a proactive role in the choice of training; for the remaining 37% the training method is imposed. In Italy, the percentage is still a majority (54%) although it's significantly lower. The figures are still positive but it would be nice if the figures for Italy were aligned with the figures for Europe. To sum up the 5 main issues that emerged: 1) great changes are taking place in training reflecting the changes in society. 2) Traditional methods cohabit with the new solutions offered by digital transformation. 3) Increasingly, planning is guided by the value of training projects. During planning, it is important to have full control of the various training methods to ensure that training meets participants' expectations and objectives. 4) Strong consistency between the training solutions offered and the requirements of participants. Companies and participants appear to be moving in the same direction. 5) People have a greater understanding of the importance of growing their skills and play an increasingly proactive role in their growth.