A training program survey is a series of follow-up questions sent to participants shortly after they complete a training program. It is an easy way to gather information on the effectiveness of the training, the course content, the instructors, and the overall learning experience. With this valuable feedback, you can improve future training programs and better understand attendees’ needs and expectations.
We compiled a list of 10 essential training survey questions to provide you with the information you need to build an even better training program next time.
Keep reading until the end to learn how to set up an effective post-training survey.
Disclaimer: The information below is accurate as of August 23, 2024.
1. How would you rate the overall quality of the training content?
Start the training evaluation survey with a general, qualifying question that gets attendees to think about the learning experience as a whole. Survey takers often don’t reflect on their experience before they open the training feedback survey to submit answers. This rating question gives them an opportunity to reflect on the overall program before going into more specifics.
If they rate the course quality low in their initial reflections, you know the program needs improvement or an overhaul.
A high rating could mean they found the course material helpful, but you still need to gather more information.
Let’s jump to the next training survey question to reveal more.
2. How satisfied were you with the training instructor?
The instructor plays a vital role in the training program, and the program’s success may depend more on the delivery of the content than on the content itself.
Consider following this question with an invitation to provide more details. This will help you determine whether the trainer is an effective instructor and identify ways to improve their delivery method.
If you have an instructor who consistently receives rave reviews, you’ll want to know what precisely trainees liked about their methods. You can share this information with other instructors to improve the overall program, no matter who is leading the session.
3. Was the LMS/training portal user-friendly?
Orientation or training programs in a large company are often automated and have a large technology component.
The material may be organized, valuable, and well-explained, but if the trainee lacks technology know-how or the LMS (Learning Management System) is difficult to use, they will not be able to benefit from the training.
Docebo’s employee training tools are designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, making it easy for employees to navigate and access. They also empower employees to advance in their careers by offering personalized content that aligns with their interests, skills, knowledge gaps, and goals.
4. Please describe 1-3 goals you wanted to achieve after completing this training.
An open-ended question will help you gather the most valuable information from trainees. This question reveals what attendees expected to learn when they entered the training program and how they plan to apply new learnings.
If trainees mention topics they expected the program to cover, you will have ideas about expanding the program or better communicating and setting expectations.
Consider adding a follow-up question, “Do you feel better equipped to meet these goals after this training?” This question reveals whether the training met participants’ expectations and identifies areas for improvement.
5. How well did this training align with your professional goals?
This open-ended question helps you learn if the material was relevant and beneficial to most attendees.
Designing a catch-all training program that meets the professional or learning goals of a diverse group of learners with different roles in your organization can be challenging. You don’t want employees to feel like you’re wasting their time with training that is not relevant to them.
You can also understand whether employees’ professional goals align with your company’s goals. The replies could offer insight into recruiting, job duties, and more.
6. Did you face any challenges or obstacles while following the training modules? If so, please describe.
Post-training survey questions like this will help you identify the training program’s delivery and usability issues. The problem might not be in the content itself but in its delivery.
Are your modules up to date? Are interactive components working properly? Are they running too slowly? Are they confusing or disorganized?
By addressing these potential obstacles, you can improve the overall training effectiveness
7. What would you change to improve this training program? Please describe at least one specific change.
By the second half of the post-training survey, participants have had time to reflect and can offer more meaningful feedback. This makes it the perfect time to ask your most thought-provoking questions.
Your best resource is valuable, open-ended feedback from respondents who recently completed the program. This question prompts respondents to point out areas for improvement and suggest creative solutions.
Here, participants can elaborate on topics from any of the previous questions or bring up entirely different topics, giving insight into what is on their minds.
8. Did your work schedule accommodate your training?
This question reveals more than whether the training is available during regular working hours.
Here, you will learn more about the relevancy of your training. New employees are often overwhelmed with learning protocols, systems, expectations, and duties. If they find the training program a good use of their busy schedule, your training was successful. If their schedule feels too full to accommodate the training, consider the type or amount of content and its relevance.
But, in-person training isn’t always possible, especially with busy schedules or remote employees. Video training offers a flexible solution that fits into almost any schedule and is often more effective than text-based methods.
Creating training videos isn’t as complicated as it seems and could lead to a better overall training program. Most LMS programs will allow you to embed your video in your training program. For example, here’s how you can do that in Docebo.
9. How likely are you to recommend this training to your colleagues?
This is another excellent way of asking if the training was worth attendees’ time. A word-of-mouth recommendation is a reliable way to determine if everything from a movie to a restaurant is worth checking out. Colleagues who recommend work-relating training programs are telling their colleagues that the content and their valuable time are worth it.
As opposed to a yes or no question, an employee net promoter score (eNPS) will better predict how likely someone will recommend your program. On a scale of 0-10, with 0 being the least likely and 10 being the most likely, you will have a reliable metric that is easy to understand.
10. Would you like to take a similar training on different topics? If so, please specify which topics.
This final question is extremely valuable for identifying gaps in your training program. Perhaps you thought you covered a topic, but participants missed it. Or, maybe you covered a topic, but employees want to learn more about it. You’ll discover if you went into enough detail on a specific topic.
You will also learn what topics employees consider valuable and how to stay current on what they want to know. Participants actively working in the field are a great resource for understanding what information you need to add, update, or expand on.
How to create effective post-training surveys
Now that you know the essential questions to ask in a post-training evaluation, here are several best practices for designing a successful survey.
Use survey software
Survey tools can help you gather feedback and organize information from a large sample of participants.
Many tools have pre-made templates or AI capabilities to speed up the creation process. You can easily share or embed your surveys via email, an internal social network, or a learning platform. Also, these tools typically offer analytics dashboards where you can keep track of survey responses in real time, export survey data, and analyze it.
Finally, survey tools allow participants to share feedback anonymously, leading to more open and honest answers. Studies show that only 63% of employees feel safe sharing their opinions at work.
Limit the number of questions
Avoid overwhelming your trainees with too many questions. Too many questions can lead to rushed, superficial answers that may not provide the valuable data you need. Focusing on shorter, more thoughtful post-training surveys will get you the best results. Aim for about 10 questions, allowing you to cover various topics while keeping the survey concise and manageable.
Choose the right time for your survey
Timing is crucial when sending out your survey. Send it as soon as possible after the training course while the material and experience are still fresh in participants’ minds.
For in-person or hybrid corporate events, you can expect higher reply rates if you share the survey on the training day while all participants are still together.
For online training, you’ll usually email the survey after the training and give participants a deadline to complete it. This allows you maximum flexibility, whether you’re hosting a live training or offering on-demand training materials.
Make your questions clear and varied
Course evaluation questions should be simple and straightforward. Respondents may have just finished the training program, and they have a lot of new information on their minds. Questions that are unclear, too long, or too difficult will lead to lower response rates and a lack of valuable insights.
Vary the types of training survey questions you ask to keep respondents engaged and clarify potentially confusing questions. Combine a mix of rating scales, open-ended, multiple choice, and close-ended questions.
Communicate your survey goal
Communicate specific goals you wish to achieve so participants understand what kind of feedback to give you.
To encourage participation, let trainees know how much you value their opinions. They will be more inclined to provide thorough answers if they know their time and insights are valued.
Be transparent about results and take action
Trainees are perceptive and will notice if you’re taking their feedback seriously. Be open about the results, how you plan to use the information, and what steps you are taking to improve the program. If participants know you’re constantly improving training sessions for their benefit, they will be motivated to attend more of them and share more honest opinions.
Launch a successful training
With Docebo’s Learning Management System, you can provide your employees with an effective training experience that helps them achieve their goals and reach their full potential.
Schedule a demo with Docebo today to see how our solutions can benefit your team.