Sarah, a high-potential manager, was eager to grow. She recently had completed an intensive leadership development program in which she practiced cutting-edge coaching techniques designed to make her a more effective leader. Excited and confident, she returned to work and was ready to transform her interactions with the team.
But reality hit fast. Deadlines, meetings, and daily responsibilities pushed her new skills to the back of her mind. The weeks passed, and Sarah fell back into old habits—giving quick instructions rather than using the coaching techniques she had learned.
When asked about training, she sighed: “The course was great, but honestly, I haven’t had the time to apply what I learned.”
Sound familiar?
Billions of dollars are spent on corporate training every year; however, studies show that up to 90 percent of learning is never applied to the job. Employees leave the training feeling empowered, but when they return to their daily work, their newly learned skills quickly fade. Why? Training transfer—the ability to apply learning in real work situations—is often an afterthought and not a priority.
The Problem with Traditional Training Models
Most training programs focus on what happens inside the classroom, engaging content, interactive activities, and even post-training quizzes. However, what happens after the training ends?
- Do employees have structured opportunities to apply what they learned?
- Is there a process to track progress and make adjustments as needed?
- Are managers reinforcing new skills or are employees left to figure them out on their own?
- Do employees receive formal or informal feedback on their performance?
Without ongoing reinforcement, feedback, and real-world applications, employees such as Sarah fall back into familiar routines.
The Solution: A Dynamic Approach to Training Transfer
Brian Blume, Kevin Ford, Eric Surface, and Jeffrey Olenick (2019) proposed a Dynamic Transfer Model (DTM) that considers how learning is applied in the workplace. Instead of treating training as a single event, DTM recognizes that transfer is an ongoing cycle that requires multiple attempts, real-time feedback, and adaptation over time.
By implementing a structured, five-step process, organizations can increase training effectiveness, improve long-term retention, and ensure that employees not only learn new skills but use them.
Ready to Make Your Training Stick
If your organization is serious about closing the gap between learning and doing, this five-step approach will help you transform training into real-world results:
Step 1: Pre-Training Planning and Design
Assess the Transfer Context Before Training Begins
Most training failures do not stem from poor content but from a lack of alignment between training and workplace realities. Organizations must begin with a training needs analysis that not only assesses the required knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) but also considers the following:
- How soon will trainees apply what they learned?
- What barriers (e.g., time constraints and managerial resistance) might prevent transfers?
- How can success be measured at various intervals?
For instance, technical skills training often has immediate applications, whereas leadership development may require trainees to seek opportunities to apply what they have learned. Identifying these nuances ensures that the training design matches the real-world demands of employees.
Embed Transfer Expectations into Training Goals
To reinforce transfer, learning objectives should be explicitly linked to job performance outcomes. Before training, employees and managers should collaborate to set clear expectations.
- What specific behaviors should change after training?
- How will trainees demonstrate new skills?
- What support structures are in place to ensure follow-through?
For example, suppose the training is on customer service techniques. In this case, employees should know they will be expected to apply new de-escalation strategies in live customer interactions within two weeks.
Step 2: Training Delivery
Use Active Learning Strategies
The “how” of training delivery matters just as much as the “what.” Traditional lecture-based instruction is ineffective if employees cannot see how the training relates to their roles. Instead, organizations should incorporate the following:
- Scenario-based learning: Realistic job simulations ensure that trainees practice in a safe environment before applying new skills to real life.
- Decision-making exercises: Encourage employees to reflect on how, when, and where to use their new skills.
- Personalized learning paths: Allow employees to customize their application of training based on their job responsibilities.
- Ways to overcome obstacles: Help employees identify and overcome barriers to applying their skills to their jobs.
Set Up the First Transfer Attempt
The DTM highlights that early transfer attempts shape long-term successes. Research shows that if employees do not use a skill within the first few weeks post-training, they are unlikely to use it again. Training should end with a structured plan for employees to make their first transfer attempt within one to two weeks.
Step 3: Post-Training Transfer Cycle
Facilitate and Monitor the First Transfer Attempt
The first attempt to apply training is a critical moment that determines whether employees continue to use their new skills or revert to old habits. Organizations should provide the following:
- Managers or mentors who provide the first attempt at transfer. For example, in sales training, managers can assign trainees a real customer pitch within one week and observe their performance.
- Structured feedback. Supervisors and peers should observe and provide constructive feedback after the first application.
- Reflection opportunities. Employees should self-assess themselves.
- What worked?
- What didn’t?
- What adjustments should be made for the next attempt?
Without feedback, employees may assume their approach is either perfect or ineffective, leading to overconfidence or abandonment of skills.
Capture of Feedback and Adapt Transfer Strategies
After the initial attempt, employees needed a structured way to adjust their training applications. Some KSAs are retained and strengthened, whereas others may require modifications.
For example, suppose a supervisor notices a trainee struggles with a new performance management framework. In this case, they can provide additional guidance to refine the approach rather than letting the employee abandon the new method. Organizations should consider using a digital feedback system. In this system, employees log each attempt and receive manager feedback within a week of the application.
Step 4: Continuous Evaluation and Iteration
Implementing Ongoing Transfer Assessments
One-time evaluations do not capture the iterative nature of the learning transfer. Organizations should track progress at multiple points in time.
- One month: Has the employee used the skill multiple times? What adjustments were made?
- Three months: Is the skill becoming a routine part of work behavior?
- Six months: Has the transfer resulted in measurable performance improvement?
- One year: Is the skill still in use, or has it been abandoned?
Tracking training effectiveness over time ensures that adjustments can be made before skills are lost.
Use Multiple Data Sources for Transfer Measurement
Effective data collection from multiple perspectives is required.
- Self-assessment: Employees rate their frequency and confidence in using their skills.
- Manager evaluations: Supervisors provide observations of behavioral changes.
- Performance metrics: Where possible, quantitative data (e.g., sales performance and customer satisfaction) should be included.
By combining subjective and objective measures, organizations can pinpoint the strengths and gaps in the transfer process.
Step 5: Organizational Integration and Long-Term Support
Creating a Culture of Ongoing Transfer
For training to stick, organizations must integrate the application of learning into their daily workflows.
- Embed transfer expectations in performance reviews.
- Recognize and reward employees who successfully apply their training.
- Encourage peer coaching and communities of practice for shared learning.
Training should not be viewed as a one-time event but as a continuous process of skill refinement and adaptation.
Leverage Technology for Continuous Reinforcement
Organizations can use technology to remind, track, and support employees during their learning journeys. This includes:
- Learning analytics dashboards to track real-world applications
- Microlearning refreshers sent via e-mail or apps
- AI-driven nudges to prompt employees to apply their skills
These strategies ensure learning remains at the top of one’s mind and continues to evolve.
Training as an Ongoing Journey
The Dynamic Transfer Model provides a blueprint for turning training into performance transformation. By shifting from a static, one-time evaluation to a continuous, feedback-driven process, organizations can increase their engagement, on-the-job applications, and long-term skill retention.
Successful training is not only about what happens in the classroom; it is also about how learning and performance live and evolve on the job. By implementing this five-step process, organizations can ensure that training truly delivers a measurable impact where it matters most in the workplace.
