The research in 60 seconds

Researchers at Technische Universität Braunschweig asked what predicts two things after workplace training: applying it yourself (training transfer) and passing it on to colleagues (knowledge sharing). They surveyed 537 German-speaking employees, then 507 US employees in two waves a month apart. Reflecting on the training, clear goals, exchange within the training group, peer support and feedback were linked to motivation for both. Supervisor support was linked to sharing, but not to applying.

So what? Does training spread to the rest of the team?

It can, but the study suggests it will not happen by default. Wanting to use something yourself and wanting to teach it to others were driven by partly different things, so a course designed only for the attendee leaves sharing to chance. The evidence is solid enough to act on as a guide but not as proof: everything was self-reported, the study measured motivation more closely than behaviour, and two thirds of the US sample were managers. For organisations in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland, the strongest shared factors (colleagues who help each other and regular feedback) fit how many autonomous, flat teams already work. That autonomy cuts both ways, though. When nobody is clearly expected to follow up, sharing depends on whoever happens to feel like it. The authors also note that labour markets with short job tenure, like the US, may change how much a manager's support matters. More stable teams, common in the Nordic countries, may respond differently, but that has not been tested.

For leaders

  1. Agree one goal and one audience before the course. Spend ten minutes asking: what do you want to do differently afterwards, and who in the team should hear about it? Clear goals were linked to motivation both to apply and to share.

  2. Ask people to teach what they learned, not report on it. In this study, a manager's support was associated with motivation to share. Our practical reading: give the person a slot at a team meeting within two weeks and ask them to show one thing on real work.

  3. Protect time to use it. Having the time and resources to apply training ("transfer capacity") was linked to motivation to apply it. Take one task off their plate for the two weeks after the course, or book practice time in the calendar.

For teams and organisations

  1. Send people in pairs or small groups. Exchange within the training group predicted motivation for both applying and sharing, and the authors recommend sending employees in tandems or groups to avoid isolation. When you are designing a tailored programme for a whole team, build that exchange into the design.

  2. Ask providers for reusable materials and a plan for transfer. Good training materials were linked to both processes, and transfer-oriented design to applying. The authors suggest asking providers for evidence of how their course supports use on the job.

  3. Measure whether learning spread, not only whether people liked it. The authors propose checking the conditions for transfer a few weeks after training. A one-month follow-up with three questions (see below) costs little and shows where the barriers are. If nobody owns that follow-up, ongoing L&D support can carry it between courses