What is Level 3 Evaluation (Behavior)?
You send your team to an expensive workshop or have them complete an online certification course. They come back energized and they might even pass the final exam with flying colors. You feel good about the investment. But two weeks later you look around the office and realize that absolutely nothing has changed. They are doing things exactly the way they did them before the training occurred.
This is a frustrating reality for many business owners and managers. It feels like lighting money on fire. The disconnect often happens because we stop paying attention once the course is over. We assume that attendance equals learning and that learning equals application. This is where Level 3 Evaluation comes in. It moves past the simple satisfaction surveys and test scores to ask the difficult question: Are you actually applying what you learned to your daily work?
Understanding Level 3 Evaluation (Behavior)
Level 3 Evaluation is the third stage of the Kirkpatrick Model which is a standard framework for analyzing training effectiveness. While Level 1 looks at reaction (did they like it?) and Level 2 looks at learning (did they get the knowledge?), Level 3 focuses entirely on behavior.
This stage evaluates the degree to which participants apply what they learned during training when they are back on the job. It is arguably the most critical stage for a business owner because it represents the transition from theory to practice. If the behavior does not change then the training has not provided a return on investment for the organization.
To effectively measure this you have to look for specific indicators:
- Changes in the way tasks are executed
- Adoption of new software or tools introduced in the training
- Shifts in communication styles or leadership approaches
- Reduction in error rates based on new protocols
Contrasting Level 2 Learning and Level 3 Behavior
It is easy to conflate knowing something with doing something. However there is a massive gap between these two concepts. Level 2 Evaluation tests competence. It asks if the employee knows the answers to the questions. They might score 100% on a quiz about conflict resolution.
Level 3 Evaluation tests habit and application. It observes whether that same employee actually uses those conflict resolution techniques when a client is shouting at them on the phone. An employee can possess all the knowledge required (Level 2) and still fail to implement it (Level 3) due to lack of confidence or a restrictive environment or simply falling back into old habits.
Implementing Level 3 Evaluation Methods
Measuring behavior is significantly harder than grading a multiple choice test. It requires you to step away from automated systems and engage in observation. You cannot measure Level 3 immediately after the training ends. You must wait for the learner to return to their routine.
Common methods for gathering this data include:
- Direct Observation: Watching the employee perform the specific task to see if the new steps are being followed.
- 360-Degree Feedback: Asking peers and direct reports if they have noticed a change in the learner’s behavior since the training occurred.
- Self-Assessment: Surveying the employee three months later to ask specific questions about how they are using the new skills.
- Performance Metrics: Looking for shifts in hard data such as sales figures or safety incidents that correlate with the timing of the training.
The Manager’s Role in Behavior Transfer
This is the part that is often uncomfortable for leadership. If you find that Level 3 Evaluation shows no change in behavior it is not always the fault of the training or the employee. Often it suggests that the work environment does not support the new behavior.
We have to ask ourselves tough questions as managers. Did we provide the tools necessary to use the new skills? Is the culture hostile to the change we paid for? If an employee returns from training eager to try a new method but is immediately told by a supervisor to just stick to the old way because it is faster then the training fails. Level 3 Evaluation exposes these cultural and operational barriers giving you the insight needed to fix the system rather than just blaming the staff.
