In today’s landscape where organizational resources are slim, learning and development functions must measure training success. Forward-thinking organizations recognize the untapped potential within their learning initiatives to directly fuel business growth and achieve strategic objectives. Learning and development professionals are called to shift the paradigm that training is a cost, but rather an investment. Development efforts measure training success and have an expectation to connect to and drive business results. When we measure training success, we move beyond training completion rates to linking efforts to measurable behavior change and, ultimately, to key performance indicators that matter most to the success of the business.
Reorient Thinking to Measure Training Success
The key to beginning to measure training success first lies in a strategic reorientation of projects. Move your project goals from:
- Building General Awareness to Addressing Targeted Challenges. Design learning programs directly aligned with specific business challenges and opportunities.
- Evaluation of Training Events to Determining Transformation. Implement robust evaluation frameworks that capture pre- and post-learning behaviors and demonstrate a clear connection to business outcomes.
- Measuring Activity to Measuring Application. Move beyond tracking attendance and completion to measuring the degree to which individuals have applied skills in real-world scenarios.
An Effective, Easy-to-Implement Process to Measure Training Success
Grounded in work from the ROI Institute and adapted to the reality of client projects, here is an abbreviated, yet effective process for measuring.
Start with a Business-Outcomes Conversation
Ask the right questions up front such as, “What’s the economic problem or opportunity? Which business measures matter most (e.g., productivity, cost, quality, retention, customer satisfaction)?” Translate broad goals into specific KPIs. For example, “reduce turnover” becomes “reduce regrettable turnover from 18% to 12% in 12 months.” Doing this shifts your mindset from learning as an activity to learning as a lever for business performance.
Determine the Appropriate Depth of Measurement Effect
To what depth do you need to measure training success? In general, you can measure at five levels.
- Ground Level = Reaction and Intention: Did participants find the program relevant? Do they intend to use the knowledge and skills? These are typically measured with brief surveys, asking about value to self or others such as a NPS (Net Promoter Score) and asking participants their level of intent to use.
- Learning Level = Learning Acquisition: Did participants acquire the taught skills and knowledge? This can be measured using knowledge quizzes and in-class observation checklists, surveys ranking individuals’ confidence-to-use skills or tools, and requiring learners to demonstrate isolated or compound skills or recall steps or procedures.
- Performance Change Level = Application/Behavior: Are learners applying new skills on the job, in appropriate scenarios? You can measure this level of training success through follow-up surveys, manager-documented feedback and system reports or spot checks.
- Impact Level = Affect on Business: Did the training and development move the needle as intended? For instance, are there now fewer defects, faster cycle times, higher levels of employee retention or better quality of performance review discussions?
- Return on Investment Level = ROI: Did learning produce more value than it cost? This is the most difficult level of evaluation to measure because it is challenging to attribute to learning and development. Compare benefits to costs by asking for reporting on time saved or value achieved. Keep this metric conservative and “light-touch” unless stakeholders specifically ask for the dollar value. This level of evaluation is best reserved for small, high-profile projects where investment is large and stakes are high. Measuring ROI is time- and cost-intensive, requiring dedicated resources and adding to the overall cost of initiative.
Focus on Performance Change
What is the best level to strive for when measuring training success? Measure performance change as the standard for most programs. By quantifying how behaviors shift on the job, we can extrapolate the likely impact on business without the heavy effort and expense of a full ROI study. Here are a few examples:
- Example 1 from a general program on shift change meetings: “Supervisors run shorter, structured meetings” leading to “Fewer hours wasted in meetings” leading to “Improved productivity KPI.”
- Example 2 from a regional healthcare organization’s leader development program: Participants are asked to identify which business impact measures the training will impact from a pre-populated list. Then, they are asked to quantify a percentage of performance change for each KPI. With their responses, learning leaders calculate a net increase in performance improvement and this metric is reported to leaders and stakeholders.
- Example 3 from a life sciences organization’s digital upskilling program: Client organization wished to increase the adoption of internal Gen AI tools across global organization with a measurable increase in prompting within the tools. Post-program, the organization reported a boost in prompting activity from 9% to 53% by the 300 employees in the pilot program. The associated KPIs included an increase in innovation and productivity.
Keep Data Collection Simple and Integrated
Use existing data streams from CRMs, HRIS, Tableau dashboards and other relevant metrics-trackers whenever possible. Track only two or three critical metrics per program to avoid measurement overwhelm and fatigue. Consider automating “pulse checks” at 30, 60 and 90 days post-program in order to keep measurement streamlined.
Tell the Story or Training Success Language the Business Finds Meaningful
Frame outcomes as contributions to KPIs such as fewer defects, lower costs, faster cycle time and stronger employee retention rates. Instead of training statistics, report in business terms. For instance, say, “This program saved X hours of meeting time = Y in productivity.” Use simple visuals to communicate results when reporting to stakeholders.
Make Measuring Training Success Iterative and Scalable
Treat evaluation as an ongoing process, not a one-off audit. By proving the link between learning, behavior change and business-critical KPIs, your training and development function will no longer be viewed as a necessary expense, but as an indispensable engine for sustainable growth and a powerful competitive advantage.
We welcome the opportunity to partner with your organization as you demonstrate the impact of your learning and development programs.