Evaluating Training Programs for Continuous Improvement

Training shouldn’t be a checkbox. It should change behavior, build culture, and drive business results. After 20+ years in HR, I saw the same problem over and  over again: companies investing in training that never leads  to real change. According to research from Harvard Business Review,  here’s what separates effective training from wasted time: 1. Start with a baseline You can’t improve what you don’t measure.  Track where people are before you begin. 2. Connect training to business goals If it doesn’t support a real outcome, it’s just noise. 3. Involve managers Employees apply what they see reinforced.  That starts with leadership. 4. Track behavior, not just completion Finishing a course doesn’t mean the learning stuck.  Look for what changed afterward. 5. Collect feedback continuously Don’t assume it’s working.  Ask, adjust, and evolve. This is what we build our programs around. Because I don’t believe in training for the sake of it.  I believe in learning that sticks, and makes people better at what they do.

How do we measure beyond attendance and satisfaction? This question lands in my inbox weekly. Here's a formula that makes it simple. You're already tracking the basics—attendance, completion, satisfaction scores. But you know there's more to your impact story. The question isn't WHETHER you're making a difference. It's HOW to capture the full picture of your influence. In my many years as a measurement practitioner I've found that measurement becomes intuitive when you have the right formula. Just like calculating area (length × width) or velocity (distance/time), we can leverage many different formulas to calculate learning outcomes. It's simply a matter of finding the one that fits your needs. For those of us who are trying to figure out where to begin, measuring more than just the basics, here's my suggestion: Start by articulating your realistic influence. The immediate influence of investments in training and learning show up in people—specifically changes in their attitudes and behaviors. Not just their knowledge. Your training intake process already contains the measurement gold you're looking for. When someone requests training, the problem they're trying to solve reveals exactly what you should be measuring. The simple shift: Instead of starting with goals or learning objectives, start by clarifying: "What problem are we solving for our target audience through training?" These data points help us to craft a realistic influence statement: "Our [training topic] will help [target audience] to [solve specific problem]." What this unlocks: Clear metrics around the attitudes and behaviors that solve that problem—measured before, during, and after your program. You're not just delivering training. You're solving performance problems. And now you can prove it. I've mapped out three different intake protocols based on your stakeholder relationships, plus the exact questions that help reveal your measurement opportunities. Check it out in the latest edition of The Weekly Measure: https://lnkd.in/gDVjqVzM #learninganddevelopment #trainingstrategy #measurementstrategy

Did you know that 92% of learning leaders struggle to demonstrate the business impact of their training programs? After a decade of understanding learning analytics solutions at Continu, I've discovered a concerning pattern: Most organizations are investing millions in L&D while measuring almost nothing that matters to executive leadership. The problem isn't a lack of data. Most modern LMSs capture thousands of data points from every learning interaction. The real challenge is transforming that data into meaningful business insights. Completion rates and satisfaction scores might look good in quarterly reports, but they fail to answer the fundamental question: "How did this learning program impact our business outcomes?" Effective measurement requires establishing a clear line of sight between learning activities and business metrics that matter. Start by defining your desired business outcomes before designing your learning program. Is it reducing customer churn? Increasing sales conversion? Decreasing safety incidents? Then build measurement frameworks that track progress against these specific objectives. The most successful organizations we work with have combined traditional learning metrics with business impact metrics. They measure reduced time-to-proficiency in dollar amounts. They quantify the relationship between training completions and error reduction. They correlate leadership development with retention improvements. Modern learning platforms with robust analytics capabilities make this possible at scale. With advanced BI integrations and AI-powered analysis, you can now automatically detect correlations between learning activities and performance outcomes that would have taken months to uncover manually. What business metric would most powerfully demonstrate your learning program's value to your executive team? And what's stopping you from measuring it today? #LearningAnalytics #BusinessImpact #TrainingROI #DataDrivenLearning

𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 📚 Creating a training program is just the beginning—measuring its effectiveness is what drives real business value. Whether you’re training employees, customers, or partners, tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) ensures your efforts deliver tangible results. Here’s how to evaluate and improve your training initiatives: 1️⃣ Define Clear Training Goals 🎯 Before measuring, ask: ✅ What is the expected outcome? (Increased productivity, higher retention, reduced support tickets?) ✅ How does training align with business objectives? ✅ Who are you training, and what impact should it have on them? 2️⃣ Track Key Training Metrics 📈 ✔️ Employee Performance Improvements Are employees applying new skills? Has productivity or accuracy increased? Compare pre- and post-training performance reviews. ✔️ Customer Satisfaction & Engagement Are customers using your product more effectively? Measure support ticket volume—a drop indicates better self-sufficiency. Use Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) to gauge satisfaction. ✔️ Training Completion & Engagement Rates Track how many learners start and finish courses. Identify drop-off points to refine content. Analyze engagement with interactive elements (quizzes, discussions). ✔️ Retention & Revenue Impact 💰 Higher engagement often leads to lower churn rates. Measure whether trained customers renew subscriptions or buy additional products. Compare team retention rates before and after implementing training programs. 3️⃣ Use AI & Analytics for Deeper Insights 🤖 ✅ AI-driven learning platforms can track learner behavior and recommend improvements. ✅ Dashboards with real-time analytics help pinpoint what’s working (and what’s not). ✅ Personalized adaptive training keeps learners engaged based on their progress. 4️⃣ Continuously Optimize & Iterate 🔄 Regularly collect feedback through surveys and learner assessments. Conduct A/B testing on different training formats. Update content based on business and industry changes. 🚀 A data-driven approach to training leads to better learning experiences, higher engagement, and stronger business impact. 💡 How do you measure your training program’s success? Let’s discuss! #TrainingAnalytics #AI #BusinessGrowth #LupoAI #LearningandDevelopment #Innovation