Establishing a return on investment of training can be a challenge to many learning and development professionals, and is often limited to a questionnaire seeking views from delegates on the content or the course, the trainer, the venue and the catering.
Donald Kirkpatrick, a credentialed training and development specialist published his Four-Level Training Evaluation Model in 1959, updating it in 1975 and 1994 when he also published his book “Evaluating Training Programs.” He identified four levels of evaluation:
-
Reaction: how well the training was received by your delegates; the instructor, the topic, the material, its presentation, the venue, identifying areas missing from the training.
-
Learning: how much learning took place as a result of the training; a list of specific learning objectives would usually be the starting point for measurement with different measurements depending on whether the interest is in knowledge, skills, or attitude.
-
Behaviour: how far delegates have applied their learning or changed their behaviour as a result of the training. It is important also, to consider systemic barriers to the application of learning; low application could be due to technology issues, team personalities or constraints in organisational structures, as examples.
-
Results: which organisational outcomes are linked to the training and how have these changed over the long term? Think increased sales, reduced employee attrition, increased customer satisfaction – many of which have an associated cost / return.
With research and long standing models such as this why aren’t more learning and development professionals using better quality, quantifiable measures to promote training and development as a tool for increased business success?
The answer is usually because it is both costly and time consuming to establish such measures at the inception of a learning and development initiative, and to track those measures over time. Additionally, learning interventions rarely take place in isolation, so the ability to isolate a specific business outcome to the training is limited. This is often compounded by the fact that business don’t stand still; changes take place over time which mean that the measurements, the people or indeed the desired outcomes may be less relevant down the line.
So what can we do? My approach is pragmatic and the key is stakeholder involvement. Through discussions with senior leaders learning and development specialists must identify the desired outcomes at each level and work to establish measures that are appropriate to their organisation.
Without some form of measurement, in a world of shrinking budgets, how will interventions prove their worth let alone improve and take people forwards?
Redway HR offer management training and one-to-one executive coaching, designed to focus and energise attendees, enabling them to reach their full potential. Get in touch to learn more.