How to evaluate the effectiveness of employee training? Determining the number of people trained and calculating the cost per employee is not enough. While these parameters are important, they do not enable us to assess the level of knowledge. They also do not provide answers as to whether the training translates into achieving the objectives of your organization. In this article we discuss 7 sample KPIs in L&D that will enable you to adopt an effective strategy for evaluating training effectiveness.
Time to proficiency
The faster employees learn, the sooner they achieve better results. Therefore, the time to proficiency in a particular area is an important indicator for measuring the effectiveness of training. The learning process should be designed to be as easy and enjoyable as possible, thus shortening the learning time.
On implementation of training analytics, it is good to leverage the reporting capabilities of LMS. This will allow you to check both the average and individual time required to complete the training. It is also a good idea to set up focus groups and evaluate their results before and after the course.
Knowledge gain in practice
The learning process should translate into results for participants and the organization as a whole. The extent to which employees are able to use the information they learn in their jobs is a measurable ROI indicator.
Observations, practical after-class training, e-learning strategies, and analysis of performance data can all help to assess this indicator. With this indicator, you can also discover the reasons that make it difficult to apply the knowledge you have acquired at work.
Introduce effective L&D analytics with a positive impact on your organization’s business results.
Learn more
Knowledge retention
It is very easy to simply forget about new information if we don’t put it into practice. To solve this problem, instructional designers aim to make learning more engaging. Take less time (microlearning) and repeat content at regular time intervals. To measure the extent to which students retain the knowledge and skills learned during training, compare their scores using pre-course and post-course tests. It is also important that employees have quick access to the information after the training is over. This way they can return to it at any time.
Participant satisfaction score
Measuring participant satisfaction, involves assessing on a scale of 1 to 10 the likelihood that they would recommend the services to friends and colleagues based on their own experience.
In the case of training, you can, for example, use a survey with the following question: “How likely are you to recommend this course to a friend?”. By analyzing the responses, you will determine if the training is meeting the expectations of its participants.
Training performance vs performance of the organization
Properly conducted training leads to, among other things, increased sales or improved quality of services of the company. Knowing the performance metrics of individuals, teams, and the organization as a whole, and then measuring the difference between them before and after training, will help you assess the Return on Investment.
The impact of training on performance of individual employee and the team also helps shape the scope of future training and define new organizational performance goals.
Employee engagement
Attracting the most skilled employees is still a challenge. More and more organizations are using analytics tools to measure engagement and job satisfaction. It is also particularly important for business to get feedback from employees on how they feel about growth opportunities within the company. 73% of companies declare that people analytics is their priority for the next 5 years.
Engagement analytics gives you a real impact on the quality of employee training and whether they will have the opportunity to develop their talents. Employees who feel that their abilities are properly used are less likely to decide to change jobs. Increased engagement, therefore, translates into reduced job rotation rates.
Stakeholder satisfaction
An excellent source of quality feedback is your stakeholders. They are responsible for the performance of employees and the entire team. They are therefore able to assess whether employees are actually applying the knowledge or skills they have acquired in their jobs. It also happens to be the business that asks for the metrics, such as training completion reports.
This is why effective collaboration between the L&D team and business stakeholders is so important. Selecting the right KPIs in L&D will help you achieve expected business results. It will also ensure your training objectives are aligned with the strategy of your organization.