How can you track employee engagement through learning and development?

1 Define your goals and metrics

Before you start tracking employee engagement through L&D, you need to define your goals and metrics. What are the specific outcomes and benefits that you want to achieve through L&D? How will you measure them? For example, you may want to increase employee retention, productivity, performance, or innovation. You may also want to align L&D with your organizational values, culture, and strategy. Depending on your goals, you can choose different metrics to track, such as completion rates, satisfaction scores, knowledge retention, skill acquisition, behavior change, or business results.

2 Use surveys and feedback

One of the simplest and most common ways to track employee engagement through L&D is to use surveys and feedback. Surveys can help you collect quantitative and qualitative data on how employees perceive and value L&D, as well as how they apply their learning to their work. You can use different types of surveys, such as pre- and post-training surveys, pulse surveys, or annual surveys, to measure different aspects of employee engagement, such as motivation, satisfaction, loyalty, or advocacy. Feedback can help you gather more in-depth and specific insights on how employees experience and benefit from L&D, as well as how they suggest improvements. You can use different methods of feedback, such as interviews, focus groups, testimonials, or reviews, to collect feedback from employees, managers, peers, or customers.

3 Use learning analytics and dashboards

Another way to track employee engagement through L&D is to use learning analytics and dashboards. Learning analytics can help you collect and analyze data on how employees interact with and perform in L&D activities, such as courses, modules, assessments, or badges. You can use different types of learning analytics, such as descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, or prescriptive, to understand and optimize the learning process and outcomes. Dashboards can help you visualize and communicate the data and insights from learning analytics in an easy and engaging way. You can use different types of dashboards, such as learner dashboards, instructor dashboards, or manager dashboards, to display and share relevant information and recommendations for different stakeholders.

4 Use engagement platforms and gamification

A third way to track employee engagement through L&D is to use engagement platforms and gamification. Engagement platforms are software tools that enable you to create and manage L&D programs that are interactive, personalized, and social. They can help you increase employee engagement by offering features such as content curation, adaptive learning, collaboration, feedback, recognition, or rewards. Gamification is the application of game elements and mechanics to L&D, such as points, levels, badges, leaderboards, or challenges. It can help you enhance employee engagement by stimulating intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, competition, cooperation, or fun.

5 Use employee performance and behavior data

A fourth way to track employee engagement through L&D is to use employee performance and behavior data. Performance data can help you measure and evaluate the impact of L&D on employee outcomes, such as productivity, quality, efficiency, or innovation. You can use different sources of performance data, such as performance reviews, appraisals, goals, or KPIs, to assess the improvement or change in employee performance after L&D interventions. Behavior data can help you observe and understand the impact of L&D on employee actions, such as collaboration, communication, problem-solving, or creativity. You can use different methods of behavior data, such as observation, feedback, or self-reporting, to monitor the transfer or application of learning to the workplace.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?