How do you choose the best metrics to evaluate your training and development programs?

Metrics are the data qualifier of I love this, I hate this and more importantly after this intervention the business is doing better. So metrics need to be agreed among stakeholders. They need to have a common language and way to capture the data and read the data.

Many elements in training and development might be considered subjective, as there can often be several ways to present the same information. However, without establishing objective parameters for evaluation which are mutually agreed upon by the training professional and company stakeholders, it is impossible to know whether the training program is accomplishing the goals of the department or the company as a whole. Return on Expectations (ROE) is, as the Kirkpatrick Model of Evaluation points out, the ultimate indicator of value, and determining what will be the actual indicators of success at the beginning of a project ensures that the expectations are realistic to achieve and will satisfy stakeholders.

Linking stated needs to organizational bottom lines is an ongoing challenge for L&D professionals. Learning in the workplace has evolved, influenced by work environment factors and our assessment of it. Examining a company's data recording practices is crucial to maximize the training impact on business outcomes. Our interventions align with models and structures to address Learning & Development challenges within our ecosystem. If metrics fail to reach departmental outcomes, the true impact of learning remains uncertain. Metrics are also essential to separate varying levels of quality (good, medium, poor) within departments and the supporting data for each.

The metrics to select should typically be the ones that the learning professional should be asking about and discussing early on in discovery with their sponsor/stakeholder. Cathy Moore's Action Mapping method (check out her blog site/book "Map It") has the learning pro ask a simple question up front when starting the process to determine whether training will help solve a performance problem: "What is it that you're measuring that suggests a problem?" The point is biz, not L&D pick the metrics and are the measurers. It's the dial or needle that your biz partners are aiming to move: NPS/CSAT scores, quality rates, whatever it is that partners need help improving. That's your metric(s).

Once you have considered and outlined the above, you should: 1. Tie each anticipated outcome to the organizational goal 2. Operationally define the outcomes, meaning quantify each aspect of the outcome. For learning and development that may include a pre and post knowledge assessment, the use of a rubric to quantify their level of understanding, or target on % of people that passed a test. The metrics should be able to tell you if the L&D design was effective at doing what it should (learning outcomes), and specific areas that can be improved. If it doesn’t provide specifics on where to improve, the metrics are not effectively selected.

One of the more important aspects of metrics is to consistently remind your audience exactly how it is measured and why it is important. Setting this context each and every time you show reporting may seem tedious, but the incentives are for people to not ask if they aren't sure, so take responsibility for a shared understanding of how you're measuring. If you're thinking, "duh Ben!" consider how HR calculates employee turnover. Over what period of time? Does it include part-timers? Contingent? Very quickly, it can get complicated. And to the extent possible put on the graph both benchmarks of what good looks like elsewhere, and your goal. Getting 70% completion looks bad alone, but against a 60% goal is golden!

Traditional workplace training often requires employees to leave their work with unnecessary costs. Technology and responses to Covid-19 have demonstrated the scalability and effectiveness of virtual training, making it the new normal. Going to a college or university takes learners away from their communities and standardizes learning, whereas staying in their own community allows learners to use local resources and tailor learning to their unique circumstances. This approach encourages disadvantaged workers, irrespective of age, gender, workforce absence, or prior learning duration, to pursue continuous education. Online resources also offer a centralized approach, reducing the duplication of courses across multiple institutions.