Business leaders rarely rush to make a big decision—they want to see the data, how much the decision will cost, and what the ROI is for the company. In the past few years, many business leaders have been mulling the investment into employee learning and development (L&D) programs, and with nearly 60% of learning professionals reporting that L&D has a seat at the executive table, it’s clear these leaders see the value of these programs.
As this new chapter for L&D unfolds, learning professionals understand the demands and expectations to deliver positive ROI are higher than ever, making it essential to demonstrate concrete and relevant results. However, relying on vanity metrics like “number of trainings delivered” or “course ratings” is no longer enough. Although valuable, these more traditional insights don't provide a comprehensive or even qualitative picture of the real impact of a learning program.
Instead, with a strategic plan, thoughtful implementation, and data to back up results, learning leaders can deliver purpose and connection to employees that ultimately levels up to positive business outcomes.
Step Back: Learning and Measuring
Measuring learning programs is essential to demonstrating their value and impact in a business context. Yet, many organizations struggle to know where to start.
The best place to start is always the “why,” such as “Why does a learning program matter to my business?”
Consider a career development program. Ask, "Why are we offering this?" The answer is simple: L&D programs help employees acquire new skills, expand their toolkits, and enhance their productivity and career growth.
Then, ask, "Why is advancing productivity and careers important?" The answer lies in retention—learning opportunities help strengthen employees' connection to their organization, with 70% of employees saying it deepens their engagement. When you invest in your employees, they’re more likely to invest in you. So, the real purpose is clear: retention.
So, with the “why” top of mind, how do learning leaders prove the value of L&D?
Connect Learning to Business Objectives: Organizations need to go beyond merely providing L&D programs and publishing vanity metrics like course enrollments or completion dates. They must connect learning activities to tangible business objectives that matter.
Turn Data Into Actionable Insights: To do that, organizations need to identify relevant data and turn that data into actionable insights. Companies must avoid the trap of showing 'what' learners are doing and instead highlight the impact of learning on behaviors and performance.
Identify a Cohesive Strategy for Results: There needs to be a cohesive strategy that ladders up to outcomes that affect business, including better employee performance, improved customer satisfaction, increased revenue, or some other impactful measurement.
The fact is that employees want to be successful, and they also want their company to be successful. By connecting learning and business success measurements, workers are motivated to learn and invest in their company’s success.
Your Four-Step Plan
Though each organization has its unique needs and challenges, most can build an effective learning program measurement system with these four simple steps.
Start with a Plan - Clarify your strategy by asking four questions:
When a learner finishes the program, what will they know?
With this knowledge, what will the learner be able to do?
When the learner does this, how will the change impact their performance?
When a group of individuals change their performance, how will the results affect specific business goals?
Build a “Logic Bridge”:
In this course, learners will learn [this].
Because they know [this], they will be able to do [that].
Because they can do [that], they will perform better [this way].
Because of the combined effect of workers performing [this way], our company will see [this positive business outcome].
Start with Data:
Don’t shy away from gathering and analyzing data because it seems sparse; just start where you are.
Find and link data that supports elements of your logic bridge.
You can send out forms and surveys that are transcribed to spreadsheets and analyze responses.
Inaction is only going to just delay the process and, ultimately, results.
Connect the Dots:
Once you have the data in place, it’s time to tie together the story.
Connect the data points to your logic bridge to break down the importance of why learning matters and how it can tangibly benefit your organization.
Successful Implementation
Since C-suite leaders are just now beginning to understand the value of learning in the workplace, learning leaders need to position learning programs as a strategic business function. As Degreed’s 2023 report found, “The disconnect between C-suite executives and enterprise learning strategies often comes down to impact.” Therefore, the value will become clear if there’s data to support business objectives.
L&D leaders need to bridge the learning-to-business gap and collaborate with their C-suite by opening the lines of communication. The goal should be to align learning strategies that feed the overall goals of the organization, maintain regular input, and provide periodic reports on the achievement and impacts of learning.
The Sum of All Parts
Don’t be afraid to dive in. The learning measurement process can seem daunting, but it ultimately ladders up to a highly impactful business practice. Track business impacts through performance reviews, employee productivity, employee retention, customer satisfaction, and even deals closed. Productivity and performance are the biggest improvements tied to learning that have tangible effects on business outcomes. As organizations continue to invest in learning and measure its impact, they’ll see a direct link to its implementation and its ripple effect of success.
Aisling MacNamara is the Director of Learning, Enablement & Inclusion at LearnUpon. She has designed and led the implementation of innovative learning solutions for hundreds of learners through her experience in fast-growth technology companies. Aisling is passionate about creating learner-centered programs that help drive company objectives.
