Why is Training Evaluation Undervalued?

According to the 2020 Training Industry Report, 82.5 billion was spent on training. Only 30% of participants indicated that investing in the effectiveness of training was a priority, which is down from the 37% in 2019. Additionally, LinkedIn Learning’s 2021 Workplace Learning Report indicated that only 27% of participants indicated the use of surveys to gauge effectiveness. Learning and development professionals based impact on satisfaction and perception of training, skills learned, and how the learning was intended to drive performance but did not utilize continuous evaluation and performance indicators to ensure effective use of skills and their value over time.

The use of continuous evaluation and performance indicators are necessary for ensuring valuable performance. They provide an understanding of employee performance and provide insight into what skills and competencies need to be improved to ensure effectiveness. Furthermore, Taylor and Schwartz (2020) explained that these measures are key indicators for ensuring a successful and viable business.

The reviewed statistics seem to suggest that behavioral change and a competent workforce are not a priority. How successful is a business if there is no measurable understanding to substantiate the effectiveness of employees’ behaviors, competencies, and skills?

For clarity, 64% of LinkedIn Learning’s 2021 Workplace Learning Report participants indicated that Diversity and Inclusion training was viewed as a priority and ranked as the second top training. How safe, inclusive, and equal are work environments if the majority of companies are not prioritizing the use of non-discriminatory behaviors? How are companies ensuring effective change and accountability if there are no metrics in place to measure impact?

Evaluation connects initiatives with results. Results whether intangible or tangible are the indicators of success.

First published on www.linkedresults.com

References

LinkedIn Learning. (2021). LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021 (Report No.5). LinkedIn. https://learning.linkedin.com/resources/workplace-learning-report

Taylor, K. & Eggleston-Schwartz, M. (2020). Trends 2021: planning for the future of learning, Training Industry Magazine, 30-34. Retrieved from https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20201112/index.php#/p/34

Training Magazine (2020). 2020 Training Industry Report, Training, 57(5), 22-37. Retrieved from https://cdn.coverstand.com/20617/678873/ae17abf8c84bb2d1d13340e3278dfb1fe564e492.8.pdf