Measuring Training's Effectiveness and Impact

Dr. John Sullivan

Head and Professor of Human Resource Management
College of Business, San Francisco State University

Training can be measured in a variety of ways. The groupings below (Items I-V) are listed in increasing order of business value.

I - Prior to training

• The number of people that say they need it during the needs assessment process.
  
  
• The number of people that sign up for it.

II - At the end of training

• The number of people that attend the session.
  
  
• The number of people that paid to attend the session.
  
  
• Customer satisfaction (attendees) at end of training.
  
  
• Customer satisfaction at end of training when customers know the actual costs of the training.
  
  
• A measurable change in knowledge or skill at end of training.
  
  
• Ability to solve a "mock" problem at end of training.
  
  
• Willingness to try or intent to use the skill/ knowledge at end of training.

III - Delayed impact (non-job)

• Customer satisfaction at X weeks after the end of training.
  
  
• Customer satisfaction at X weeks after the training when customers know the actual costs of the training.
  
  
• Retention of Knowledge at X weeks after the end of training.
  
  
• Ability to solve a "mock" problem at X weeks after end of training.
  
  
• Willingness to try (or intent to use) the skill/ knowledge at X weeks after the end of the training.

IV - On the job behavior change

• Trained individuals that self-report that they changed their behavior / used the skill or knowledge on the job after the training (within X months).
  
  
• Trained individuals who's managers report that they changed their behavior / used the skill or knowledge on the job after the training (within X months).
  
  
• Trained individuals that actually are observed to change their behavior / use the skill or knowledge on the job after the training (within X months).

V - On the job performance change

• Trained individuals that self-report that their actual job performance changed as a result of their changed behavior / skill (within X months).
  
  
• Trained individuals who's manager's report that their actual job performance changed as a result of their changed behavior / skill (within X months).
  
  
• Trained individuals who's manager's report that their job performance changed (as a result of their changed behavior / skill) either through improved performance appraisal scores or specific notations about the training on the performance appraisal form (within X months).
  
  
• Trained individuals that have observable / measurable (improved sales, quality, speed etc.) improvement in their actual job performance as a result of their changed behavior / skill (within X months).
  
  
• The performance of employees that are managed by (or are part of the same team with) individuals that went through the training.
  
  
• Departmental performance in departments with X % of employees that went through training ROI (Cost/Benefit ratio) of return on training dollar spent (compared to our competition, last year, other offered training, preset goals etc.).

Other measures

• CEO / Top management knowledge of / approval of / or satisfaction with the training program.
  
  
• Rank of training seminar in forced ranking by managers of what factors (among miscellaneous staff functions) contributed most to productivity/ profitability improvement.
  
  
• Number (or %) of referrals to the training by those who have previously attended the training.
  
  
• Additional number of people who were trained (cross-trained) by those who have previously attended the training. And their change in skill/ behavior/ performance.
  
  
• Popularity (attendance or ranking) of the program compared to others (for voluntary training programs).