How Do You Measure the Business Impact of Learning?
Learning is an investment, but how do you know if it actually makes a difference in business terms?
The business impact of learning can't be measured by simply tracking course completions or test scores. To understand whether learning impacts your business, you need to define what you want to achieve and know where you are starting from.
From Learning Goals to Measurable Impact
Start with data collection and measuring processes.
The business impact of learning can only be measured when there is a process in place to collect relevant data and define measurable learning metrics.
Align learning to business goals.
Learning should serve a purpose. Before choosing what to measure, define what you want to see from employees as a result of learning and what the employees themselves want to learn.
Connect individual and business goals.
The most meaningful learning metrics reflect something that moves the business forward. Think beyond learning activities and consider how learning supports wider business goals in tandem with employees' personal learning goals.
Establish a baseline.
To know whether something has changed, you need to understand the starting point. A clear baseline gives you something to compare against after learning initiatives.
Measure impact beyond the learning experience.
The business impact of learning can happen at different levels. Consider evaluating changes in individual competence, team performance, employee behavior, and organizational outcomes rather than focusing only on what happens inside the course.
Five Steps to Measuring the Business Impact of Learning
Setting goals Define concrete, measurable, time-bound goals for the learning topic. Example: new employees rate their onboarding experience at least one point higher than before the onboarding path was updated.
Defining the metrics Choose metrics that match the goals: completion rates, survey scores, time saved, sales or safety results. Example: onboarding experience score, collected via a rating scale in the employee survey.
Collecting data Pick a method: survey, learning platform analytics, statistics, implementation tracking, calculated values, or interviews. Example: a survey sent to new employees after onboarding, asking them to rate their experience.
Analyzing data Compare results against the target levels set in step 1, and look for trends over time. Example: compare the average onboarding experience score to the baseline measured before the onboarding path was updated.
Communication Condense findings into a clear, understandable, cost-effective report for decision-makers. Example: a short report to HR and managers showing the change in onboarding experience scores over time.
Dive Deeper into Measuring Learning Impact
Want to see a concrete, step-by-step guide of how to measure the business impact of learning? Check out this free online course to build your own process of measuring the business impact of learning. You can complete the course without registering. Simply click "read without signing in" after clicking the link.
