How to Evaluate training results and ensure its effectiveness

Companies with more maturity in the Talent Management/HR sector already understand the importance of using Training and Development within an individual development plan. 

But just providing training is not enough, is it? Managers and decision-makers are constantly asked to show the results of investments in people. 

Therefore, today we are going to talk about an important step in this process: the evaluation of training results. Everything you need to know to evaluate and demonstrate results in practice. Let's go together. 

What is the importance of Evaluating training results?

We have two important variables that must be observed when talking about training results: the value generated for the company and the value generated for the employee. 

For the course or training to be relevant to the employee, he must see a practical application for a problem in his daily life. It's what we call andragogy, which means the way adults learn. 

Therefore, knowing if the content and activities proposed to the collaborator made sense will help the person responsible for the training to understand if it is worth continuing and replicating to other people. 

In the case of the value generated for the organization, financial issues and the impacts on the company's day-to-day come into play. This is what we call ROI – return on investment. 

What are the main indicators for the evaluation of training results?

When proposing to carry out qualification courses or training, it is essential to outline clear objectives, regardless of the area of ​​activity of the employees. It is that from the objectives, the results of the training will also be better evaluated. 

#1 reaction ratings  

It's presenting reactions to training from feedback. In face-to-face training, this can be measured with surveys or surveys.  In the case of online courses, reactions with “Like” or simply asking if the employee would “recommend this course” already demonstrate their feelings in the process. This is a very user-friendly way of evaluating training results. 

#2 Learning Assessments 

One of the most used methods in training courses is the assessments applied to measure student proficiency. This can be a good way to encourage the employee to assimilate the subject presented in more depth, as he needs to answer questions according to the course content. 

#3 Behavioral Reviews

This level of evaluation is one of those that most demonstrate employee engagement with training. 

Behavior is one of the ways to show that the training was brought to real life and this also impacts other employees since each person can be an influencer of new practices in the corporate environment. 

Whether bringing a new approach to solving a problem or bringing innovative ideas to the team: behavior can show decision-makers newly acquired skills. 

Consider this kind of impact as a way of evaluating training results as well. 

#4 Results 

The fourth level is the one that most influences decision-making within organizations: the result that the employee brought after learning. And to make this tracking of results more tangible, it is important to use some KPIs

Below, we bring 3 of them to illustrate how the training results can be followed in practice. 

Productivity

Learning a new technique or approach to a problem can result in an optimization of working time for your employee and this generates results for your company as well. 

This employee can be allocated to more tasks, in addition to being more effective, delivering better and better deliveries in less time.

Processes improvement

Another way of evaluating T&D results is to quantify the processes.  If your employee started to deliver the tasks with fewer reworks, for example, it is already an indication of the application of the acquired knowledge.  Include process assessment types to get accurate data on improvements that the training brought to the daily life of your company. 

Sales 

Its results can also be observed with the increase in revenue from new products or improvements in products already marketed. 

In addition, training focused on developing argumentation skills, focused on your company's commercial areas, can yield more direct revenue for the sales team. 

Which tool to use to carry out the Evaluation of training results?

Now that we've gone through the training results in assessment levels and KPIs, it becomes clearer what to consider when calculating the ROI (return on investment) of your training area.  

One way to reduce and optimize costs that have been widely used, especially after the pandemic, is to offer online courses. 

In addition to offering training to more than one person without having to reconcile different schedules, the online course facilitates the evaluation of training results. 

Would you like to know about this live? Request a Demo. It is free, you will be able to observe SuccessFactors operating live, with business scenarios similar to those of your business, and resolve any questions you may have with the advice of a specialized consultant.