Measuring Training ROI

How effectively do you measure the ROI of your training efforts?  Sure, most of us ask the students if they liked it and thought it was useful, but do we check to see if they actually apply that learning on the job?  This is being asked of more and more training departments when they go to senior management for more money.

One process that we have seen that helps to demonstrate the value is to have the students do projects at the end of training that apply what they have learned in the day-to-day operation.  They can be individual or group projects but they need to be relevant and useful and the student’s manager needs to sign off on it to be sure they will be given the time needed to complete it.  And the trainer needs to make time available to assist the students as they run into questions in their applications.

The projects need to measure the “before” and the “after” to report the results so that the return on the investment will be clearly demonstrated to those who hold the purse strings.

Note:  This tip is provided by Maggie Klenke.  She may be reached at maggie.klenke@mindspring.com