Companies are not very good at measuring learning that is not formal in nature, and rely far too heavily on basic metrics such as completion rates and smile sheets. This lack of measurement effectiveness is revealed in Brandon Hall Group’s 2020 Learning Measurement Study results, which show that this shortsightedness prevents companies from transforming learning into a strategic influencer of the business. The study also finds that organizations should be less concerned with the specific ROI of learning and focus on learning’s impact on business outcomes instead.
“Unfortunately, companies that rely too heavily on completions and smile sheets are making a dangerous assumption about their learning programs,” said Brandon Hall Group CEO Mike Cooke. “They assume all their learning programs are effective and the act of getting learners to complete them equals success. This is often not the case.”
Organizations measure their learning for many reasons. The most common is to improve the effectiveness of the learning programs. But fewer are measuring for more strategic reasons, such as creating a better link between learning and individual or organizational performance. This means that most learning measurement tends to be inward-looking, rather than focusing on the learner or the business.
“Improving performance is arguably the sole purpose of L&D, but to understand learning’s impact, companies should gather the right data,” said Brandon Hall Group Principal Learning Analyst David Wentworth.
In addition to providing a picture of the current state, based on quantitative and qualitative data from the 2020 Brandon Hall Group Learning Measurement Study, several high-level strategies to improve learning measurement are also revealed in the summary.
To view the 2020 Learning Measurement Study summary, click here.
-About Brandon Hall Group-
Brandon Hall Group is the world’s only professional-development company that provides data, research, insights and certification to Learning and Talent professionals and organizations. The best companies in the world rely on Brandon Hall Group to help create future-proof employee-development plans for the new era of work and management.
For more than 27 years, BHG empowers, recognizes and certifies excellence in organizations throughout the world, driving the development of more than 10,000,000 employees and executives. Our annual HCM Excellence Awards program was the first to recognize and celebrate organizations for learning and talent, and as the industry’s gold standard is known as the “Academy Awards of Human Capital Management.”
Brandon Hall Group’s cloud-based platform delivers evidence-based insights in Learning and Development, Talent Management, Leadership Development, Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Acquisition and HR/Workforce Management for corporate organizations and HCM solution providers.
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