Measuring Training Results

Clarifying Stakeholder Expectations and Getting the Evaluation Right When an employer or client arranges for training, they expect measurable results. One of the most common mistakes trainers make is moving directly from "we have a gap" to designing training — without first clarifying exactly what stakeholders expect the training to achieve. Define Expectations Before You Design Consider a typical scenario: a training manager is told that customer service complaints have increased by 20% and that training is needed. The trainer dutifully designs a communication skills course. But if the *real* cause of complaints is that customer service reps lack the authority to resolve issues, no amount of communication training will reduce complaints. Before designing training, you must: 1. Complete a thorough **training needs analysis** 2. Obtain stakeholders' **expectations** for the outcome 3. Determine **why** the gaps exist 4. Clarify the **ideal future state** — what does success look like after training? What Training Alone Can Achieve Research consistently shows that a training event alone typically produces only about **15% on-the-job application**. This means that if training is your only intervention, most of what participants learn will not be applied. For training to truly stick, workplace supervisors and managers must: **Prepare employees before training** by explaining its relevance **Reinforce new behaviors afterward** through coaching, performance management, and recognition Getting the Evaluation