Written by Jeroen Naudts. This text was also published for VOV lerend netwerk.

‘Learning’ data specifically focus on the learning process itself and how employees develop. The focus is therefore less on the result of the training and more on how the training itself is experienced by the employee. These data allow you to evaluate and improve the training itself:

• Participation and completion rates: How many employees participated in a training programme? And how many actually completed the training? High participation and completion rates may be an indication of a successful L&D programme. But certainly do not focus on them blindly.
• Test results: Many training programmes include tests or examinations. By analysing participants' scores, you can determine to what extent they have understood the learning material provided.
• Work performance: With the help of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) or other performance objectives, you can assess whether there is an improvement in the work performance of employees who have completed a training programme. We will return to this later in this blog.
• Learning behaviour and preferences: By looking at how and when employees learn (e.g. through e-learning modules, on-the-job training, ...), you can gain insights into which learning methods are most effective within your organisation.
• Learning Analytics: the use of analytics to, for example, track the time employees spend on specific learning content, or how often they return to training materials, can provide valuable insights into the learning experience. If a participant returns several times to a particular point, this may indicate an element that is more difficult for the employee.

If you use HR data to measure the impact of your L&D initiatives, you take the analysis a step further. Here, you often link the ‘learning data’ mentioned above to HR outcomes.

This is often somewhat more complex. But it is absolutely relevant, because this additional step allows you to demonstrate much more clearly the tangible ROI of your L&D initiatives from an HR perspective.

• Promotion and retention rates: Are employees who participate in training more likely to progress within the organisation or remain with the organisation?
• Absenteeism rates: Training programmes focused on wellbeing can lead to lower absenteeism rates. Can you demonstrate this based on the data of employees who completed the training?
• Engagement scores: Is there a change in employee engagement after completing training?
• Diversity and inclusion: L&D programmes focused on diversity and inclusion can be measured through changes in team diversity and inclusive behaviour patterns within the organisation.
• Skill gap analyses: Before a training programme begins, you can conduct a brief analysis of the skills employees need versus the skills they currently possess. After the training, this analysis can be repeated to measure the difference and therefore the impact.

Business data, finally, are perhaps the most important indicators of the success of an L&D programme, because they are directly related to business results. So we go one step further than just HR data. And when you talk about ROI, impact on business data is one of the forms that most stakeholders in your company consider the most important.

• Productivity figures: Are improvements visible in the productivity of teams or individual employees after the training? Here too, you will combine multiple data points. Slightly more complex, but certainly worth exploring.
• Financial impact: This may include revenue growth, cost savings or profit improvement that can be linked to the L&D efforts.
• Customer feedback: Sometimes improvements in customer satisfaction or retention can be directly linked to improved employee skills after a training programme. Especially when the training focuses on customer satisfaction, it is interesting to link these together.

Measuring the impact of your Learning & Development initiatives goes beyond simply collecting participation figures and feedback forms.

By using a combination of 'learning', HR and business data, you can paint a clear and nuanced picture of how your L&D programmes contribute to the organisation. Because ultimately, that is what it is all about.

As an L&D professional, you have access to a wealth of data that you can use to demonstrate the value of your work. By making smart use of these data, you can not only demonstrate the ROI of your programmes, but also strengthen the strategic role of L&D within the organisation. Good luck!

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