Identifying Trends in Training Effectiveness with Data

I analyzed 7019 training sessions to identify the “sweet spot” on maximizing your training budget. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺: Actionable.co is a training sustainment platform, specifically focused on measuring the behavior change impact of corporate learning programs. For this analysis, I pulled data from the 7019 training sessions that were run over the last 3 years, consisting of 2 – 100 participants. 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: A couple assumptions are baked into this analysis: 1. The purpose of training is to drive change. In the case of the data leveraged here, that’s certainly the case (consultants only use Actionable when the goal is to drive behavior change)., If your goal is NOT to drive change with your program, you can stop reading now. The results won’t be useful. 2. Self-reported behavior change has value. It’s not conclusive, and it’s not exhaustive. It is, however, the earliest impact data we can capture (before 360s/KPIs, etc.) and – in our experience – is typically highly accurate as a leading indicator. If you don’t believe self-reported data has value then, again, these results won’t be useful to you. 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: To determine total cost for a session, I made a couple assumptions: - $5000 for the facilitator (fixed cost) - $1500 in labour costs for logistics and planning (fixed cost) - I assumed a half-day session (4 hours) x an average hourly wage of $50/participant. - Assumed a blanket “materials” cost of $50pp. - I assumed this was virtual (no travel costs, meals, per diem, etc.) To calculate impact, I looked at two factors: - The percentage of attendees who committed to changing a behavior after the session - The self-reported improvement in said behavior. - I multiplied these two elements together (% of people committing to change x realized change) to create an Aggregate Cohort “Efficacy Score" score (displayed in the graph) 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 (𝗶𝗻 2 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝘀):   𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 #1: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝘅𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 If you want to maximize impact, focus on smaller groups. Group sizes of 2-7 participants consistently generate 33% greater impact than groups of 8-14. Now, the per-person cost on the smaller groups is > $1000. So, the nature of the change needs to be considered, obviously. But, for topics that have a greater than $1000/person impact to the business, this feels like a bit of a no brainer. Break a group of 12 in half, if you can afford it. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 #2: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝘅𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 If you want to stretch your budget further, focus on groups of 18-24 participants. Your cost per person goes by 50%pp (~$525pp vs >$1000pp) while your aggregate impact only decreases by ~30%. No, it’s not as impactful on a per-person basis, but it stretches your dollar further. Like most things, the decision on the optimal group size is dependent on your goals.

Smile Sheets: The Illusion of Training Effectiveness. If you're investing ~$200K per employee to ramp them up, do you really want to measure training effectiveness based on whether they liked the snacks? 🤨 Traditional post-training surveys—AKA "Smile Sheets"—are great for checking if the room was the right temperature but do little to tell us if knowledge was actually transferred or if behaviors will change. Sure, logistics and experience matter, but as a leader, what I really want to know is: ✅ Did they retain the knowledge? ✅ Can they apply the skills in real-world scenarios? ✅ Will this training drive better business outcomes? That’s why I’ve changed the way I gather training feedback. Instead of a one-and-done survey, I use quantitative and qualitative assessments at multiple intervals: 📌 Before training to gauge baseline knowledge 📌 Midway through for real-time adjustments 📌 Immediately post-training for immediate insights 📌 Strategic follow-ups tied to actual product usage & skill application But the real game-changer? Hard data. I track real-world outcomes like product adoption, quota achievement, adverse events, and speed to competency. The right metrics vary by company, but one thing remains the same: Smile Sheets alone don’t cut it. So, if you’re still relying on traditional post-training surveys to measure effectiveness, it’s time to rethink your approach. How are you measuring training success in your organization? Let’s compare notes. 👇 #MedDevice #TrainingEffectiveness #Leadership #VentureCapital

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗨𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱? 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝟯 𝗥𝗢𝗜 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗮𝗦 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 You invested in training. 1️⃣ Learners liked it 2️⃣ They passed the quiz But here’s the million-dollar question: 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆?   Welcome to 𝗞𝗶𝗿𝗸𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝟯: 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿. It’s not about knowledge — it’s about action. 🛠 Are users applying what they learned? 💸 If not, your training isn’t driving ROI.   𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝟯 𝗥𝗢𝗜 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝗮𝗦 📊 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗨𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 Compare trained vs. untrained users: Feature adoption     ✔ Workflow completion     ✔ Increased logins or deeper tool use     ✔ Bottlenecks that remain post-training     ✔ Long-term changes in usage behavior    𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀: Pendo.io, Gainsight PX, Mixpanel, WalkMe™, Heap.io   📉 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀: Signs of applied training     ✔ Fewer tickets on trained topics     ✔ Users solving issues independently     ✔ More tickets about advanced use = users leveling up 📋 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗦𝗠 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀     ✔ Managers use checklists or live observations     ✔ CSMs notice smoother onboarding, better product use, or stronger customer engagement   🗣️ 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳 & 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸: Ask:     ✔ “What have you started doing differently?”     ✔ “How has this training changed your daily work?”   🎯 𝗧𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀: Are users completing workflows:     ✔ Faster     ✔ With fewer errors     ✔ Without handholding?   🥈 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 & 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝘀 Sandbox environments or real-world tasks validate applied learning — not just knowledge retention. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝟯 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗮𝗦 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵     ✔ Concrete, behavior-based ROI     ✔ Identifies usage gaps for follow-up     ✔ Strengthens onboarding & adoption     ✔ Increases retention & satisfaction     ✔ Enables data-driven training decisions   Think of it this way: 😊 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝟭 = They liked it 🧠 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝟮= They understood it 🚀 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝟯 = They’re using it   𝗭𝗲𝗻𝘆𝗮 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 We design training that drives 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 - because adoption isn’t about access, it’s about action.   👉 Next up: 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝟰 – 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺   𝗧𝗟;𝗗𝗥 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗮𝗦 𝗕𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 If your training isn’t changing user behavior, it’s not delivering ROI. 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝟯 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 - 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀.   💬 Ready to make your training stick? 🕸 www.zenyalearning.com 📆 https://lnkd.in/gSimhwtr   #Training #Enablement #UserAdoption #CustomerSuccess #SaaS #ProductAdoption #CustomerEducation

𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 📚 Creating a training program is just the beginning—measuring its effectiveness is what drives real business value. Whether you’re training employees, customers, or partners, tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) ensures your efforts deliver tangible results. Here’s how to evaluate and improve your training initiatives: 1️⃣ Define Clear Training Goals 🎯 Before measuring, ask: ✅ What is the expected outcome? (Increased productivity, higher retention, reduced support tickets?) ✅ How does training align with business objectives? ✅ Who are you training, and what impact should it have on them? 2️⃣ Track Key Training Metrics 📈 ✔️ Employee Performance Improvements Are employees applying new skills? Has productivity or accuracy increased? Compare pre- and post-training performance reviews. ✔️ Customer Satisfaction & Engagement Are customers using your product more effectively? Measure support ticket volume—a drop indicates better self-sufficiency. Use Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) to gauge satisfaction. ✔️ Training Completion & Engagement Rates Track how many learners start and finish courses. Identify drop-off points to refine content. Analyze engagement with interactive elements (quizzes, discussions). ✔️ Retention & Revenue Impact 💰 Higher engagement often leads to lower churn rates. Measure whether trained customers renew subscriptions or buy additional products. Compare team retention rates before and after implementing training programs. 3️⃣ Use AI & Analytics for Deeper Insights 🤖 ✅ AI-driven learning platforms can track learner behavior and recommend improvements. ✅ Dashboards with real-time analytics help pinpoint what’s working (and what’s not). ✅ Personalized adaptive training keeps learners engaged based on their progress. 4️⃣ Continuously Optimize & Iterate 🔄 Regularly collect feedback through surveys and learner assessments. Conduct A/B testing on different training formats. Update content based on business and industry changes. 🚀 A data-driven approach to training leads to better learning experiences, higher engagement, and stronger business impact. 💡 How do you measure your training program’s success? Let’s discuss! #TrainingAnalytics #AI #BusinessGrowth #LupoAI #LearningandDevelopment #Innovation

💡 Last week, I was having a conversation with a client about this very topic: How do we effectively measure the impact of training programs? It's a challenge many organizations face, regardless of the type of training. If you can't measure it, you can't improve it. This applies to all forms of training! 📊 Key metrics to consider: ✔️ Completion rates ✔️ Knowledge retention scores ✔️ Performance improvements in relevant areas ✔️ Increase in desired behaviors or outcomes ✔️ Employee feedback on training relevance Most times, LMS/scorm/xapi data and surveys can tell us a big part of this story. But don't stop at numbers. Qualitative feedback and observed behavioral changes are equally important. ⭐ Remember: The goal isn't just to train, but to create lasting change in how your organization operates and performs. ❓How do you measure the success of your training initiatives? What metrics have you found most valuable? #PerformanceMetrics #TrainingEffectiveness #LearningAndDevelopment #OrganizationalGrowth [Image Credit: Photo by Jakub Żerdzicki on Unsplash]