Despite all the time, money and energy spent on creating and delivering learning programs, most organizations have almost no idea what they are getting into and the massive amount of effort required. Sure, they can run a report that shows how many people opened, finished and liked (or disliked) a piece of content, but what does that really tell the business? The harsh truth is that it says next to nothing. But the majority of corporate learning hangs its hat on these numbers.
Of course, companies do run assessments to see if learners are acquiring the desired knowledge. But very few can determine if that knowledge (or skill, or behavior) is applied on the job and even fewer can say that it impacts the business. Brandon Hall Group research found that nearly two-thirds of companies consider this inability to measure impact a serious challenge to learning’s overall effectiveness. You read that right: The inability to demonstrate impact leads learning to be less effective.
Why is it so hard? That’s the easy part. There is a huge chasm between Level 2 and Level 3 in the Kirkpatrick Measurement Model. It’s precisely this difficulty that keeps L&D leaders defaulting to completion rates as the gold standard of measurement. Brandon Hall Group Research finds there are some specific challenges companies face:
- We don’t have the time/staff.
- We don’t have the proper metrics.
- We don’t have the right technology.
- It’s too difficult to link learning and outcomes.
- It is too difficult to assess.
The good news is that only 4% of companies say they don’t need to measure learning’s impact on the business. The question then becomes, how do you overcome these challenges? Brandon Hall Group Platinum Preferred Provider Docebo has a strong focus on measurement and analytics. After a recent acquisition and some internal development, they launched Docebo Impact and Docebo Analytics, specifically designed to help companies make the kind of Level 3 and 4 measurements they have been unable to make.
The Impact tool provides surveys and questionnaires that drive strong participation and data. It also has built-in reporting tools that allow companies to benchmark against industry data. The Analytics solution takes it to the next level by connecting all learning data to business results. Learning teams are typically at a disadvantage because they do not have access to data science or analysis skills. Docebo has gone a long way to making it possible for any L&D team to answer the right questions and truly demonstrate learning’s impact on people and the business.
–David Wentworth, Principal Learning Analyst, Brandon Hall Group
@davidmwentworth
