How To Prove The Business Value Of Learning
That's why evaluation is now a subject of interest among Learning and Development teams. Using evaluation as a tool of validation is not an easy task to execute, but it's not impossible. Here's how to provide the business value of learning 5 simple steps.
1. Pressure To Prove Real Value
The way people learn today drastically differs from how they've learned in the past 5 to 10 years. The evolution and wide adoption of smartphone devices and mobile technology has influenced learning for everyone, including employees who often travel locally or abroad. These workers can easily access support for learning and performance from their mobile devices at almost any time they need information. Moreover, social networks and web platforms, such as Google and YouTube, have raised the bar and serve as competition for centrally provided learning content.
Furthermore, panic regarding in-house leaders incapable of moving businesses forward or reports on critical gaps in talent —even with employees having the ability to connect to content virtually any time of the day— are becoming more frequent. That's why businesses are under pressure to employ agile performance improvements and to respond quickly to volatile and competitive environments. To alleviate this pressure, businesses have to prove real value by making strategic decisions about automation to enhance performance, and they must create efficient operations that respond swiftly to industry and economic changes.
Related: How to Deliver and Prove the Business Value of Your eLearning
2. Focus On Learning And Development To Lead A Skill-Set-Building Revolution
The pressure on businesses often trickles down to learning and development departments. Training providers and Learning and Development teams have to prove their worth not only to business leaders but to learners as well. So how can this be achieved? Demonstrating worth calls for results. This means that with the critical talent gaps that can exist in businesses, silos have to be transformed into successful bastions for business. This can be achieved by bridging performance and talent through consistent skill-building efforts.
To build up skill sets, training providers and Learning and Development teams need to hold relevant interventions for learning and development and turn learners into thinkers who understand the importance of building skills. Training providers and Learning and Development teams also need to provide pertinent information that focuses on achieving and exceeding performance goals so that learners can enhance productivity. If your Learning and Development team can achieve this, it can prove its relevance to the business.
3. Monitor And Measure Performance
Although achieving performance goals has always been in the forefront, a lack of measuring improvements has created a data void in the Learning and Development industry. Corporate learning goals involve pushing the message of improvement in such areas as sales stats, safety records, error rates, compliance, customer service, profits, data breaches, and productivity. However, these efforts can be for naught if there is no established benchmark for measurement, even when results are delivered. Learning and Development teams can prove their worth by creating a benchmark that measures how successful the results of corporate learning goals are in comparison with past performance.
4. Stop Failing To Measure Up
There is no doubt that evaluation is a key element you can use to enhance your learning and development activities. According to a Towards Maturity 2016 "Preparing for the Future of Learning" report, nearly all Learning and Development teams in its study —97%— noted that data analytics and evaluation are significant factors for the future. On the other hand, business key performance indicators (KPIs) were used by only 17 percent of the Learning and Development team leaders. The Learning and Development report from CIPD demonstrates that with increasing importance and difficulty surrounding a measurement, the less likely that more is done to uphold the measurement. This means a void is created when it comes to demonstrating real improvements in performance as learning intervention results. This can be filled by using the right information and assessing it against previous performance activities.
5. Track Data From Learners
An abundance of information can be used for performance measurement. This is because learners generate trends and data when they use platforms they deem relevant or useful for getting their work done. Learners share this information with others, further validating the resourcefulness of their learning outlets. It is vital that Learning and Development teams recognize this information, which makes tracking data from learners important. This data may be elements, such as the length of time, reasons, and types of devices learners use. You can save time by utilizing reporting tools, such as Elucidat's built-in analytics tool, to keep up to date with learner data and trends. Take your analysis up a notch by looking for parallels between performance improvements and trends.
Want To Learn More?
Don't forget that analytics and measuring performance is just as important as collaborating and communicating. Check out How to Deliver and Prove the Business Value of Your eLearning for more guidance. You and your Learning and Development team will learn how to be in sync with your industry's needs and trends. Moreover, you'll be able to tell a story about how you are meeting corporate learning goals.
Next step: Download our guide on How to Deliver and Prove the Business Value of Your eLearning.
