Learning Leaders Forum: Training Evaluation -- Is ROI the Holy Grail?

Greetings Learning Leaders! 

This month is our last meeting before taking a break for the summer months and we intend to go out with a bang! Our topic will be “Training Evaluation – Is ROI the Holy Grail?”. This was suggested by one of our members and generated a lot of enthusiasm in our polling for interest earlier this year. 

In addition to reviewing what some of the experts have to say, please  bring examples to share. We love to see how your organizations evaluate the value of their training investments, using ROI or other means. We doubt any of us are truly experts in this so any level of experience is welcome input into our discussion. The goal is get beyond a surface treatment of the topic and dig deeper into practical application.  

Some questions we’ll consider:

• What are the most prevalent ways training is evaluated in our organizations? 
• How is the ROI of training investments typically calculated?
• Does all training require an ROI evaluation?
• What’s the difference between Return on Investment (ROI) and Return on Expectations (ROE), and does either have an advantage over the other?
• Is ROI a valid metric for training, given that training may not be the only factor influencing a financial return and its influence may be difficult to isolate?

Our open forum format is built on the practice of mutual learning and the collective genius that emerges from sharing our questions, comments and experiences with our Learning Leader peers in an informal setting.  We invite you to add your voice to the conversation.   

PREWORK: Below are links to two short articles that will serve to prime the pump for our discussion. 

ATD Blog Post: “What’s the Difference Between Return on Expectations and Return on Investment?” (10/8/2012); https://www.td.org/Publications/Blogs/L-and-D-Blog/2012/10/Whats-the-Difference-Between-Return-on-Expectations-and-Return-on-Investment

Training Industry.com Article:  “Are You Using the Best Metrics to Evaluate Your Skills Training?”  (Spring, 2015); http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2015spring/index.php?startid=37

Learning Leaders is for training managers / directors and learning leaders or anyone who can influence strategy, direction, perception or adoption of training in one's organization.