Training that works: How to measure the success of training courses correctly

The good news: with a clear objective, the right criteria and the right evaluation methods, the impact of training courses is not only measurable, but can also be sustainably controlled. In this article, you will learn how to ensure that your training courses not only leave an impression, but also have a real impact, from setting objectives to evaluation.

From a desire to learn to a clear definition of goals

Successful training always begins with the question: What exactly do we want to achieve? As long as goals remain vague, the effect also remains unclear. It is important to define the desired changes in behavior and increases in competence in such a way that they can be verified later on. Not simply “better leadership”, but for example: “Managers recognize the development needs of their employees more quickly and adapt their management style to the situation.”

Clear objectives create orientation – for participants, HR development and also for external training partners. At mensch & kommunikation, for example, we work intensively with goal clarification tools in our Blanchard® training courses to ensure that everyone involved has a shared idea of the desired learning outcome.

Such clearly defined goals are not only important for planning, but also form the basis for systematically measuring training success.

The Kirkpatrick model: making success visible on four levels

When it comes to measuring training success, there is hardly any way around the Kirkpatrick model. Tried and tested for decades and yet more relevant than ever, it structures the evaluation into four logical levels:

• Reaction: How did the participants experience the training? Were they satisfied with the content, methods and relevance to their day-to-day work? This level is often recorded using traditional feedback forms and provides an initial indication of whether the measure was well received.

• Learning: What new knowledge and skills have the participants actually acquired? This is where, for example, before-and-after tests or learning journals come into play, which make visible how knowledge and skills have developed.

• Behavior: Is what has been learned also applied in everyday working life? This level is crucial, because training can only be fully effective if new behaviors are put into practice. Observations in everyday working life, 360-degree feedback or follow-up surveys can help here.

• Results: What specific impact does the training have on the company’s goals? For example: Does employee satisfaction increase, do management indicators improve or is staff turnover reduced? This level makes it clear how closely personnel development and corporate success are linked.

The Kirkpatrick model is particularly valuable because it helps to focus attention not only on short-term reactions, but above all on sustainable behavioral changes and business results.

Modern methods of training evaluation

Fortunately, there are numerous methods available today to systematically record these four levels. In addition to the classic feedback form, for example, before-and-after comparisons can be used to measure the increase in competence. In our training courses at mensch & kommunikation, we like to combine such tests with practice-oriented tasks in order to make the transfer directly tangible.

Qualitative methods such as learning journals or structured reflection discussions also provide valuable insights. Follow-up surveys or pulse surveys, which record the sustainable transfer of practice a few weeks after the training, are particularly effective. In this way, it becomes clear whether the impulses set during the training have been implemented in everyday life and have actually led to a change in behavior.

Practical projects, peer coaching or transfer coaching are further ways of bridging the gap between learning and application. Our ^Blanchard® programs, such as ^SLII®, address precisely this point: With accompanying learning platforms and coaching sequences, we support managers in anchoring their new skills in their day-to-day business.

Ensuring sustainability: making learning permanent

Training alone is rarely enough. Truly effective personnel development requires reinforcement in everyday life. Small, targeted impulses – so-called “learning nudges” – can help to regularly activate the memory bridges to the training. Communities of practice also promote exchange between participants so that experiences can be shared and challenges solved together.

It is also important that further training is not viewed as an isolated measure, but is embedded in HR processes. If learning successes are actively addressed in employee appraisals or target agreements, transfer becomes a matter of course.

This triad pays off, especially in management development programs: Learning in training, testing in practice and anchoring through reflection and support.

Make the effect visible and control it in a targeted manner

If you want to see impact, you have to measure it. With clear objectives, a structured focus on the Kirkpatrick model and the right evaluation methods, training programmes can not only be managed efficiently, but also transparently demonstrated to the organization. This transforms training from a “nice-to-have” into a real business driver.