In 2024, research from the Association of Talent Development found the average organization spent $1,283 per employee on workplace learning. But as leaders try to help workers gain skills—whether through university programs, leadership courses or team retreats—much of the investment in training reportedly does not deliver, according to Fast Company.
To create a training program that drives lasting change, it is important to understand why training programs fail. Fast Company shares the following reasons.
- There is no strategic anchor. Training must have a clear connection to strategic objectives. You should understand and define the skills and knowledge your team needs to achieve crucial outcomes for your business.
- Leaders are not walking the walk. If senior leaders do not set an example, there is no credibility. Leaders must be active participants in training and be held to the same—or higher—standards.
- Misdiagnosing the problem. If there are systemic problems, training won’t solve them. Get to the root cause of the problem first and determine whether there is a skills gap or systems gap.
- Lack of clarity and consistency. Employees need a consistent framework they can understand regarding applicability to their on-the-job behaviors. Choose a framework, identify behaviors you can measure and incorporate the framework into daily practices.
- No ROI on impact. If you do not know what you are measuring, it is difficult to measure effects and behavior change. Be sure you understand metrics that determine program success so you can track them and get a clear view of your training’s return on investment.
