Article

5 Ways to Measure the Impact of Your L&D Strategy

June 17, 2025

|

Emily May

All L&D professionals have to demonstrate the impact of their efforts to key stakeholders. It might sound simple, but it’s a complex challenge. Executives want to see impressive results at every meeting.

To gain a deeper understanding of how to measure learning and development strategies, we spoke with Cynthia Glunt, Senior Product Manager at ICAgile. She has several years of experience leveraging data to track and improve the impact of learning programs.

This article provides five expert-backed tips on how to measure the impact of your L&D strategy.

Why Measuring L&D Strategy Matters

Measuring the success of a learning and development plan enables leaders to refine programs and improve learner outcomes. It also ensures the strategy continues to evolve to meet changing business goals and learner needs.

Additionally, securing budget for your learning and development strategy requires buy-in from key decision-makers. Metrics display how learning directly supports business goals.

Tracking L&D strategy results helps improve:

  • Justification of L&D investments
  • Alignment with business goals
  • Learning content
  • Learner outcomes
  • Learner trust & engagement

Instead of wondering if your training is making a difference, concrete metrics enable you to demonstrate success with confidence.

5 Ways to Measure the Impact of Your L&D Strategy

Illustration of professionals analyzing bar chart data to track learner progress and assess L&D outcomes.

In this section, we’ll explore five ways to measure your L&D strategy, according to an expert. 

1. Track Pre & Post-Knowledge Assessments

Evaluating knowledge transfer is crucial when quantifying learning outcomes, according to Cynthia. She recommends conducting a pre- and post-knowledge assessment with learners. These evaluations are a straightforward method of measuring an individual's knowledge before and after a course. 

Incorporate hands-on scenarios within the evaluations to ensure employees are prepared to apply their new skills in the real world. Assessing knowledge transfer helps identify gaps in training content, ensuring that participants walk away with the skills they need to lead effectively.

2. Monitor Job Placement & Promotions

Another tactic for measuring training effectiveness is tracking job placement. Cynthia states that this metric is especially relevant in higher education and reskilling programs. "For example, for a university partner, we would track early-career learners' transition into industry-relevant entry-level roles as a meaningful indicator of success."

Within a corporate team, this growth may look like a promotion or an increase in responsibility. This data can help to create a compelling case for how learning programs directly improve individual and team performance. 

3. Use Behavior Change Metrics 

Learners and an instructor are in a classroom setting. The classroom board displays a graph that the instructor is teaching from.

Development programs should lead to application on the job, through actions and decision-making. “It’s not just about skill building, it’s about behavior change, so they know how to apply what they’ve learned,” said Cynthia. That’s why behavior change is a key metric for L&D success.

She also referenced the Kirkpatrick Model as a useful tool for validating learning programs. The framework includes four levels of assessment:

  • Level 1: Reaction
  • Level 2: Learning
  • Level 3: Behavior
  • Level 4: Results

Further, improved employee performance can indicate successful training outcomes. Following the completion of a learning program, consider monitoring performance reviews or check-ins to uncover any behavior changes related to the course. 

4. Gather Learner and Instructor Feedback on Course Delivery

Collecting feedback during and after a course provides a balance of qualitative and quantitative measurements. Many learners and instructors are willing to share valuable insights into what they like and dislike about the experience. 

Email survey questions sent to learners might include:

  • How would you rate the clarity of the content?
  • How confident are you in applying what you learned?
  • How engaging is the course?

However, even though surveys are easy to distribute, they come with a common challenge: survey fatigue. Cynthia recommends experimenting with different types and lengths of surveys to keep participants engaged in the feedback process. For example, collecting an NPS, or Net Promoter Score, is a simple way to ask participants if they would recommend the course. 

It's easy to forget the power of conversation in the digital age. An open dialogue about the program might encourage more detailed feedback while fostering trust.

5. Leverage Dashboards and Interactive Learning Tools

A person reviews interactive dashboards showcasing metrics for L&D strategy tracking.

To track the success of your talent development strategy at scale, you’ll need more than spreadsheets and Google Docs. Collecting and organizing L&D metrics in a central location helps to visualize success. You can build a new KPI dashboard or utilize a built-in dashboard within your learning management system. 

Your dashboard may include metrics such as:

  • Course completion rates
  • Engagement rates
  • Assessment scores
  • Time spent on learning
  • Survey results

You can also use other innovative tools to track learning. Cynthia participated in creating gamified learning experiences. Not only did this help generate learner engagement, but it also provided a way to monitor learners' interactions with the content in real-time.

The Key Takeaway

One of Cynthia’s statements stood out: “I'm always going to start with the learner and end with the learner.” No matter how you measure the impact of your L&D strategy, the people engaged in the learning are what matter most. Set clear expectations, provide support, offer flexibility, and collect and implement their feedback whenever possible. 

Collect a mix of qualitative and quantitative feedback to capture the full impact of the learning experience. A well-rounded set of metrics not only helps you demonstrate success but also provides the insight needed to continue improving your learning and development programs.

Want insights on the top trends in L&D right now? We interviewed several learning and development leaders to find out. 

Download the PDF: HR & L&D Industry Insights

Elevate Your Learning

Join our community of agile learners and get the latest news and resources delivered straight to your inbox.

* indicates required
TAGGED AS:
Learning Excellence, Agile HR, Agility in HR, People Development

About the author

Emily May | ICAgile, Marketing Specialist
Emily May is a Marketing Specialist at ICAgile, where she helps educate learners on their agile journey through content. With an eclectic background in communications supporting small business marketing efforts, she hopes to inspire readers to initiate more empathy, productivity, and creativity in the workplace for improved internal and external outcomes.

Suggested Resources