In The News

Published May 2008

Training Programs Falling Short in Knowledge Retention

Lindsay Edmonds Wickman

Many training initiatives are failing to improve performance, as employees are struggling to retain the information presented, according to research from LearningGuide Solutions.

“The primary reason why training programs fall short in reaching their intended goal is that employees struggle to retain newly acquired information over an extended period of time,” said Greg Driscoll, president of LearningGuide Solutions. “Current research clearly documents that in as little as three weeks following a training event, an employee’s ability to recall and apply new knowledge or skills is less than 20 percent. Stated differently, employees will lose more than 80 percent of the information they were provided in a training program.”

In LearningGuide Solutions’ white paper, “Ensuring Project Success: Building a Business Case for Performance Solutions,” only 53 percent of the employees surveyed were satisfied with their companies’ training and support systems, due to information overload.

The paper also addresses how performance support would have an impact on employee productivity and knowledge, resulting in tangible business results.

“Companies must rethink their approach to training, learning and performance,” Driscoll said. “Performance support is a critical part of the learning process, as it can integrate and extend a company’s current training, information and knowledge assets.”

Lindsay Edmonds Wickman is an associate editor for Chief Learning Officer magazine. She can be reached at editor@clomedia.com.

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