Are You Selecting the Right People for the Right Learning?

Investing in employee development is essential, but how do you ensure that you’re selecting the right employees for the right courses? Are your learning initiatives delivering meaningful outcomes, or are they just ticking a box?

Many organisations struggle to strategically decide who should attend training programs. Without a clear selection process, learning and development (L&D) efforts risk being perceived as ineffective, making it harder to secure future investment. To maximise impact and demonstrate return on investment (ROI), consider the following questions:

1. Is This Course a Genuine Development Opportunity?

Is the training aligned with the individual's career path? Does it stretch their capabilities or fill a critical skills gap? More importantly, where and how is this rationale documented? Employees should be able to articulate why the course is relevant to their development.

2. Is There a Defined Skills Gap This Course Will Address?

Who in your organisation is responsible for identifying skills gaps, and how are they articulated? Success should be defined before training even begins. Are you measuring the before and after— or is it simply assumed they’ll be “better” afterward?

3. What Commitment Are You Gaining from the Participant?

Training should not be a passive experience. Is there an expectation that participants will apply, share, or demonstrate what they’ve learned? If so, how are you tracking that follow-through?

4. Does the Manager See and Articulate the Value?

A manager’s involvement can make or break a learning initiative. Have they documented why this training matters for their team’s capability? Are they reinforcing the learning afterward, or is it simply another approval process?

5. Are You Measuring the Impact?

Beyond attendance and satisfaction scores, do you have a structured way to assess whether learning goals were met? Where is this information stored, and how is it being used to inform future L&D decisions?

6. Are Business Outcomes Being Measured?

How do you connect training investments to measurable business improvements? Can you track tangible changes in performance, productivity, or efficiency as a result of learning interventions?

If these questions aren’t being considered, it’s difficult to know whether your learning investments are truly working.

Let’s Talk About Your Learning Strategy

If you're looking to refine how your organisation selects and tracks learning, we can help. Reach out to us to discuss how we can support you in maximising the impact of your learning investments.