Feature


is absorbed in the shortest time, regurgitated for the test – and then forgotten. Sustainability? Nonexistent. All these metrics – completion rates,


quiz results, or engagement rates – can be useful indicators, but they do not measure what truly matters: the actual transfer into practice. The signal sent here is: “As long as you click through the system, we are satisfi ed  whether ou use what ou have learned in your everyday work is less important to us.” Companies that rely solely on these metrics promote a culture of “box-ticking” rather than a culture of learning transfer. Those who truly value transfer must go beyond these suerfi cial metrics and introduce real application measurements.


Questionable metrics: Is more really ‘better’? If we maintain this critical perspective, many traditional HR development metrics also come into question. Many HR departments manage using questionable or at least incomplete KPIs:


Training hours as a measure of success. The more hours employees spend in training, the more successful talent development is – or not? That would be like a company measuring its success by how many hours employees spend in meetings. The signal: “Quantity is more important than quality.” But more time in training does not automatically mean more transfer. It would be far more effective to focus training time on measures that demonstrably lead to behavior changes.


A broad training portfolio as an indicator of quality. A large seminar portfolio is often seen as a sign of strong talent development. But does a wide range of offerings really equate to a good HR strategy? In a time when knowledge is freely accessible – through YouTube, TED Talks, or global eLearning platforms


Companies should not defi ne themselves by the number of seminars but by their effectiveness


– with a clear focus on transfer and application in everyday work


– training opportunities are no longer a rarity. Instead, many companies experience seminar fatigue. Instead of “Yay, a training session!” the reaction is often: “Not another one…” H rofessionals struggle to fi ll their expensive training programs.


The signal: “A large offering means quality.” But often the opposite is true. Employees no longer see training as targeted development, but as unstructured mandatory events. Companies should not defi ne themseles  the numer of seminars but by their effectiveness – with a clear focus on transfer and application in everyday work.


The devastating impact of traditional metrics All these traditional KPIs send a harmful message to both employees and company leadership: “Training is a nice-to-have, but it has little impact on business success.” No wonder, therefore, that training budgets are often the fi rst to e cut when cost saving measures are needed. What companies need instead is an evaluation that measures actual transfer – the application of what has been learned and its measurable impact on the business. Because only when transfer and effectiveness become relevant management metrics will the signal within the company be clear: “Learning is not just a cost factor – it is a key driver of business success!”


Some practical steps towards measuring transfer effectiveness


• Replace your satisfaction-oriented questions, items and rating scales


with relevance/utility-oriented questions, items and rating scales


• Make your feedback forms transfer- relevant by adding questions


about possible implementation/ application barriers


• Use a blended evaluation approach by using multiple methods and


sources as well as timeframes


Click here to see an example of a transfer-relevant feedback form that you can easily adapt to your own training context. n


1. Such as: American Society for Training & Development, 2025 LEADx Leadership Development Benchmark Report, Body, Ho, & Jones, 2016 2. Such as: Alliger, G. M., & Janak, E. A. (1989).


Melanie Martinelli is CEO of the Institute for Transfer Effectiveness and Founder of Going Beyond Training. Combining 20 years of experience in L&D with entreprenial spirit, Melanie brings a deep understanding of what makes transfer happen to support her clients in being more strategic in their L&D initiatives.


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