Ruth Stuart (L&D Research Advisor, CIPD) and Laura Overton (Managing Director, Towards Maturity) look at how L&D leaders can use evidence to win the hearts and minds of business stakeholders, align more effectively with business needs, demonstrate value and improve their own performance. This was first shared at tthe CIPD L&D Show in May 2015 and a resource pack of useful evidence sources is also available. Contact us if you would like a copy of the evidence resources. www.towardsmaturity.org/benchmark www.cipd.co.uk

1. Creating an evidence-based
strategy
13th May 2015
Laura Overton, Founder – Towards Maturity
@LauraOverton
Ruth Stuart, L&D Research Adviser – CIPD
@RStuartCIPD

2. HOW DOES L&D DELIVER BUSINESS VALUE?

3. Achieving alignment
@RStuartCIPD @LauraOverton
Achieving greater
business alignment
is the number 1
focus for L&D
professionals over
the next 2 years
…organisations
that measure the
impact of L&D are
more likely to be
aligned to
business needs…

4. Lack of clarity
regarding the
business
strategy
Changing /
conflicting
business
priorities
Lack of
business
insight
Barriers to alignment
L&D
undervalued
Silo culture
Lack of
resources
@RStuartCIPD @LauraOverton

5. Learning evaluation
• Half do not conduct any evaluation on the majority of L&D
activities, or limit it to satisfaction
• Just 7% evaluate the wider impact on the business and/or society
@RStuartCIPD @LauraOverton

6. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING
BUSINESS OUTCOMES JUSTIFY
A SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT IN
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT?
→ Lower employee turnover
→ Increased employee engagement
→ Positive ROI
→ Change in business direction
→ Reduced cost
→ Increased productivity
→ Greater responsiveness to the new
→ Increased profitability
→ Stronger Employee brand

7. 55% Increased productivity
40% Greater responsiveness to new
39% +ve employee engagement
37% Increased profitability
36% Lower employee turnover
ECONOMICS INTELLIGENCE UNIT EVIDENCE
22% Positive ROI
18% Reduced cost
14% Change in business direction
11% Stronger Employee brand
Economic Intelligence Unit Sept 2014

8. Today’s L&D
professionals
also want more.

9. Data-Driven
Decision Making
Business leaders
use data to:
Persuade
Prioritise
Personalise
Predict
Plan
Improve
performance
Outperformer:
An organisation with clear purpose
that uses benchmarking to continually
stay ahead of its peers!
“
”

10. WHAT EVIDENCE IS
THERE THAT CAN A
MODERNISED
LEARNING STRATEGY
CAN ADD REAL
BUSINESS VALUE?
Persuade and Prioritise

11. Gaining Market Share
17% rise in customer satisfaction
10% improvement in revenue
Talent
9% reduction in attrition
17% improvement in engagement
14% improvement in productivity
12% reduction in time to competency
Deliver New Products & Services
Change new products & services 23% faster
Roll out new IT applications 26% faster
Independent evidence from over 400 L&D leaders:

12. Gaining Market Share
17% rise in customer satisfaction
10% improvement in revenue
Talent
9% reduction in attrition
17% improvement in engagement
14% improvement in productivity
12% reduction in time to competency
Deliver New Products & Services
Change new products & services 23% faster
Roll out new IT applications 26% faster
Independent evidence from over 400 L&D leaders:
AND Deliver Efficiency
- 17% Cost reduction
+21% Volume
- 22% Delivery time
- 20% Study time

13. How Do our Staff Learn Best?
91% learners learn from collaboration with team workers
81%from manager support
73%from web search
64% from formal education courses
50% from live online learning, mobile or self paced e-learning
82% want to learn at their own pace

14. What is stopping staff
from learning online?
63% Lack time
40% Can’t find what they need
41% Irrelevant content
28% Lack of somewhere appropriate to study
26% Uninspiring content
25% Technology issues
22% unclear objectives
5,700 staff

15. ONLY 1/3
OF L&D LEADERS KNOW
HOW THEIR STAFF
ACTUALLY LEARN AT
WORK…
This type of evidence helps
us to Predict and Plan

16. Metrics used always or frequently
Learner
reflection
(80%)
Manager
reflection &
feedback
(52%)
HR metrics
(e.g. absence)
(39%)
Standard
internal
measures (e.g.
engagement)
(37%)
Strategic
measures
(e.g. business
behaviours)
(35%)
Stakeholder
reflection and
feedback (35%)
ROI
(22%)
@RStuartCIPD @LauraOverton
Business
metrics
(32%)

17. Using the findings
Always or frequently:
• 66% update the L&D intervention
• 52% share the results with the business
• 53% review the delivery method
• 49% share the results to specifically inform business
strategy
1 in 5 say they produce a report of summary of the
findings but rarely act on the data!
@RStuartCIPD @LauraOverton

18. Those who are doing things differently are
more likely to be aligned
They always or frequently:
• Update the L&D intervention (84% vs. 48%)
• Share the results beyond HR (75% vs. 33%)
• Share results to inform business strategy (71% vs.
29%)
@RStuartCIPD @LauraOverton

19. Barriers
IT systems
39%
Funding
28%
L&D / HR
capability to
conduct
evaluation
25%
Quality of
data
32%
Other business
priorities
45%
Other L&D / HR
priorities
21%
@RStuartCIPD @LauraOverton

20. Do we have the skills?
• L&D: Evolving roles, enhancing skills research
Analytical capability is a critical gap
• Towards Maturity Benchmark:
96% consider programme evaluation a priority
41% say they have the skills in-house
@RStuartCIPD @LauraOverton

21. To drive change and use evidence
effectively we need to invest in
ourselves first
What skills do you need to build?
21@RStuartCIPD @LauraOverton

22. Data-Driven
Decision Making
Business leaders
use data to:
Persuade
Prioritise
Personalise
Predict
Plan
Improve
performanceOutperformer:
An organisation with clear purpose
that uses benchmarkingto
continually stay ahead of its peers!
“
”

23. Note of caution about L&D benchmarks

24. About benchmarking
TM Index
THE TOP 10%
New for 2014
Exploring effective practices of the top
performing learning organisations

25. DNA of the Top Deck
companies
Improved application
of learning in the
workplace
Faster response to
changing business
conditions
Increased
productivity
on the job
TOP DECK Average

26. New Learning benchmarks

27. Creating an evidence based
learning strategy – where next?
• External evidence
• To influence change
• Within the team
• Within the business
• To inform decision making
• To focus on outcomes
• Benchmarking
• External evidence to improve internal
performance
• Internal Evidence
• To engage and motivate
• To inform
@RStuartCIPD @LauraOverton
Share your email address to
receive a CIPD and Towards
Maturity evidence resource pack

28. What will you do differently?
28@RStuartCIPD @LauraOverton

29. Thank you
Get in touch at @RStuartCIPD or @LauraOverton
29