The cost of not training

Training professionals are increasingly under pressure to demonstrate the return-on-investment (ROI) of training programs.

Training ROI has been put in the spotlight in both the boardroom and in professional circles — and this is a good thing. For too long, organizations have viewed training and development purely as a cost centre when really it’s a strategic investment that can provide tangible business results.

But do practitioners fully understand the implications of ROI modeling for training and development, and are they equipped to view, define and articulate training initiatives in terms of measurable business impact? The short answer is not always. In the current business climate of constant change, cost-cutting and increased pressure to demonstrate immediate returns on spending, organizations are often quick to defer training investments when the short-term financial returns do not seem apparent.