Is your training really paying off? Despite huge investments, most organisations struggle to prove if their learning programmes deliver real results.
Did you know that over 90% of UK L&D professionals report facing challenges when trying to measure the return on investment (ROI) of their training programmes?
Yet, only around 8% of L&D teams actively calculate the financial ROI of their learning initiatives.
And shockingly, nearly 30% of UK organisations do not measure the business impact of their learning programmes at all.
That’s a problem.
Finance teams want proof that learning isn’t a cost but an investment, employees want training that actually helps their careers, and L&D teams want to prove they’re making a difference.
So, that’s exactly why learning ROI matters.
It’s not just about figures. It’s about ensuring that learning aligns with business goals, you’re measuring what matters and making smart decisions based on actual data, not just guesswork.
In this blog, we’ll cover:
- What is learning ROI?
- Why does learning ROI matter
- Why you should measure learning ROI
- How to measure learning ROI
- Challenges with measuring learning ROI
- Learning ROI in action
Let’s dive in.
What is learning ROI?
Learning Return on Investment (ROI), is a way to measure the value your organisation gets from its learning and development (L&D) efforts, in simple, financial terms.
It answers the crucial question: Did the training actually deliver business results?
Learning ROI compares the benefits gained from training against the costs of delivering it.
Think of it like any other business investment.
You want to know if what you put in is worth what you get out.
The classic formula looks like this:
ROI = (Net benefit of training – Cost of training ÷ Training costs) × 100
Here’s what that means:
Training costs
This includes everything you spend on the training programme, such as design, technology, content creation, facilitator fees, and even the time your employees spend learning (because their time has value, too).
Net benefit of training
This is the positive impact or value the training generates.
It could be increased sales, reduced errors, lower employee turnover, faster onboarding, and improved customer satisfaction.
Anything that translates to financial gain or cost savings.
For example, imagine you run a sales training course costing £25,000.
After the programme, you track your sales figures and find an extra £100,000 in revenue attributable to the new skills your team gained.
Your ROI calculation would be:
((£100,000 – £25,000) ÷ £25,000) × 100 = 300%
That means for every £1 spent on training, you got £4 back.
Learning ROI vs other metrics
It’s important to know that learning ROI is just one part of the picture.
Common metrics like course completion rates, learner satisfaction scores, or knowledge tests show learner engagement or understanding, but they don’t prove the training made a difference at work.
Learning ROI goes further by linking training outcomes directly to business results.
It’s a more strategic, outcomes-focused way to evaluate learning.
Why does learning ROI matter?
In many organisations, learning is still seen as a ‘nice to have’ or a cost centre.
Measuring ROI shifts the conversation by showing that learning is an investment with measurable returns.
This shift helps justify budgets, influence stakeholders, and drive continuous improvement.
Ultimately, learning ROI is about making learning more accountable.
It ensures your training budget is spent on initiatives that truly move the needle and supports building a culture of data-driven decision-making in L&D.
💡 Pro Tip
L&D is always changing. It’s important to stay on top of the latest trends and insights so you can maximise your LMS.
Discover the evolving role of L&D
Why you should measure learning ROI
Many teams track course completions or learner satisfaction but many miss how that is impacting company goals. That’s a missed chance.
Here’s why:
Show L&D means business
ROI proves learning isn’t just a cost. It drives real results, like higher sales, better customer satisfaction, or increased efficiency.
Related: Change the perception of L&D with real data that matters.
Get the budget you deserve
Data-backed ROI makes it easier to get buy-in and funding for your projects.
Make smarter choices
ROI helps you spot what works and what doesn’t, so you can improve or stop wasting resources.
Help learners take it seriously
When people know training ties to business results, they’re more likely to apply what they learn.
How to measure learning ROI step-by-step
The formula is a starting point, but accurate ROI requires looking at the full picture.
If you follow these steps, they will help you outline what you need to include in your calculations.
1. Link training to business goals
Be clear on what you want to achieve. Is it a faster new-hire ramp-up? Better sales? Happier customers? Using these goals and tying them to metrics such as sales in the recent 3 months compared to the previous period will show you a real measure of success.
2. Gather your starting point
Once you know what you are measuring, take a look at your current data before training. This will give you valuable insight to compare against once training is finished.
3. Track learning data
Data such as course completions, assessment scores, engagement, and feedback will serve as early indicators of whether the training is going well and if there are any adjustments needed to move the needle. It’s not necessarily the full story, but it gives you insight into where changes can be made.
4. Check behaviour change
Your team are the best people to check in to see if anything has changed.
You could ask them:
- Are you using your new skills within your role?
- Has training made tasks easier? If so, how?
- Have you saved time /resources?
This will help get post-training insight.
5. Measure business impact
Connect learning data to business outcomes, sales growth, cost savings, productivity gains, reduced errors, or employee retention. This is key to getting the right figures for the last step of calculating your ROI.
6. Calculate ROI
Include all costs, course creation, tech, and learner time, and compare against the financial benefits. Then, you’ll be able to make more accurate calculations.
This step-by-step guide will ensure you cover every base to get the most accurate calculations and insight into how training is impacting your business.
Challenges in measuring learning ROI
Measuring learning ROI isn’t always straightforward.
While the formula itself is simple, applying it in the real world can be complex.
It’s often difficult to isolate the impact of training alone, as results can be influenced by factors like market conditions, team dynamics, or concurrent initiatives.
Some of the most common barriers include:
- No baseline data – Without a clear starting point, it’s hard to measure change.
- Limited access to business metrics – L&D teams may not have direct visibility into key performance indicators.
- Perceived complexity – Teams may feel overwhelmed by the idea of calculating ROI.
- Fear of low or unclear ROI – There’s often hesitancy to measure impact in case the results aren’t impressive.
Despite these challenges, they can be overcome with a practical, thoughtful approach:
- Start small: Use pilot groups to gather baseline data before launching full-scale programmes.
- Collaborate cross-functionally
Related: How learning and development challenges can be overcome
Learning ROI in action
Let’s look at a real-world example that shows what effective training ROI can look like in practice.
EDF Energy trained 2,500 customer service agents to reduce unnecessary engineer visits and complaints.
The result?
- £132,000 saved on engineer callouts
- £230,000 saved from fewer complaints
- Training cost: £32,000
This gave them an ROI of over 1000%.
Now that’s impact.
How BuildEmpire supports measuring learning ROI
At BuildEmpire, measuring impact is baked in. There is no need for guessing.
You can track detailed learning progress, content engagement, course completions and more, giving you the insight you need.
You can create custom dashboards that put your KPIs front and centre so you can focus on what matters most.
We help you set ROI goals with our bespoke reports, which pull out the data you need most in one place.
With us, you’ll be able to track what actually matters and confidently present the impact of learning to your stakeholders.
Learning ROI isn’t just a metric; it’s a mindset. Shift from ticking boxes to driving real business results.
And we’re here to help you make that shift. Let’s prove learning works, together.
Ready to get started?
Book a demo and see how BuildEmpire makes measuring ROI easy.
FAQs
What exactly is ROI
ROI stands for Return on Investment. It’s a simple way to measure whether something is worth your time, money, or energy.
If you’re learning a new skill, ROI helps you figure out whether the effort is actually paying off.
How do I measure the ROI of learning?
Think of it like this:
ROI = (Benefits – Costs) ÷ Costs
In learning, costs might include your time, course fees, or even lost income while you study. Benefits could be a better job, a salary increase, more clients, or simply doing your work more efficiently.
You won’t always get exact figures, but if you’re seeing clear personal or professional value, that’s a strong indicator of ROI.
Is all learning supposed to have a positive ROI?
Not always, and that’s completely fine. Some learning is about building foundations or staying curious.
It might not pay off immediately, but it often sets the stage for future growth. The key is to be intentional. If you know why you’re learning something and how it fits into your goals, the return usually follows.
How long should it take to see ROI from learning?
It really depends on the subject. A short course on LinkedIn strategy might show results in a few weeks. A professional qualification or degree might take months or even years.
The main thing is to look for early signs of progress. Are you applying what you’ve learned? Are new opportunities popping up? ROI often shows up first as momentum, not money.
How can I improve the ROI of my learning?
Here are a few tips:
- Focus on real problems. Don’t just learn for the sake of it. Learn to solve something that matters to you.
- Apply what you learn. Putting knowledge into action is where the value really shows.
- Choose quality over quantity. One well-designed course can be more effective than a dozen random videos.
- Review regularly. Step back, see what’s working, and make adjustments. That reflection is part of the ROI too.