Employee Training: Getting Your Money’s Worth

In the 15 December 2008 edition of The Wall Street Journal, Harry J. Martin, a professor at Cleveland State University, reported on a series of studies that suggested "just 10% to 40% of training is ever used on the job." He went on to say, "It is clear that a big chunk of the tens of billions of dollars that organizations spend annually on staff development is going down the drain."1 This assertion should not come as any great surprise if you are a training professional. Training professionals constantly must prove to management that what they do is relevant and, in some way, enhances the bottom line.