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Top 10 Training Evaluation Templates with Samples and Examples

Kavesh Malhotra

Training evaluation is an essential aspect of any corporate development program, as it provides valuable information about the effectiveness of the training and helps organizations identify areas for improvement.

The evaluation process involves assessing the attendees, instructors, and training information to determine the results and measure its impact on the organization.

One of the critical parameters of training evaluation is attendee assessment. The attendees' feedback is crucial in understanding the effectiveness of the overall program. Attendee assessments can be collected through surveys, questionnaires, or in-person interviews. It covers topics such as, the relevance of the training information, the quality of the instructor's delivery, and the overall learning experience.

Another critical parameter of training evaluation is instructor assessment. The instructor's ability to deliver the training plays a significant role in determining the program's success. Instructor assessments can be conducted through peer evaluations, observation, or feedback from the attendees. This assessment helps organizations determine if the instructor could communicate the training information and engage the attendees in the learning process.

Corporate development evaluation, staff safety training are some other programs that organizations must incorporate to improve operations efficiency and productivity. SlideTeam brings you a collection of custom-made and content-ready Training Evaluation PPT Templates to help you monitor the impact of the training programs. Delve deeper into the collection and outline a report of the training programs to create the ones that meet your requirements.

Let’s begin!

Template 1: Training Evaluation Form for Customer Service Edu PPT

Our training evaluation form for customer service education helps you evaluate the training program with efficiency. The form contains multiple components:

• Training and attendee details
• Instructor assessment
• Content and course evaluation
• Future action plans

The slide consists of visually appealing design and relevant content, making it easy for managers, employees, and organizations to draft impeccable training evaluation forms for customer service education.

Download Now!

Template 2: Employee Training Evaluation Feedback Survey by HR Department

We are pleased to present our comprehensive PPT Template featuring the Employee Training Evaluation Feedback Survey by the HR Department. This Slide provides you with a panoramic view on the employees who have undergone training programs. The survey form consists of a questionnaire designed to elicit the employees' opinions on the training workshops. It is an ideal tool for presenting information related to employee training and the HR department.

Template 3: Corporate Development Training Evaluation Program

This slide depicts a post-training effectiveness appraisal form to optimize the training experience for future iterations. The form includes several key elements: program objectives, course content and relevance, facilitator knowledge, and program evaluation. With this professional and well-designed presentation, communicate the importance of evaluating the impact of your training programs and convince your audience of the benefits of this approach. Download now and start presenting your evaluation program in a highly professional and impactful manner.

Template 4: Balanced Scorecard with Employee Growth and Training Evaluation Form

This professionally designed PPT Slide provides you with a ready-made form to evaluate the employee’s growth after the program. This Template includes various stages and is an effective tool for educating and engaging your audience. The Template consists of sections on Strongly Agree, Communication, and Participation Encouragement, allowing you to communicate the results of your training evaluations. Using this Slide, enhance the professional appearance of your presentation and convey your message clearly and positively.

Template 5: Staff Safety Training Evaluation Checklist Sample

This actionable Staff Safety Training Evaluation Checklist Sample is perfect to showcase a thorough evaluation checklist for employee safety training programs. The checklist covers vital areas such as instruction ratings, design and presentation, and impact. This Template provides a clear and effective way to present information on the various stages of the training evaluation process. Download now and highlight the critical aspects of instruction rating, impact, design, and presentation.

Template 6: Skill Matrix for Training Evaluation PPT Table

Enhance your training evaluation process with our Skill Matrix PowerPoint Table Template. The employee skills matrix is a flexible tool to evaluate and map out the training requirements for your employees. Assess the skills and capabilities of your team, identifying areas for professional growth and development to curate an engaging and useful training program. The skill matrix for training evaluation PPT graphic is designed with a professional and innovative aesthetic, making it ideal for use by sales leaders, marketers, business professionals, analysts, strategists, students, and teachers, among others.

Template 7: Training Evaluation Business PPT PowerPoint Presentation

Wish to design an actionable training program for your staff? This presentation is divided into four essential stages for the practical evaluation of your training program, including Marketing, Business, Management, Planning, and Strategy. By using this powerful tool, convey the value of your training program and demonstrate its impact on the success of your organization.

Template 8: Training Evaluation Learning PPT PowerPoint Presentation

This PPT Presentation is structured in four stages, including Behavior, Learning, Reaction, Result, and Planning, which outline the key elements of a successful training evaluation process.

The use of icon enhances the visual appeal of the presentation. It helps to effectively communicate the key points, making it convenient for your audience to understand and retain the information being presented. With its clear and concise messaging and visually appealing design, our Training Evaluation and Learning PowerPoint Presentation with Icon Examples is the perfect tool for delivering an effective and impactful presentation.

Template 9: Employee Training Evaluation Form with Response Scale

Our Employee Training Evaluation Form Template with Response Scale is designed to offer a visually appealing platform for presenting a wide range of subjects. The Templates focusses on crucial topics in employee training, including Evaluation and Response Scale.

The response scale in the Template allows for a straightforward interpretation of the data. It highlights areas for improvement, making it a valuable tool for continuous improvement and success in your employee training efforts. Whether presenting to a small team or a large audience, our Employee Training Evaluation Form Templates with Response Scale is an excellent choice for delivering your evaluation results.

Template 10: Plan of Action for Online Training Evaluation PowerPoint Presentation Ideas

This Presentation aims to outline the comprehensive plan of action for an online training session. It includes three critical stages: Kick-Off Day, Training Schedule, and Evaluation and Feedback. The slide deck, entitled "Plan of Action for Online Training Evaluation PowerPoint Presentation," visually represents the steps involved in the online training process.

This presentation is an effective tool for stakeholders to understand the details of the online training program, including the schedule, goals, and evaluation process. This PowerPoint presentation provides a visually engaging way to present information and steps for your online training program. It is suitable for any team size and effectively communicates the program's plan of action.

Conclusion:

Training evaluation is essential for organizations looking to improve their training programs continuously. By assessing the attendees, instructors, and training information, organizations can measure the results and impact of the training and make necessary changes to enhance the learning experience and achieve the desired outcomes. To learn more about the best analysis of training needs, you may find this link useful.

With its easy-to-edit design, these PowerPoint template allows you to quickly and efficiently customize the information to meet the specific requirements of your organization. By conducting regular training evaluations, organizations can ensure that their training programs remain relevant and adequate and positively impact the growth and development of their staff.

FAQs on Training Evaluation

What are the 5 levels of training evaluation.

The five levels of training evaluation are:

• Reaction: This level evaluates the immediate reactions of the attendees to the training program.
• Learning: This level measures the knowledge and skills gained by the attendees during the training program.
• Behavior: This level assesses the attendees' behavior changes after the training program.
• Results: This level measures the training program's impact on the attendees' performance.
• Return on Investment (ROI): This level evaluates the overall cost-benefit of the training program.

What are the methods of training evaluation?

There are several methods of training evaluation, including:

• Pre- and Post-training assessments: Measuring the knowledge and skills of the attendees before and after the training program.
• Self-assessment: The attendees provide feedback on their learning and progress.
• Peer assessment: The attendees evaluate the performance of their peers.
• Observer assessment: The instructor or a designated observer assesses the attendees' performance.
• Surveys and questionnaires: Collect feedback from the attendees through structured surveys or questionnaires.

What are the four areas to consider in evaluating a training?

The four areas to consider in evaluating a training program include:

• The training program's objectives: Did it meet its intended goals and objectives?
• The training program's content: Was the training information relevant, accurate, and up-to-date?
• The training program delivery: Was the instructor effective in delivering the training information?
• The attendees: Did the attendees engage with the training program and make progress in their learning and development?

What is the importance of training evaluation?

The importance of training evaluation cannot be overstated.

Evaluation provides valuable information for continuous improvement and helps ensure that the training program effectively achieves its intended goals. Training evaluation also helps measure the training program's Return on Investment (ROI), demonstrating its value to the organization. By evaluating the training program, organizations can make data-driven decisions to improve the quality of the training and achieve better results in terms of the attendees' behavior, learning, and overall performance.

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The Kirkpatrick Model of Training Evaluation (with Examples)

The Kirkpatrick Model of Evaluation, first developed by Donald Kirkpatrick in 1959, is the most popular model for evaluating the effectiveness of a training program. The model includes four levels of evaluation, and as such, is sometimes referred to as 'Kirkpatrick's levels" or the "four levels."

This article explores each level of Kirkpatrick's model and includes real-world examples so that you can see how the model is applied.

If at any point you have questions or would like to discuss the model with practitioners, then feel free to join my eLearning + instructional design Slack channel and ask away.

What is the Kirkpatrick Model of Evaluation?

The Kirkpatrick Model of Evaluation is a popular approach to evaluating training programs. However, despite the model focusing on training programs specifically, it's broad enough to encompass any type of program evaluation.

For all practical purposes, though, training practitioners use the model to evaluate training programs and instructional design initiatives. It covers four distinct levels of evaluation:

Level 1: Reaction

Level 2: learning, level 3: behavior, level 4: results.

As you move from levels 1 through 4, the evaluation techniques become increasingly complex and the data generated becomes increasingly valuable.

Due to this increasing complexity as you get to levels 3 and 4 in the Kirkpatrick model, many training professionals and departments confine their evaluation efforts to levels 1 and 2. This leaves the most valuable data off of the table, which can derail many well intended evaluation efforts.

Finally, if you are a training professional, you may want to memorize each level of the model and what it entails; many practitioners will refer to evaluation activities by their level in the Kirkpatrick model.

If you're in the position where you need to evaluate a training program, you should also familiarize yourself with the techniques that we'll discuss throughout the article.

Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Training Evaluation

Now it's time to dive into the specifics of each level in the Kirkpatrick Model.

We move from level 1 to level 4 in this section, but it's important to note that these levels should be considered in reverse as you're developing your evaluation strategy. We address this further in the 'How to Use the Kirkpatrick Model' section.

Reaction data captures the participants' reaction to the training experience. Specifically, it refers to how satisfying, engaging, and relevant they find the experience.

This is the most common type of evaluation that departments carry out today. Training practitioners often hand out 'smile sheets' (or 'happy sheets') to participants at the end of a workshop or eLearning experience. Participants rate, on a scale of 1-5, how satisfying, relevant, and engaging they found the experience.

Level 1 data tells you how the participants feel about the experience, but this data is the least useful for maximizing the impact of the training program.

The purpose of corporate training is to improve employee performance, so while an indication that employees are enjoying the training experience may be nice, it does not tell us whether or not we are achieving our performance goal or helping the business.

With that being said, efforts to create a satisfying, enjoyable, and relevant training experience are worthwhile, but this level of evaluation strategy requires the least amount of time and budget. The bulk of the effort should be devoted to levels 2, 3, and 4.

Kirkpatrick Level 1 Evaluation Techniques

As discussed above, the most common way to conduct level 1 evaluation is to administer a short survey at the conclusion of a training experience. If it's an in-person experience, then this may be conducted via a paper handout, a short interview with the facilitator, or an online survey via an email follow-up.

If the training experience is online, then you can deliver the survey via email, build it directly into the eLearning experience, or create the survey in the Learning Management System (LMS) itself.

Common survey tools for training evaluation are Questionmark and SurveyMonkey.

Kirkpatrick Level 1 Evaluation Examples

Let's consider two real-life scenarios where evaluation would be necessary:

• A large technical support call center rolled out new screen sharing software for agents to use with the customers. They're providing training to teach the agents how to use the new software.
• An industrial coffee roastery company sells its roasters to regional roasteries, and they offer follow-up training on how to properly use and clean the machines.

In the call center example, imagine a facilitator hosting a one-hour webinar that teaches the agents when to use screen sharing, how to initiate a screen sharing session, and how to explain the legal disclaimers. They split the group into breakout sessions at the end to practice.

At the conclusion of the experience, participants are given an online survey and asked to rate, on a scale of 1 to 5, how relevant they found the training to their jobs, how engaging they found the training, and how satisfied they are with what they learned. There's also a question or two about whether they would recommend the training to a colleague and whether they're confident that they can use screen sharing on calls with live customers.

In the coffee roasting example, imagine a facilitator delivering a live workshop on-site at a regional coffee roastery. He teaches the staff how to clean the machine, showing each step of the cleaning process and providing hands-on practice opportunities.

Once the workshop is complete and the facilitator leaves, the manager at the roastery asks his employees how satisfied they were with the training, whether they were engaged, and whether they're confident that they can apply what they learned to their jobs. He records some of the responses and follows up with the facilitator to provide feedback.

In both of these examples, efforts are made to collect data about how the participants initially react to the training event; this data can be used to make decisions about how to best deliver the training, but it is the least valuable data when it comes to making important decisions about how to revise the training.

For example, if you find that the call center agents do not find the screen sharing training relevant to their jobs, you would want to ask additional questions to determine why this is the case. Addressing concerns such as this in the training experience itself may provide a much better experience to the participants.

Learning data tells us whether or not the people who take the training have learned anything. Specifically, it helps you answer the question: "Did the training program help participants learn the desired knowledge, skills, or attitudes?".

Level-two evaluation is an integral part of most training experiences. Assessment is a cornerstone of training design: think multiple choice quizzes and final exams.

This data is often used to make a decision about whether or not the participant should receive credit for the course; for example, many eLearning assessments require the person taking it to score an 80% or above to receive credit, and many licensing programs have a final test that you are required to pass.

Finally, while not always practical or cost-efficient, pre-tests are the best way to establish a baseline for your training participants. When you assess people's knowledge and skills both before and after a training experience, you are able to see much more clearly which improvements were due to the training experience.

Kirkpatrick Level 2 Evaluation Techniques

While written or computer-based assessments are the most common approach to collecting learning data, you can also measure learning by conducting interviews or observation.

For example, if you are teaching new drivers how to change a tire, you can measure learning by asking them to change a tire in front of you; if they are able to do so successfully, then that speaks to the success of the program; if they are not able to change the tire, then you may ask follow-up questions to uncover roadblocks and improve your training program as needed.

However, if you are measuring knowledge or a cognitive skill, then a multiple choice quiz or written assessment may be sufficient. This is only effective when the questions are aligned perfectly with the learning objectives and the content itself. If the questions are faulty, then the data generated from them may cause you to make unnecessary or counter-intuitive changes to the program.

Kirkpatrick Level 2 Evaluation Examples

Carrying the examples from the previous section forward, let's consider what level 2 evaluation would look like for each of them.

For the screen sharing example, imagine a role play practice activity. Groups are in their breakout rooms and a facilitator is observing to conduct level 2 evaluation. He wants to determine if groups are following the screen-sharing process correctly.

A more formal level 2 evaluation may consist of each participant following up with their supervisor; the supervisor asks them to correctly demonstrate the screen sharing process and then proceeds to role play as a customer. This would measure whether the agents have the necessary skills.

The trainers may also deliver a formal, 10-question multiple choice assessment to measure the knowledge associated with the new screen sharing process. They may even require that the agents score an 80% on this quiz to receive their screen sharing certification, and the agents are not allowed to screen share with customers until passing this assessment successfully.

In the industrial coffee roasting example, a strong level 2 assessment would be to ask each participant to properly clean the machine while being observed by the facilitator or a supervisor. Again, a written assessment can be used to assess the knowledge or cognitive skills, but physical skills are best measured via observation.

As we move into Kirkpatrick's third level of evaluation, we move into the high-value evaluation data that helps us make informed improvements to the training program.

Level 3 evaluation data tells us whether or not people are behaving differently on the job as a consequence of the training program. Since the purpose of corporate training is to improve performance and produce measurable results for a business, this is the first level where we are seeing whether or not our training efforts are successful.

While this data is valuable, it is also more difficult to collect than that in the first two levels of the model. On-the-job measures are necessary for determining whether or not behavior has changed as a result of the training.

Kirkpatrick Level 3 Evaluation Techniques

Reviewing performance metrics, observing employees directly, and conducting performance reviews are the most common ways to determine whether on-the-job performance has improved.

As far as metrics are concerned, it's best to use a metric that's already being tracked automatically (for example, customer satisfaction rating, sales numbers, etc.). If no relevant metrics are being tracked, then it may be worth the effort to institute software or a system that can track them.

However, if no metrics are being tracked and there is no budget available to do so, supervisor reviews or annual performance reports may be used to measure the on-the-job performance changes that result from a training experience.

Since these reviews are usually general in nature and only conducted a handful of times per year, they are not particularly effective at measuring on-the-job behavior change as a result of a specific training intervention. Therefore, intentional observation tied to the desired results of the training program should be conducted in these cases to adequately measure performance improvement.

Therefore, when level 3 evaluation is given proper consideration, the approach may include regular on-the-job observation, review of relevant metrics, and performance review data.

Kirkpatrick Level 3 Evaluation Examples

Bringing our previous examples into a level 3 evaluation, let's begin with the call center. With the roll-out of the new system, the software developers integrated the screen sharing software with the performance management software; this tracks whether a screen sharing session was initiated on each call.

Now, after taking the screen sharing training and passing the final test, call center agents begin initiating screen sharing sessions with customers. Every time this is done, a record is available for the supervisor to review.

On-the-job behavior change can now be viewed as a simple metric: the percentage of calls that an agent initiates a screen sharing session on. If this percentage is high for the participants who completed the training, then training designers can judge the success of their initiative accordingly. If the percentage is low, then follow-up conversations can be had to identify difficulties and modify the training program as needed.

In the coffee roasting example, the training provider is most interested in whether or not their workshop on how to clean the machines is effective. Supervisors at the coffee roasteries check the machines every day to determine how clean they are, and they send weekly reports to the training providers.

When the machines are not clean, the supervisors follow up with the staff members who were supposed to clean them; this identifies potential road blocks and helps the training providers better address them during the training experience.

Level 4 data is the most valuable data covered by the Kirkpatrick model; it measures how the training program contributes to the success of the organization as a whole. This refers to the organizational results themselves, such as sales, customer satisfaction ratings, and even return on investment (ROI). (In some spinoffs of the Kirkpatrick model, ROI is included as a fifth level, but there is no reason why level 4 cannot include this organizational result as well).

Many training practitioners skip level 4 evaluation. Organizations do not devote the time or budget necessary to measure these results, and as a consequence, decisions about training design and delivery are made without all of the information necessary to know whether it's a good investment.

By devoting the necessary time and energy to a level 4 evaluation, you can make informed decisions about whether the training budget is working for or against the organization you support.

Kirkpatrick Level 4 Evaluation Techniques

Similar to level 3 evaluation, metrics play an important part in level 4, too. At this level, however, you want to look at metrics that are important to the organization as a whole (such as sales numbers, customer satisfaction rating, and turnover rate).

If you find that people who complete a training initiative produce better metrics more than their peers who have not completed the training, then you can draw powerful conclusions about the initiative's success.

A great way to generate valuable data at this level is to work with a control group. Take two groups who have as many factors in common as possible, then put one group through the training experience. Watch how the data generated by each group compares; use this to improve the training experience in a way that will be meaningful to the business.

Again, level 4 evaluation is the most demanding and complex — using control groups is expensive and not always feasible. There are also many ways to measure ROI, and the best models will still require a high degree of effort without a high degree of certainty (depending on the situation).

Despite this complexity, level 4 data is by far the most valuable. This level of data tells you whether your training initiatives are doing anything for the business. If the training initiatives are contributing to measurable results, then the value produced by the efforts will be clear. If they are not, then the business may be better off without the training.

Kirkpatrick Level 4 Evaluation Examples

In our call center example, the primary metric the training evaluators look to is customer satisfaction rating. They decided to focus on this screen sharing initiative because they wanted to provide a better customer experience.

If they see that the customer satisfaction rating is higher on calls with agents who have successfully passed the screen sharing training, then they may draw conclusions about how the training program contributes to the organization's success.

For the coffee roastery example, managers at the regional roasteries are keeping a close eye on their yields from the new machines. When the machines are clean, less coffee beans are burnt.

As managers see higher yields from the roast masters who have completed the training, they can draw conclusions about the return that the training is producing for their business.

How to Use the Kirkpatrick Model

Now that we've explored each level of the Kirkpatrick's model and carried through a couple of examples, we can take a big-picture approach to a training evaluation need.

Consider this: a large telecommunications company is rolling out a new product nationwide. They want to ensure that their sales teams can speak to the product's features and match them to customer's needs — key tasks associated with selling the product effectively.

An average instructional designer may jump directly into designing and developing a training program. However, one who is well-versed in training evaluation and accountable for the initiative's success would take a step back.

From the outset of an initiative like this, it is worthwhile to consider training evaluation. Always start at level 4: what organizational results are we trying to produce with this initiative?

In this example, the organization is likely trying to drive sales. They have a new product and they want to sell it. Let's say that they have a specific sales goal: sell 800,000 units of this product within the first year of its launch.

Now the training team or department knows what to hold itself accountable to.

From there, we consider level 3. What on-the-job behaviors do sales representatives need to demonstrate in order to contribute to the sales goals? Working with a subject matter expert (SME) and key business stakeholders, we identify a list of behaviors that representatives would need to exhibit.

Now we move down to level 2. What knowledge and skills do employees need to learn to ensure that they can perform as desired on-the-job? We can assess their current knowledge and skill using surveys and pre-tests, and then we can work with our SMEs to narrow down the learning objectives even further.

Finally, we consider level 1. How should we design and deliver this training to ensure that the participants enjoy it, find it relevant to their jobs, and feel confident once the training is complete?

You can also identify the evaluation techniques that you will use at each level during this planning phase. You can map exactly how you will evaluate the program's success before doing any design or development, and doing so will help you stay focused and accountable on the highest-level goals.

Kirkpatrick Model of Evaluation Wrap-up

When it comes down to it, Kirkpatrick helps us do two things: understand our people and understand our business. What do our employees want? What are their anxieties? What's holding them back from performing as well as they could?

As far as the business is concerned, Kirkpatrick's model helps us identify how training efforts are contributing to the business's success. This is an imperative and too-often overlooked part of training design. If the training initiatives do not help the business, then there may not be sufficient reason for them to exist in the first place.

If you'd like to discuss evaluation strategy further or dive deeper into Kirkpatrick's model with other practitioners, then feel free to join the ID community .

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Article • 10 min read

Kirkpatrick's Model

Four levels of training evaluation.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

Any time you deliver training to your team, you need to know how effective it's been. Are your people putting their learning into practice? And, is it positively impacting their role and the wider organization?

Kirkpatrick's Four-Level Training Evaluation Model can help you to answer questions like these. You can use it to analyze the impact of training objectively, to work out how well your team members learned, and to improve their learning in the future.

In this article, developed with permission from Kirkpatrick Partners, we'll explore Kirkpatrick's model and how to apply it. We'll also consider situations where it may not be appropriate.

What Is the Kirkpatrick Model?

The Kirkpatrick Model is an internationally recognized tool for evaluating and analyzing the results of educational, training and learning programs. It consists of four levels of evaluation: Reaction, Learning, Behavior, and Results . Each successive level of the model represents a more precise measure of the effectiveness of a training program.

Donald Kirkpatrick, former Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin, first published his model in 1959. He updated it in 1975, and again in 1993, when he published his best-known work, " Evaluating Training Programs ."

Each successive level of the model represents a more precise measure of the effectiveness of a training program. It was developed further by Donald and his son, James; and then by James and his wife, Wendy Kayser Kirkpatrick.

In 2016, James and Wendy revised and clarified the original theory, and introduced the "New World Kirkpatrick Model" in their book, " Four Levels of Training Evaluation ." One of the main additions is an emphasis on the importance of making training relevant to people's everyday jobs.

Let's look at each level in greater detail, and explore how to apply it.

Kirkpatrick's Level 1: Reaction

You want people to feel that training is valuable. Measuring how engaged they were, how actively they contributed, and how they reacted to the training helps you to understand how well they received it.

It also enables you to make improvements to future programs, by identifying important topics that might have been missing.

Questions to ask trainees include:

• Did you feel that the training was worth your time?
• Did you think that it was successful?
• What were the biggest strengths and weaknesses of the training?
• Did you like the venue and presentation style?
• Did the training session accommodate your personal needs ?
• Were the training activities engaging?
• What are the three most important things that you learned from this training?
• From what you learned, what do you plan to apply in your job?
• What support might you need to apply what you learned?

Identify how you want to measure people's reactions. Many people use employee satisfaction surveys to do this, but you can also watch trainees' body language during the session, or ask for verbal feedback.

Analyze the feedback, and consider the changes that you could make in response.

Kirkpatrick's Level 2: Learning

Level 2 focuses on measuring what your trainees have and haven't learned. In the New World version of the tool, Level 2 also measures what they think they'll be able to do differently as a result, how confident they are that they can do it, and how motivated they are to make changes.

This demonstrates how training has developed their skills, attitudes and knowledge, as well as their confidence and commitment.

To measure how much your trainees have learned, start by identifying what you want to evaluate. Training sessions should have specific learning objectives , so make those your starting point.

You can measure learning in different ways, depending on the objectives. But it's helpful to measure these areas both before and after training.

Before the training begins, test your trainees to determine their knowledge, skill levels and attitudes. Then, when the training is finished, test your trainees a second time to measure what they have learned, or measure their learning with interviews or verbal assessments.

As a manager, you need to hold people accountable for improving their skills, and to offer them the support they need to do so.

Kirkpatrick's Level 3: Behavior

This level helps you to understand how well people apply their training. It can also reveal where people might need help. But behavior can only change when conditions are favorable.

Imagine that you're assessing your team members after a training session. You can see little change, and you conclude that they learned nothing, and that the training was ineffective.

It's possible, however, that they actually learned a lot, but that the organizational or team culture obstructs behavioral change. Perhaps existing processes mean that there's little scope to apply new thinking, for example.

As a result, your people don't feel confident in applying new knowledge, or see few opportunities to do so. Or, they may not have had enough time to put it into practice.

Be sure to develop processes that encourage, reinforce and reward positive changes in behavior. The New World Kirkpatrick Model calls these processes "required drivers." If a team member uses a new skill effectively, highlight this and praise him or her for it.

Effectively measuring behavior is a longer-term process that should take place over weeks or months following the initial training.

Questions to ask include:

• Did the trainees put any of their learning to use?
• Are trainees able to teach their new knowledge, skills or attitudes to other people?
• Are trainees aware that they've changed their behavior?

One of the best ways to measure behavior is to conduct observations and interviews. Another is to integrate the use of new skills into the tasks that you set your team, so that people have the chance to demonstrate what they know.

Managers need to be closely involved at this stage, assessing and coaching their team members in making behavior changes.

Kirkpatrick's Level 4: Results

At this level, you analyze the final results of your training. This includes outcomes that you or your organization have decided are good for business and good for your team members, and which demonstrate a good return on investment (ROI). (Some adapted versions of the model actually have a Level 5, dedicated to working out ROI.)

Level 4 will likely be the most costly and time-consuming. Your biggest challenge will be to identify which outcomes, benefits, or final results are most closely linked to the training, and to come up with an effective way to measure these outcomes in the long term.

Modern trainers often use the Kirkpatrick model backward , by first stating the results that they want to see, and then developing the training that is most likely to deliver them. This helps to prioritize the goals of the training and make it more effective.

Here are some outcomes to consider, depending on the objectives of your training:

• Increased employee retention.
• Increased production.
• Higher morale.
• Reduced waste.
• Increased sales.
• Higher quality ratings.
• Increased customer satisfaction.
• Fewer staff complaints.

Make a series of short-term observations and measurements to check that changes in behavior due to training are making a worthwhile difference to your team's performance. The New World Kirkpatrick Model calls these "leading indicators."

Reprinted with permission of Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., San Francisco, CA. From Evaluating Training Programs , © 1996 by Donald L.Kirkpatrick & James D Kirkpatrick. All rights reserved. www.bkconnection.com. Terms reproduced from The New World Kirkpatrick Model with permission from Kirkpatrick Partners .

Be sure to plan your training effectively. Our articles Training Needs Assessment and Gagne's Nine Levels of Learning can help you to do this.

Limitations of Kirkpatrick's Model

Kirkpatrick's model remains popular, but it should be used with care. The basic structure is now more than 60 years old (despite its many updates), and the ways that people learn and organizations operate has changed radically in this time. Even the term "training" has been largely replaced by "learning and development."

Today, other, non-formal methods of workplace training are often more popular and effective (as shown by the 70:20:10 model). And, with the rise of personalized, user-directed learning, formal training is becoming less prominent. Kirkpatrick's model is not necessarily suited to this new approach to learning.

Another drawback is that Levels 3 and 4, which arguably yield the most useful information for the business, are time-consuming, resource-intensive, and expensive to implement. So the model may not be practical for all organizations, especially if you don't have a dedicated training or HR department to conduct the analysis. And, it's not ideal for all situations, such as one-off training.

Most importantly, organizations change in many ways, and these changes affect behaviors and results, as well as training. For example, measurable improvements in retention and productivity could result from the arrival of a new boss, or from a new computer system, rather than training. Or it could be a combination of these.

Kirkpatrick's model is great for evaluating training in a "scientific" way, but with so many possible variables, Level 4 may be limited in its usefulness.

The New World Kirkpatrick Model seeks to address some of these challenges, by encouraging trainers and organizations to incorporate evaluation as part of the training design process.

The Kirkpatrick Four-Level Training Evaluation Model is designed to objectively measure the effectiveness of training. The model was created by Donald Kirkpatrick in 1959, with several revisions made since.

The four levels are:

• Kirkpatrick's Level 1: Reaction.
• Kirkpatrick's Level 2: Learning.
• Kirkpatrick's Level 3: Behavior.
• Kirkpatrick's Level 4: Results.

By analyzing each level, you can gain an understanding of how effective a training initiative was, and how to improve it in the future.

However, the model isn't practical in all situations, and measuring training effectiveness with it can be time-consuming and resource-intensive, so it should be used with caution.

Kirkpatrick, D. L.  and Kirkpatrick, J. D. (2016). ' Evaluating Training Programs ,' Oakland, CA: Berrett-Koehler.

Kirkpatrick, J. D. and Kirkpatrick, W. K. (2016). ' Four Levels of Training Evaluation ,' Alexandria, VA: ATD.

Kirkpatrick, J. D. and Kirkpatrick, W. K. (2018). 'Training Evaluation: It Doesn't Have to Be as Formal as You Think,' Training Industry [online]. Available here .

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Training Program Evaluation: How to Achieve Perfection

Table of Contents

This model suggests evaluating training programs across four levels: Reaction, Learning, Impact, and Results. Let’s delve into each level.

Level 1: Reaction

Once learners complete your course, assess their reactions. Have them fill out a survey, asking questions such as:

• How satisfied are you with the training experience?
• Did the training content meet your expectations?
• Did you learn anything new? 
• How would you rate the quality of the training?
• Do you find this training useful?

For more nuanced feedback, consider a Likert scale survey . Unlike binary questions, a Likert scale survey offers shades of opinion beyond simple yes/no answers, which can enrich your evaluation insights.

Level 2: Learning

Measure how much was learned in the course. For example, consider using online quizzes to gauge the knowledge and skills your learners gained or missed out on during training. For even more accurate insights, some companies opt for pre-quizzes. This approach lets you clearly understand what your learners knew before starting the course and what they have learned by completing it.

Level 3: Behavior

Observe any changes in an employee’s behavior following the training. The most effective way to do this is to use 360-degree feedback — gather evaluations from the employee’s colleagues, supervisors, and subordinates before and after the course. This comparison reveals the training’s impact on behavior.

Level 4: Results

This level is the cornerstone of training evaluation. After all, better results are the primary goal of corporate training. Assess the impact of your course on the business by assessing subsequent improvements in quality, efficiency, productivity, and customer satisfaction.

Although The Kirkpatrick Model is extremely effective, it has some limitations we need to mention:

• Limited application . It can only tell you whether your training works or not. That means if you use this model, you won’t get data that helps improve the course per se. 
• Questionable structure . The idea of linear causality suggested by Don Kirkpatrick lacks substantial backing. This means there’s no guarantee that positive feedback at one level ensures success at the next.

Don Kirkpatrick himself recognized these issues and suggested a better way of using his method: begin with the end in mind. By starting from the desired outcomes and working backward through the four levels during the design phase, you can tailor your training program to achieve your specific goals.

The Phillips ROI Model

You can think of the Phillips ROI model as an upgrade to Kirkpatrick’s framework. It mirrors the levels of The Kirkpatrick Model, with a crucial addition at the end — return on investment ( ROI ). Unlike The Kirkpatrick Model, which focuses on Return on Expectations (ROE), the ROI model can actually let you know if it was the right decision to invest in a training program.

How to measure ROI with the Phillips model:

Collect data on the status before, during, and after the training to assess its impact on your company’s earnings, productivity, and performance. Then, compare the training cost to the benefits it provides. If the benefits to the company’s bottom line surpass the costs, you’re on the right track. If they don’t, pinpoint which level or levels of training evaluation fell short and refine your training approach.

Kaufman’s Five Levels of Evaluation

Building on the Kirkpatrick Model, Roger Kaufman introduced a five-level framework. He split the first level into two parts, combined Kirkpatrick’s second and third levels into ‘micro’ levels, and introduced a fifth level to assess outcomes for both customers and society.

Here’s how to use Kaufman’s five levels of evaluation:

Level 1a: Input

Track the resources, like time and money, that were invested in your training program.

Level 1b: Process

Gauge how participants felt about the course.

Level 2: Acquisition

To assess the specific benefits of your training, check if it meets the goals for individual learners or small groups. This involves finding out whether your learners have gained new knowledge and skills.

Level 3: Application

Assess learners’ ability to apply new knowledge and skills to their work.

Level 4: Organizational payoffs

Measure payoffs for your company as a whole. A payoff can be an improvement in employee performance, a reduction in costs, or increased profits.

Level 5: Societal Outcomes

At the final level, you are to evaluate the impact that your course has on what Kaufman calls ‘mega-level clients.’ By these, he means business clients or society.

Kaufman’s framework isn’t entirely applicable to real-world scenarios. Measuring how much impact your training has on society is often too costly, complex, and impractical. However, Kaufman introduced some valuable concepts, such as dividing the first level into two and evaluating the content you deliver and the resources you invest separately. Some of his levels can serve as enhancements to your basic model.

The CIRO Model

CIRO stands for Context, Input, Reaction, and Output. This model is designed for evaluating management training. So, if you want to assess management courses, it is an ideal choice.

Stage 1: Content

Assess your company’s current situation. Identify all the factors that could influence the training results. At this stage, also pinpoint where your organization falls short in performance. As a result, you’ll have a list of needs that should be organized according to the following three levels:

The ultimate objective

The ultimate objective is the elimination of organizational shortcomings, such as poor customer service, low productivity, or low profit.

Intermediate objectives

These are the steps needed to reach the ultimate objective. They often involve changes in employee behavior.

Immediate objectivesAs immediate objectives can help change employees’ behavior, they usually involve the acquisition of new skills and knowledge from training, or shifts in their attitudes.

Stage 2: Input

At this stage, your aim is to pinpoint the optimal training intervention. Explore all possible methods and techniques for training. Also, think about how you will design, manage, and deliver your course to your learners. Assess your company’s resources to figure out the most effective way to use them to achieve your objectives.

Stage 3: Reaction

At this stage, collect feedback from your learners about the course. Focus on three key areas:

• Program content
• Value addition

Your goal isn’t just to find out if they liked or disliked the course, but also to gather insights on any changes they suggest for the training program. Note their recommendations for future improvements.

Stage 4: Output

In this stage, it’s time to showcase the outcomes of the training through four distinct levels of measurement:

• Learner 
• Workplace 
• Team or department 
• Business 

Select the level that aligns with your evaluation’s objective and the resources you have.

Anderson’s Model of Learning Evaluation

Unlike other models, Anderson’s Value of Learning Model takes a broader perspective, concentrating on a company’s overall learning strategy instead of just a specific training program. It consists of three stages that help to identify the most suitable learning strategy for your organization’s needs.

Determine if the existing learning programs align with your company’s strategic priorities. Going back to our example, suppose that the strategic goal is to boost sales and strengthen market position. Does the training for salespeople target these objectives? The answer is yes.

Evaluate the impact of learning on strategic outcomes. At this point, our company uses different measures to assess how much effect the training has had on accomplishing the primary goals. By analyzing the data, we find that the program boosted sales numbers. However, it didn’t result in a larger market share for the company. Moreover, as time passed, we observed a decline in customer numbers because the waiting time was too long.

Select the most relevant approaches for your company. The choice of approach depends on stakeholders’ goals and values. Anderson introduced four categories of measurement:

• Emphasis on short-term benefits 
• Emphasis on long-term benefits
• Senior management trust in learning contribution 
• The organization requires learning value metrics

Below is a table designed to help you identify the best approach for your organization.

You should choose a category that’s relevant to your situation and establish an approach that will help fulfill your organizational needs.

Training Evaluation Tools

Training evaluation tools are what you use to assess training programs. They typically fall into four categories: questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, and observations. We’ll also include an additional one — LMS reporting. For the most thorough and accurate assessment, it’s common to use these training evaluation methods together. Now, let’s look at each one in greater detail.

Questionnaires

Questionnaires stand as the most frequently used method for training evaluation. They consist of a set of questions designed to gather valuable insights from participants. This tool is great for assessing learners’ reactions after a program.

• Enables the collection of a large amount of information
• Economical in terms of costs
• Reaches a broad audience
• Often results in a low response rate
• Might include unreliable responses
• Cannot clarify vague answers
• Questions can be interpreted subjectively by participants

There is a broad range of software for creating quizzes and surveys. For interactive, customizable, and engaging questionnaires, consider giving iSpring Suite a try. This software enables you to design 14 different types of questions, add images to both questions and answers, and use many other features to assemble questionnaires that truly deliver results.

Moreover, iSpring Suite isn’t just for evaluating your training programs — it’s also a powerful tool for creating them. This toolkit lets you develop online courses directly in PowerPoint and enhance them with quizzes, role-plays, screen recordings, and interactions. To get a sense of the kinds of courses and questionnaires you can create with iSpring Suite, take a look at this interactive module.

Interviews are designed to collect both opinions and facts. They offer a deeper dive than questionnaires into employees’ attitudes, behaviors, and mindsets. Interviews aren’t restricted to traditional face-to-face formats; they can also be conducted over the phone or online.

• Provides an enhanced understanding of employees’ perspectives
• Allows you to ask clarifying questions
• Offers flexibility
• Requires a significant investment of time 
• Limited reach, addressing learners one-on-one

Focus groups

This method combines the best of both questionnaires and interviews, allowing you to reach a broad audience while also gathering deep insights. If you’re in search of qualitative data to gain a comprehensive understanding of employees’ viewpoints but lack the resources for individual interviews, focus groups could be the solution. 

Just group individuals based on specific traits relevant to your target audience, like job area, common performance errors, or age. Then, facilitate a group discussion to gather their reactions, insights, feedback, and recommendations.

• Gathers detailed feedback from multiple individuals simultaneously
• Allows for targeted questions to gain specific insights
• Requires a considerable amount of time
• Needs a team for management, including a moderator and an assistant
• Requires an environment that is conducive to open and honest communication

Observations

Observation is perhaps the most effective method to witness changes in behavior and attitude after training. It stands out because it doesn’t depend upon what employees say about themselves or others. By simply observing someone at work, you can see firsthand if they’re applying new skills and knowledge. However, this approach does have its limitations.

• Cost-effective
• Offers a realistic perspective, free from opinion bias
• Captures valuable non-verbal information
• Can be implemented upon completion of the course
• Requires time, focusing on one individual at a time
• Might provide unreliable information, as people tend to improve their behavior when observed
• Observations can be misinterpreted
• Fails to uncover the reasons behind an employee’s attitude or behavior

LMS reporting

A learning management system (LMS) is software for delivering online programs to your learners. Within this system, there is another system, LMS reporting , that collects and analyzes data from your online programs. This functionality enables you to identify the weaknesses in your courses. Imagine that you’ve developed a training program and rolled it out to your employees. If you notice a lack of visible progress over time, consult the LMS reports.

There, you might notice that most of your employees abandoned the course at a specific point. You identify this section in the program, analyze for potential gaps, and then address them. Over time, you’ll see the results — employees continue the course and finish it successfully.

• Automates the evaluation process
• Offers objective feedback from the system
• Easily identifies weaknesses in the training program
• Available 24/7
• Limited to online programs only
• Doesn’t delve into the reasons behind an employee’s attitude or behavior.

Discover the advantages of an LMS and its reporting capabilities firsthand by signing up for

a free trial of iSpring Learn . Beyond generating reports, iSpring Learn allows you to build courses, incorporate gamification into your eLearning, automate routine tasks, and much more.

When Is the Best Time to Evaluate Training?

Training programs can be evaluated either while they are being developed or after they’ve been delivered. These evaluation methods are known as formative and summative, respectively. Let’s dive deeper into each type.

Before training is launched (formative)

Formative evaluation helps you identify and resolve issues in your course before it reaches learners. You might conduct a user acceptance test to ensure that the eLearning platform functions well, or invite a focus group or a subject matter expert to review the training to uncover any potential weaknesses or mistakes.

After training is completed (summative)

Summative evaluation occurs once learners have finished the course. It involves methods like surveys, interviews, and tests to gather feedback from participants. This feedback enables you to refine the program for future learners.

Both evaluation types are crucial for enhancing training programs. Ideally, a company should assess their training both before and after delivery. However, resources may not always permit this comprehensive approach. Yet, opting for even one evaluation type can still significantly improve your training system.

There are numerous evaluation methods and tools available to assess training programs, each with its advantages and drawbacks. This variety means there’s no need to pin down a single “best” approach. However, it’s safe to say that employing a mix of models and tools, tailored to your company’s specific goals and objectives, is the most effective evaluation strategy.

We hope you found this article useful. Now that you understand how to evaluate training programs, make sure to explore how to develop training programs . Good luck!

for your mission-critical project

Content creator:

Helen Colman

She enjoys combining in-depth research with expert knowledge of the industry. If you have eLearning insights that you’d like to share, please get in touch .

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Updated on: 30 Oct 2023 , 23 mins to read

Training Evaluation Methods: A comprehensive guide to techniques & tools

Imagine a bustling, sun-drenched coffee shop. Lisa, a dedicated HR manager, anxiously flips through a stack of training program reports. She’s sipping her coffee not for pleasure, but to calm her racing thoughts. How can she effectively prove the investment of time and resources in employee training and development was worthwhile?

If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. Lisa knows this, and that’s why she’s on a mission. She’s like a detective searching for clues. Determined to unlock the mysteries of a training program assessment. And just like Lisa, all HR managers are on a relentless quest for answers.

This is why we’ve put together this guide to employee training evaluation methods. It’s a go-to resource for evaluating training programs. Plus, a way to understand what’s making training efforts shine and what’s holding them back and improve it.

Let’s uncover the secrets of what’s making training programs successful, what’s not, and why. Get ready to explore the practical topics ahead and transform your organization by measuring training effectiveness, like:

• Select the appropriate training evaluation technique
• Determine what you’ll measure

How to choose the right training evaluation tools

Select the right training evaluation techniques.

When it comes to the evaluation of training programs, it’s best to start at the beginning. So before you decide what to measure, or how to measure it, choose the evaluation technique that’s most helpful for your needs.

Not sure which training evaluation techniques are on the menu? Here are some of the most popular methods used today.

What are the training evaluation methods?

There’s a long (and we mean long!) list of training evaluation techniques to choose from, and this can be overwhelming. But there are five techniques that are most often trusted by companies today. Some of these techniques are referred to as models, or training evaluation methods, and we’ll use these terms interchangeably.

• Kirkpatrick’s four-level training evaluation model
• The Phillips ROI model

Kaufman’s five levels of evaluation

• Anderson’s model of learning evaluation
• Summative vs Formative evaluation
• CIPP Model (Context, Input, Process, Product)
• Qualitative Data Analysis

#1 Kirkpatrick’s four-level training evaluation model

This method of evaluating training programs might be one of the oldest, but it’s still one of the most well-loved. Why? Because it breaks the training evaluation process down into 4 simple levels —or rather, steps. Here’s how it works:

• Step 1: Evaluate learners’ reactions to training. This is commonly measured after training. Ask learners to complete a survey about their overall satisfaction with the learning experience.
• Step 2: Measure what was learned during training. Use assessments to measure how much knowledge and skills have changed from before to after training.
• Step 3: Assess whether or not (and how much) behavior has changed as a result of training. The best way to measure behavior change is through workplace observations and comparing 360-degree reviews from pre- and post-training.
• Step 4: The final and most important step is to evaluate the impact of your employee training program on business results. Here, it’s common to measure results like productivity, quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction ratings.

In modern times, professionals have suggested that this process should actually be reversed. After all, step 4 is the most important one. If you agree with this approach, start by identifying the results you want to achieve, and work backward from there.

Whichever direction you choose to apply the steps toward, the eLearning industry has come to rely on Kirkpatrick’s model for good reason. Its logical, staged approach is easy to apply for measuring training effectiveness, and once the evaluation is complete, you’ll have a deep and wide understanding of employee learning during training.

#2 The Phillips ROI model

This model is the same as Kirkpatrick’s (see technique above), but with an extra step. The fifth step of the Phillips ROI model is to evaluate the program’s Return On Investment (ROI). To do this, you need to measure the difference between your training cost and training results.

When the results of training are so great that they exceed the cost, then you’ve achieved a positive training ROI. You can pat yourself on the back and continue the great work.

When the cost of training is larger than the results, something needs to change. But what?

The amazing thing about using methods like the Phillips ROI model is that it’s easy to spot the areas that need improvement. Let’s look at an example:

Imagine that you measure positive results at steps 1 and 2 of the evaluation process, but not at steps 3 and up. This tells you that learners enjoyed the training experience (step 1), and that they demonstrated new knowledge and skills when they were tested after training (step 2). However, when it came to changing their behavior in the workplace (step 3), something went wrong.

You might do some investigation and discover after your training evaluation that managers aren’t encouraging employees to practice their new skills on the job. Maybe they’re even discouraging it. Once you fix that broken link in the chain by getting managers to support training, your ROI improves.

Kaufman’s model is another one of the training evaluation methods that takes Kirkpatrick’s approach a step further. You can think of this model as Kirkpatrick’s, but with a twist. This is what it looks like in practice:

• Step 1a: Measure the resources that were invested into your training program, like time and costs in developing materials.
• Step 1b: Evaluate learners’ reaction to the training process. (This step is similar to the first step in Kirkpatrick’s model.)
• Step 2: Assess whether or not the training objectives for individual learners or small teams were met. For example, did they learn new skills? The focus here is on individual (or micro) benefits of training.
• Step 3: Measure the practical impact of the benefits in Step 2. For example, are employees applying their new skills on their job? This is similar to Kirkpatrick’s third step.
• Step 4: Measure the greater (or macro) benefits for the business, like increased profitability or reduced costs. Think of this as step 4 of Kirkpatrick’s model.
• Step 5: Evaluate the effectiveness of your employee training program in relation to societal benefits. For example, how did training improve your company’s ability to add value to its clients or society as a whole?

The main advantage of using Kaufman’s Five Levels, rather than Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels, is Step 1a. Evaluating the benefits of training against the resources invested in training gives you ROI. And the great thing about ROI is that it can be a very persuasive tool when requesting more training resources from company leaders.

This model could be difficult to apply in reality, particularly when it comes to step 5. If you’re wondering how to evaluate a training program in a way that’s more focused on your business strategy than society as a whole, this next one’s for you.

#3 Anderson’s model of learning evaluation

This is one of the training managers’ favorite training evaluation methods for training, because it helps them keep their business strategy a priority. And what happens when your training directly supports your strategic priorities? Success!

The easiest way to explain this technique is with an example.

Imagine that a private healthcare facility only has enough staff and equipment to treat 100 patients with the level of care they promise. Now, suppose that their training manager develops a program to help the marketing team win new patients.

If the training is effective, and many new patients are admitted to the facility, the business is at risk of taking on too many patients. The increased volume might have a negative impact on the level of care patients receive, which could damage the facility’s reputation.

On the other hand, a training program that gives nurses the knowledge and skills to avoid waste, and thus reduce costs, would benefit the business. So, quite simply, this model ensures that training is delivered (and evaluated) where it’s needed the most.

If you’re interested in this technique, then follow the three stages of Anderson’s Model:

• Stage 1: Evaluate your current training programs against the business’ strategic priorities. If we return to the healthcare facility example above, we’d realize that there is a misalignment between the training program that aims to increase patients, and the strategic priority to deliver high-quality care for patients.
• Stage 2: Measure the contribution of training to strategic results. For example, a training program that helps nurses reduce waste could be measured by the percentage of decrease in material costs at the healthcare facility.
• Stage 3: Find the most relevant approaches for your company. Here’s where you decide whether the ROI is worthwhile. This final step will depend on your company’s approach. For example, you might compare the contribution you measured in stage 2 to the resources that were invested in training. Or, you might ask whether the percentage of decrease in costs was big enough: did it meet your expectations?

If you’re not satisfied with the ROI measured in stage 3, then it’s time to make some improvements to your training programs.

#4 Summative vs Formative evaluation

A thorough evaluation will give you the best insight into the drawbacks of your training. So, it’s important to know how to assess a training program both while it’s being developed (formative evaluation), and after it’s been delivered (summative evaluation).

Let’s dive a little deeper.

Formative techniques of training evaluation aim to catch problems (and fix them) early on, before they negatively impact learning. For example, before a new course is delivered, you might run a user-acceptance test to ensure that the platform is user-friendly. Or, you could ask a Subject Matter Expert to evaluate the course content against the difficulty level of training assessments.

Summative techniques are also known as post-training evaluation techniques, because they happen after training is completed. Typical examples include Kirkpatrick’s four levels of training evaluation and Anderson’s model of learning evaluation.

#5 CIPP Model

This model consists of four steps: context, input, process, and product. It’s an evaluation method to assess and improve programs, including training programs. Daniel Stufflebeam developed this cyclical and iterative process to focus on evaluating programs while considering many aspects.

When the training evaluation at each stage is complete, the findings are used to make adjustments and improvements if necessary. This method allows managers and HR experts to ensure the training program remains responsive to changing needs. Or it is being continuously improved over time to achieve better outcomes and enhance the training effectiveness.

Here’s how it works:

• Context evaluation: This stage explores the broader environment in which the training program operates. It helps understand the needs, goals, and constraints. Collect information about the organization’s mission, goals, culture, and external factors. For instance, regulatory requirements or industry trends. Then, assess the target audience’s characteristics and needs.
• Input evaluation: During this stage, organizations focus on the training resources and materials. Are they available or appropriate for achieving training goals? Examine the curriculum, training materials, instructional methods, staff qualifications, and funding. Assess whether these inputs are aligned with the program’s objectives, if they are sufficient, or high-quality.
• Process evaluation: How is the training program being implemented? This stage assesses if the training program is being executed effectively and efficiently. Get data on the delivery of training. For example, instructional methods, participant engagement, and training experience. Then, look for areas of improvement and opportunities to boost the program’s delivery.
• Product evaluation: The last stage focuses on the outcomes and impact of the training program. Does it achieve its intended results? Has it made a positive impact? Gather information on participants’ knowledge, skills, and behaviors after training. Assess the overall effectiveness of the program and its alignment with the goals established in the context evaluation.

#6 Qualitative data analysis

This evaluation method focuses on understanding and interpreting non-numerical data. For example, interviews, focus group discussions, open-ended survey responses, written reflections, and other narrative data. The effectiveness of training programs is being evaluated by exploring participants’ experiences, perceptions, and qualitative changes in behavior or attitudes.

Qualitative data analysis offers a deep and rich understanding of participants’ experiences. It offers insights that quantitative methods may miss. Managers uncover the “why” and “how” behind changes in participants’ attitudes and behaviors. This contributes to a more comprehensive assessment of the training program’s effectiveness.

Let’s explore how qualitative data analysis works:

• Data collection: Conduct interviews, focus group discussions, open-ended surveys, or gather written reflections from training participants. Then, collect his data and discover if this information is relevant to the training program’s goals and objectives.
• Data organization: The next step is to organize and document the qualitative data. Transcribe interviews or discussions, group similar responses, and ensure the data is manageable for analysis.
• Data coding: Identify themes, patterns, and key concepts within the data. Assign codes to segments of data to categorize and label common ideas, opinions, or experiences.
• Data analysis: Explore the coded data and identify recurring themes and trends. Look for connections between responses and assess how the training influenced participants’ knowledge, behaviors, or attitudes.
• Interpretation: Interpret the findings. Draw conclusions about the training program by providing explanations for the observed patterns and making sense of the data in the context of the program’s goals.
• Reporting and presentation: Report the results of the qualitative data analysis through descriptions, thematic summaries, and participants’ quotations. Use charts, graphs, or visual representations to present findings clearly.
• Action and improvement: The insights gained help in improving training programs. Use this information to refine training materials, teaching methods, or the overall training approach. The goal is to better meet the needs and expectations of training participants.

Determine what you’ll measure when evaluating your employee training program

Before you evaluate the effectiveness of your employee training program, you need to decide what the indicators of “effectiveness” are. Is training a success when employees become better at their jobs? Or is a happier, healthier company culture a sign that training is working? Is it, maybe, both?

The point is, you’ll probably want to include more than one measure of training effectiveness. The more measures you include, the more information you’ll have to help you improve your program.

Let’s explore which are the training effectiveness measures you should focus on.

New skills and knowledge

When it comes to learning, training is the pillar. For example, if you were training sales staff in persuasion techniques, you’d want them to be more persuasive when the training is over. This makes the acquisition of new skills and knowledge one of the top measures of training effectiveness.

The measure of knowledge and skills development is sometimes referred to as “learning performance” because it relates to an employee’s performance as a learner rather than their performance on the job. There are lots of easy ways to evaluate learner performance using a learning management system (LMS), but we’ll discuss those in the next section of this article.

Learning experience

One measure of training effectiveness that’s often overlooked, even when using the best types of training evaluation methods, is the learning experience. Why does this matter? Because when the learning experience is poor, employees are less likely to engage with training content, which means that they’re less likely to learn the skills that will make them better at their jobs.

This, of course, is a big problem. In fact, it could result in loads of time and resources being wasted on a training program that never achieved its objectives. So, be sure to measure employees’ perceptions of training delivery and content. Their post-training feedback could be one of the best ways to measure training effectiveness, offering the best tips for improving your training.

Employee happiness

Did you know that for many employees, learning is the number one reason they feel happy at work? This is because learning helps employees to grow and develop, and often opens up new career opportunities, too. Wouldn’t that make you happy?

And the great thing about happy employees is that they tend to work harder, stay committed for longer, and produce better results. So, while employee happiness might sound like a strange indicator at first, it’s actually one of the best results you can hope to see for your business.

Cultural impact

If you’ve never considered measuring the impact of training on your company’s culture, it’s time to start. Culture is the special ingredient that makes your business unique in a highly competitive world. So, you need to protect it with training that fosters workplace norms and values that are good for business.

When you deliver employee onboarding training, sensitivity training, or anything else that might impact culture, make sure to evaluate success based on culture. You can do this by looking for changes in the number of HR complaints (for example, harassment) after training, or assessing peer review scores for teamwork and positive attitudes.

Efficiency impact

So far we’ve mentioned four measures to use when you evaluate the impact of your employee training program, but none of them are business results. So, for this next measure we’ll look at the impact of training on the efficiency of employees or teams.

Efficiency can be measured in different ways depending on your industry and the specific department you’re training. For example, a manufacturing company might train their assembly line staff on new equipment, and then measure how many more units can be completed per day. On the other hand, an online tech business could measure how many tickets their customer support team closes after completing a training program.

Financial impact

Finally, it’s crucial to evaluate the real impact of a company’s employee training program on its financial position. The real economic impact of your training can be measured by changes in revenue and profit .

When training is successful, and all the measures of training effectiveness you use show positive results, then you should see an increase in sales and income, or a reduction in costs – or both. When it’s both, you’ll certainly also benefit from a rise in profits.

You wouldn’t measure length with a thermometer, right?

So, before you start collecting information about the results of your training, make sure that you have the right tools for the job. Here are some of the most common training evaluation tools to choose from. Feel free to use more than just one to measure training effectiveness and track employee training.

Observations

This is the process of observing employees as they complete a task or process, or engage in a team activity. Often, the observer will use a journal to record what they see (it’s true, even the best evaluators can’t remember everything!).

There are many advantages to using observation as a training evaluation tool. You get to observe learning and behavior changes in a real workplace setting, and it costs nothing more than the observer’s time. It also tends to be more accurate than self-report questionnaires which can be biased, or influenced by poor memory.

Still, this tool has some downsides. First, you need to find someone objective and knowledgeable with enough time on their hands to watch each employee for an hour or more. Then, even if you find an observer, there’s the risk that employee behavior will change simply because they know they’re being watched. This can skew the results.

Sometimes, though, observation is the best tool. This is especially true when behavior changes aren’t easy to measure quantitatively. For example, sales skills are easy to measure by the number of sales an employee makes. Creativity, on the other hand, is tough to measure on the job. So, observing an employee’s creative ideas and input during meetings is a good solution.

Tests are a great way to measure changes in knowledge and skills, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Written assignments can be time-consuming to grade, but luckily the right LMS will give you the tools to create automatically-graded quizzes that are fun and interactive, too.

Perhaps the best part about tests is that you can measure a specific skill or knowledge area without the distraction of being observed. For example, you could measure a medical sales rep’s understanding of a new product with a few multiple-choice questions completed in a private and quiet environment. Plus, once you’ve set up a quiz on your LMS, you don’t have to invest any more time into this tool.

But there’s a catch. Tests usually don’t measure knowledge and skills in the same environment in which they’ll be used—the workplace, that is. So you won’t know whether an employee is able to apply what they’ve learned when there are other distractions and pressures at play.

It’s also worth mentioning that tests aren’t the best measure for skills like persuasion, which are better assessed in practice (think role-plays). And when it comes to skills for high-risk jobs, like pilots and surgeons, tests aren’t enough on their own. More realistic training assessments, like simulations, are necessary, too.

Perhaps one of the most common training evaluation tools and techniques used today is the survey. A survey, or training evaluation questionnaire, collects data through a series of questions, usually in the form of multiple choice.

Why are surveys so popular? Probably because they’re highly efficient to measure training effectiveness. You can design one survey, and send it out to millions of employees at the click of a button. If your survey is delivered via your employee training software, it gets even better, because you can access the results as an easy-to-interpret and downloadable report.

There’s just one important limitation that you should know about: not many people like questionnaires. 45% of people are not willing to spend more than 5 minutes filling out a feedback survey. So it’s important to explain to employees that surveys help you improve training, and that you really do want to hear their feedback.

Because surveys ask for people’s perceptions and opinions, rather than hard data, this tool is best suited to measuring how successful the learning experience was. You can ask employees what they liked about training, whether the platform was easy to use, and if the content was useful to improving their work.

Interviews can be conducted face-to-face or online for training evaluation. But either way, they’re as effective as questionnaires—and even more so. Why? Because not only can you ask employees a set of questions, but you can answer their questions and delve deeper into their responses, too. This flexibility often means that you get more valuable and detailed information from employees about their training.

Unfortunately, the same flexibility can result in a few problems for this evaluation tool. Each interview has to be conducted separately, which means that you lose valuable time that both the employee and the interviewer could be using to get work done. Plus, if each interview includes slightly different questions, it can become tricky to compare or summarize results.

Still, if you’re exploring the reasons behind other results, this is the tool to do it. For example, if most employees rate the learning experience poorly on a questionnaire, then interviews could help you find out why. Or, if they rate the learning experience favorably, but don’t improve on-the-job performance, you could use interviews to identify the reason for this gap.

Focus groups

Focus groups are carefully facilitated discussions among a small group of employees who all completed the same training. These are great tools for exploring what employees think and feel about training, and to get suggestions for future improvements.

Of course, focus groups are a little less time-consuming than interviews, because you can question a number of people at the same time. A group dialogue can also lead to deeper conversations about topics that might not have been explored in a one-to-one setting.

This makes interviews a particularly effective way to unpack obstacles to training success, and to explore ideas for improvement. Just watch out for group conflict or any other dynamics that could damage your ability to gather constructive information about training.

Performance records

If training doesn’t improve job performance, it isn’t working. So, performance records are surely an important measure to include in any training evaluation. The performance records you choose to use will depend on your training. But some common examples are deals closed, support tickets solved, units made and customer satisfaction ratings.

The biggest advantage of performance records is that they’re based on numbers, not opinions. This makes them free from bias, and a trusted source of information to judge your training success by. Plus, if your LMS software integrates with your HR tool, you can compare training and performance records more easily.

The only downside when it comes to performance records is that they sometimes create more questions than they answer. Yup, performance data shows you where a problem exists, but not why it exists. So to get to the bottom of “why”, you’ll need to leverage more qualitative tools, like interviews or focus groups.

Unlocking success: Next steps

If excellent training results are a top priority for you, then you need to find ways to continuously improve your training program. Just follow the three steps in this article.

Start by deciding on a training evaluation method, then select your measurements, and choose the right training evaluation tools. Once you’ve set up the right method for you, it will be much easier to evaluate and improve your employee training program. And your colleagues will be celebrating your training success in no time!

Save time, frustration and money with TalentLMS, the most-affordable and user-friendly learning management system on the market. Try it for free for as long as you want and discover why our customers consistently give us 4.5 stars (out of 5!)

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Originally published on: 13 Nov 2019 | Tags: Corporate Training , Employee Training

Elena Koumparaki - Content Writer

Elena blends, real-world data and storytelling for impactful L&D and HR content. Always on trend, her engaging work addresses today's needs. More by Elena!

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• Determine the evaluation purpose
• Develop the evaluation questions
• Choose the data collection methods

Tools and Resources

Training evaluation is the systematic process of collecting information and using that information to improve your training. Evaluation provides feedback to help you identify if your training achieved your intended outcomes, and helps you make decisions about future trainings.

How to Make an Evaluation Plan

Evaluation is the final phase in the ADDIE model , but you should think about your evaluation plan early in the training design process. Work with training developers and other stakeholders to identify:

• the evaluation purpose,
• the evaluation questions,
• and the data collection methods.

Your training stakeholders might include the intended audience, organizational leaders, or others with an interest in the training.

1. Determine the evaluation purpose.

An evaluation purpose explains why you are conducting an evaluation. To help shape your evaluation purpose, consider who will use the findings, how they will use them, and what they need to know.

You might use training evaluation findings to:

• Develop a new training
• Improve an existing training
• Provide instructor feedback
• Determine if your training met the desired outcomes
• Make decisions about resource allocation

Evaluation Purpose Examples

• You have an online training, and find that many learners start but do not complete the training. You want to do an evaluation to determine how to improve completions.
• Your program invests heavily in classroom training. You need to know if the trainings are effective to justify the resources your program is using.

2. Develop the evaluation questions.

Create evaluation questions that match your purpose. Evaluation questions are broad, overarching questions that support your evaluation purpose—they are not specific test or survey questions for learners to answer. Evaluation questions are often focused in one of two categories: process or outcome.

Process  evaluation questions focus on the training itself—things like the content, format, and delivery of the training.

Process Evaluation Question Examples

• To what extent does the training meet CDC’s Quality Training Standards ?
• To what extent did the training reach the intended audience?
• How can we make the training more engaging?

Outcome evaluation questions focus on changes in the training participants – things like learning and the transfer of learning. For more information, see Training Effectiveness .

Outcome Evaluation Question Examples

• How much did learners’ knowledge increase?
• To what extent were learning objectives met?
• To what extent did learners apply what they learned when they returned to work after the training?

3. Choose the data collection methods.

Choose data collection methods that will help you answer your evaluation questions. Common methods include tests or quizzes, surveys or questionnaires, observation, expert or peer review, and interviews and focus groups. Identify how long it will take to access this data and how often you will collect it. Develop a timeline for when to collect, analyze, and interpret data so that you will have the information ready when you need it.

Keep feasibility in mind when you select data collection methods. The resources, time and effort required in your evaluation plan should match the scope of the training, and should fit within your available resources.

• NEW! Example Postcourse and Follow-Up Evaluations [DOC – 95 KB]
• Five Levels of Professional Development Evaluation
• Evaluation Questions Checklist for Program Evaluation [PDF – 256 KB]

Related Information

• Basic Principles of Survey Question Development
• CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program Evaluation Tip Sheet: Evaluating Training Events [PDF – 845 KB]
• Learning-Transfer Evaluation Model
• Training Evaluation Framework and Tools

Patton MQ. Utilization-focused evaluation: The new century text. 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1997.

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Learning & Development

60+ examples of questions to include in your training evaluation questionnaire.

As a learning and development professional, collecting feedback is one of the most important parts of your job. After all, you can’t improve your program without running a training evaluation to understand the opinions of people who have gone through your training. 

In this article, we’ll help you understand how to collect feedback by asking the right questions . We’ll also give you some tips that you can use to apply that feedback to further training. This will allow you to perfect your training assessment program and craft a perfect evaluation questionnaire template.

What is a Training Evaluation Questionnaire?

A training evaluation questionnaire is a type of reaction evaluation that collects feedback, opinions, and information from people who have taken an assessment training course. 

By asking specific questions about their recent experience, you can collect actionable feedback that can be used to improve training in the future.

A training evaluation form will also help you organize the metrics and data to measure the efficiency of your program.

When you have a great training evaluation template that fits your organization’s needs, you can improve the quality of your training and learning programs.

60 Questions to Include in Your Questionnaire

In order to get the best feedback, you need to ask training evaluation questions that are relevant, easy to understand, and have clear answers. 

The questions we bring have different types of methods to respond (single or multiple choice, scale of 1 to 10, closed or open-ended). Make sure you choose a mix of types to make the experience of answering the questions more engaging. 

Here are some examples of questions to choose from and ask learners before and after the training program in your questionnaire.

Before the Training Program

• What activity or task do you hope to do better after this training?
• What methods will help you learn better?
• What is your current level of experience in this field or topic?
• What is something you are excited to learn about?
• What is something that you have found helpful when training before?
• Do you have any concerns about completing this training?
• Are there any roadblocks to training that you can think of?
• What is most exciting about taking this training?
• What is most worrying about taking this training?
• What factors will determine whether or not you believe this training has been helpful?

Training ROI Template

Clearly measure the results of your l&d strategy, after the training program, about the learning experience.

• Do you consider that this training was a good investment of time?
• Did you understand the purpose of this training before taking the course?
• Do you understand the purpose of this training now that you have finished the course?
• Did you have enough preparation before training?
• Was there enough time provided in your schedule for training?
• Did the experience meet your expectations?
• What did you like best about the training? What did you like the least?
• How would you rate the quality of the training?
• Did you find the experience interactive or engaging?
• Was the pace of training too slow or too fast?
• Did the courses flow in a way that made sense?
• Have you completed online training before?
• Was this a positive online training experience?
• Are there additional training topics you would like to cover?

About training effectiveness

• Do you think the training matched the intent based on the course title?
• Did you learn what you hoped to learn through this training?
• Were there any specific key topics that you wanted to learn that weren’t included in training?
• Were you able to get answers to your questions during the training?
• Did the training only cover basics or offer new information?
• Do you believe that a follow-up session is necessary for this training?
• What percentage of this training do you think you will use?
• What percentage of this training do you think you will remember?
• Did the course meet your expectations?
• Would you be interested in another training session similar to this one?
• What improvements would you make to this training in the future?
• Should this training be offered regularly?
• Would you recommend this training to other employees?
• Would you recommend this training be a part of onboarding?
• Are there any other comments you would like to add about the training?

About communication and access to the training

• How were you told about the upcoming training program?
• Were you able to find/access the training easily?
• Did you have a productive workspace for training?
• Did you experience any glitches, bugs, or load errors in the training?
• Was it easy to see the visual elements and read the text?

About the Instructor

• How would you rate the instructor from 1-10?
• Did the instructor appear informed and educated about the topic of training?
• Was the instructor friendly?
• Was the instructor able to answer questions?
• Did the instructor provide examples and contextualize information?
• Was the instructor prepared for training?
• Did the instructor provide the group with feedback?
• Did the instructor make directions clear?
• Do you have any suggestions for instructors in the future?

About the Content, Activities and Materials

• What was your favorite training activity? What was your least favorite?
• What could be added to the training material to make it more efficient?
• Was the style of training (videos, lectures, deck, etc.) helpful to you?
• Was there enough supporting content?
• Did you have enough resources to finish the training?
• Was the material in the training organized?
• Was the material practical and helpful?
• Was the material easy to understand?

Best Tips to Apply Your Evaluation

Now that you have an idea of what types of questions to include in your training evaluation questionnaire, let’s talk about a few tips on how to apply that to training program improvements.

• Don’t get defensive about negative feedback. Instead, accept the feedback as it is collected and take it as a sign to improve.
• Identify key areas of improvement based on common feedback concerns.
• Discover which employees excel in training to potentially nurture for different roles.
• Develop additional or supporting training programs for further learning.
• Go through every survey response rather than picking just a few to use.

Tools to automate the training evaluation process

Training platforms often provide built-in evaluation and assessment tools that allow you to track learners’ progress, conduct quizzes or tests, collect feedback, and generate reports on completion rates, engagement levels, and performance metrics. 

The choice of evaluation tools depends on the specific training program, its objectives, and the resources available. 

If any of the training programs you’re offering don’t have training evaluation options, built in, some of the most used tools to apply training evaluation questionnaires are Google Forms and Survey Monkey .

Running training programs and improving the learning and development plan within your organization is a complex task. In order to succeed and help your company grow, you need the right support and tools at your side.

Voxy is a tool that offers job-specific training and programs to help you meet your business needs, improve collaboration, and unlock the potential of your workforce. 

To learn more about Voxy, schedule a demo and discover how we can help you build a future-proof workforce.

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Blog > Effective Feedback for Presentations - digital with PowerPoint or with printable sheets

Effective Feedback for Presentations - digital with PowerPoint or with printable sheets

10.26.20   •  #powerpoint #feedback #presentation.

Do you know whether you are a good presenter or not? If you do, chances are it's because people have told you so - they've given you feedback. Getting other's opinions about your performance is something that's important for most aspects in life, especially professionally. However, today we're focusing on a specific aspect, which is (as you may have guessed from the title): presentations.

The importance of feedback

Take a minute to think about the first presentation you've given: what was it like? Was it perfect? Probably not. Practise makes perfect, and nobody does everything right in the beginning. Even if you're a natural at speaking and presenting, there is usually something to improve and to work on. And this is where feedback comes in - because how are you going to know what it is that you should improve? You can and should of course assess yourself after each and every presentation you give, as that is an important part of learning and improvement. The problem is that you yourself are not aware of all the things that you do well (or wrong) during your presentation. But your audience is! And that's why you should get audience feedback.

Qualities of good Feedback

Before we get into the different ways of how you can get feedback from your audience, let's briefly discuss what makes good feedback. P.S.: These do not just apply for presentations, but for any kind of feedback.

• Good feedback is constructive, not destructive. The person receiving feedback should feel empowered and inspired to work on their skills, not discouraged. You can of course criticize on an objective level, but mean and insulting comments have to be kept to yourself.
• Good feedback involves saying bot what has to be improved (if there is anything) and what is already good (there is almost always something!)
• After receiving good feedback, the recipient is aware of the steps he can and should take in order to improve.

Ways of receiving / giving Feedback after a Presentation

1. print a feedback form.

Let's start with a classic: the feedback / evaluation sheet. It contains several questions, these can be either open (aka "What did you like about the presentation?") or answered on a scale (e.g. from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree"). The second question format makes a lot of sense if you have a large audience, and it also makes it easy to get an overview of the results. That's why in our feedback forms (which you can download at the end of this post), you'll find mainly statements with scales. This has been a proven way for getting and giving valuable feedback efficiently for years. We do like the feedback form a lot, though you have to be aware that you'll need to invest some time to prepare, count up and analyse.

• ask specifically what you want to ask
• good overview of the results
• anonymous (people are likely to be more honest)
• easy to access: you can just download a feedback sheet online (ours, for example, which you'll find at the end of this blog post!)
• analysing the results can be time-consuming
• you have to print out the sheets, it takes preparation

2. Online: Get digital Feedback

In the year 2020, there's got to be a better way of giving feedback, right? There is, and you should definitely try it out! SlideLizard is a free PowerPoint extension that allows you to get your audience's feedback in the quickest and easiest way possible. You can of course customize the feedback question form to your specific needs and make sure you get exactly the kind of feedback you need. Click here to download SlideLizard right now, or scroll down to read some more about the tool.

• quick and easy to access
• easy and fast export, analysis and overview of feedback
• save feedback directly on your computer
• Participants need a working Internet connection (but that usually isn't a problem nowadays)

3. Verbal Feedback

"So, how did you like the presentation?", asks the lecturer. A few people in the audience nod friendly, one or two might even say something about how the slides were nice and the content interesting. Getting verbal feedback is hard, especially in big groups. If you really want to analyse and improve your presentation habits and skills, we recommend using one of the other methods. However, if you have no internet connection and forgot to bring your feedback sheets, asking for verbal feedback is still better than nothing.

• no prerequisites
• open format
• okay for small audiences
• not anonymous (people might not be honest)
• time consuming
• no detailed evaluation
• no way to save the feedback (except for your memory)
• not suitable for big audiences

Feedback to yourself - Self Assessment

I've mentioned before that it is incredibly important to not only let others tell you what went well and what didn't in your presentation. Your own impressions are of huge value, too. After each presentation you give, ask yourself the following questions (or better yet, write your answers down!):

• What went wrong (in my opinion)? What can I do in order to avoid this from happening next time?
• What went well? What was well received by the audience? What should I do more of?
• How was I feeling during this presentation? (Nervous? Confident? ...)

Tip: If you really want to actively work on your presentation skills, filming yourself while presenting and analysing the video after is a great way to go. You'll get a different view on the way you talk, move, and come across.

Digital Feedback with SlideLizard

Were you intrigued by the idea of easy Online-feedback? With SlideLizard your attendees can easily give you feedback directly with their Smartphone. After the presentation you can analyze the result in detail.

• type in your own feedback questions
• choose your rating scale: 1-5 points, 1-6 points, 1-5 stars or 1-6 stars;
• show your attendees an open text field and let them enter any text they want

Note: SlideLizard is amazing for giving and receiving feedback, but it's definitely not the only thing it's great for. Once you download the extension, you get access to the most amazing tools - most importantly, live polls and quizzes, live Q&A sessions, attendee note taking, content and slide sharing, and presentation analytics. And the best thing about all this? You can get it for free, and it is really easy to use, as it is directly integrated in PowerPoint! Click here to discover more about SlideLizard.

Free Download: Printable Feedback Sheets for Business or School Presentations

If you'd rather stick with the good old paper-and-pen method, that's okay, too. You can choose between one of our two feedback sheet templates: there is one tailored to business presentations and seminars, and one that is created specifically for teachers assessing their students. Both forms can be downloaded as a Word, Excel, or pdf file. A lot of thought has gone into both of the forms, so you can benefit as much as possible; however, if you feel like you need to change some questions in order to better suit your needs, feel free to do so!

Feedback form for business

Template as PDF, Word & Excel - perfect for seminars, trainings,...

Feedback form for teachers (school or university)

Template as PDF, Word & Excel - perfect for school or university,...

Where can I find a free feedback form for presentations?

There are many templates available online. We designed two exclusive, free-to-download feedback sheets, which you can get in our blog article

What's the best way to get feedback for presentations?

You can get feedback on your presentations by using feedback sheets, asking for feedback verbally, or, the easiest and fastest option: get digital feedback with an online tool

Related articles

About the author.

Pia Lehner-Mittermaier

Pia works in Marketing as a graphic designer and writer at SlideLizard. She uses her vivid imagination and creativity to produce good content.

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Home Blog Business How to Write and Present a Performance Review

How to Write and Present a Performance Review

The performance review, as a crucial part of performance management, is one of the dreaded exercises of both managers and team members. However, it doesn’t have to be an intimidating, negative situation. In fact, a manager performance review tip by Harvard Business Review is to pointedly keep the conversation positive. By focusing on successes and opportunities for growth, managers can turn the employee performance review into a constructive experience that benefits everyone in the end.

What is Performance Management

Before we approach performance review examples, it’s necessary to establish some definitions to make sure we’re on the same page.

According to UC Berkeley’s Guide to Managing Human Resources, “Performance management is an ongoing process of communication between a supervisor and an employee that occurs throughout the year, in support of accomplishing the strategic objectives of the organization.”

Notice that performance management is more than a performance annual review. The performance evaluation is one component found in many performance management frameworks. In fact, UC Berkeley goes on to specify that the process “includes clarifying expectations, setting objectives, identifying goals, providing feedback, and reviewing results.”

By the time managers sit down for the performance review process, they will ideally have already been participating in this ongoing communication method. It will lead to much more valuable results than only engaging in the feedback part of the process.

Types of Performance Management Frameworks

Following are three examples of common performance management frameworks.

The Arm­strong Per­for­mance Man­age­ment Cycle

Michael Armstrong , former Chief Examiner of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, established a performance management framework that many human resources professionals abide by. The Armstrong Performance Management Cycle is a continuous process of improving performance. This is achieved by establishing individual and team goals, working towards the goals, evaluating progress, and developing skills. As seen in the name of this management framework, this process repeats constantly throughout a team or individual’s career at the organization.

Agile Con­tin­u­ous Per­for­mance Management

Another performance management framework example is the agile continuous performance management. What makes the agile performance management system valuable is it’s focus on being continual and holistic. Feedback, which is called “check-ins” under this framework, is given frequently, making it feel more natural for all involved. With ongoing, positive performance management, managers and employees can develop authentic workplace relationships based on the performance improvement and transparency.

International Labor Organization’s Revised Performance Management Framework

The International Labor Organization’s system for managing performance aims to be a flexible process that can be applied to individuals or teams in many different fields and industries. It is also a continuous, comprehensive performance management framework. This cycle is divided into four parts, each focusing on dialogue and constructive feedback. One of the unique features of this management system is the inclusion of feedback from employee to leader.

What is a Performance Review?

The component featured in essentially all performance management frameworks is the giving of feedback. This usually presents itself in the form of a performance review. Other names for the performance review are performance evaluation or performance assessment. As opposed to informal or casual feedback, the performance review is a formal appraisal of an employee and their work during an established time period.

While there are dozens of employee review templates out there, most evaluate overall performance, an employee’s strengths and weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. Many managers and HR professionals use this regularly scheduled evaluation to set goals, as well.

Performance review templates will vary based on who is assessing whom. Common types of performance reviews include the traditional assessment where a manager evaluates an employee’s performance, the self assessment, team assessment, and leader assessment. Different performance management frameworks will involve a combination of these four.

Employee Assessment

This top-down performance review is usually performed by a direct manager or HR manager. This evaluation is useful for establishing the value of an employee with examples of their performance to back it up. Often the employee assessment is conducted together with a self assessment.

Self Assessment

The self assessment component of a performance review is a helpful opportunity for individuals to reflect upon themselves with regards to their strengths and weaknesses. In order to turn the self assessment into a productive introspection, employees should also consider what they think they can do to improve and grow.

When conducted alongside an employee assessment, answers can be compared to see if managers and employees are on the same page. Any discrepancies can be analyzed and addressed, in order to strengthen the working relationship and understanding of the situation.

Team Assessment

A team assessment differs from an individual employee assessment in that it’s an opportunity to make sure team members are aligned and working well together, as well as progressing towards the team goals.

Leader Assessment

As mentioned in the International Labor Organization’s performance management framework, leader assessments can provide valuable feedback as well. During this assessment team members and employees evaluate their own managers, as well as potentially their manager’s superiors. This is often conducted anonymously, to ensure employees can be honest with their feedback without fear of retaliation.

Key Elements of a Performance Review

Depending on the performance management framework, reviews will have different key elements, but there are elements that all methods share, according to Harvard Business Review and Hubspot .

• Evaluate if job requirements are being met
• Compare strengths and weaknesses
• Highlight areas of improvement
• Evaluate if previously defined goals were met
• Recommend actionable goals
• Welcome employee input

How to Write a Performance Review

We recommend managers use a performance review template to help guide them through each step. Evaluation templates help managers know what to say in a performance review. They provide structure to the review, which makes the process consistent. Employee performance templates also make the review process scalable throughout the team or organization.

Prior to Writing the Performance Review

Harvard Business Review recommends reviewers set expectations early, prior to the official feedback. This involves informing the employee that they will be reviewing them soon, asking the employee for their self assessment, and evaluating employee career aspirations.

When Writing the Performance Review

When sitting down to write the performance review, managers should have supporting documentation to help them direct their evaluation. For example, comparing employee performance and characteristics to the organization’s specified values can help guide the evaluation. Additionally, managers can compare employee performance to the actual description of requirements for their role. This helps keep evaluations realistic and on-track. Finally, it’s a good idea to compare current performance to that of previous employee performance reviews. This gives the manager a bigger picture into employee growth, as well as what achievable goals are.

When writing a performance review, managers can also consult with others, including coworkers, other managers, and subordinates of the employee under review. This is called 360-degree feedback and can help give a manager ideas of what to write.

As far as the career aspirations we recommend requesting from the employee prior to the evaluation, this is useful for framing the review. Not every employee has very high aspirations. The evaluation should align both the organization’s expectations of the employee and their own aspirations.

Delivering the Performance Review

HBR also recommends presenting the performance review to the individual about an hour before their meeting to discuss it. This lets the employee move past any potential emotional responses and prepare rational responses. This will lead to a much more constructive discussion and allow for a more positive plan forward.

Whenever possible, hold the performance review presentation face-to-face to avoid misunderstandings. While a performance review PPT or pdf is beneficial for organizing and visualizing the evaluation, presenting them in person will lead to a richer discussion and more realistic action plans.

For high-performing employees, HR experts recommend focusing on the things they are doing well. After discussing examples of achievements and strengths, the manager can ask the employee their feelings about how things are going. This naturally leads into a conversation about opportunities for growth and improvement.

When delivering feedback to marginal employees, they shouldn’t sugar-coat criticisms or provide meaningless compliments. Instead, reviewers should be straightforward and clear with their message. Discuss what isn’t working, what is working, and what actions need to be adopted to improve. When giving advice for improving, managers should be as specific as possible and provide examples.

How to Present a Performance Review

Here are the most important slides to include in a performance review presentation. Following this performance review example structure will help managers lessen the discomfort of presenting a performance review, by following a clear presentation guide.

Slide 1: Cover Slide

Establish who is reviewing, who is being reviewed, and the date of the performance review. Note that this information is also important since the performance review presentation will probably become part of an ongoing performance documentation.

Slide 2: Table of Contents

Part of the discomfort of performance reviews is the concept of the unknown. For an employee, it’s speculating on what their manager is going to say in the performance review. A clear table of contents will hopefully help ground the employee by showing them clearly what they can expect from the presentation, and in what order.

Slide 3: Evaluate if job requirements are being met

In this PPT slide, the reviewer should compare, side-by-side the job requirements and the actual job performance of their subordinate. This requirement versus performance comparison helps the evaluation stay objective. Provide examples of when the requirements are or are not being successfully met, whenever possible.

Slide 4: Strengths

When presenting employee strengths, be as specific as possible. Explain why this strength matters, an example of when this strength was evident, and what impacts this strength has had. In the presentation, add a list of strengths with or without a short description and/or example, in case the performance review is presented without the accompanying meeting.

If the manager previously asked for a self assessment, add a comparison here between the reviewer’s opinion of the employee strengths and their employee’s opinion.

Slide 5: Achievements

List any specific achievements the employee has made during the performance period.

Slide 6: Highlight areas of improvement

This is another way to frame weaknesses. When presenting areas of improvement, consider what the employee needs to improve, why these areas are necessary to address, how the manager can help the employee improve, and what specific steps are needed to improve. Be specific and provide examples whenever possible.

This is another good slide where managers can compare their evaluation of areas of improvement with the answers employees provided in their self assessment. You can combine these slides with other performance improvement plan templates for PowerPoint and Google Slides.

Slide 7: Evaluate if previously defined goals were met

If this isn’t the first performance review a manager has conducted for an individual, then there will be previously defined goals from former evaluations. On this slide, list the previous goals and add a brief evaluation for each. This will help decide what goals should be checked off, maintained, or adjusted for the next evaluation period, which will be presented in the next slide.

Slide 8: Recommend actionable goals

When presenting goals, we recommend using the SMART formula. SMART goals stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based. This method of creating goals helps ensure the goal will be achieved as expected.

The goals established in this performance review will most likely be evaluated during the next performance review. As such, the “time-based” aspect of the goal should take this into account.

Slide 9: Welcome employee input

Close the performance review presentation by giving the employee space to talk.

By following this performance review template, reviewers can make sure their evaluation is more than just a meaningless task checked off the list. When done well, the performance review sets the mood for the whole next period, giving both managers and employees a clear guide towards moving forward and achieving their goals more successfully. As far as the tendency for employee evaluations to be uncomfortable situations, follow the advice in this article, practice, and you’ll soon find the valuable potential of a well-presented performance review.

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• 5 Steps to Getting Started with Llama 2
• The Llama Ecosystem: Past, Present, and Future
• Introducing Code Llama, a state-of-the-art large language model for coding
• Meta and Microsoft Introduce the Next Generation of Llama
• Today, we’re introducing Meta Llama 3, the next generation of our state-of-the-art open source large language model.
• Llama 3 models will soon be available on AWS, Databricks, Google Cloud, Hugging Face, Kaggle, IBM WatsonX, Microsoft Azure, NVIDIA NIM, and Snowflake, and with support from hardware platforms offered by AMD, AWS, Dell, Intel, NVIDIA, and Qualcomm.
• We’re dedicated to developing Llama 3 in a responsible way, and we’re offering various resources to help others use it responsibly as well. This includes introducing new trust and safety tools with Llama Guard 2, Code Shield, and CyberSec Eval 2.
• In the coming months, we expect to introduce new capabilities, longer context windows, additional model sizes, and enhanced performance, and we’ll share the Llama 3 research paper.
• Meta AI, built with Llama 3 technology, is now one of the world’s leading AI assistants that can boost your intelligence and lighten your load—helping you learn, get things done, create content, and connect to make the most out of every moment. You can try Meta AI here .

Today, we’re excited to share the first two models of the next generation of Llama, Meta Llama 3, available for broad use. This release features pretrained and instruction-fine-tuned language models with 8B and 70B parameters that can support a broad range of use cases. This next generation of Llama demonstrates state-of-the-art performance on a wide range of industry benchmarks and offers new capabilities, including improved reasoning. We believe these are the best open source models of their class, period. In support of our longstanding open approach, we’re putting Llama 3 in the hands of the community. We want to kickstart the next wave of innovation in AI across the stack—from applications to developer tools to evals to inference optimizations and more. We can’t wait to see what you build and look forward to your feedback.

Our goals for Llama 3

With Llama 3, we set out to build the best open models that are on par with the best proprietary models available today. We wanted to address developer feedback to increase the overall helpfulness of Llama 3 and are doing so while continuing to play a leading role on responsible use and deployment of LLMs. We are embracing the open source ethos of releasing early and often to enable the community to get access to these models while they are still in development. The text-based models we are releasing today are the first in the Llama 3 collection of models. Our goal in the near future is to make Llama 3 multilingual and multimodal, have longer context, and continue to improve overall performance across core LLM capabilities such as reasoning and coding.

State-of-the-art performance

Our new 8B and 70B parameter Llama 3 models are a major leap over Llama 2 and establish a new state-of-the-art for LLM models at those scales. Thanks to improvements in pretraining and post-training, our pretrained and instruction-fine-tuned models are the best models existing today at the 8B and 70B parameter scale. Improvements in our post-training procedures substantially reduced false refusal rates, improved alignment, and increased diversity in model responses. We also saw greatly improved capabilities like reasoning, code generation, and instruction following making Llama 3 more steerable.

*Please see evaluation details for setting and parameters with which these evaluations are calculated.

In the development of Llama 3, we looked at model performance on standard benchmarks and also sought to optimize for performance for real-world scenarios. To this end, we developed a new high-quality human evaluation set. This evaluation set contains 1,800 prompts that cover 12 key use cases: asking for advice, brainstorming, classification, closed question answering, coding, creative writing, extraction, inhabiting a character/persona, open question answering, reasoning, rewriting, and summarization. To prevent accidental overfitting of our models on this evaluation set, even our own modeling teams do not have access to it. The chart below shows aggregated results of our human evaluations across of these categories and prompts against Claude Sonnet, Mistral Medium, and GPT-3.5.

Preference rankings by human annotators based on this evaluation set highlight the strong performance of our 70B instruction-following model compared to competing models of comparable size in real-world scenarios.

Our pretrained model also establishes a new state-of-the-art for LLM models at those scales.

To develop a great language model, we believe it’s important to innovate, scale, and optimize for simplicity. We adopted this design philosophy throughout the Llama 3 project with a focus on four key ingredients: the model architecture, the pretraining data, scaling up pretraining, and instruction fine-tuning.

Model architecture

In line with our design philosophy, we opted for a relatively standard decoder-only transformer architecture in Llama 3. Compared to Llama 2, we made several key improvements. Llama 3 uses a tokenizer with a vocabulary of 128K tokens that encodes language much more efficiently, which leads to substantially improved model performance. To improve the inference efficiency of Llama 3 models, we’ve adopted grouped query attention (GQA) across both the 8B and 70B sizes. We trained the models on sequences of 8,192 tokens, using a mask to ensure self-attention does not cross document boundaries.

Training data

To train the best language model, the curation of a large, high-quality training dataset is paramount. In line with our design principles, we invested heavily in pretraining data. Llama 3 is pretrained on over 15T tokens that were all collected from publicly available sources. Our training dataset is seven times larger than that used for Llama 2, and it includes four times more code. To prepare for upcoming multilingual use cases, over 5% of the Llama 3 pretraining dataset consists of high-quality non-English data that covers over 30 languages. However, we do not expect the same level of performance in these languages as in English.

To ensure Llama 3 is trained on data of the highest quality, we developed a series of data-filtering pipelines. These pipelines include using heuristic filters, NSFW filters, semantic deduplication approaches, and text classifiers to predict data quality. We found that previous generations of Llama are surprisingly good at identifying high-quality data, hence we used Llama 2 to generate the training data for the text-quality classifiers that are powering Llama 3.

We also performed extensive experiments to evaluate the best ways of mixing data from different sources in our final pretraining dataset. These experiments enabled us to select a data mix that ensures that Llama 3 performs well across use cases including trivia questions, STEM, coding, historical knowledge, etc.

Scaling up pretraining

To effectively leverage our pretraining data in Llama 3 models, we put substantial effort into scaling up pretraining. Specifically, we have developed a series of detailed scaling laws for downstream benchmark evaluations. These scaling laws enable us to select an optimal data mix and to make informed decisions on how to best use our training compute. Importantly, scaling laws allow us to predict the performance of our largest models on key tasks (for example, code generation as evaluated on the HumanEval benchmark—see above) before we actually train the models. This helps us ensure strong performance of our final models across a variety of use cases and capabilities.

We made several new observations on scaling behavior during the development of Llama 3. For example, while the Chinchilla-optimal amount of training compute for an 8B parameter model corresponds to ~200B tokens, we found that model performance continues to improve even after the model is trained on two orders of magnitude more data. Both our 8B and 70B parameter models continued to improve log-linearly after we trained them on up to 15T tokens. Larger models can match the performance of these smaller models with less training compute, but smaller models are generally preferred because they are much more efficient during inference.

To train our largest Llama 3 models, we combined three types of parallelization: data parallelization, model parallelization, and pipeline parallelization. Our most efficient implementation achieves a compute utilization of over 400 TFLOPS per GPU when trained on 16K GPUs simultaneously. We performed training runs on two custom-built 24K GPU clusters . To maximize GPU uptime, we developed an advanced new training stack that automates error detection, handling, and maintenance. We also greatly improved our hardware reliability and detection mechanisms for silent data corruption, and we developed new scalable storage systems that reduce overheads of checkpointing and rollback. Those improvements resulted in an overall effective training time of more than 95%. Combined, these improvements increased the efficiency of Llama 3 training by ~three times compared to Llama 2.

Instruction fine-tuning

To fully unlock the potential of our pretrained models in chat use cases, we innovated on our approach to instruction-tuning as well. Our approach to post-training is a combination of supervised fine-tuning (SFT), rejection sampling, proximal policy optimization (PPO), and direct preference optimization (DPO). The quality of the prompts that are used in SFT and the preference rankings that are used in PPO and DPO has an outsized influence on the performance of aligned models. Some of our biggest improvements in model quality came from carefully curating this data and performing multiple rounds of quality assurance on annotations provided by human annotators.

Learning from preference rankings via PPO and DPO also greatly improved the performance of Llama 3 on reasoning and coding tasks. We found that if you ask a model a reasoning question that it struggles to answer, the model will sometimes produce the right reasoning trace: The model knows how to produce the right answer, but it does not know how to select it. Training on preference rankings enables the model to learn how to select it.

Building with Llama 3

Our vision is to enable developers to customize Llama 3 to support relevant use cases and to make it easier to adopt best practices and improve the open ecosystem. With this release, we’re providing new trust and safety tools including updated components with both Llama Guard 2 and Cybersec Eval 2, and the introduction of Code Shield—an inference time guardrail for filtering insecure code produced by LLMs.

We’ve also co-developed Llama 3 with torchtune , the new PyTorch-native library for easily authoring, fine-tuning, and experimenting with LLMs. torchtune provides memory efficient and hackable training recipes written entirely in PyTorch. The library is integrated with popular platforms such as Hugging Face, Weights & Biases, and EleutherAI and even supports Executorch for enabling efficient inference to be run on a wide variety of mobile and edge devices. For everything from prompt engineering to using Llama 3 with LangChain we have a comprehensive getting started guide and takes you from downloading Llama 3 all the way to deployment at scale within your generative AI application.

A system-level approach to responsibility

We have designed Llama 3 models to be maximally helpful while ensuring an industry leading approach to responsibly deploying them. To achieve this, we have adopted a new, system-level approach to the responsible development and deployment of Llama. We envision Llama models as part of a broader system that puts the developer in the driver’s seat. Llama models will serve as a foundational piece of a system that developers design with their unique end goals in mind.

Instruction fine-tuning also plays a major role in ensuring the safety of our models. Our instruction-fine-tuned models have been red-teamed (tested) for safety through internal and external efforts. ​​Our red teaming approach leverages human experts and automation methods to generate adversarial prompts that try to elicit problematic responses. For instance, we apply comprehensive testing to assess risks of misuse related to Chemical, Biological, Cyber Security, and other risk areas. All of these efforts are iterative and used to inform safety fine-tuning of the models being released. You can read more about our efforts in the model card .

Llama Guard models are meant to be a foundation for prompt and response safety and can easily be fine-tuned to create a new taxonomy depending on application needs. As a starting point, the new Llama Guard 2 uses the recently announced MLCommons taxonomy, in an effort to support the emergence of industry standards in this important area. Additionally, CyberSecEval 2 expands on its predecessor by adding measures of an LLM’s propensity to allow for abuse of its code interpreter, offensive cybersecurity capabilities, and susceptibility to prompt injection attacks (learn more in our technical paper ). Finally, we’re introducing Code Shield which adds support for inference-time filtering of insecure code produced by LLMs. This offers mitigation of risks around insecure code suggestions, code interpreter abuse prevention, and secure command execution.

With the speed at which the generative AI space is moving, we believe an open approach is an important way to bring the ecosystem together and mitigate these potential harms. As part of that, we’re updating our Responsible Use Guide (RUG) that provides a comprehensive guide to responsible development with LLMs. As we outlined in the RUG, we recommend that all inputs and outputs be checked and filtered in accordance with content guidelines appropriate to the application. Additionally, many cloud service providers offer content moderation APIs and other tools for responsible deployment, and we encourage developers to also consider using these options.

Deploying Llama 3 at scale

Llama 3 will soon be available on all major platforms including cloud providers, model API providers, and much more. Llama 3 will be everywhere .

Our benchmarks show the tokenizer offers improved token efficiency, yielding up to 15% fewer tokens compared to Llama 2. Also, Group Query Attention (GQA) now has been added to Llama 3 8B as well. As a result, we observed that despite the model having 1B more parameters compared to Llama 2 7B, the improved tokenizer efficiency and GQA contribute to maintaining the inference efficiency on par with Llama 2 7B.

For examples of how to leverage all of these capabilities, check out Llama Recipes which contains all of our open source code that can be leveraged for everything from fine-tuning to deployment to model evaluation.

What’s next for Llama 3?

The Llama 3 8B and 70B models mark the beginning of what we plan to release for Llama 3. And there’s a lot more to come.

Our largest models are over 400B parameters and, while these models are still training, our team is excited about how they’re trending. Over the coming months, we’ll release multiple models with new capabilities including multimodality, the ability to converse in multiple languages, a much longer context window, and stronger overall capabilities. We will also publish a detailed research paper once we are done training Llama 3.

To give you a sneak preview for where these models are today as they continue training, we thought we could share some snapshots of how our largest LLM model is trending. Please note that this data is based on an early checkpoint of Llama 3 that is still training and these capabilities are not supported as part of the models released today.

We’re committed to the continued growth and development of an open AI ecosystem for releasing our models responsibly. We have long believed that openness leads to better, safer products, faster innovation, and a healthier overall market. This is good for Meta, and it is good for society. We’re taking a community-first approach with Llama 3, and starting today, these models are available on the leading cloud, hosting, and hardware platforms with many more to come.

Try Meta Llama 3 today

We’ve integrated our latest models into Meta AI, which we believe is the world’s leading AI assistant. It’s now built with Llama 3 technology and it’s available in more countries across our apps.

You can use Meta AI on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and the web to get things done, learn, create, and connect with the things that matter to you. You can read more about the Meta AI experience here .

Visit the Llama 3 website to download the models and reference the Getting Started Guide for the latest list of all available platforms.

You’ll also soon be able to test multimodal Meta AI on our Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.

As always, we look forward to seeing all the amazing products and experiences you will build with Meta Llama 3.

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