Personnel development goals: making training success measurable
It is no secret that continuing education is central to achieving personnel development goals and thus to the success of a company and its employees. Lifelong learning is a necessity in order to remain economically and professionally relevant. Nevertheless, continuing education budgets are often the first to be cut when savings are needed. The reason: many learning effects cannot be immediately quantified or only show their impact after a delay. However, measuring success purely in financial terms is not enough. The decisive factor is whether further training achieves its defined goals and how you can measure this systematically.
Personnel development goals: The most important points in brief
- Personnel development goals describe the desired outcomes of training measures and must be formulated in measurable terms so that their success can be systematically evaluated.
- They can be viewed from different perspectives: quantitative vs. qualitative, and from the company's vs. the employee's point of view.
- Systematic performance measurement is key to effective personnel development: In addition to ROI for financial indicators, the Kirkpatrick model and the Learning Transfer Evaluation Model (LTEM) offer more comprehensive frameworks that also evaluate learning success, behavioral change, and practical transfer.
- A strategic cycle consisting of strategy, needs analysis, goals, measures, measurement, and optimization ensures the continuous improvement of personnel development.
What are the goals of personnel development?
The goals of personnel development describe the desired results that are to be achieved through targeted training measures. The key factor here is their measurability. Established models such as ROI analyses, the Kirkpatrick model, or the Learning Transfer Evaluation Model offer proven frameworks for systematic evaluation. They serve as a guide for the planning, implementation, and measurement of the success of learning measures: from the initial concept to the measurement of impact.
The basic rule: if you know what you want to achieve, you can also check whether the measures are effective. Clearly defined goals not only give training programs focus, but also ensure understanding at all levels: from budget managers to stakeholders employees. The right measurement methods and clear target values make the success of learning measures systematically assessable and thus become a strong argument in budget discussions.
Personnel development goals: a question of perspective
The objectives of personnel development can be diverse and can be classified according to various criteria:
Quantitative vs. qualitative:
- Quantitative: Increase the number of employees with specific certifications, reduce turnover in key positions
- Qualitative: Improve employee satisfaction, increase innovative capacity, develop a positive learning culture
For companies vs. for employees:
- For the company: Increase productivity, ensure competitiveness, tap into new business areas
- For employees: promoting individual career development, improving work-life balance, increasing job satisfaction
Specific examples of personnel development goals
Typical goals of personnel development can be classified into three areas, for example:
Competence development:
- Executive developmentto meet the growing demand for qualified managers
- Appropriate measures: Leadership programs, mentoring by experienced managers, 360-degree feedback followed by coaching
- Promoting digital skills to drive the digital transformation of the company
- Appropriate measures: E-learning courses on tools and technologies, digital upskilling training, practical project work with new systems
Employee retention:
- Increasing employee satisfaction to reduce turnover
- Appropriate measures: individual development discussions, flexible training budgets, work-life balance offers
- Promoting career development to retain talented employees within the company
- Appropriate measures: Talent programs with structured career paths, job rotation, professional and personal development opportunities
Organizational development:
- Promoting a culture of learning to increase the company's innovative capacity
- Appropriate measures: learning communities and peer learning formats, learning time in everyday work, rewarding learning progress
- Improving collaboration between departments to increase efficiency in tackling shared tasks
- Appropriate measures: cross-departmental workshops and team building, project work in cross-functional teams, communication training
Important: The objectives mentioned are only examples. The actual objectives of personnel development should always be tailored to the specific needs of the company and its employees.
"What is the goal of personnel development in an organization or department? What objectives do we pursue in employee development ?" A clear definition of goals and strategies forms the basis for the quality of training programs and performance measurement. It also serves as the foundation for securing the budget for personnel development.
Although continuing education plays a central role in many companies, only about half of those surveyed recognize a clear strategic focus. It is time to clearly define goals, communicate them transparently, and make them measurable.
Source: Bitkom Continuing Education Study 2025
Strategic HR development: "To measure or not to measure, that is the question"
Various measurement models have been established to systematically evaluate the success of continuing education measures for employees. Here is an overview of the most important approaches.
ROI of continuing education: Making returns measurable
Return on investment (ROI) is an important tool for measuring the economic success of continuing education measures. It compares the monetary benefits with the costs incurred and is calculated as follows:
Costs can be easily reflected in the ROI of training courses, for example for trainers, travel expenses, or rental costs for training rooms. However, it is more difficult to quantify the actual added value of many positive effects in monetary terms. For example, how can an increase in the company's innovative capacity, the development of a learning culture, or the acquisition of skills and competencies among employees be directly quantified? Furthermore, it should not be overlooked that some effects only become apparent after a certain period of time.
When formulating continuing education goals, you should therefore pay attention to the following aspects:
- Realistic and achievable: It is important to set goals that are challenging but within the company's capabilities.
- Strategically relevant: The goals should be relevant to the company's vision and the needs of its employees.
- Mutual added value: Continuing education opportunities should be relevant to both professional and personal development and contribute to the success of the company.
A pure cost-benefit analysis, such as ROI, is therefore not sufficient for a comprehensive evaluation of training programs based on the possible objectives. This is especially true when the defined objectives are difficult to quantify in monetary terms.
What is needed, therefore, are approaches that can measure more comprehensively. Advanced measurement methods, such as the Kirkpatrick model or the Learning Transfer Evaluation Model (LTEM), enable a more differentiated assessment of continuing education programs.
Kirkpatrick model: Broader evaluation basis for personnel development goals
The four levels of the Kirkpatrick model provide a comprehensive view of the effectiveness of training programs:
- Reaction: How do participants rate the measure immediately afterwards?
- Learning: What knowledge and skills were actually acquired?
- Behavior: How is what has been learned applied and how does behavior change in the workplace?
- Results: What measurable effects are evident at the company level?
This broad basis for consideration allows you to examine the effects on employees not only comprehensively, but also in relation to their specific goals.
Learning Transfer Evaluation Model (LTEM): From learning to application
The Learning Transfer Evaluation Model (LTEM) provides an even more precise basis. It provides an eight-phase assessment scheme and considers both the learners themselves and the learning effects or learning transfer. It focuses on how what has been learned is actually transferred into everyday working life. The model takes into account:
- Transfer climate: Does the work environment support the application of what has been learned?
- Transfer motivation: Are participants motivated to apply what they have learned?
- Transfer possibilities: Are there specific opportunities for application?
Both the Kirkpatrick model and the Learning Transfer Evaluation Model can leverage the advantages of the measurability of an LMS Learning Management System) and a Learning Experience Platform LXP) to provide a reliable database.
The strategic framework: From plan to impact
Now that we have established how continuing education can be measured, the question arises: How can you best integrate performance monitoring in order to optimize your personnel development measures in the long term? Ideally, measurement should be embedded in this cycle:
- Strategy: Formulate an overarching personnel development strategy that is aligned with the company's goals. Where do you want to go as a company, and what skills and abilities do you need to get there?
- Needs analysis: Conduct a comprehensive needs analysis to identify gaps in current skills and tasks. What measures are necessary to close these gaps?
- Goals: Derive concrete, measurable goals from the strategy. What do you want to achieve with your personnel development measures? How can you make the most of your employees' potential?
- Measures: Select appropriate training measures (training courses, coaching, e-learning, etc.) and use them in a targeted manner to achieve the defined goals. These measures should be directly tailored to the tasks and requirements of the job.
- Measurement: Evaluate the measures based on predefined criteria. Have you achieved your goals? You can use various tools such as surveys or performance reviews for this purpose.
- Optimization: Adjust your strategy, goals, or measures based on the results of the measurement. What can you do better to fully exploit the potential of your employees?
This cycle allows you to continuously improve personnel development and make a maximum contribution to the success of your company.
Digital learning: keeping an eye on personnel development goals
Digital learning formats create the basis for greater transparency and measurability in personnel development. Through the use of learning platforms and digital learning content (such as the e-learning offerings from Content Collection), continuing education offerings can not only be rolled out efficiently, but also systematically evaluated.
Learning platforms enable the automated evaluation of participation and completion data, test results, and participant assessments. This creates a reliable database that can be used to analyze learning progress, usage behavior, and goal achievement in a comprehensible manner, naturally in compliance with applicable data protection regulations.
On this basis, companies can specifically review and further develop the quality and suitability of their training measures. A Learning Experience Platform LXP) goes one step further: it makes skills more visible through personalized learning paths and informal learning and supports their transfer into everyday work.
Digital learning solutions provide a holistic view of learning activities, skills development, and impact, and enable continuous monitoring of human resources development goals.
In collaboration with Haufe Akademie: Goals in human resources development as a building block for success
Clear objectives are the foundation for the success of continuing education programs in companies, whether in budget discussions or in improving the quality of offerings. It is important not only to be sure about what the objectives are, but also how you can measure them and when they become a success.
ROI is a useful tool, but it falls short in this context. Models are needed that consider not only the financial aspects but also learning success, the impact on participants, and learning transfer. Examples of this are the Kirkpatrick model and the Learning Transfer Evaluation Model. LMS and LXP support this measurement on a broad basis by ensuring a suitable data foundation and promoting learning transfer.
As an experienced partner, we support you in strategically developing your personnel development and making it measurable. With tailor-made solutions – from learning technologies and digital learning formats to face-to-face training and blended learning concepts – we work with you to develop training strategies that contribute to your corporate goals and ensure sustainable success. Discover our 360° Corporate Learning for future-proof personnel development: flexible, scalable, and tailored to your goals.
FAQ
What are the goals of personnel development?
The goals of personnel development are individual and depend on the specific needs of the company and its employees. Typical target areas include skills development (e.g., leadership development, digital skills), employee retention (e.g., career advancement, satisfaction), and organizational development (e.g., learning culture, collaboration). Regardless of the specific goal, it should be formulated in a measurable way and take into account both company and employee interests.
What are methods of personnel development?
Personnel development methods can be divided into three categories:
- On-the-job training (e.g., job rotation, mentoring)
- Off-the-job training (e.g., seminars, workshops)
- "Training near the job" (e.g., quality circles, project work)
Modern approaches increasingly combine these classic methods with digital formats such as e-learning, blended learning, or learning experience platforms (LXP).
What are personnel development measures?
Personnel development measures include specific training opportunities such as classroom training, coaching, e-learning courses, mentoring programs, and talent programs. These are selected based on a needs analysis and should contribute to measurable goals. Digital learning platforms enable systematic performance measurement through automated evaluation of participation, learning, and transfer data.
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