34 Essential Training Metrics to Track with Your LMS
Track what really matters to your organization. This article covers 34 essential LMS metrics to help you monitor progress, improve outcomes, and stay organized.
January 5, 2025
Your Learning Management System (LMS) is packed with data, but are you leveraging it to its full potential? Beyond just tracking course completions and attendance, the real power of your LMS lies in its ability to provide insights that can drive meaningful improvements in your training programs.
In this article, we’ll list out 34 metrics that will help you not only evaluate the effectiveness of your learning programs but also align them with your broader business goals. While you probably won’t need to track all of these metrics, this list offers a range of options to choose from based on what’s most relevant to your unique programs.
Learning and Development Metrics to Measure
Let’s jump into the metrics! Below, we’ve outlined key training measurement categories and the essential metrics you can use to assess them. There are many metrics to choose from, so think of these as a list to explore and fine-tune your measurement strategy.
Business Impact Metrics
Business impact metrics assess both the direct and indirect effects of training initiatives on organizational performance and strategic goals. These metrics are essential for evaluating how effectively L&D programs contribute to broader business objectives. It’s important to note that tracking these metrics often requires data from other key business systems. While they may not be directly measurable within your LMS, an LMS with seamless integration capabilities can facilitate the smooth flow of this data, making it easier to connect your training efforts with overall business performance.
- Revenue growth: Increase in sales or profit attributed to training.
- Customer satisfaction: Improvement in customer satisfaction scores.
- Operational efficiency: Reduction in errors, defects, or waste.
- Productivity: Increase in output or decrease in production time.
- Employee turnover: Reduction in employee turnover rates.
- Market share: Increase in market share or penetration.
Financial Return on Investment (ROI) Metrics
ROI metrics for training and development programs can focus on a variety of business benefits, but for this section we’ll just be focusing on measuring the financial value. This assesses how effectively the resources spent on training contribute to organizational goals and performance.
- Cost-benefit analysis: Comparison of training costs to financial benefits.
- Training payback period: Time required to recoup training costs through increased revenue or cost savings.
- Training cost per employee: Total training expenses divided by the number of employees.
Employee Performance Metrics
Job performance metrics evaluate the extent to which training has improved employees’ ability to perform their job tasks effectively. This involves assessing the application of acquired knowledge and skills and the resulting changes in productivity, quality, efficiency, or other relevant key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with organizational goals.
Not all learning solutions offer built-in tracking for these metrics. Choose a platform that includes performance management features, such as competency management, goal tracking, and feedback from managers and peers, to effectively measure the impact of training on job performance. This data not only helps in assessing the immediate effectiveness of the training but also supports ongoing development efforts and aligns employee performance with organizational objectives.
- Performance improvement: Increase in performance KPIs (e.g., sales, quality, safety).
- Post-training performance reviews: Performance reviews conducted by managers to evaluate improvements in actual job performance.
- Competency-based evaluations: Track whether learners are meeting performance standards after completing relevant training through competency models.
- Goal attainment rates: Percentage of employees who achieve specific goals, such as sales quotas or project milestones.
Learning Application Metrics
Learning application metrics focus on assessing how well individuals use the knowledge and skills acquired during training. This involves evaluating how learners apply what they’ve learned to address challenges, complete tasks, and make decisions. Successful application of these skills is a key driver of improved job performance, as it demonstrates the practical transfer of learning to the workplace. When employees consistently apply their training in their roles, it leads to tangible improvement in their performance.
- Scenario-based assessments: Measure accuracy, completion time, error rate, and post-assessment application to evaluate learners’ ability to apply knowledge in realistic scenarios.
- Simulations: Track task completion rate, proficiency, error frequency, and real-world application to assess learners’ performance in a controlled, interactive environment.
- Decision-making exercises: Measure decision accuracy, justification quality, risk management, and decision speed to evaluate learners’ judgment and problem-solving skills.
Learning Effectiveness Metrics
Training effectiveness refers to the degree to which a training program achieves its intended objectives. Evaluating the effectiveness assesses the extent to which learners are acquiring the skills and knowledge necessary for better decision-making and long-term performance improvements, helping organizations determine whether their learning initiatives are driving the desired outcomes.
- Time to complete training: Average time taken to complete training modules.
- Assessment scores: Scores taken from pre- and post-training assessments.
- Knowledge retention: Ability to recall and apply learned content after a period of time.
- Learner satisfaction scores: Learner perception on course design, structure, relevance and likelihood of applying knowledge to job responsibilities.
- Reattempt rates: How often learners retake quizzes or assessments.
Learning Engagement Metrics
The focus here is on activity and participation within the learning experience. Learning engagement metrics typically won’t translate to training impact on a surface level, but these are helpful metrics to understand and improve learning content, design, and structure. Are people engaging with learning courses? Are there a large percentage of learners dropping off after certain modules, quizzes, or videos that are leading to uncompleted courses?
- Course completion rates: Percentage of employees completing training programs.
- Active participation rates: Measurement of employee engagement in training activities.
- Time spent on training: Average time spent on training content.
- Drop-off rates: Points in the course where learners tend to stop engaging or drop out.
- Social learning interactions: Frequency of online discussions and collaboration.
- Gamification metrics: Measurement of engagement through game-based elements.
- Learning path progression: Completion rates of entire learning paths or curriculums.
LMS Usage Metrics
LMS usage metrics provide valuable insights into how effectively your platform is being utilized. By evaluating these metrics, you can identify potential access issues, navigation challenges, and areas of the platform that may be underutilized. While the quality of your training content is crucial, ensuring that your learning platform is user-friendly and accessible is equally important. If your LMS is cumbersome, slow, or difficult to navigate, it can significantly disrupt the learning experience and hinder everything from learner engagement to business impact.
- Active users: Number of users who logged into the LMS within a specific timeframe.
- Login frequency: Average number of logins per user.
- Time spent on platform: Average time users spend on the LMS per session.
- Course completion rates: Percentage of users who complete assigned courses.
- Video completion rates: Percentage of users who watch videos in full.
- Support ticket volume: Number of support requests related to the LMS.
Tracking Training Metrics More Efficiently
While you may not need to track every single training metric, it’s essential to have a tool that provides the flexibility to measure a wide range of metrics when needed. Our learning solutions offer exactly that—freedom to customize and track the metrics that matter most to your organization. Whether you’re focusing on completion rates, assessment scores, or advanced analytics such as knowledge retention, skill application, and long-term impact on job performance, our platform ensures you have the data you need at your fingertips. Book a consultation with our team to see how.
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