Research & Resources

Our latest research: The Role of L&D in AI Adoption and Skills Development

We are researching how Learning & Development is responding to the rapid growth of AI in organisations — and what effective AI capability really looks like.

To receive the full report, just complete the 10-minute online survey.

Click here to take the survey.

All participants will receive:

• A free copy of the full report
• Early access to findings
• Invitation to roundtable discussions and webinars
• An individual benchmarking summary
• Access to a Learner Survey GPT

We are continuously researching best practice in analytics, measurement and evaluation and would love for you to get involved. 

Our previous research reports have covered L&D Measurement & Evaluation, AI use in L&D Measurement & Evaluation and Learner Surveys. If you would like a copy, just get in touch.

Our interest in ROI evaluation, performance modelling and behavioural assessment

We monitor the peer reviewed academic research in the areas of ROI evaluation, performance modelling and behavioural assessment to ensure that we are always up to date with the best practice. If you’d like to find copies of our favourite papers, then please see below:

Confounded by Competencies? An Evaluation of the Evolution and Use of Competency Models
Leanne Helen Markus, H. Cooper–Thomas, K. N. Allpress

Blume, B. D., Ford, J. K., Surface, E. A., & Olenick, J. (2019). A dynamic model of training transfer. Human Resource Management Review, 29(2), 270-283.

Peter’s own research on ROI

Josh Bersin suggests $400bn is spent on learning and development globally but it is difficult to know what the long-term impact of that is.

Companies that invest in staff tend to perform better, get higher employee engagement scores and have lower staff turnover, but the granular analysis of many programmes (when it is done) shows that impact on performance is often limited and short lived.  It’s tempting to think that there may just a massive Hawthorne Effect going on.

Some companies we are researching can show an ROI of £4 for every £1 spent, with robust, conservative, analysis being conducted by their Private Equity investors, (who said it could be double that).  More typically L&D leaders struggle with evaluation, and more importantly struggle to justify their budgets.

Whilst most people are familiar with the Kirkpatrick model and some of its successors, which focus more heavily on ROI, there is also an interesting debate emerging around how we measure company performance beyond financial measures – and kind of More than Money approach which looks at the impact on employees, communities, societies and the environment.  To what extent is your L&D activity enabling your organisation to be an agent for change?