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Measuring the Localization ROI in Corporate Training

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Since 2017, the number of skills required for any one job has increased by 10 percent annually, a figure set to rise in the wake of the pandemic. Today, almost two-thirds of workers need new skills to complete their jobs successfully.

The takeaway: employee training is crucial to unlocking your workforce’s potential and maintaining your competitive edge in the market. And in the international business landscape, that means delivering high-quality learning and development opportunities to talent across the globe.

Organizations with worldwide reach are already familiar with marketing localization. Corporate training localization helps companies achieve a similar outcome, but instead of reaching, informing, and inspiring customers, they educate, equip, and prepare staff to undertake core duties.

Localization is not as simple as translating text from one language to another. The process ensures the content, references, images, videos, and other learning elements are culturally relevant and appropriate.

If your organization is weighing the costs and benefits of corporate training localization, you are likely focused on one key question: Will localizing my company’s training material deliver a return on investment?

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Does corporate training localization deliver ROI?

The short answer: yes. Localized training delivers both quantitative and qualitative return on investment. In some cases, the advantages of localization can be game-changing – even lifesaving. The numbers present a compelling case:

  • According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), language barriers contribute to one in four job-related accidents.
  • One study found that companies that invested $680 more than the average business in learning per employee enjoyed a 6 percent uptick in their annual return the following year.
  • Stakeholder objectives will be met 90 percent more often after a company increases its team’s skills.
  • In top-performing organizations, 84 percent of employees receive the training they need to thrive in their position.
  • Training improves employee retention. Ninety-four percent of workers hold their positions for longer when their employees participate in their learning.

Ultimately, localized training improves workplace efficiency and ensures your staff members have the skills and knowledge required to provide a superior customer experience and deliver on business growth outcomes. Better service and accelerated expansion mean improved customer loyalty and a larger audience, factors that lead to increased revenue.

How to measure corporate training localization ROI

Return on investment is an approximate measurement of an investment’s profitability. ROI is usually expressed as a percentage and is calculated using the following formula:

Return on investment (%) = (final value of your investment – upfront cost of your investment) / cost of your investment x 100

You can measure the ROI of your corporate training localization using one or more ROI metrics. ROI metrics track performance, progress, and other positive outcomes. Depending on your goals – for example, increased sales, improved safety, or reduced customer service response times – different metrics will hold different weights.

Here are five metrics that will most likely relate to your business’s training ROI.

Information recall

The goal of all learning is information recall. If your staff cannot remember, or if they misunderstood critical details and procedures outlined in your learning material, your training has failed.

How to measure information recall: A common way to measure information recall is to give team members a short quiz before and after training. Then, you can compare the results and measure the improvement.

Learner satisfaction

According to the popular Kirkpatrick Model, the first level of evaluating the effectiveness of a training program is measuring learner satisfaction. Or, as Don Kirkpatrick defines it, “the degree to which participants find the training favorable, engaging, and relevant to their jobs.” Localization is critical to engaging learners.

How to measure learner satisfaction: Survey staff following their training session. Ask them for constructive feedback. Questions might include the following:

  • Would you recommend the training to a colleague?
  • Was the training relevant to your role?
  • Was the training worth your time?

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Quantitative outcomes

Increased subscribers, fewer complaints, and longer employee retention are quantitative outcomes that you can easily measure numerically. Of course, the figures that matter to you will depend on the nature of your corporate training.

How to measure quantitative outcomes: Ensure you set a measurable goal before training commences. Take note of how your company is currently performing. Then, continue to track that measurable goal after training. In some instances, training results will not be quantitatively detectable for several months or more.

Qualitative outcomes

Improved employee behavior, customer satisfaction, and customer experience are qualitative outcomes that cannot always be measured numerically. They are, however, crucial to building the complete picture of your localized training ROI.

How to measure qualitative outcomes: Pre- and post-training quizzes can help you gauge information recall, but they tell you nothing about whether employees are implementing their learnings at work. To measure qualitative outcomes, you could use one of the following methods:

  • Ask supervisors to monitor particular aspects of worker behavior, such as productivity, communication, and conflict resolution.
  • Ask employees to monitor their peers and complete an evaluation.
  • Ask employees to evaluate themselves, a process that improves self-awareness.

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Revenue

Revenue is a key performance metric that combines the influence of quantitative and qualitative outcomes – improved efficiency, increased sales, improved employee behavior, and enhanced customer experiences all lead to higher revenue. For this reason, revenue is a useful metric to turn to when evaluating the effectiveness of your training.

How to measure revenue: Measuring the impact of learning on revenue is not always as simple as comparing figures from before and after training. Influences like economic conditions, global events, and seasonal holidays can affect consumer confidence, sales, and revenue.

Some ways you can isolate the effect of your training program include:

If revenue has increased after isolating the impact of your eLearning efforts, you can be sure that your investment in localization has been worthwhile.

Improve ROI by partnering with an expert localization team

Poorly executed localization can sabotage your corporate training’s ROI. Don’t leave the future of your organization’s efficiency and competitive edge to chance – work with a professional team of eLearning localization specialists.

Collaborate with Commit Global, your trusted partner in eLearning content adapted for international audiences. Contact us today to discuss your training goals.

Want to create an efficient and economical localization strategy that empowers your employees to do better for your company? Then download our complimentary Ultimate eLearning Localization Guide for L&D Professionals.

Read also:

7 Ways to Successfully Manage International Teams

Closing the Corporate Communications Gap With Localization

6 Tips to Create a Localization Strategy for Global Training

8 Tips for eLearning Localization

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