About the Kirkpatrick Model of evaluation

The Kirkpatrick Model provides a framework for evaluating your company’s L&D programs. Developed by the University of Wisconsin’s Dr. Don Kirkpatrick in the 1950s, this simple model brings consistency to the assessment process.

The Kirkpatrick Model helps you gauge the success of a learning initiative in four different areas:

• Level 1: Reaction. How employees feel about the training session
• Level 2: Learning. How well employees comprehend and retain the information from the training session
• Level 3: Behavior. How employees apply what they learned
• Level 4: Results. Impact of training on specific outcomes

Since each level is topic-agnostic, the Kirkpatrick Model works for a wide variety of industries and L&D programs.

Using the Kirkpatrick Model to assess and improve L&D

Systematic training program evaluation is a key element of a thriving L&D strategy. With the Kirkpatrick Model, assessment isn’t an afterthought; it’s tightly integrated into each stage. As a result, you have a steady flow of feedback to inform the decision-making process.

Implemented effectively, the Kirkpatrick Model helps you develop an agile L&D program that adapts quickly to shifts in the market—an important advantage as new technologies promise to revolutionize industries. Your workers are likely to appreciate it, too. In a McKinsey study, 75% of frontline employees cited “learning opportunities” as a career priority.

Level 1: reaction

The first stage of the Kirkpatrick Model measures your employees’ immediate response to a training session. It’s important to collect this information right after the session ends while the experience is still fresh. A survey is usually the most efficient tool; leave time for employees to complete it online or in person. Ask for honest answers, and explain that their responses will help you provide the best possible training in the future.

Gauge participants’ reactions with questions such as:

• Did you understand the goal of this training session?
• Was the information new to you?
• Do you think you’ll be able to use what you learned at work?
• Do you need specific resources to apply what you learned?
• Do you think the training will improve your experience or performance?
• Did you like the training format?
• Is there anything you would change about this session?
• Do you feel that this session was worth your time and effort?

As you review survey responses, look for patterns. Sometimes, they provide a definitive judgment. If every employee felt that the training was a waste of time, for example, it may not be worth further investigation.

When the survey trends are more moderate, it can help you identify which elements to keep and which to change. If employees found the information useful but overwhelming, you may need to use a different format or split the content into two sessions.

Level 2: learning

Level 2 of the Kirkpatrick Model helps you determine whether employees have gained the intended skills, insights or knowledge. It also measures more intangible benefits, including confidence, commitment and attitude.

Gathering this information usually requires you to assess workers’ abilities both before and after the training. This process can be informal or formal, depending on your resources. During an informal assessment, managers might observe employees and track performance metrics to gauge skill development.

While an informal process requires fewer resources, formal assessments can help you get the most from the Kirkpatrick Model. Use the learning objectives to guide your training evaluation; the format will vary by session. If employees are learning hard skills, such as equipment operation or computer programming, you can use a practical test to assess their abilities. For an information-based course on topics including leadership or time management, consider using a written or in-person interview.

This stage of the evaluation is straightforward—it helps you understand to what degree employees learned and retained information. When the majority of participants meet the course objectives, it’s a sign of success.

If you find gaps in comprehension, retention or application, you may need to find ways to improve learning:

• Narrow the scope
• Extend the course length
• Change how the information is presented
• Try a different educational format
• Add supervised hands-on practice
• Encourage discussion or role-playing

Level 3: behavior

The true measure of success for any L&D initiative is whether participants can use what they learned on the job. Level 3 of the Kirkpatrick Model measures how employee behavior changes as a result of training.

After team members return to work, provide managers with a list of the training objectives and the desired outcomes. They should observe employees closely to see if they’re applying the information. You can also conduct in-person interviews or skills tests in the ensuing weeks and months.

When employee behavior doesn’t change as you expected, it’s time to investigate further:

• Did the training teach employees how to use the information and skills in a practical setting?
• Have employees retained the information over time?
• Do employees have the time to integrate new strategies, skills and practices?
• Do employees have the resources they need to use their new skills to the fullest?
• Does the current company setup and workflow allow employees to apply the training?
• Does the company culture prevent employees from using the training?

You may discover that while the training was effective, other factors are inhibiting the implementation process. For example, employees could be struggling to use new coding skills due to slow or outdated computers.

Other situations are more complicated—workers might be facing resistance from colleagues or working within an established workflow that’s incompatible with their new skills. When you’re dealing with complex organizational factors, you must decide if the benefits of the training outweigh the costs of adjusting the company’s operations.

Level 4: results

The final stage of a Kirkpatrick Model evaluation assesses the business impact of an L&D program. This level is usually most effective when you establish a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) before the training starts.

Ideally, KPIs should be tied to the learning objectives. If you’re training workers to use updated production-line equipment, for example, you might track the throughput, yield or error rate.

The KPIs for a knowledge-based session are more elusive, often because this type of training doesn’t always have directly attributable outcomes. Choose the most relevant metrics, but be aware that other factors may affect the results. After a leadership seminar, you could monitor departmental retention rates, team performance or the job satisfaction rate for direct reports.

If you’ve gotten this far in the evaluation process, Level 4 provides the opportunity to fine-tune your learning initiatives to maximize value. In particular, watch for KPIs that outperform others; they can indicate that employees or operations are responding well to a specific aspect of the training. You may be able to apply the same principle to other parts of the L&D program.

Based on the change in the target KPIs, you can calculate the ROI of any given training session. Use those figures to allocate resources effectively—by expanding high-impact programs, for example, or making strategic changes to sessions with lower ROI.

Kirkpatrick Model FAQs

What is the most crucial step in the Kirkpatrick Model?

The most important step in the Kirkpatrick Model is often Level 3: behavior. This part of the evaluation shows you how a training session improves the way employees work. A strong positive result is a powerful indicator of success; a negative result can help you identify operational issues that are hindering progress.

What are the characteristics of the Kirkpatrick Model?

The Kirkpatrick Model is known for its simplicity and structure. It encourages you to develop a set of evaluation criteria ahead of time, which streamlines the evaluation process and helps you capture relevant information. The model has broad applicability, so you can use it consistently across most of your company’s L&D programs.

What are the limitations of the Kirkpatrick Model?

The Kirkpatrick Model requires a considerable amount of work up front. You must analyze each training program before it begins to determine learning objectives, set KPIs and create assessment criteria. The system also requires an investment of time to assess skills, behavior and results before and after each session.