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Measuring reading culture: what happens after the training?

21 September 2026

In short

  • Participation in training shows who is following a course, but not whether employees can apply what they have learned.
  • A useful measurement distinguishes access to development, learning on the job and the application of new skills.
  • Scientific research finds links between a supportive working environment, learning and performance. That does not guarantee the success of an individual intervention.
  • HR and management can better justify training choices by connecting employee experiences to concrete work situations.

The training budget is available, the courses have been booked, and the participants rate the offering highly. This suggests that the development of your employees is on track. Yet the most important question often remains unanswered: what do they actually do differently afterwards, and does the work actually provide sufficient scope for that?

Therefore, anyone who wants to measure an organisation's learning culture must look beyond the attendance register and the satisfaction score.

More than a ticked-off course

Measuring learning culture means investigating whether employees learn, why what they do and which circumstances help or hinder them in doing so. Courses are only one part of that. From the Monitor Reading Culture it appears, for example, that although 54% of employees undertake formal training, as many as 87% state that they learn primarily from colleagues and tasks on the shop floor.

An employee can learn an enormous amount from a complex project without ever setting foot in a classroom. Conversely, someone can complete countless courses, but never get the chance in the workplace to put their new knowledge into practice.

From training offer to practice

Being able to apply theory in practice (also known as training transfer mentioned) is crucial. Research by Blume and colleagues shows that this is directly related to motivation and a supportive work environment.

Suppose a team attends a ‘difficult customer conversations’ training course. As HR, your job isn't finished just by asking whether the trainer was clear. You want to know whether the employees are now handling conversations differently, whether they receive useful feedback, and whether they feel they have the room to make mistakes. Those are the real indicators of the learning culture.

How to make a learning culture measurable

A viable approach starts with a clearly defined work situation. For example, choose a task that employees frequently have to carry out independently, a new working method or a recurring quality issue. Together with subject-matter experts, determine what constitutes good practice in that situation.

Then ask what knowledge, practice and support are needed. This also makes it clear when a problem is not a training issue. Unclear authority, missing information or an unworkable schedule will not simply disappear with an extra course.

For example, use these illustrative statements in an employee survey:

  • I know which skills I need to develop further for my work.
  • I get the opportunity to practise new skills during my work.
  • I receive feedback that allows me to improve my working method.
  • I can apply what I have learned in my day-to-day work.

These items do not constitute a validated scale. They illustrate various components that you can examine separately. 

Value informal learning

Workplace learning is often less visible in the records. Think of shadowing an experienced colleague, trying out an approach and looking back together on a completed project. For an employee, such moments can be important, even when there is no certificate to show for it.

Ask whether employees can get help when they get stuck and whether experienced colleagues have time for mentoring. Also distinguish between learning and improvising. Having to constantly solve new problems without explanation or feedback can be tough; it does not automatically make for a good development environment.

Conclusion

Measuring learning culture helps to reveal the gap between a training offer and daily work. The core issue is whether employees have access to development, are able to practise and actually use their skills.

The available science supports the importance of the work environment, but does not offer a universal recipe. Therefore, start with a concrete task, combine experiences with relevant practical information and test what support is needed. In this way, a training decision acquires a substantive basis that goes beyond the number of courses attended.

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