What is the purpose of training and development in organisations, and when does it fail to deliver?

What is the purpose of training and development in organisations, and when does it fail to deliver?

⚡Quick answer -

Training and development exist to upgrade employees’ knowledge, skills, attitudes, and social behaviours so that overall organisational performance improves. They stop delivering when they remain rigid, one-size-fits-all “planned programmes” that ignore modern employees’ preference for informal, self-directed learning.

When should I use this guide?

Use this FAQ if you need to:

• Explain the business value of training and development.

• Audit an existing learning programme for gaps.

• Make the case for introducing informal, learner-controlled options.



1. Key purposes of training and development

Purpose

Impact on the business

Improve knowledge & skills

Employees perform roles more effectively

Increase productivity & efficiency

Output rises; waste drops

Support employee growth

Stronger career paths

Prevent irrelevance

Workforce keeps pace with change

Boost engagement & morale

Higher satisfaction and motivation

Enable “best version” of self

Encourages innovation and initiative

Improve retention & build robustness

Lower turnover costs



2. Formal vs. informal learning

• Planned programmes = classroom courses, degrees, certifications.

• Informal learning = on-demand searches, peer chats, wikis, self-paced micro-modules.

Modern learners expect:

  1. Hyper-personalised content.
  2. Control over WHAT, WHEN, and HOW they learn.

If a programme ignores these expectations, it faces a “tall order” because employees will simply turn to Google or Wikipedia instead.



3. Failure scenarios: When training misses the mark

• Content is generic, not role-specific.

• Timing is fixed; learners can’t study when a problem arises.

• Delivery is only instructor-led; no searchable or mobile options.

Observable outcomes:– Low completion rates.– Learners say, “I’ll just Google it.”– Skill gaps remain unchanged.



4. Wayne Cascio’s classic definition—still relevant?

“Training consists of planned programmes undertaken to improve employee knowledge, skills, attitudes, and social behaviour so that the performance of the organisation improves considerably.” — Wayne Cascio, 1994.

Why it still matters in 2026

• Goals remain spot-on.

• The word “planned” must now include learner-driven, informal modalities.



5. Troubleshooting & next steps

Symptom → Suggested fix

• Learners skip sessions → Break content into 5-minute micro-modules.

• Engagement drops after launch → Survey learners about timing and control.

• Skills still lag → Map content directly to job tasks and update quarterly.

Escalation path:

  1. Raise findings with your Learning & Development (L&D) owner.
  2. If system-level changes are needed, log a ticket with the HRIS team.
  3. For budget issues, escalate to the HR business partner.