Completion rates don’t prove learning impact. Here’s how L&D teams can show real business value – and secure continued investment
The half-life of skills (the time it takes for a skill to lose half its relevance) has shrunk dramatically. Once around 10 years, it is now less than five; in the tech industry, as little as two and a half. With AI, relentless digital transformation, plus rising business demands, learning and development (L&D) has never been a more critical business function.
Yet, proving that impact remains a challenge. LinkedIn Learning’s Workplace Learning Report 2025 found that 49 per cent of learning professionals believe executives doubt their workforce has the skills to execute strategy. McKinsey research shows that while 78 per cent of organisations see capability building as vital to growth, only 30% believe their programmes deliver measurable impact.
The CIPD’s 2023 Learning at Work survey highlights a similar concern, showing a drop in the proportion of leaders recognising L&D’s impact on organisational priorities: from 81 per cent in 2021 to 67 per cent in 2023. Without evidence of impact, L&D risks losing influence and investment.
