If training feels like a sunk cost with no real payoff, you’re not alone. Poor training quietly drains performance, culture, and capability. But here’s the thing: it can go deeper than bad courses.
If you’re delivering training without a strategy, you could be actively holding your organisation back. Here’s what bad training really costs, and how a better strategy can fix it.
The hidden cost of poor training
It’s easy to track what you spend on learning and development. But it’s harder to see what you’re losing when training misses the mark.
Lost productivity: When learning doesn’t shift behaviour, everything stalls. And when teams stay stuck in old ways of working, productivity tanks.
Capability chasms: If training isn’t future-focused, your teams won’t be ready when change (inevitably) comes.
Culture drag: Workplace training should address the problems your people face each day. Otherwise, it starts to feel like time-wasting, life-force draining admin.
Retention risks: Good people don’t stick around when growth feels like luck. Poor training signals that development isn’t a priority—and they’ll go somewhere it is.
Give poor training the flick with smart strategy
The best way to help people see the value of training is by linking it to business goals. A clear instructional design strategy does this, but it also defines the behaviours and mindsets that will take your business to the next level. Even better: it maps out how learning can happen alongside the work, not just in the meeting room.
What a learning strategy delivers
Better, faster decision making
Capability that compounds over time
Growth people can feel (and want to hang around for)
Agile, no-waste training budgets
Poor training seems easier. But better strategy pays dividends.
In our full guide, we unpack how to build learning strategy that sticks (and scales):
What to include (and what to ditch) in your learning strategy
How to link learning to what the business actually cares about
Real-world examples of strategy in action
You’re asking the right questions – now get the full playbook
Head to our guide to learn how to build a learning strategy that shapes culture and drives performance.
If you’re more of a talker, book a call with Michael to learn how the Hungry Minds Learning Lab can help.
FAQS
When people aren’t trained, things fall through the gaps. You get:
- Inconsistent performance
- Avoidable mistakes
- Low confidence
- Slow onboarding
- Time wasted fixing errors
- Missed opportunities to improve or innovate
Over time, small skill gaps become bigger business issues – costing time, money, and trust.
Start by looking at both the direct and indirect costs. That usually includes:
- Design and development (in-house or external)
- Delivery (facilitators, platforms, venues)
- Tools and tech (LMS, authoring tools, licenses)
- Time (how long people are off the job to learn)
- Follow-up and evaluation (coaching, feedback, impact tracking)
Costs will depend on the size of your team, the complexity of the training, and whether it’s off-the-shelf or bespoke.
The smarter move? Weigh the cost against the risk of not training – that’s where the real value shows up.
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