Ever sat through a corporate training session and thought, “I’d rather be at the dentist”? You’re not alone.
Corporate training programs have an uncanny ability to turn even the most enthusiastic professionals into clock-watchers. The slides drone on, the presenter recites bullet points with all the passion of a tax audit, and somewhere in the back row, someone is definitely on WhatsApp. The irony? Companies spend billions on training every year, and yet, most of it falls flat.
Let’s break down why so many of these well-intended training programs fail – and what we can do about it.
1. Training for the Sake of Training
Here’s a scenario I’ve seen too often: A company rolls out a fancy training initiative, complete with a buzzword-heavy title like “Future-Proof Leadership Excellence 360”, and mandates that all employees attend. The problem? No one’s really sure why they’re there.
Too many training programs exist in a vacuum, disconnected from business goals or actual skill gaps. According to the ROI Institute, if a training program isn’t tied to a measurable business outcome, it has a zero percent chance of making a real impact. Zero. That’s like getting on a treadmill expecting to end up in Paris.
The Fix:
Before launching a training program, companies need to ask, “What problem are we solving?” If the answer is “because HR said so”, shut it down immediately.
2. Death by PowerPoint: The Content is Boring (or Worse, Useless)
Let’s be honest—some training sessions feel like a punishment. A mid-career finance professional doesn’t need to sit through “Basic Excel for Beginners”, just like a Michelin-star chef doesn’t need a tutorial on peeling potatoes.
A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work. People have different levels of experience, learning styles, and (let’s face it) attention spans. Yet, many companies insist on stuffing employees into conference rooms for a generic, one-way knowledge dump that no one will remember by lunch.
The Fix:
Scrap the lecture-heavy approach. Make corporate training interactive, relevant, and—dare I say—engaging. The best training isn’t a monologue; it’s a conversation.
3. Leadership Sends Mixed Signals (or Doesn’t Show Up at All)
I once attended a “Leadership Development” workshop where, ironically, not a single senior leader showed up. The message? This training isn’t important enough for the people who actually make decisions to show up. Employees notice these things.
The worst part? Some managers actively undermine training. Employees return from a session eager to implement new ideas, only to hear their boss say, “Yeah, we don’t really do things that way here.” It’s like sending someone to a fitness camp and then giving them a donut on their way out.
The Fix:
Leadership has to buy in—really buy in. If executives aren’t attending, promoting, and reinforcing training, they might as well not waste the budget.
4. Training Without Reinforcement is Like a Gym Membership You Never Use
We’ve all been there—you attend a training, take a few notes, feel momentarily inspired… and then? Nothing. No follow-up, no accountability, and before you know it, you’ve forgotten everything except the fact that the coffee was terrible.
Research shows that 90% of what people learn in a training session is forgotten within a week unless it’s reinforced. Ninety percent. That’s worse retention than a New Year’s resolution.
The Fix:
Training isn’t a one-and-done event. Organisations need follow-ups, coaching, and real-world application. If employees don’t have a chance to use what they’ve learned, they won’t remember it.
5. Compliance Over Competence
Many corporate training programs exist purely to tick a regulatory box. You know the type—the ones where employees are forced to sit through an e-learning module with a multiple-choice quiz at the end. The goal isn’t learning, it’s survival. Click “Next” as fast as possible, pass the test, and go back to real work.
The issue? Compliance training rarely translates to actual competence. It’s like memorising road signs without knowing how to drive.
The Fix:
If training is necessary (like compliance training often is), at least make it useful. Tie it to real-life scenarios, practical applications, and problem-solving—not just a robotic slideshow with a pop quiz.
The Bottom Line
Corporate training should be more than just a box-ticking exercise—it should drive real change. When done right, it can boost performance, engagement, and even the bottom line. But when done wrong, it’s nothing more than an expensive time-waster.
So, before you roll out another training program, ask yourself: Is this solving a real problem? Is it engaging? Will it stick? If not, stop wasting time and resources. Build training that matters—training that challenges, excites, and equips people to actually do their jobs better.
Because if learning doesn’t lead to action, what’s the point?
If your organisation is serious about creating training that actually works, reach out and let’s talk. It’s time to stop the cycle of wasted learning and start building something that makes a real impact.
