Top 5 useless tools in corporate training
In the time we have spent rolling out corporate training and talking to L&D and HRD teams, we noticed one thing: before a system is introduced, companies keep repeating the same set of mistakes.
Studying the LMS market and cases from Russia and neighbouring countries, we see the same mistakes mentioned. We decided to gather a top 5 so they are easier to recognise.
1. A test right after the course = measuring effectiveness
The employee completed it and scored 85% — box ticked. But this is not a measure of retention. It is a measure of short-term memory at the moment of completion.
Ebbinghaus proved it back in 1885: within an hour a person loses up to 60% of new information, within a week up to 90%.Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve, Wikipedia
A test is needed — but as a delayed check after 30–90 days, not as the final metric of the programme.
2. A one-off training as a fix for a systemic problem
«Sales are down — let's book a training.»
Inspiration lasts 48–72 hours. Without reinforcement in the working context, information disappears as fast as it appeared. L&D Global Sentiment Survey 2024 (3,270 specialists from 100+ countries) records it: the main unsolved problem is that training is not tied to real business results. L&D Global Sentiment Survey 2024
A training is an entry point, not the finished product.
3. VARK and «learning styles»
«Our employees are visual learners, let's make more infographics.» This is a neuromyth.
Pashler et al. are unambiguous: there is no evidence that adapting to a learning style improves results.Pashler et al., 2008
Design multimodally — that works for everyone.
4. 360 feedback without preparation
A beautiful tool. A destructive one — if applied incorrectly.
The SHRM survey (2025) shows that a significant share of employees reject 360 assessments because of bias. In a hierarchical culture, anonymity is rarely believed.SHRM, 2025
360 without psychological safety and a development plan is an expensive survey that ends up in a drawer.
5. Gamification for its own sake
Badges, leaderboards, points for completing modules. The first two weeks bring a spike in activity. Then those outside the top stop trying.
Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory: external rewards suppress intrinsic motivation. A person learns for the points, not for the skill.Deci & Ryan, Self-Determination Theory
Gamification only works when the mechanic is tied to a real task, not to the fact of completing a module.
What links all five
Beautiful reports without any change of behaviour in the workplace.
Which of these do you recognise in your own company? Even one? We would genuinely like to hear your view.
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