The not-so-hidden cost of passive ‘one-and-done’ training

The era of the passive, broadcast-style HR seminar should finally be over, writes Matt Willmott.

Imagine a boardroom in Sydney or a hybrid all-hands call connecting teams from Perth to Brisbane. The audience of professionals is staring at a slide deck. The presenter is diligent, the data is accurate, and the ‘broadcast’ is flawless. Yet, if you look closer, half the cameras are off, and the other half are subtly reflecting the white light of their emails.

Familiar? Then you know what it looks like when your training budget is evaporating right in front of your eyes.

For years, corporate training has suffered from a ‘leaky bucket’ problem. Businesses pour thousands of dollars into one-and-done seminars, only for the knowledge to drain out of employees’ minds before they’ve even finished their post-session coffee. When people are told information rather than involved in it, retention rates plummet. So, as Australian businesses navigate a tightening economic landscape and a relentless need to upskill, we can no longer afford the luxury of engaging so passively with our staff.

What’s causing the leaky bucket?

The cost of disengagement is not a soft HR metric. It is a measurable, tangible drain on the end-of-month balance sheet. So what can we do to improve it?

Research consistently shows that interactive learning methods are the way forward. A comprehensive meta-analysis of 43 studies found that gamified learning has a significant positive effect on knowledge retention. To put that in perspective, studies have shown that it can enhance knowledge retention rates by 87 per cent.

If you told a CFO they could increase the ROI of any other business investment by nearly 90 per cent simply by changing the delivery method, they would sign the cheque tomorrow. Yet HR often clings to the broadcast model because it’s long established. The time is now to move from “compliance through attendance” to active engagement.

Micro-learning lowers the anxiety barrier

One of the biggest problems with passive learning is that it can, for many, contribute to anxiety. In a high-stakes corporate environment, nobody wants to admit they don’t understand the new regulatory update or the latest AI integration. This fear of being wrong leads to silence, and silence leads to skill gaps.

This is where the psychology of play becomes a strategic tool. Using lightweight signals such as live polls, anonymous Q&As, and gamified low-stakes competition, we lower the barrier for learners. Data shows that gamified platforms lead to a reduction in anxiety while simultaneously improving self-efficacy.

Pulse check uncover issues before they escalate

The Australian workforce is more fragmented than ever, and there’s a demand for meaningful, tech-augmented career growth. Upskilling our middle managers and frontline staff shouldn’t be a chore they have to endure, but an experience that connects them to their peers.

We have seen this shift in our own community at Kahoot! Whether it’s building resilience in learners or transforming hybrid meetings into immersive experiences, the core principle remains: people learn best when they are leaning in, not leaning back.

The way forward

The era of the passive, broadcast-style HR seminar should finally be over.

For the modern HR leader, the mandate is no longer to be a mere content distributor. The goal now is to become a champion of engagement. To achieve this, really look over your next training program with a critical eye. If your team isn’t interacting, they aren’t learning. And if they aren’t learning, your budget is leaking.

It’s time to stop pouring money into the leaky bucket. It’s time to plug the hole with interactivity, play, and real-time data. The future of work belongs to the organisations that are bold enough to make learning the most engaging part of the day.

Matt Willmott is the vice president of commercial at Kahoot!