Knowledge retention strategy: How to keep know-how alive

You spend time, money, and energy building training programs but how much of that learning actually sticks? This is where knowledge retention comes in.

Often overlooked, retention is the hidden ROI driver of training.

If employees forget most of what they’ve learned within weeks, even the best training won’t move the needle. When they remember, apply, and share knowledge, you see real impact: better performance, innovation, and resilience.

You’ll often see knowledge retention and learning retention used interchangeably.

The difference is subtle: learning retention refers to how well learners hold onto what they’ve just learned, while knowledge retention is about preserving critical know-how across the organization over time. Both matter—but the second one ensures you don’t lose expertise when people change roles, retire, or move on.

In this blog you will learn:

• What is knowledge retention?
• The knowledge retention pyramid
• Benefits of knowledge retention in the workplace
• What affects knowledge retention in the workplace
• Knowledge retention strategies
• Tips on how to improve knowledge retention strategy with LMS
• How to measure knowledge retention in the workplace
• Common problems and challenges in knowledge retention

What is knowledge retention?

At its core, knowledge retention means keeping valuable information, skills, and insights accessible in your workplace. It’s the process of ensuring employees not only learn something but can recall and use it when needed.

A common confusion arises between knowledge retention and knowledge transfer.

Retention is about storing knowledge within the organization; transfer is about passing it from one person to another.

A good retention strategy usually includes transfer as part of the process.

The knowledge retention pyramid

Most of us know the classic “Learning Pyramid” that shows how retention rates vary depending on the learning method.

For example, people retain much less from lectures than from hands-on practice or teaching others.

Learners will immediately see that the way you deliver training dramatically affects what sticks. Active, social, and experiential learning methods always outperform passive ones.

About the Learning Retention Pyramid
The Learning Pyramid is a widely used model that illustrates how different learning methods affect how much information people remember.

At the top are passive methods such as lectures or reading, which usually lead to low retention. As you move down the pyramid toward active methods like group discussion, practice, or teaching others, retention rates increase significantly.

It’s important to note that while the percentages often shown in pyramid visuals are not backed by a single verified study, the model remains a helpful reminder: the more actively learners engage with knowledge, the more likely they are to remember and apply it.

An easy explainer video showing how active methods like practice and teaching others dramatically increase retention.

Video: The Learning Pyramid Explained

Benefits of knowledge retention in the workplace

When organizations invest in knowledge retention, the benefits ripple across teams and processes.

Productivity rises because people spend less time relearning tasks they’ve forgotten. Costs decrease since fewer refresher sessions are needed.

The risk of losing critical expertise during turnover is also reduced—knowledge stays in the company, not just in people’s heads.

Finally, retention strengthens engagement: when employees feel that training is practical and memorable, they are more motivated to apply it in real life.

• Higher productivity – People waste less time re-learning tasks and complete their work faster. In practice, this means smoother collaboration and fewer interruptions in workflows.
• Lower training costs – Retention minimizes the need for expensive retraining or external consultants, freeing resources for innovation.
• Business continuity – Institutional knowledge stays secure even if senior staff leave, preventing the disruption that knowledge gaps can cause.
• Stronger employee engagement – When training feels memorable, employees are more invested in both their own growth and the company’s success.

Companies like MadeiraMadeira in Brazil have shown how strong retention strategies—like structured learning paths and leadership development—can raise completion rates and make Learning and Development (L&D) a cornerstone of business growth.

What affects knowledge retention in the workplace?

Retention doesn’t happen by accident. It depends on several interconnected factors.

Relevance plays a huge role. When employees can link training directly to their day-to-day tasks, the knowledge is far more likely to stick.

Another important factor is reinforcement. Without repetition, the natural “forgetting curve” takes over and information disappears quickly.

The way learning is delivered also matters: collaborative projects, peer-to-peer exchanges, and hands-on practice all create stronger memory traces than passive listening.

Finally, company culture acts as a multiplier. Workplaces that encourage sharing, discussion, and immediate application foster much higher levels of retention.

XP Inc. showed how powerful culture can be. By moving away from top-down training to a system where employees authored and shared content themselves, they created an environment where knowledge flowed continuously across the company.

It’s also worth noting the classic forgetting curve discovered by Hermann Ebbinghaus: learners forget up to 70% of new information within 24 hours, and as much as 90% within a week if there’s no reinforcement. This highlights just how important structured reinforcement really is.

Knowledge retention techniques and strategies

There are many ways to improve knowledge retention, but the most successful strategies combine variety, repetition, and relevance.

Mixing active methods with modern tools ensures that learning sticks and can be applied on the job.

Consider incorporating these approaches:

• Microlearning: Bite-sized lessons fit easily into daily routines and are easier to recall later. A three-minute refresher video often works better than a lengthy course.
• Spaced repetition: Revisiting content at intervals strengthens memory consolidation. Scheduling reminders keeps knowledge fresh long after training ends.
• Social learning: Peer discussions, mentoring, and group projects bring knowledge to life, turning training into shared experiences instead of isolated study.
• Scenario-based learning: Applying information in real-world simulations embeds skills more effectively than abstract theory.
• User-generated content: Empowering employees to create their own lessons or resources secures valuable know-how within the organization and increases ownership of learning.

Organizations like Morgan Recruitment Group have successfully used gamification and scenario-based modules to make development more personalized and memorable.

Tips on how to improve knowledge retention strategy with LMS

A Learning Management System (LMS) isn’t just a content library. It can become the backbone of your retention strategy.

By combining personalization, analytics, and collaborative features, it ensures knowledge remains active and accessible. Here are a few ways technology can help:

• Centralize learning: Keep all knowledge in one platform, making it easy to find and reducing the risk of loss. This gives employees a clear single source of truth.
• Offer content creation tools: With Valamis Studio, employees can capture their expertise in videos, documents, and interactive lessons, making know-how tangible.
• Enable personalization: Tailor learning paths to job roles and skill levels so the content feels immediately relevant to each learner.
• Support microlearning: Deliver quick lessons and refreshers that fit naturally into the flow of work and can be completed in minutes.
• Provide analytics: Track which modules have lasting impact, highlight where reinforcement is needed, and connect learning to business outcomes.

A good example is the City of Helsinki, which consolidated multiple systems into Valamis. By creating a single hub, they improved onboarding and made learning more accessible for 38,000 employees.

How to measure knowledge retention in the workplace

Retention can’t be measured by completions alone.

To truly know if knowledge is sticking, you need to look at what employees can recall and apply over time.

One approach is post-training quizzes given not just immediately, but weeks later to see what remains.

Another is assessing performance in real tasks—can employees handle scenarios using what they learned?

Modern LMS dashboards add further insight, showing who revisits lessons, which modules drive improvement, and where reinforcement is needed. This kind of measurement turns retention from a vague goal into something tangible you can act on.

Helmes, for example, ties retention directly to employee engagement. By using analytics in Valamis, they track whether people not only finish training but also put it into practice, connecting learning outcomes to satisfaction and long-term retention.

External data also confirms the urgency: according to LinkedIn’s 2023 Workplace Learning Report, the skills required for the average job have already changed by 25% since 2015, and are expected to double by 2027. This rapid pace of change makes measuring and improving knowledge retention a business-critical priority.

Read more:

• How to measure employee engagement
• How to measure and evaluate training effectiveness 
• Learning Outcomes

Common problems and challenges in knowledge retention

Even the best strategies face obstacles.

The biggest is the forgetting curve—without reinforcement, knowledge fades quickly.

Another is low engagement: if training feels irrelevant, people won’t put effort into remembering it.

• Read more: How to improve employee engagement

Knowledge silos also prevent retention at scale, as expertise stays locked within departments.

And then there’s turnover—when seasoned employees leave without their knowledge being documented, critical gaps open up.

Vaillant faced this exact risk with its large partner network. By digitizing partner training and consolidating it into one platform, they ensured critical technical knowledge was always available—even when experts weren’t.