The 8 Metrics of a Successful Phishing Awareness Program 

1. Phish Click Rate (and The Trend) 

This is the most fundamental metric, but the trend over time is the real indicator of success. 

• What it is: The percentage of users who clicked the malicious link or opened the attachment in the simulation. 
• Why it matters: A high click rate equals high vulnerability. A consistent downward trend proves the training is working. 
• Success Looks Like: Reducing your click rate from 35% in your initial baseline test to under 10% after 2–3 subsequent campaigns. 

2. Phishing Report Rate

Security is an active process. A successful program teaches employees to become active defenders. 

• What it is: The percentage of employees who correctly identified and used the built-in reporting tool to flag the simulated phish. 
• Why it matters: This measures your organization’s collective vigilance. A high report rate reduces the attack surface by alerting the security team to real threats before they cause damage. 
• Success Looks Like: Consistently achieving a 25%+ reporting rate in mature teams, demonstrating that users actively participate in security. 

3. Time-to-Report vs. Time-to-Click 

These two counter-metrics reveal the urgency and decisiveness of your users. 

• Time-to-Click: How quickly a user clicks the link after opening the email. Success is a lengthening time-to-click (users hesitate and examine the email). 
• Time-to-Report: How quickly a user reports the email after opening it. Success is a rapidly decreasing time-to-report (users act fast to alert the team).
• Actionable Insight: Track this across departments. If Finance is slow to click but also slow to report, they need immediate, targeted coaching.  

4. Training Completion Rate & Knowledge Retention 

Simulations identify the gaps; training must fill them. 

• What it is: The percentage of employees who completed the assigned security awareness modules following a failed simulation or as part of scheduled training. 
• Why it matters: Behavioral change is impossible without education. This is your primary metric for audit evidence that training occurred. 
• Success Looks Like: Sustained 90%+ completion rates for all awareness modules, with mechanisms to ensure new hires are immediately enrolled. Bonus points for tracking and improving quiz scores. 

5. Reduction in Repeat Offenders 

Focusing resources on those who need it most drives the fastest organizational improvement. 

• What it is: Users who fail multiple phishing tests (e.g., 3 out of 3 campaigns). 
• Why it matters: These individuals represent concentrated risk. Your program’s success is defined by its ability to convert these high-risk users into security-aware employees. 
• Success Looks Like: A clear reduction in the list of repeat offenders after personalized, confidential, and supportive follow-up coaching. 

6. Employee Feedback and Perceived Confidence 

Security culture is built on trust and self-efficacy, not fear. 

• What it is: Anonymous survey data on how confident employees feel about spotting a real phishing attempt, or feedback on the program’s usefulness. 
• Why it matters: If employees don’t feel confident or find the training irrelevant, they won’t retain the knowledge. 
• Success Looks Like: Rising sentiment scores on statements like “I feel confident spotting suspicious emails” and an increase in unsolicited feedback about applying training to real-world threats. 

7. Organizational Response Readiness 

Individual actions matter, but the collective response is what truly prevents a breach. 

• What it is: How quickly your IT/Security team and established processes react to a reported phishing incident (real or simulated). 
• Why it matters: Phishing is the gateway for ransomware. Rapid, structured response (isolating the user, resetting credentials) is crucial for containment. 
• Success Looks Like: Documented proof that a high-risk alert triggers a response within <15 minutes, following a clear and efficient escalation path. 

8. Reduced Real-World Incident Cost

The ultimate measure of success is a quieter security dashboard.  

• What it is: A measurable drop in actual security incidents directly related to email compromise. 
• Why it matters: This ties the security program directly to the business bottom line by minimizing operational disruption and financial loss. 
• Success Looks Like: A year-over-year drop in compromised accounts, fewer external vendor payment frauds, and minimal data loss tied to social engineering attempts.