Many companies focus their training goals on strategies that utilize continuous learning. Having a well-informed, knowledgeable workforce can give any business a big leg up on the competition. Workers who are better educated will encounter fewer costly errors. They will also be more likely to maintain higher productivity and increase customer satisfaction.
Most organizations have training that is a requirement, usually issued during the onboarding process. Certain job roles may have additional required learning. While these are important, it’s also essential to encourage employees to engage in optional learning.
This could be training that makes them better at their job or helps them work towards a different role or promotion. Being able to promote internally is cheaper than external hiring and it helps strengthen networks within your organization.
However, not all training is necessary for all job roles. Making everything mandatory will only overwhelm and frustrate employees. Instead, they should have access to training that is relevant to their jobs and responsibilities with access to optional classes that allow them to develop their careers.
A solid eLearning platform is the first step in this process. If you don’t have one yet, now is the time to read LMS reviews to see what is out there. Once you have a system in place, what can you do to keep learners coming back for more?
Offer Employees Courses That Are Relevant to Them
Presenting a full course catalog that includes relevant training will encourage employees to delve deeper. There are only so many hours in the day, and most people already spend at least 8 of them working. If you want employees to invest more time into training, you have to give them something worth doing. And that will vary from one individual to the next.
Consider your industry and the job roles you employ. Add courses that match up with the goals of your workforce. Have courses that allow employees to further their careers and teach them valuable skills that they can take with them.
It also helps to provide an overview of courses that explains how the subject will benefit the learner. It could be a prerequisite for a specific job role or promotion. Or it could teach learners how to do their current jobs better. Make sure this information is provided to grab attention and make employees want to continue engaging with your training program.
Make Sure Everyone Knows About Available Training
Just because someone is a part of your organization doesn’t mean they automatically know about all available training. Have a system in place that keeps employees up to date on educational opportunities.
This information should be presented when they join your company. It’s also beneficial to provide training or instruction on how to find and navigate your LMS.
Many LMSs include convenient distribution features as well as notifications that can be issued to specific groups or entire teams. These are helpful tools when letting the right people know that a new course has been added that they might want to see.
If you want employees to stay engaged, you have to keep them informed.
Utilize Learning Paths with Clear Goals and Objectives
The learning path is a common find in LMS platforms. This feature allows users to group training and activities together. Learners can follow the pre-set path to achieve a training goal.
Most platforms allow users to choose between a more or less structured learning path. Something less structured will include the necessary training that can be done in any order. One that is structured will require learners to complete each item in a certain order so that they can build on what they know.
Create learning paths for all job roles in your organization. You can also create learning paths that focus on goals, like becoming an expert in a subject or increasing a stat like productivity or customer satisfaction.
When employees can see a clear path to achieve their goals, they will be much more likely to follow it.
Gamify Learning to Create Friendly Competition
If you want to know how to get more out of your learning management system, try gamification. Gamification turns learning into a game. There are many ways to do this. Common gamification features usually include:
- Training games
- Leaderboards
- Profile badges
- Points systems
- Rewards
You can use any combination of those to gamify your training program. Leaderboards and badges encourage friendly competition among employees. It also helps learners see where they stand among their peers and what they can do to improve.
Many LMS platforms offer built-in gamification features. These are easy to implement and give the user control over rewards, certificates, badges, and more.
Rely on Microlearning Over Lengthy Lessons and Lectures
Microlearning has become the shining star of employee training in recent years. Microlearning brings higher course completion rates, with a 10-minute course seeing over 80% completion compared to just 20% to 30% for traditional training.
It is also more effective. A Brandon Hall Group study found that microlearning can reduce training time by as much as 60%. It also led to a 50% increase in employee engagement and a 20% increase in employee retention.
A Training Magazine study reported that organizations that use microlearning in training saw a 20% increase in productivity. It’s efficient, effective, and much more employee-friendly compared to non-microlearning.
When done well, microlearning can be a boon for your training program. Remember to keep each lesson brief and highly focused on one subject or task. The average microlearning session should be under 10 minutes long.
Turn eLearning into a Personalized Experience
Another way to get employees interested in training is through personalized learning. This refers to training that is optimized for the individual in terms of subject, instructional approach, and pace.
Give employees training that synergizes with their career goals. Keep it flexible to give them maximum opportunity to engage with and complete courses. Make sure they have easy ways to complete training by offering online portal access, mobile access, and the ability to add activities from outside of the LMS.
Provide a way for employees to supply feedback. This will help you improve your training program and let employees know that they have a voice in the training process.
Also, don’t forget to make training personal by making it local. Understanding eLearning localization and how it can benefit your organization can yield positive results.
Incorporate Multiple Learning Types into Training
Learning isn’t a one-size-fits-all activity. There are four main learning styles, including:
- Visual – Visual learners get more out of graphics, charts, diagrams, illustrations, and symbols. They prefer a show don’t tell approach. Using photographs and videos is beneficial.
- Auditory – Auditory learners prefer listening to information rather than reading or seeing it. Lectures and voiceovers in training videos are helpful for this type of learner.
- Reading and Writing – Learners who prefer reading and writing would rather work with words and text-heavy training materials. They tend to be note-takers and like to have access to written references.
- Kinaesthetic – Kinaesthetic learners benefit from a hands-on approach to training. They retain the most knowledge when they are engaging their senses. They prefer to learn through touch and body movement. Ideal activities include roleplay, experiments, projects, and hands-on demonstrations.
Making your employee training content varied will address more of the needs of each learner type.
Monitor Progress and Check-In with Learners
Most employees do not want to be micromanaged, but they also don’t want to feel isolated and alone when it comes to training. Have a process in place to check in with learners – even if they are doing well.
This is usually done by managers, supervisors, or trainers. See how they are doing and find out if they have questions or face any challenges. It’s also a good time to discuss plans for future training or inform them of courses that might be beneficial based on their goals and job roles.
Investing in learner engagement now will help your organization develop a strong, knowledgeable workforce for years to come.
