It’s possible to sum up the benefits of employee online training with a single number: 200%. According to one study, that’s how much productivity increases when employees participate in professional development opportunities. What’s more, 70% of staff members take educational and developmental opportunities into account when deciding whether to stay at a job. That makes training a win for everyone.
If you are thinking about offering virtual professional-development opportunities, you will need to consider how to engage your team in employee online learning. We provide tips that can help encourage your staff members to take advantage of educational opportunities.
Make it accessible
Technology is always changing—and your educational platforms need to change with it. Make your employee online learning accessible on any and all devices. This way, your employees will be able to take online courses no matter where they are. A pair of ear buds along with a 3-in-1 charging cable will have them prepped to learn anytime, anywhere.
Make it relevant
Associates are much more likely to appreciate an employee online training opportunity if they understand how it will affect their work or their workplace. Offer development opportunities that they can immediately put into practice, like a new process, program or skill. And then show them how their new skills will benefit them and the workplace—this will help boost their level of engagement.
Make it a game
Gamification—the process of turning training into a game—can make instruction more fun and encourage staff members to get involved. In fact, 80% of employees who participate in gamified training say they feel motivated to learn. Reward them with certificates, badges or coins. Then create a leaderboard and provide incentives for completing training before a certain date, within a certain time frame, or before their fellow employees.
You can even offer a prize, like a lunch cooler or a polo shirt, to encourage people to make training their top priority.
Make it easy to keep going
Gone are the days when training covers a long period of time and ends with a final exam. Instead, offer in-course feedback or quizzes to help staff members feel like they’re making faster progress. This also helps them better absorb the information, especially if they find it difficult to understand.
Make it interactive
Find ways to make online learning more interactive:
- Offer employees a scenario or simulation where they have to fix a problem.
- Create group assignments that pull together different members of the team.
A learning opportunity for everyone
Employee online training helps your staff learn the skills they need to do their best work. By finding ways to boost engagement, you’ll encourage staff to get excited about their next educational opportunity.