Benefits Of Using MOOCs For Corporate Training
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have offered countless online learners the opportunity to learn new skills and expand their knowledge base for quite some time. However, in recent years an increasing number of employers have turned to MOOCs to train their staff online and improve their bottom line. Here are just a few of the most notable benefits of MOOCs for corporate training.
- Employees can access training on a 24/7 basis.
Rather than having to wait for a scheduled training session on-site, employees can access their training anywhere, and when it fits into their work schedule. Training professionals can develop new eLearning content or share MOOCs for corporate training that are already online with their employees, even if they are across the globe. Best of all, it can be offered to an unlimited number of employees, without any additional cost, as there aren’t any printed learning materials or instructor costs involved. Employees can simply log on to access the MOOC at a time when it won’t conflict with their work responsibilities or personal life, which means that they will be more likely to get the full benefit from the online training material. - Boosts employee productivity and profits.
If your employees are able to build new skills, develop existing skill sets, and gather new knowledge about products and services, this is going to boost their on-the-job productivity. Also, given that you won’t have to pay for on-site instructors or more complex eLearning course design and development, you have the opportunity to widen your profit margin while giving your employees the information and professional development they need. Instead of investing a great deal of resources into a training program, you can provide your learners with a list of MOOC links that they can access on their own, which doesn’t cost you anything out of pocket. Ultimately, MOOCs for corporate training give organizations the chance to streamline work processes and ensure that every employee is a valuable member of the team. - Improves employee retention rates.
Well informed employees are happy employees. When corporate learners are given the information they need and equipped with the skills that can help them carry out daily work duties, they are more likely to be remain longer with the organization. MOOCs for corporate training give them the opportunity to feel as though they are growing professionally and expanding their understanding of work processes. This leads to increased confidence and self-esteem, which gives them the power to handle challenges they might encounter while on-the-job and feel a sense of personal satisfaction with their performance. - Ensures that employees are up-to-date with skills and professional knowledge.
While many employees are offered onboarding training when they first join an organization, continual training offers them the ability to further develop their skills and expand their professional knowledge. Since compliance regulations, company policies, and product specs typically change over time, it’s important that employees are given access to new online training courses and modules on a regular basis. Employees can log on to a MOOC and access a wealth of information, even if they have not been prompted to do so. They have the opportunity to fine tune skills or learn about new topics within their niche in order to stay up-to-date with industry trends or new ideas that might benefit them at work. - Address real world challenges to improve on-the-job performance.
One of the best things about MOOCs is that they can be customized. Organizations can alter or add content to MOOCs to address challenges or issues that employees may be facing on a daily basis. Employees can participate in branching scenarios, watch video presentations, and read case studies that help them learn how to navigate situations that they typically encounter while at work. Rather than having to stumble through a sales transaction or wasting time searching for a solution when answering a trouble ticket, employees can learn without any risk involved thanks to MOOCs. - Organizations can identify motivated employees who possess desired skill sets.
This benefit is actually two-fold. Not only do MOOCs allow organizations to find motivated employees internally, but also to find future employees externally. Firstly, MOOCs offer a wide range of reporting and tracking features. You can see who completed a course, how long it took them to complete it, and how well they fared. If employees are taking MOOCS that aren’t mandatory, this typically means they have the drive and determination to improve their professional skill sets. They are motivated to learn and care about their job, because they are taking the time and making the effort to grow.
In addition, if your organization develops its own MOOCs for corporate training and makes them available online to the public, you could possibly gain the ability to identify perspective employees who may have the skills and experience you are looking for. For example, if you create a MOOC for computer skills and a learner excels at this particular course, you can potentially reach out to the individual and see if he/she may be a right fit for your team. These are all valuable candidates that you might not have found otherwise, but MOOCs made it possible, by offering you rare insight into the candidate’s professional knowledge and interests.
Keep in mind that these are just a handful of the benefits you can expect to receive when using MOOCs for corporate training. Thanks to their versatility, broad range of topics, and high quality content, MOOCs can offer employees the skill development and compliance training they need in virtually every sector.
Other than using MOOCs, there are also other ways to reduce your corporate training costs. Read the article How To Dramatically Reduce Corporate Training Costs where I share some tips to help you get the most out of your online training investment.
