6 Benefits Of Microlearning Training For Your SMB
Small and mid-sized businesses are always looking for ways to cut costs without cutting corners. That also pertains to your training strategy. You need to hone your talent and give them ongoing support. However, a big L&D budget simply isn’t in the cards. Fortunately, there is a way to train your team AND still have enough money to cover the payroll (which is always a plus). Bite-size training supplements their knowledge and bridges gaps during their moment of need. Let’s explore some of the top microlearning training benefits for your SMB's profit margin.
1. Reduce Training Expenses And Improve ROI
Microlearning training benefits extend into virtually every aspect of business operations, including your ROI. You don’t have to spend as much on training because bite-size resources supplement employee knowledge. For example, staffers can fill knowledge gaps on the job instead whenever the need arises. Instead of having to set aside time (and payroll hours) for a comprehensive course when a 5-minute tutorial will do the trick. Microlearning for SMBs is also less costly to develop since you can repurpose existing tools and spend less time creating content.
2. Mitigate Compliance Risks
Bite-size training is practical and usually has a sense of urgency. Employees access these resources when they’re stuck or struggling to understand a training topic. Thus, they can help to mitigate compliance risks and avoid fines, penalties, and injuries. Staffers have support tools to guide them through the process or fill in the knowledge blanks. For instance, they’re working with a client who suddenly presents them with a gift. Do they accept it? Or does it violate your COI policies? A demo or infographic points them in the right direction so that they know how to handle tricky compliance situations.
3. Improve Employee Retention
Employees need support outside the scheduled training sessions. Sure, managers can get involved to help them navigate challenging tasks, but staffers usually prefer autonomous tools. Like microlearning resources that address their moment of need without losing face in front of their superiors. Thus, they’re more likely to stay with your organization if you give them the personalized guidance they expect. This reduces hiring and new hire training fees and enables you to retain your top talent. Rather than losing them to competitors who are willing to deploy a bite-size training library that suits their needs.
4. Bridge Performance Gaps Rapidly
Most staff members make the same mistake repeatedly because they don’t know any better. No one has ever pointed out their personal areas for improvement or shown them the right way to perform tasks. It’s not that they’re unwilling to learn, just unaware of their faults. One of the standout bite-size training benefits is that employees can bridge performance and skill gaps rapidly. They’re able to access the library in the middle of a task or just before to refresh their memory. Especially if they know the process is more involved or the stakes are higher. They can take control of their own professional growth and even detect gaps before the next training session. For instance, participate in a microlearning pop quiz that features immediate feedback, then seek out resources on their own.
5. Enhance Personalization
That leads right into the next notable microlearning training benefit, which is personalization. Bite-size training allows you to customize resources based on employee preferences, expectations, and emerging gaps. Unlike comprehensive courses where you have to develop a 20-minute session from scratch. You’re able to create a microlearning activity relatively quickly before it’s too late. For instance, employees need to prep for an upcoming certification exam. Or you’ve just launched a new product and they have to know the specs, features, and benefits before they step onto the sales floor. You can even use different delivery methods to cover the same topics to further enhance personalization. Such as podcasts, video demos, and serious games to improve engagement and knowledge retention.
6. Facilitate Real-World Application
The ultimate goal of ANY online training activity is to move the information from theory to practice. To deliver it in such a way that employees understand the concepts and how to apply them in the real world. Microlearning facilitates this process because it offers info on a ‘need to know basis.’ They access the library when they encounter a problem and receive tips or tutorials to help them overcome the obstacle. Then they get to use the knowledge right away and test out different approaches. There’s no time lapse between when they train and when they apply what they’ve learned. Thus, they’re more likely to remember it and improve performance behaviors. This is primarily due to the fact that’s it’s tied to an on-the-job ‘emergency’. Instead of some random training session that doesn’t have any real-world context.
Conclusion
Bite-size training is often associated with larger organizations, and only big companies are "eligible" for microlearning libraries because they must cater to the diverse needs of their team. They have the budget to deploy a massive JIT training repository and handle all the upkeep expenses. However, SMBs also benefit from microlearning training. In fact, the most significant perk will be an increase in your profit margin. Thanks to lower development and maintenance costs, reduced compliance risks, and a boost in employee retention. Start small then expand to cut costs in the beginning. You can also look for online assets to add to your collection, such as demo videos from vendors or sharing sites.
Microlearning content providers offer their expertise to help you reduce development time and costs. Choose the right partner for your online training program using our free online directory. Search by specialization area, solutions, and industry, then read reviews to gauge their responsiveness and communication.
Download our eBook Bite-Sized Solutions: Tips To Find The Right Microlearning Outsourcing Partner to find the ideal microlearning content provider for your organization.
