How To Help Corporate eLearning Novices Make A Smooth Transition To Technology
As they say, “change is the only constant”. But what "they" never tell you, is that change isn’t always easy. Particularly for those who’ve already accustomed themselves to doing things a certain way. Corporate organizations have employees belonging to various age groups, from Millennials to middle-aged individuals. Generally, though not always, younger employees tend to be more tech-savvy and more prone to picking up new things, while older employees are more hard-set in their ways and are apprehensive of any new technology or development. However, progress waits for no one and those who do not adapt quickly enough fall by the wayside. New technologies are emerging every day, as humankind moves forward, and it is imperative that people learn to adapt.
The transition from traditional classroom training to corporate eLearning as a means to train and develop employees is one such change which might excite some employees while making others uneasy. But, in order to ensure that eLearning succeeds in helping employees learn and develop skills, you should ensure that they have no problems adapting to technological changes. Here are a few tips one must keep in mind when transitioning into corporate eLearning:
1. Be Sure About What You Want
The main purpose of corporate eLearning, or any L&D methodology, is to facilitate the Learning and Development of your existing employees and make them learn new skills so that the organization doesn’t have to hire new employees. But that cannot be accomplished if your employees are not ready for such a drastic change. Change can be confusing, and you should make sure that it will actually benefit your organization in the long-run, rather than confuse employees and obstruct their Learning and Development completely. Be absolutely sure that you want eLearning for your organization before you roll it out.
2. Train Your Employees
Keep your employees in the loop right from the start about what this transition means, and what is expected of them. Give them absolute clarity, and train them on how to use the eLearning courses, the LMS (Learning Management System) and other features of your corporate eLearning program well in advance before you roll it out. Demonstrations can help a lot, so either get professional experts to demonstrate how to use all the features of your corporate eLearning program or get those employees who have experience with eLearning to demonstrate it for their colleagues. The latter is favored because people are more likely to receive a demonstration from a colleague in a positive way, rather than from a stranger, and be inspired to learn the workings of the new technology.
3. Feedback, Feedback, Feedback!
Guess what the important ingredient of a successful transition to eLearning is? That’s right, feedback. Right from the first pilot eLearning module, encourage employees to be vocal about ideas and suggestions of all sorts. Measurable data is important but comes second. First, you need to assure your employees that the organization is here to support them through this transition and that all of it is for their own benefit, which is in fact true. Pay particular attention to the older employees who have been with the organization for a long time, as well as those who find this transition disconcerting (sometimes they’re one and the same) and listen and appraise their critical views.
4. Give Them Time
Once the corporate eLearning program has been implemented, give your employees time to get accustomed to it, and don’t start breathing on their necks if it takes more time than expected for some of them to get the hang of it. Encourage exploration, and let them play around with the platform a bit, as sometimes employees can find novel and creative ways to get things done if left to their own devices. If certain employees are having a hard time making a head or tail out of the new program, get those who’ve mastered it to help them. There’s nothing that can stop you if you are committed to making it work.
Originally published at cblpro.com.
