How To Throw The Spotlight On The Hidden Assets In Your Online Training Library
“If you build it, they will come” may have done the trick in a certain baseball-themed Blockbuster movie back in the ’80s. But that rule does not apply to online training repositories. Chances are, you have a wealth of online training tools wasting away and employees don’t even know they exist. This means they’re not benefiting from them and you’re not allocating your online training resources effectively. How do you shine the spotlight on hidden gems in your online training library so that employees can hit a home run in the workplace?
7 Innovative Ways To Bring Overlooked Assets Into The Forefront
1. Badge-Based Rewards
There are two badge-based approaches to consider. The first is to link specific sections of your online training library to badges. For example, if they complete the entire problem-solving category they get a custom-tailored badge. Or you can link certain badges to hidden gems that are more involved. For instance, they earn a badge if they complete the customer service simulation and earn high marks. This also gives you the opportunity to emphasize why the gem is so beneficial and how it can benefit their performance. Yet another technique is to create an online training library map. Employees can pursue the paths on their own time and earn badges along the way. Which also allows them to track their improvement and get a general overview of all the online training resources they’re missing out on.
2. Problem-Solving Scavenger Hunt
Pose a problem or question, then invite employees to explore the online training library for resources they can use. Of course, their search should lead them directly to the hidden gems. You can even create a problem-solving guide that points them to different resources, much like a scavenger hunt. For instance, they need to figure out how to handle a software glitch in the POS system. This sets them on the hunt for a tutorial that is tucked away in your online training library.
3. Weekly Spotlight
Choose one or two hidden gems and showcase them every week in your spotlight. This may be in the form of a pinned post on the LMS home page. Or a webinar or podcast that recaps the benefits of the online training resource and where to find it. This gives employees plenty of time to check out the gem and see what it can offer before next week’s spotlight rolls around.
4. Employee Top 5 Lists
Ask your employees to peruse your online training library and choose their top 5 go-to online training resources and activities. The beauty of employing a diverse workforce with unique backgrounds and goals is that everyone has their own favorites. Depending on their job titles, personal gaps, and experience levels. As such, they can post their lists for the benefit of their peers, who are bound to discover new online training resources they’ve overlooked. Top 5 lists also allow you to determine which resources are most popular so that you can fine-tune your online training library. For instance, most people mention a specific simulation or serious game. Gather feedback to find out why they enjoyed the online training activity or found it helpful. Then use the data to improve other online training resources so that they have the same appeal.
5. Post-Activity Personalized Recommendations
Offer personalized recommendations after each online training activity to highlight hidden gems and help employees focus on areas for improvement. For example, they miss a few key steps during the simulation. Thus, the recommendations at the end include a demo or infographic that is hidden among your online training library. They get to refresh their memory regarding the task procedures and build related skills. You can highlight online training materials that aren’t getting the attention they deserve. While still giving employees the power to choose online training activities that resonate with them.
6. Live Event Showcase
Host regular live events that are strictly reserved for hidden gems in your online training library. Focus on just a few so that you can give enough time to each and showcase how they can improve employee performance. You can even invite employees to guest host, to share their own top choices and how they discovered the gems in the first place. Another perk of hosting these live event showcases is identifying why these online training resources have gotten lost in the shuffle. For example, a real-time discussion reveals that most employees aren’t even aware that there’s a performance management or customer service section in the online training library. Or that they can filter the resources in the LMS to find online training tools that address their moment of need.
7. Social Media Suggestion Groups
Launch a closed social media group just for your remote employees. Then post a daily or weekly hidden gem that ties into your current learning objectives or gaps. For instance, you may want to share your product knowledge video demo that’s been lurking in your online training library right before a major sales event. These suggestion groups give you the ability to customize your recommendations based on the evolving needs of your employees. They can also share their personal suggestions and possibly some personal anecdotes that go along with them. For example, they stumbled across the COI infographic or ‘sales pitch’ podcast when they were preparing for a big client meeting.
Conclusion
Showcasing your hidden gems doesn’t require a significant amount of time. Nor does it take a big bite out of your L&D budget. It just takes a bit of creativity, planning, and audience participation. Something as simple as including a top 5 list in your email newsletter can draw your employees’ attention to relevant online training resources. But you need to conduct a bit of research beforehand to identify gaps and determine which online training tools can fill them.
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