3 Ways To Engage Your Staff With Interactive eLearning Courses
Employee engagement refers to the measure of engagement among employees and is characterized by three elements; namely, vigor (resilience, energy, and effort), dedication (enthusiasm and pride in one’s work), and absorption (concentration in one’s work). It is also manifested in three dimensions; namely, intellectual engagement (thinking about the job and ways to improve performance), affective engagement (positive feelings about the job), and social engagement (active participation in work-related discussions).
While there are many factors that influence your employees’ engagement levels, your staff will significantly benefit from participating in interactive eLearning courses. Think of these courses as part of your career development programs, including training and continued education, which will enhance your employees’ knowledge and skills from the rank and file to the top executives.
That being said, here are 3 ways in which your staff can become more engaged in taking interactive eLearning courses. Just remember that employee engagement in online training is less about technology and more about people, connections, and relationships.
- Emphasize The Benefits.
Your employees will not be as motivated to take their interactive eLearning courses if they are unaware of their benefits, including their real world value. As such, you must always emphasize the knowledge and skills your staff will gain from taking their courses, as well as the personal and professional growth they will achieve when they complete them. Let them read the course description, syllabus, and certification requirements, and answer all the course-related questions that they may have; by doing so, it will be easier to motivate them.
You can highlight the benefits of interactive eLearning courses by:- Integrating simulations, scenarios, and role play activities that emphasize real world value.
- Allowing testimonials from others, including fellow employees and experts, to provide concrete examples and instances that demonstrate the real world value of the courses.
- Encouraging your employees to navigate through a few course sections, so they can get a real feel of the courses' subjects.
Keep in mind that one of the best ways to motivate your employees is to lead by example. Basically, you must be a walking advertisement; this means that you should have taken a few of these courses yourself.
- Encourage The Culture.
To build a corporate culture where online training is not only accepted, but also encouraged, you need to explain that online training is not just a mandatory activity. Your employees should be aware of the investment that management has made on online training, as well as the benefits they can enjoy from it. Your mission is to get your employees on board by presenting online training as an engaging and enriching activity, not just a mandatory activity that adds many training hours but little practical knowledge to their work life.
You can build such a culture by:- Sending out emails and newsletters that highlight the benefits of interactive eLearning courses.
- Offering a series of online training modules relevant to your employees’ career development goals.
- Getting employees excited about mastering new knowledge and skills.
While encouraging a culture of acceptance for online training has its challenges, your persistence will be rewarded soon enough.
- Provide For Variety.
Your employees will appreciate a wide range of interactive eLearning courses mainly because they will have the opportunity to choose those that are most relevant to their career development goals. You should ask employees about the types of knowledge and skills they want to develop and the certifications they want to acquire. You will then be able to select the courses that meet these goals, and thus provide your employees with more incentives to join.
The subject matter is not the only element that can offer variety in online courses. Different employees learn in different ways, so your learning methods should also reflect variety in order to meet all learning needs. Thus, your online courses should incorporate interactive training opportunities such as scenarios, simulations, and podcasts.
When employees are engaged, the benefits for both them and the organization can significantly contribute to their mutual development. Keep in mind that strong employee engagement improves worker morale, productivity, and retention, as stronger engagement means stronger work performance.
