Essential Online Training Topics That Facilitate The Switch From Traditional Training
One of the most challenging aspects of transitioning from traditional training to corporate eLearning is knowing when the time is right. You need to make a strong case for stakeholders to gain their buy-in. But you must also determine which online training courses will trailblaze your new online training strategy and prove that the LMS was worth the investment. They have to be strong contenders, to showcase just how much your organization can benefit from learning technologies. Here are 8 essential online training topics that make switching from traditional training the perfect choice.
8 Topics To Help You Make The Switch To eLearning
1. Health And Safety Compliance
Health and safety online training is low on the list of ‘favorite’ topics among employees. It usually involves long presentations and over-dramatized videos. However, you can change this by moving it online and using interactive resources to boost engagement. For example, animated demo videos, simulations, and serious games suit this kind of online training topics. Give employees the ability to immerse themselves in the health and safety branching scenario so that they gain real-world experience. Rather than forcing them to make errors on the job that lead to injuries and compliance violations.
2. Company Policy
Company policy training is among the essential online training topics that typically includes bulky manuals and final exams to see if employees were paying attention. Online training allows you to showcase your policies in action through tutorials, do/don’t videos, and interactive real-world examples. You can even give managers and team leaders the chance to host live events that center on specific policies. For example, the HR manager can go over interviewing and hiring guidelines before seasonal recruiting commences.
3. Interpersonal Skill-Building
Interpersonal skills are one of the most difficult online training topics to teach. But they also happen to be one of the most crucial talents that impact every aspect of your organization. From handling unhappy customers to communicating with co-workers. Online training gives employees firsthand experience and enables them to fine-tune active listening, empathy, and other essential skills. For instance, group collaboration projects allow them to interact with peers and see things from a new perspective. Branching scenarios and simulations teach them how to decipher expressions, body language, and other non-verbal cues.
4. Product Knowledge
Organizations who often expand their product line or modify their services find it difficult to keep up when they employ traditional training methods. Online training helps you impart product knowledge more rapidly and on a global scale. For example, deploy product demos or infographics to your remote sales team before the official launch date. They can even learn how to pitch the product to virtual customer personas or overcome the most common reservations.
5. Leadership
Some people think that leaders are born, not made. Obviously, they’ve never participated in real-world activities that give them practical experience and allow them to learn from mistakes. Such as branching scenarios that test how well they apply their skills and knowledge in a group setting. Or if they can resolve a workplace conflict and get their subordinates back on track. Online training makes it possible to facilitate personalized skill-building based on team leaders’ gaps. Rather than forcing everyone to sit through a mandatory 3-day seminar that just brushes the surface of online training topics like this (and costs a fortune in travel expenses.)
6. Ethics
Ethics is a slippery slope when it comes to online training. Employees are more likely to bend the rules because they aren’t sure what constitutes a bribe. Or if their actions are truly a breach of trust and compromise your brand credibility. There are too many gray areas. Online training allows you to customize training materials based on personal pain points and company standards. You can cover issues that are relevant to your organization and give employees the chance to explore them in depth. For instance, meet with a virtual client who offers them a gift. Or engage in conversation with a co-worker who divulges a secret that could negatively impact the company.
7. Software Mastery
Employees need to know how to use the in-house software to carry out daily business operations and safely manage your data. It may also be that you sell software solutions and your staff must be able to showcase its perks and demo the product. Whatever the case, online training can help them master the software through interactive demos, simulations, and walkthroughs. This is yet another topic that is ideally suited for live events. Startup the screencasting tool and show employees how to utilize all the features in real-time. Then field questions to ensure they fully understand the USPs or functions.
8. Customer Service
I know, it’s one of these online training topics that's a broad umbrella. But online training is custom-tailored to customer service. From teaching employees how to use the POS system to imparting crucial communication skills, they need to increase customer satisfaction. The key here is the experience. Employees aren’t just reading about how to handle customer issues or listening to a lecture. They’re living it in the form of simulations, case studies, personal anecdotes, and demos. They can see where they went wrong in the past, how to remedy the issue moving forward, and which skills they require. You can also launch a certification online training program, and this goes for every department, to verify that they have what it takes.
Conclusion
These are 8 essential online training topics that become highly immersive and engaging after you take the leap. Learning technologies breathe new life in even the dullest and driest subject matter. The secret is getting to know your employees’ preferences and personal goals so that you can meet their expectations. As well as keeping records of absolutely everything to show stakeholders that it’s a worthwhile endeavor.
Is your online training course missing a certain something, but you can't quite put your finger on it? Pick the perfect outsourcing partner to help you conduct a training needs analysis and choose the best topics for your team.
