How To Increase Employee Receptiveness To Online Training
Are your employees excited about their professional growth? Do they utilize all the online training resources available to them, or are they sitting on the sidelines, just waiting for opportunity to knock on their door? For online training to be truly effective, your staff must be ready to dive into the Learning and Development process. They have to invest time, energy, and effort into their own professional development. Here are 8 top tips to open minds and increase employee receptiveness to online training.
1. Offer A "Sneak Peek" Of The Real-World Benefits
Employees may be hesitant to jump into the online training course because they are unaware of its real-world value. Keep in mind that your staff is looking for practical information that helps them on the job, not simply theoretical knowledge that they may or may not be able to apply during the course of their career. As such, you can offer them a sneak peek of the benefits they can expect to receive in advance. For example, invite them to participate in online training simulations that draw their attention to skills or knowledge they currently lack. Then tell them how the online training will help them bridge these gaps and improve overall productivity.
2. Gamify Your Online Training Program
Some employees may not be motivated by achieving goals or fulfilling their potential. At least, not at first. Fortunately, you can give them the jump-start they need through gamification. Add badges, points, leaderboards, and levels to your online training program to increase employees receptiveness. Game mechanics serve as highly effective "ice breakers" that ease corporate learners into the process. They participate in the online training course because they want to earn more badges or advance to the next level. Along the way they hone their skills and knowledge. Eventually, they actively engage with the online training for the sole purpose of learning and expanding their talents.
3. Give Employees A Feedback Outlet
Corporate learners need an outlet where they can voice their opinions and concerns, as well as constructive feedback that may better the online training experience for everyone involved. Employee receptiveness increases when they know that their thoughts and ideas matter, and that you are willing to incorporate them into your online training strategy. Thus, you might consider anonymous surveys and polls that allow employees to offer their input.
4. Appeal To Their Social Nature
Humans like to interact with other humans. It's a fact of life. You can use that to your advantage to increase employee receptiveness to online training. Incorporate social media groups, online discussions, and webinars that allow them to connect and exchange information. They can also use these platforms to share feedback and experiences, thus engaging with the online training content in a more meaningful way.
5. Provide Personalized Online Training Plans
Personalization is the secret to opening minds, as it gives employees exactly what they need to find relevancy in your online training program. They are able to access online training activities and resources that cater to their individual goals and performance issues, instead of relying on generalized online training courses that are intended for every member of your organization, regardless of their job duties, position, or department. You can integrate online course catalogs or eLearning course maps with free navigation to personalize the process. Another great idea is to offer a diverse range of online training activities so that everyone can absorb the information, no matter what their learning preferences are.
6. Make It Micro And Multiplatform-Ready
Your staff is busy, stressed, and juggling multiple responsibilities at once. For this reason, they are looking for quick online training resources that are easily accessible. One of the best ways to unlock opportunities for your employees is to make your online training bite-sized and multiplatform-friendly. Use a responsive design tool to create mobile learning materials and create a microlearning online training library that features convenient online training tutorials, demos, videos, and real-world activities. You should also consider breaking your lengthy online training courses into more manageable modules so that employees can focus on individual needs.
7. Offer "Eye Opener" Online Group Collaboration Projects
There may be mental obstacles that stand in the way of professional development. Thus, employees must overcome these hurdles in order to make meaningful change and reach their true potential. But how do you help them evaluate their current cognitions and identify problematic areas? One possible solution is to develop online group collaboration projects that allow employees to explore different perspectives. They can learn more about their co-workers while examining their own beliefs and opinions. Your staff may even discover that their assumptions are incorrect or that they've placed unnecessary limitations on themselves and their abilities.
8. Reveal Gaps With Optional Self-Assessments
The thing people usually dread about eLearning assessments is that they are mandatory. However, they are necessary in order to identify areas for improvement and personal strengths. On the other hand, optional self-assessments give employees the power to monitor their own performance. They can evaluate their own skills and knowledge whenever the occasion calls for it, then access the appropriate online training resources based on the results. For example, the task-based simulation reveals that they need to work on their safety compliance knowledge, or build a skill that allows them to improve task proficiency. Self-assessments also put employees in control of their own online training. This increases employee receptiveness to online training and all the benefits it can bring.
These 8 tips can help you connect with your employees and increase employee receptiveness to online training. As a result, they are more likely to build their skills and get the information they need to overcome on-the-job challenges, improving employee satisfaction and corporate eLearning ROI.
Compliance online training courses are probably of the most dull and dreaded online training courses. Read the article 8 Secrets To Spark Excitement In Compliance Online Training to get your employees enthusiastic about your next mandatory compliance online training course.