Corporate eLearning Best Practices

Speak to any learning officer within an organization and he/she will surely tell you that two of the biggest challenges they face are getting their employees to retain the knowledge they received during the initial training sessions, and beyond that to apply that knowledge to practical skills and daily tasks.  It's not an easy thing to answer, and there are no simple solutions.  But here are seven tips toward achieving that objective.

No matter how much businesses spend on learning and development, there are times when the training fails to deliver the desired results. If the employee training fails to provide the intended information immediately to your workers, remember that you are not alone on this.

Many organizations have similar approaches in providing learning opportunities. Staff is encouraged to participate in online programs or webinars, attend a conference, and in some cases, take advantage of a tuition assistance program. Others still provide ad hoc programs offered by different business groups providing learning opportunities on internal processes or technical training. This approach doesn’t support or foster a learning environment. If you offer such opportunities, but don't have a plan that identifies how learning aligns to organizational goals – and how individual goals contribute to reaching them – then there’s an opportunity to create a learning strategy.

How important is employee training to your company’s success? Is it seen as a strategic enabler of the company’s business goals, or as a costly endeavor that offers little bottom-line return?

In a world where technology rules the day, the question should not be whether or not it is necessary, but if it is effective.

Much has been written about the technology of training. The story-line is often the same: companies are champing at the bit for the opportunity to exercise the latest training technologies in an effort to reach employees effectively while reducing costs.

I have been following the work of Bob Mosher & Conrad Gottfredson (better known as Bob&Con) for several years now. They made a significant contribution to workplace learning studies by introducing the "Five Moments of Need" model (Mosher & Gottfredson, 2011). The model captures both formal and informal learning tracks and needs. In recent years I researched and implemented real- time learning strategies in corporate settings, using performance support platforms.