Symptoms Of An Ineffective eLearning Program
Nowadays, a successful organization requires much more than simply running operations and completing tasks. The growing demand for constant development and innovation has brought Learning and Development to the forefront, making it a crucial part of everyday corporate life. However, implementing an effective training program is a challenging task that, when done incorrectly, can cause more problems than it fixes. In this article, we will describe 7 warning signs that your company needs to collaborate with an eLearning expert either to develop a training program from the ground up or improve your existing strategy.
Should You Bring In An eLearning Expert?
1. High Turnover Rates
Although there are many reasons why employees may choose to continue their professional journey with a different company, a lack of development opportunities seems to be a leading cause for many. Staying in a work environment that doesn't support your growth and advancement feels like a dead-end for employees, especially those that belong to younger generations. As a result, when an opportunity presents itself, they will be quick to take it. However, constantly replacing experienced employees can be very costly for your organization as well as harmful to its reputation. An eLearning agency will be able to help you create training opportunities that not only interest your employees but also make them see that your company appreciates and supports them.
2. Ineffective Onboarding
Losing employees is one thing, but that problem can be exacerbated significantly if you also have trouble bringing on new ones. A successful onboarding strategy introduces new talent to your corporate culture and agenda, prepares them for their new role, and helps them quickly match the productivity levels of the rest of your staff. On the other hand, a poor onboarding experience leaves employees directionless and unable to comprehend the overarching mission of your company and how they fit in it. As a result, they fail to organically integrate and, in most cases, make a quick exit. A well-designed training program will give new hires the necessary tools to find their place in your organization and hit the ground running.
3. Failing To Reach KPIs
It's possible that you have already assembled a team and allocated your resources to create a training program that addresses the needs of your employees and your goals for the future. But what happens when that program is not performing as you expected? Consistently failing to achieve the KPIs you set during the development process must be the defining warning sign that something is wrong. Possibly your training program requires an upgrade, if not a complete transformation. Performing these types of changes internally can be particularly time-consuming. Therefore, an external partner who follows the solution-based learning approach can use their expertise to carry out a needs analysis that will reveal the shortcomings of your existing courses, as well as solutions to improve them.
4. Lack Of Experiential Learning
The easiest way to train your employees is to have them attend a lecture or presentation, watch a few videos, or read some articles. If these methods describe the majority of your training courses, you might have noticed that your employees find it difficult to transfer their new knowledge to the workplace. The reason for that is that all these techniques belong in the field of passive learning and promote little to no interactivity. For learners to be able to make the connection between what they are learning and how to use it in real-life situations, experiential learning techniques are a must-have ingredient. An eLearning expert can help you develop such activities, i.e., role-playing, branching scenarios, serious games, simulations, and more.
5. Constantly Surpassing The Training Budget
Various costs are associated with corporate training, such as developing material, hiring instructors, and updating equipment, making it a rather expensive endeavor. To keep things under control, it's essential that you set a budget for Learning and Development and stick to it. If you're finding this increasingly difficult or just need to cut costs due to budget constraints, then an eLearning expert is the solution. With an in-depth analysis, they will determine all the issues that are eating into your expense sheet and direct you toward a learning solution that perfectly fits the training needs of your workforce and eliminates unnecessary expenses.
6. Falling Behind Your Competitors
Another warning sign that your learning plan is not covering your growing needs is struggling to keep up with your competitors. With new trends emerging in the industry, technology constantly changing the way we work, and new products making their way into the market, your eLearning strategy must be as fast-paced as the conditions you face every day. This is the only way to not only stay ahead of your competitors but also retain your employees. The right eLearning expert will be able to guide you through the complexity of the modern business world and help you make the necessary changes to develop your workforce, bring out the best in them, and achieve unprecedented levels of success.
7. Frequent Mistakes And Slip-Ups
Supportive work environments are not overly critical of their employees when they make mistakes so as not to hinder their creativity and freedom of thought. However, if slip-ups have become a common and costly occurrence in your company, it's probably time to rethink your training strategies. If your employees keep making the same mistakes, it's possible that your training program has failed them. With the help of an expert, you can create informative and engaging content that your staff will be interested in and will absorb and implement with greater success. This way, it will be easier to ensure employee safety and compliance with laws and regulations.
Conclusion
Although there are many benefits to investing in the learning and development of your employees, a lot of things can go wrong when you don't have the proper experience and guidance. If you have noticed any of the issues we discussed in this article in your organization, then it's time to seek the advice of an eLearning consultant.
Download the eBook Beginning At The End: How Solution-Based Learning Can Transform Your L&D Program And Prove Your ROI today to discover how you can leverage the solution-based approach to achieve your objectives and make your eLearning development process more problem-centered. You can also listen to the eLearning Unscripted podcast today to delve deeper into the solution-based strategy and all the benefits it has to offer.
