How To Develop Personalized Online Training For A Global Audience
As organizations expand their operations and enter international markets, L&D becomes more complicated. It gets tougher for them to ensure their online training caters to all their worldwide staff members. The question is: how can your organization develop online training that is personalized, even though every employee has unique requirements? When you create personalized online training for a global audience, it makes the overall process of learning a lot easier for your worldwide learners. Not only does it help them connect to the online training material much quicker, it also allows them to get a better grasp of the ideas and concepts. Here are 7 tips you should consider that will help you develop personalized online training for a global audience.
1. Research Your Target Demographic
In order to get a better understanding of your target audience, you will be required to do some research. While your employees come from different backgrounds, be it cultural or language, they still have some similarities between them. For example, they all have the same organizational goals and objectives to achieve by the end of the online training course. You can conduct surveys and online discussions with your employees to get a better understanding of the commonalities between them. Then design your online training resources accordingly.
2. Hire A Local Subject Matter Expert
Sometimes you need to customize your online training for a specific audience. When your organization is based in numerous regions, it can be hard to develop one online training course for all. In order to help you customize online training for specific regions, you will need the help of a local Subject Matter Expert. They are aware of regional regulations, cultural norms, and other things you must consider to get the most out of your online training. You will most likely need to hire a different Subject Matter Expert for each type of online training, since they are experts in specific subjects rather than generalists.
3. Choose An eLearning Template
Since there will most likely be a need to customize the training for each region, you should consider using an eLearning template. With the eLearning template, you will have the basic layout which each eLearning localization team can modify to suit their needs. Collaborators are able to easily translate the online training content and use appropriate pictures by adjusting a master template. You can find numerous different eLearning templates online or have one created. Make sure when selecting an eLearning template that it provides enough room for translated content that requires more characters.
4. Use A Multilanguage LMS
If you need to develop personalized online training for global audience, there is no easier route than using a multilanguage Learning Management System. A multilanguage LMS platform makes the whole translation process a lot less time-consuming thanks to automated translation. The User Interface appears in the corporate learner's native language so that they can navigate the LMS platform with ease. Most LMS platforms supporting multiple languages also come with geolocation. This allows the LMS to detect where the corporate learner is and automatically change the language according to the region. So, they can get right into the system and get on with their online training.
5. Incorporate Images And Graphics That Are Globally Accepted
Graphics and images are a vital part of online training, as visuals help with online training content comprehension. However, when developing personalized online training for global audience of various cultural backgrounds, you need to be careful. Especially if you want to avoid having to go back and change the online training content for each specific region. You must use graphics and images that are globally acceptable. A local Subject Matter Expert can help you determine what is acceptable and what to avoid. For example, ensure the graphics and images are acceptable based on corporate learners’ backgrounds and cultural norms.
Top tip: Different colors, images, and graphics may hold different meanings for your global workforce. For example, an icon that’s familiar to one demographic may be confusing for another. Thus, you may want to use placeholders for questionable elements that your eLearning localization teams can simply substitute. They know what’s best for your regional employees and which content may cause offense.
6. Incorporate Microlearning Online Training Libraries
Microlearning online training repositories offer something for everyone regardless of their skill sets, job duties, or personal preferences. You can even provide a separate microlearning online training library for each target audience. For example, your Spanish and French employees have access to bite-sized online training resources in their respective languages. These online training repositories provide the "moment of need" support that your employees require to boost workplace performance. They can focus on their own areas for improvement when it’s most convenient instead of having to keep up with their global counterparts.
7. Pre-Assess Global Learners
Pre-assessments give you the power to identify what employees know and which training topics they need to focus on. As such, you can provide them with personalized online training paths that cater to their unique abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Surveys are also another great way to gain valuable input from your global team. Once you have the data you need, you’re able to develop individualized online training plans. At the very least, you can detect patterns and trends to create more effective online training resources in each region. For example, reports reveal that 55% of your US-based employees lack the necessary compliance knowledge.
Developing personalized online training for global audience doesn’t have to be time-consuming or costly, provided you have the right approach and design your online training resources with a worldwide audience in mind. Personalized online training also leads to improved understanding and knowledge retention.
Are you ready to expand your online training program on a global scale? Download our free eBook Going Global: How To Create Online Training Experiences For A Worldwide Audience to learn how you can take your online training global and find the best LMS for the job. You will also find a step-by-step walkthrough on how to globalize your corporate eLearning program so that every employee gets the same opportunities.
