Creating effective employee training has many benefits. You can ensure that new employees hit the ground running and all your employees have access to the training they need to improve their skills. It also helps you to attract and retain top talent.
One of the challenges of employee training today is that your workforce may work remotely or you may have a hybrid work model. Poor interaction is one of the factors that can make online training ineffective. When training is online, you have to find ways to make it engaging and interactive. A great benefit of online training is that it gives employees the flexibility to learn from anywhere at any time. Here are some tips for employee training.
Setting clear training goals
- Make the purpose of the training clear: What do you want to accomplish? Do you want to teach new employees critical skills? Is there a specific knowledge gap you want to address? A training needs analysis can help you to identify clear goals.
- Define expected training outcomes: What measurable goals do you expect employees to achieve? You need to be specific and avoid using vague words or phrases. Rather use verbs like ‘demonstrate’ or ‘calculate’ which have observable actions.
- Take parameters into account: Various parameters can affect the design and delivery of a training program. The ones you need to take into account are your budget, your type of workforce, and your level of employee skills.
- Align training objectives with business goals: The main goal of your training is to produce positive results for your business. If you don’t base training on business metrics and goals, it is a waste of time and expense.
- Set SMART objectives: Your objectives should be SMART. This means they are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, you may want to reduce time on your production line by 5% over a period of three months. To do this you will need to upskill your operations manager. Clear objectives like this help you to measure your success and align your training with your company goals.
Using blended learning techniques
Blended learning combines in-person and digital learning to create a more comprehensive learning experience. This approach accommodates different learning styles.
- Assess familiarity with technology: Use surveys, observations, and interviews to understand how familiar your employees are with technology. You will need to address special requirements such as subtitles for employees with hearing difficulties or non-native English speakers.
- Use technology to support your goals: Don’t prioritize technology over learning objectives and performance goals. You need to introduce technology that actually helps your employees and train them on how to use it. For basic training on technology, you can provide links to video recordings.
- Customize learning: You may find some employees respond more to online learning whereas others appreciate a combination of in-person and online learning. You could rotate between in-person and online learning. If training is predominantly online, you need ways to communicate in the moment, such as video messaging.
- Use multimedia: A mix of interactive content such as text, visuals, and audio is more engaging. The use of multiple cognitive pathways reinforces learning. Cincopa’s multimedia platform allows you to upload, organize, and use images, podcasts, and videos. Visit Cincopa’s home page to find out more.
- Interactivity: Interactive elements such as quizzes, discussions, and simulations make online learning more engaging.
- Feedback loops: Provide immediate feedback on quizzes and interactive activities. This means employees can quickly learn from their mistakes and move forward.
- Develop effective assessments: You need to gauge the absorption of information and support needs. Interactive assessments that include simulations and multi-choice answers are more effective.
- Use the right online course platform: The platform you use should be user-friendly and you should be able to customize it to suit your specific needs. Cincopa is a platform that offers customization, seamless content delivery, management, and employee tracking. It offers live streaming and video-on-demand for easy access to training content.
- Cultivate a blended learning community. If you establish an online forum for employees it gives them the opportunity to ask and answer questions. Co-workers can interact and help one another in the learning process.
Keeping training sessions short and focused
According to Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), working memory has limits when it comes to absorbing and processing new information. If training is too dense or too long it can be overwhelming. You need to design training modules that align with the cognitive abilities of employees. Breaking down complex information into manageable chunks makes it easier to digest.
- Segment information: Breaking learning down into short, concise modules makes it more effective. It also offers more flexibility in terms of how and when to learn.
- Use micro-learning: Micro-learning consists of about three to five minutes of content. It delivers critical content in a way that employees can use in moments of need. It isn’t the way to teach complex skill sets but it can help in certain areas. For example, sales agents could quickly learn about a new product feature via their mobile phones.
- Prioritize critical skills and knowledge: Give new employees the knowledge and skills they need from day one in concise modules. Slowly introduce information that is less urgent over time.
- Deliver content through an app: Employees can download training to their mobile phones and learn on the go.
Using real-world examples and case studies
A key benefit of incorporating real-world examples and case studies into training is that they provide a concrete context for applying knowledge. When employees have to apply their knowledge to real-world challenges they start to see its practical implications. This makes them more motivated and engaged.
Interactive quizzes presenting real-world scenarios: Present real-world scenarios that employees are likely to encounter in their daily work. In a customer service training course quiz, you could use scenarios involving irate customers with tangible examples of how and how not to respond. You could ask questions about the various responses.
Use case studies to speculate about outcomes: Case studies are evidence-based stories that show the outcomes you want. You can use case studies to ask questions. For example, would an outcome change if the person had made a different choice or acted differently?
Following up and providing continuous learning opportunities
Continuous learning and regular follow-ups help to reinforce knowledge and result in improved employee training.
Spaced repetition: Spread out learning and incorporate follow-up sessions and refreshers. Spaced repetition helps with long-term information recall.
Multi-faceted learning: When employees can explore training in a multi-faceted way, it encourages them to keep learning. You may include video interviews, links to case studies, podcasts, and much more.
Post-live session video training: Live training sessions can be engaging but not everyone may be able to attend. You can record live sessions and save them as video-on-demand using the Cincopa video hosting platform. Videos serve as excellent post-live session refreshers and allow those who missed meetings to catch up.
Provide incentives for completing training: Sometimes employees need incentives to continue learning. Consider offering incentives and gamifying the learning process. You could set up competitions and offer rewards such as paid time off or gift cards to employees who complete training and can demonstrate their knowledge.
Conclusion
You must set clear training goals if you want training to be effective. Use a blend of learning techniques and keep training modules short and focused. Incorporate real-world examples and case studies to help employees apply their knowledge. Provide them with feedback and assess learning outcomes so you can keep improving training. Offer opportunities for employees to keep learning and incentives to do so. The Cincopa platform offers all you need to organize and deliver effective training content.
