Factor 5 Things Before Starting an eLearning Program

eLearning is not a new concept. However, with the fast-paced digital transformation that’s happening at workplaces, online learning can be twice as enriching as classroom training. We can’t agree more on that, can we? But every time companies embark on this journey, there are a few common questions that arise, and human resource managers have an added responsibility to convince both management and employees to get on board with the idea of online learning. We have simplified these roadblocks into five steps that will make your digital learning transition seamless. Let’s see how.

Identify areas of improvement

The first and the most important step in designing an online learning program for your employees is to identify areas where resources are lacking the skills to deliver their best. Every project poses a new set of challenges. A close study of the problems and identifying the root causes can help businesses to come up with a learning plan.

We gain most of our technical skills through academic studies. And, when people face actual business situations such as dealing with a customer conflict or facing a client with a business pitch presentation, many skilled employees struggle. When organizations plan for training their employees to enhance their soft skills, they are better equipped for success.

Ask your employees

After identifying areas of improvement, the next crucial step is to have an open conversation with your employees. Find out what their expectations are for training. Just offering a training program that’s not adding value to their growth within the organization makes no sense to them and they will be reluctant to take part in the program. On the other hand, when employees are part of this planning, they feel invested in the organization and this helps with employee retention in the long term.

One way to achieve this is by gathering data through surveys to understand what employees want. Another method is to conduct employee skill assessments and give them a learning plan that’s customized to their needs. This will eliminate lethargy in learning and motivate employees to advance their skills with a sense of accomplishment, as they can see their individual progress alongside business growth.

Survey, one of the 5 factor to consider before starting an eLearning program

Align your eLearning strategies to your goals

When planning an eLearning program for your organization, it is only prudent to keep the company’s business goals in mind. This can differ from business to business. Since setting up an online learning program for your business is an investment, expecting a return is a natural outcome.

We can measure the results of traditional learning methods only after the completion of the training period. Since they are in a classroom set up with no access to real-time work conditions, measuring success has to wait. Whereas microlearning methods allow learners to learn just the needed skill and test it in live scenarios. This allows businesses to measure instant success rates.

Companies can therefore design eLearning and development strategies to reach multiple short-term and long-term goals.

Convince your audience

Convincing your audience is the toughest part of designing an online learning program. There can be many hurdles because of the differences of outlook between people of different generations, and other times because of the various backgrounds of people.

eLearning can be an intimidating concept for a few and for some it could be the reluctance to change the old ways of learning. We can change these fears and resistance only with the help of well-researched data from successful outcomes. At P2L, we can show you how companies have been able to reach their desired goals with our Plan to Learn strategies.

Happy employees who have factored 5 things before starting an eLearning program

Take-off on your success flight

Now that we have carefully understood and overcome barriers in setting up an online learning program, the last step is to come up with a program plan that works for your business. Here are a few tips that have helped companies build a successful learning strategy.

Once you have identified the areas of improvement, included your employees in planning, aligned your learning plan with your business goals, and convinced your audience, put a roadmap together for a smooth take-off.

For this reason, you should not look at learning as an event that needs your attendance, but rather, think of it as a process that changes with changing times. And for change to happen, we need to set out on the first step. Let us be part of your change, email us at mike@p2linc.com

 

Building A Winning Learning Strategy For 2022

Learning and development (L&D) is an ongoing process of human progress. As children, we learn as we play along. During school and university years, learning takes place in a set academic system. As adults in the workforce, we call this process career development or more commonly, on-the-job training. Thus, learning and adapting to the current trends and needs of the business is an essential part of an individual’s career advancement, which collectively leads to economic growth.

Companies over the years have recognized the importance of training their employees from time to time. Most organizations have a training plan in place for their staff at each stage of their career. Some large firms have their own training and development departments that own up to this responsibility, while others hire external agencies that offer specialized training programs to match their requirements.

The past few decades saw a boom in several training events for executives organized with extravagant themes. These offshore training events have not only added costs to companies, but they are also time-consuming for business leaders due to travel. With the recent challenges posed by the pandemic, the landscape of training and development has transformed to become fully digital.
Further, with work from home taking more prominence, companies are open to hiring talent from across the globe. This has also contributed to the need for offering training and development through online learning systems.

Learning Strategies That Will Lead to Success in 2022

Employee skills, potential, and competencies that an organization needs for its growth are enhanced with a strategic learning and development plan in place. It examines how these things can affect the organization’s sustainability and success.

Let’s dive in now to understand what learning strategies are bringing successful outcomes to companies through online learning and development programs.

Planning as a team

Training from the ground up

Previously, companies used to focus on training employees on the managerial level with leadership, communication, and presentation skills. However, with everyone working from home, virtual communication has become the norm. It is essential for every employee to have the necessary presentation and communication skills to work through virtual meetings. By shifting the focus to enhance these skills from the ground up, companies are seeing instant success in their business.

Coaching employees to become successful leaders ahead of time in the digital environment is the first key to success.

Customized training

One size doesn’t fit all. This rule applies to L&D programs as well across boards. For instance, onboarding sessions can be generic based on the company; however, industry-specific personalized training is something that gives individuals a better understanding to adjust to the new environment quickly. With more remote working in place, simple virtual training to complex augmented reality (AR) modules for teaching new hires on how to use the machinery and technology has become the way of orientation programs.

Customizing employee training also means that companies are taking care of individual employee needs into consideration, which shows the company’s interest in retaining the talent. We can integrate such personalized learning modules with key performance indicators (KPIs) and can measure the performance of the learner. These metrics can help individuals and companies assess their contribution and motivate them to perform better with each passing day.

Self-paced learning

With new challenges thrown at us by the pandemic, giving employees a flexible learning program for advancing their skills has proven to be successful. To aid this, businesses today are leaning towards offering self-paced learning options for their employees. Learning Management Systems, internal certifications, and training modules are some of the popular methods. Others are outsourcing professional trainers to build a personalized training module that best fits the organization’s needs to reach their desired goals.

As opposed to classroom training where the flow of the course material is pre-determined, online learning platforms allow learners to choose a topic that they need to polish their skills on and apply it to their work. Thus, gaining a job-specific skill to address an immediate problem saves time for both the employee and employer.

Training made fun

Gamification, which is training your staff via online games and simulation, is gaining popularity. With fewer opportunities to meet in person, companies are making efforts to bring a lot more fun-filled activities that are interactive and make learning a joyful experience. Augmented reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Microlearning, and other online training methods are trending in 2022.
Since these learning tools are available for employees to access from the comfort of their homes, it has attracted the attention of learners and they are leveling up their ability to succeed at work.

virtual reality a trending learning strategy

 

Peer group elevation

It’s a fact that productivity increases with peer accountability. When learners form groups to learn a new skill, the social feature of interactive question-and-answer sessions, collaborative methods of knowledge sharing, are leading to successful results. People working remotely have acknowledged that these peer-to-peer learning engagements have built an increased sense of belongingness with the organization.

When employees feel a strong partnership with their workplace, they perform better, resulting in increased profit margins.

In a brief span, the pandemic has changed the way the world works, and its effects are here to stay. This has led companies to change their approach of hiring, training, and interacting with their employees and it will continue to transform in the years to come.

These top trends are shaping the future of learning and development and driving companies to establish new priorities. Now that you know this, let’s embrace these changes and plan a customized learning strategy that’s unique to your business. Ask us how. mike@p2linc.com