5 Simple Ways You Can Improve the Effectiveness of Your Corporate Training Programs

With recent changes in the way the modern workplaces operate, having effective corporate training programs to help employees learn new skills is more important than ever before. In fact, many of these recent changes have rendered some more traditional training methods ineffective. To help you better understand how your organization can overcome these challenges we have shared some the top tips you can use to optimize your corporate training programs.

Develop Remote Friendly Learning Content

Technological advancements and current events have significantly impacted the way we work today. There has been a huge jump in the number of employees who now work remotely. Although, in some cases this is only temporary many organizations plan to have their employees work remotely at least part time in the future. This has left many organizations who rely on face to face instructor led training without a way to provide their employees with professional development opportunities.

A lot of corporate training materials can be converted into new formats that are more suitable for the modern workplace. One way you can overcome this particular challenge quickly is to convert your former training program into a virtual instructor led program (VILT). Converting your content along with the right corporate training software will help your company adapt to the new normal and get back to training your talent.

Focus on Closing Knowledge Gaps

If you are dealing with low levels of employee engagement you may want to think about the format and focus of your training content. The millennial generation is now the largest in today's workforce. Long form training content that covers multiple topics and takes hours to complete is nearly guaranteed to lose the attention of your millennial employees.

According to a recent article by Forbes, not making the connection between training content and its relevance to your employees career development is among the top 5 mistakes your can make when trying to engage this generation (1). Each piece of training content should focus on specific topics and on closing knowledge gaps. This can be done by using a micro learning strategy and by explaining the importance of the topic at hand early on in the course.

Utilize Engaging Formats

A recent study by Gallup found the 85% of employees are disengaged at work (2). This has a huge impact on the effectiveness of your training programs. However, the solution is simple. Along with being remote friendly, focused and relevant using more engaging training methods can also help you create quality learning experiences that drive impact. Today there are many training methods to choose from that have interactive and even social features including gamification, learning simulations and video-based learning content.

Implement a Blended Strategy

Today's workforce is incredibly diverse. Employees may have different experience levels, learning preferences, speak different languages and live in completely different locations around the world. These factors are what makes a blended learning approach so effective. If you are looking for ways to improve your corporate training programs you may want to consider using multiple training formats to better meet the needs of your diverse workforce.

Optimize Your Training Content with Analytics

Another way you can improve your online training programs is by utilizing the data collected from learning analytics. Most learning management software has some form of learning analytics built into the training platform.

The analytics program collects and reports learner patterns that can be used to optimize your training programs. This will help you make data informed decisions that drive impact instead of using the trial and error method.

Wrap Up

Optimizing your employee training programs is an incredibly important piece of adapting your business and employees to the new normal. To learn more about watch the webinar replay Using the New Normal to Create a Competitive Advantage.