Remember that scene in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off where the insanely dull teacher (Ben Stein) lectures the kids into a coma? Yeah, don’t be that teacher if you want to train, retain, and gain the respect and admiration of your best new hires.
No longer is the dull, endless lecture the standard mode of idea dissemination (commence slow clap now). Sitting for hours in a classroom or with one’s nose in a book has been exposed for what it is: a mild form of torture.
E-learning offers a considerably better way to teach new hires and retain top employees.
Think of it as the difference between never-ending turnover and getting top performance.
So why is e-learning better you ask? Well, aside from the fact that it can be cooler than classroom learning, e-learning offers access from anywhere, is responsive to changes in company goals or sales strategies, shortens ramp-up time, and will help you reduce employee turnover.
Here are the top 4 ways e-learning can help solve your toughest training challenges. And help you be awesome.
1. Harness the long-term training benefits of short attention spans with shorter lessons.
The best learning today—whether it’s in a classroom or online—is through short, engaged units of information versus the attention-span-challenging methods of the past that required an iron will and a complete lack of social media access. Mobile access to learning has revolutionized training, giving training managers the power to present information to employees—many of whom are now exclusively mobile users—anywhere and at anytime. This technology lets the learner access the information in small doses, at optimal moments, which increases retention rates. Sure, this might be after they’ve caught up on their favorite Netflix show, but at least you have their full attention!
2. Use e-learning as an employee happiness index to keep morale high.
Not to point fingers or anything, but if you’re a training manager you’re responsible for successfully onboarding new hires and keeping current employees engaged and motivated to do the work they’re capable of doing. The last thing you want is to be like the Bobs in Office Space: clueless and out of touch with what makes your people happy. That’s why it’s more vital than ever to regularly assess morale and needs, to keep your employees on a clear path to success.
3. Keep new hires in the know about what they need to do to succeed.
There’s no way around it, if employees aren’t engaged they’ll head straight for the door—a revolving door that will likely drive you mad. Even the best onboarding process still can’t stop the exodus, but it can go a long way to improving internal cultures and raise the bar on performance. The key to this is to establish roles and expectations from day one, then have in place a system of constant feedback. Remember good employees want to know where they stand and how they can do better. Micro-assessments give teams the ability to engage in that constant feedback loop so that managers are never in the dark about the state of their team.
4. Share new information to busy sales and customer reps without slowing them down.
If there’s one thing we learned from those GI Joe PSAs from the 80s it’s that knowing is half the battle (also that it’s better to tell the truth). That’s why it’s absolutely essential that you get your sales and customers service reps the information that they need to be successful. E-learning and m-learning are the best tools to transmit information because it can be accessed without slowing down top-performing employees. Online platforms like Bridge by Instructure also provide instant feedback and assessment to keep employee skills sharp and their paths for growth on an upward trajectory.
Now that you know the top four ways e-learning can help you train and engage your employees, while reducing turnover risks, it’s time you take the next step to implement these practices. A smart learning management system can help get the job done.
What do you think? What have you learned about employee engagement, training and retention? Share it with us in the comments below.
Troy Anderson
Director of Talent Managament
Instructure
