The classroom is a traditional and largely effective venue in which to deliver learning, but not every learner is thrilled with the learning they receive once they’re in there.
Although employees value corporate training, they don’t always care for the specific training they receive, according to InterCall’s “State of Employee Training 2015.” InterCall’s Digital Media Services team surveyed more than 200 employees participated in the survey.
One out of three respondents said the current training programs offered are not a productive use of their time. Another third said they did not find the training materials interesting or engaging.
This doesn’t mean training is bad, but it does mean that training can definitely get better, said Luis Ramirez, director of marketing and media at InterCall.
He also said companies associate employees “caring” about training with employees participating in training. Training that promotes participation and engagement can improve overall job satisfaction, increase productivity and decrease employee turnover rate. Two out of three respondents said training opportunities affect their decision to stay with the company.
More than two-thirds of those surveyed said they would be more likely to participate in training if it were interactive and engaging. Incorporating multimedia tools such as videos, Q&A sessions or quizzes into training could promote engagement. Forty-five percent of survey respondents said being able to interact with other learners is valuable.
Customization and flexibility are other important factors that could improve the effect of corporate training. When asked what qualities are important in a training program, nearly half of the respondents (47 percent) said freedom to go at their own pace. Some 48 percent said customizing training to their job function was important.
“The best practice for our customers with the most effective training programs is when they deviated from the one-size-fits-all model and adopted the one-size-fits-department or one-size-fits job function model,” Ramirez said.
Rather than provide the same training companywide on a given topic, such as sexual harassment, departments should take the same theme and incorporate it in ways specific to their department, he said.
In-person training sessions are currently the most common means to train, with 76 percent of the surveyed companies using classroom-style training. However, as the workforce gets more young, tech-savvy employees, online training will grow more popular. Already 56 percent of the companies surveyed have participated in interactive online courses.
Technology will become more prevalent, but it won’t take over completely.
“There’s never a complete replacement for in-person, whether it’s in-person training or an in-person meeting,” Ramirez said.
Half the survey respondents said in-person workshops were effective in helping them retain information, and 41 percent said the same about interactive online courses. The most effective training is a blend balancing in-person with online.
By balancing digital and in-person, customizing training to the trainee and using interactive tools resourcefully, companies can provide more engaging and effective training that works.
