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Employee Engagement and the Role of Workplace Training

An organisation's customer experience may make or break it. Eighty-six per cent of shoppers are willing to pay more for a better brand experience, according to Oracle. As a result, major firms have made the concept of continuously improving the customer experience a top priority. But what about the employees who work for those businesses? Is there any role of workplace training in such a scenario? Let us find out.

Companies with highly engaged employees beat their competitors by 147 per cent, as per Forbes. Furthermore, employees working for companies that provide an above-average customer experience are 79 percent more engaged in their jobs than employees who work for companies that provide an average or below-average customer experience, 49 per cent engaged.

So how do you enhance employee engagement? Well, there is a vital role of workplace training at play here. Employee training that is both enjoyable and beneficial is one approach for a firm to improve the employee experience and increase employee engagement.

The Role of Workplace Training in Enhancing Employee Engagement

Employees flourish in a setting that emphasizes their development as valuable assets. The role of workplace training is critical for boosting employee engagement. Employees feel appreciated due to career advancement and development, which promotes motivation to meet company goals. In fact, employees who have many learning and development chances in their workplace are more likely to be engaged and happy in their careers, he said.

Boosting Employee Engagement

Implementing industry-leading open source learning management systems is the most obvious way to increase employee training. More and more businesses are now transitioning to digital learning platforms to get the job done. Despite the eLearning market's rapid growth, many companies continue to use traditional staff training methods.

Legacy systems and offline training courses are not tailored adequately for the millennial age. Learning in organizations is frequently not engaging enough because it is not individualized enough. Artificial intelligence (AI) can help in the personalization or contextualization of learning supplied to an employee, using information about a person's previous experiences and background, as well as their aspirations.

Another recommendation for businesses is to use a micro-learning strategy and make training materials and resources mobile-friendly. We should also understand the value of social and gamified learning. Learning and development managers should prioritize social and informal learning, knowledge sharing, and timely access to the correct information or subject-matter expert. Learning may be more entertaining and engaging with gamification aspects.

Learning and development managers can additionally use advanced learning experience platforms, specifically xAPI standards, to track all learning activities inside and outside the learning platform. This way, organizations can identify parts of the learning process that aren't engaging enough and need to be adjusted.

There is also the necessity to provide appropriate resources for employees to execute their tasks, in addition to personal development. Here, we are talking about technology. One of the most effective methods to promote employee engagement is to remove roadblocks to growth. Unresolved hardware, software, and other IT issues should no longer hinder completing the task at hand.

Conclusion

The trend of problem-solving directly links to discovery-based learning, which can empower employees. Learning models or applications based on discovery can empower employees and improve their motivation and overall

corporate learning

performance. It would be best if you tied everything back to these practical workplace applications for training to attain the company's beliefs and objectives. So, how do you plan to improve employee training and engagement in 2021?

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Why Does Your Workplace Need a Learning Calendar?

What are the three critical elements of an infectious learning culture? Boost your employees' ownership of learning, perfect your compliance training game, and promote personal development? And how do you achieve all of them in one go? By developing a full-fledged, comprehensive learning calendar. When you own and properly maintain a training calendar, you can reap multiple benefits. Let us see what the various upsides of having one in your organisation are. Learn more: corporate learning

The Upsides of a Learning Calendar

You can use a learning calendar to:

Keep track of the upskilling process of     your employees

Make a proper schedule of when and how to     onboard + train recruits

Maintain a consistent compliance training     schedule

Share information about training     requirements with your peers

Create a culture of learning

How to Create a Learning Calendar?

The design of a learning calendar depends on what type of training culture you want to create in your company. For instance, if your development strategy is collaborative, your workforce will have to be responsible for their learning needs and requesting training opportunities. Again, if your culture is individualised, the HR team or group supervisor will manage the training system. The calendar will concentrate on compliance training or a strategy to close skills gaps in such a case.

An interactive training calendar is a perfect option when every staff member has access to opportunities. Here, employees are encouraged to take on available training to develop as much as possible. We also have personal or team training calendars, which are designed especially for people responsible for managing the personal and professional development of the workforce. Yes, there are multiple methods of making a learning calendar. But the best design is the one that motivates employees to take ownership of their development process. Learn more: online learning management system

A Detailed Analysis of Why Your Organisation Needs a Learning Calendar

Manage Compliance Training

Compliance training is vital since adhering to specific rules and regulations is legally inevitable for almost all corporates. Hence, it would be best if you made it a point to dedicate set hours to decide who needs to do what and when. Giving employees specific time to do their training also means that compliance training becomes an integrated part of the job. Several companies find it challenging to deliver compliance training because employees find the sessions monotonous or do not understand the importance. You can solve this issue by setting aside specific time to do training.

Share Upcoming Training Opportunities

As an organisation, you might come up with several opportunities. These can be in the form of skills workshops, conferences, presentation skills lectures. And you never know who might want to get involved. A training calendar will enable you to schedule potential training days.

Promote a Learning Culture

A culture of continuous learning leads to the creation of a healthier, happier workplace. Why? Your workforce is motivated to learn more and to bring more. To embed a learning culture in your company, one of the primary requirements is to create a collection of learning-centred organisational values, practices, and conventions. One of the best ways forward here is to develop a learning contract. A learning contract enables you to gauge the training needs and wants in your organisation.

Close Skill Gaps

Not everyone in a team is equally efficient. Some of your employees may lack essential soft skills, such as good communication or emotional intelligence. Others might not have the required hard skills. In both these cases, you can use a learning calendar to manage skills within your existing workforce. You can then plan opportunities to close skills gaps. Learn more: corporate training platform

Bottom Line

You can also use a training calendar as evidence. For instance, suppose someone is leaving the company. In this case, a training calendar can demonstrate that opportunities were made available to fix the problem, behaviour or skill deficit through informal means and training. Do you wish to learn more about designing the perfect learning calendar as per your specific organisational requirements? Then, you can instantly contact our experts at PlayAblo!

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The Hybrid Approach & The Future of Work

What’s the future of work in the next few years? Well, it’s the hybrid model! In fact, the idea of adapting a flexible work environment has been under consideration for over a decade now.

But with the onslaught of COVID-19, employers have been forced to rewrite the rules — quickly. Now, organisations are rapidly introducing remote working and this has set the bar for the new status quo. Physical places will obviously never become obsolete. But the structure has to be redefined to fit the new future of work. And this is where a hybrid model comes in.

What is a Hybrid Model and How is it Beneficial for the Future of Work?

With the transformation of the physical workplace, we should be prepared to change our traditional expectations around the way and the hours we work. Employee experiences must evolve as organisations transit toward a more hybrid model. Neither can everyone work at the same time — whether it’s online or offline. They will rather work at a schedule optimised as per their own circumstances. Read More: Corporate Training Platform

The future of work will demand the perfect amalgamation of technology and humans. And this shift will positively impact companies in mainly three ways:

Employees Scattered in Different Locations Globally

With telework becoming a norm, several businesses will witness the upsides of flexible work policies. They will have the option to either be partially or fully remote. What does this entail? They can recruit employees across time zones, expanding their talent pool. Businesses who have implemented telework practises have discovered that they may save money on overhead, provide greater work-life balance to their employees, and hire from a growing pool of talent. They can also put the rent and cost savings towards staff retention. Read More: Online learning management system

Increase in Value-added Programs

Many firms have expanded their mental health and wellbeing offerings in innovative new ways as a result of the huge stress placed on employees during the pandemic. Some organisations, for example, provide monthly virtual team meditations led by prominent psychology experts.

Employees appreciate the flexibility of these programmes, which contain a clear commitment to the organization’s overall well-being. Leaders recognise that providing genuine support to their teams allows them to perform at their best, with additional resources accessible as required.

Minimisation of Environmental Impact

The present work culture has completely ditched the routine of five-day commutes in high-emission vehicles to and from the office. Many business visits have also been changed to virtual formats as a result of the broad use and growth of virtual events and conferences. This has resulted in a significant drop in corporate travel. Reduced high-emission travel is already a significant contribution to reducing climate change, and increasing use of remote work practises will bolster this trend. Read More: Corporate Learning

Conclusion: Incorporating a New Paradigm to the Future of Work

Many of the executives state that they are confused when they implement new hybrid work arrangements. But, in reality, this new era of hybrid work is the result of years of research. Although the tactics may be different than in the past, the markers of good teamwork will stay essentially unchanged. According to decades of research, the effective hybrid teams of the future of work will be defined by team design, launches, and coaching—in that order.

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Reducing Carbon Footprint in Your Organisation & eLearning's Role in it

Global warming is real. This ubiquitous and pervasive phenomenon negatively impacts the whole world via temperature surges and causes an accelerated rise in sea levels, resulting in increased coastal flooding. To add more to the downsides, it leads to a multiplication of wildfires and hurricanes. As you might already know, the primary cause of global warming is Carbon Dioxide (CO2) -- a greenhouse gas that traps heat in our atmosphere. And corporates play a massive role in the increasing CO2 emissions. Therefore, it is high time that reducing carbon footprint becomes an integral part of the organisational initiatives. How? Let's get started.

How Can Organisations Focus on Reducing Carbon Footprint?

Although there are several ways, companies can contribute toward reducing carbon footprint. But it is never enough. Yes, several organisations are indeed becoming environment-friendly and conscious of their impact on the environment. After all, we need to survive. And one of the most effective steps in this direction is digitally transforming corporate learning. This transition can have a substantial impact if our ultimate goal is to save the planet.

How eLearning Can Help in Reducing Carbon Footprint in Your Organisation?

1. Saying No to Paper

Did you know that "Each ream of paper used at an organisation releases more than 2 kilograms of CO2 into the environment? Each ream weighs around 2.5 kilograms on average, and globally we use around 300 million tons of paper each year" - Source. Hence, you can estimate the amount of carbon dioxide released each year in the atmosphere. But when you adopt eLearning, it eliminates the need for paper used in learning material like textbooks or quizzes, tests, syllabi, or assignment sheets. And saying no to paper goes a long way in reducing the carbon footprint in your company.

2. Minimise the Need of Transportation

The conventional Instructor-Led Training is typically conducted in a classroom setting such as a seminar hall or auditorium. What does this entail? Each employee has to travel to that place to attend the sessions. So, it means using some form of transportation like cars, buses, or motorbikes, emitting CO2 in massive amounts. One-third of all greenhouse gas emissions in the world are from vehicles. When you transit to e learning management system, you can deliver training directly to the employees on their smartphones, personal computers, laptops, or tablets. This model will help you minimise the need for transportation and reducing the carbon footprint in your organisation.

3. .A Decrease in Consumption of Energy Resources

Massive seminar halls, auditoriums, or conference rooms inside an organisation, mainly for traditional learning, consume energy via computers, projectors, and smart boards, among others. Add to this the energy consumed by lighting and air conditioning, which are also harmful to the environment. All of these energy emissions result from the burning of fossil fuels, which releases millions of metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

eLearning can save energy, thereby reducing carbon footprint by eliminating the need for seminar halls, auditoriums, or conference rooms to train and develop employees. Moreover, online training can upskill and train a massive chunk of employees with minimal impact on total energy expenditure and consumed resources. After all, an eLearning class occupies virtually the same amount of server space for one student as it does for one hundred. What's more? This strategy leads to substantial cost cuts as well!

Conclusion

Organisations have been increasingly embracing online learning platforms for many reasons. When compared with the traditional classroom model, eLearning is not only more accessible and convenient, but it also leads to positive environmental impact benefits - fostering a healthier and sustainable planet.

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New to L&D Department Here is How to Chart Your Career in Workplace Learning!

Over the past ten years or so, corporate training platform has gone through immense evolution. It no longer incorporates training employees in specific areas to boost productivity. Currently, learning and development include several aspects that can lead to the end-to-end development of the workforce. L&D includes fields such as soft skills training, diversity, inclusion, behavioural change, and mindset transformation, among others.

Therefore, if you plan to start a career in workplace learning, you need to be aware of these recent trends. Not only do you need to have a sound knowledge of the technical aspects, but you should also know about the basics of human psychology, digital technologies and tools, and change management. Additionally, the salary range for learning experts is impressive. Career growth opportunities in learning and development are also excellent. Then, why should you not consider a career in workplace learning? Let’s dive right in!

As per a report by the World Economic Forum, “Without the right competencies, innovation and customer service suffer, with 79% of global CEOs saying they’re ‘extremely’ or ‘somewhat’ concerned about the availability of the right capabilities.” What does this mean? Well, learning and development are fundamental to every organisation’s sustained growth and success.

And a career in workplace learning and development can make you an essential part of the company’s growth journey. Additionally, the World Economic Forum also reports that “closing the skills gap through learning and development could add $11.5 trillion to the world’s GDP by 2028.” These are the reasons why learning professionals need to acquire skills that can help them in the future. Moreover, it will enable them to promote large-scale employee development across companies.

A Career in Workplace Learning in 2021

A career in workplace learning demands the right amalgamation of hard and soft skills. Here are some of the soft skills needed by an L&D professional.

1. Empathy While Handling Clients

Usually, learning professionals need to identify the exact needs of their clients — who can be interns, departments, or senior employees. In such cases, the L&D official must empathise with the client and understand his/her learning needs. When one can entwine conversations with empathy, one can gauge the gap and problem areas. A genuine, empathetic trait can help you modify your training strategies and create a specific, personalised program for these sales reps.

2. Communication Skills

Communication skills are an inevitable trait to be acquired by learning experts. They must regularly communicate with various stakeholders across the organisation to identify upskilling requirements, buy-in information, and roadblocks. Moreover, they must also pinpoint skill gaps and discuss their respective redressals. In short, to have a successful career in workplace learning, experts must have the zeal to hold meaningful conversations about critical issues. What’s more? When you have a diverse and multigenerational workforce, you also need to adapt to different attitudes, perspectives, and approaches. These are all real-world situations in the increasingly diverse workplace, and needless to say, communication skills are imperative.

3. Teamwork

Resolving conflicts is another vital issue that needs to be handled by L&D pros. And for this, teamwork is essential. When employees have to find common ground with stakeholders with conflicting interests, you would have to step in and resolve the issue as a learning and development manager. You will also need to step in and prioritise things. In short, teamwork is an integral part of designing employee development strategies. It is only by working with multiple stakeholders that you can formulate a learning plan that addresses every business need and the employee’s targets.

4. Innovativeness

Since a career in workplace learning is a rapidly evolving field, experts have to keep up with the changes. Dealing with change can include deploying a learning management system (LMS), promoting mobile learning, encouraging self-learning for career progress, and introducing a learning experience platform (LXP). Even learners have evolved in terms of their knowledge requirements. Beyond just job-related training, employees are now eager to obtain cross-disciplinary skills and strengthen their employability. So, as a learning and development professional, you must understand and guide learners/organisations through these change waves. Only then you will be able to maximise the outcome from each new opportunity.

5. Strategy

Having a strategic mindset is one of the most sought-after soft skill requirements for any professional today. Foresight enables you to assess past patterns and predict how your ongoing learning strategies could work out in the future. It will allow you to anticipate roadblocks on the way and deploy preventive/corrective actions if required. Foresight goes hand in hand with strategic vision so that you can take the appropriate curative action.

Next, you also need the necessary hard skills to execute your learning vision effectively. Here are the four crucial hard skills to nurture a career in workplace learning.

6. Instructional Design

Instructional design is a foundational requirement for aspiring learning and development professionals. And it continues to be highly relevant, especially in the early stages of your career. With skills in Instructional Design, you can conceptualise, create, and deliver products or experiences that inform the learner. This complex skill spans instructional videos, infographics, PowerPoint presentations, animations, and a host of other visual formats. There are several models and industry standards for instructional design and platforms geared to generate instructional content. This skill is also commonly known as e-learning authoring.

7. Adult Learning Technologies

Adult learning technology is a rapidly growing market, with several learning channels for you to choose from. Investing in the right track can be game-changing for companies looking to upskill/reskill their workforces within a short period. Understanding adult learning technologies, how they work, their pros and cons, and implementation processes can help you further your learning and development career. Some of the most popular adult learning technologies in use today include open-source/paid learning management software, blended learning (which has a human element), micro-credentials, incentivised learning via digital badges. Learning experts must know all about these possibilities and shape the best-fit technology roadmap for workforce development.

8. Human Behavioural Science

While communication and teamwork may appear to be enough, the know-how of behavioural science and how it applies to human development is essential. A successful career in workplace learning is determined heavily by neuroscience and behavioural science. Traits such as attention span, memory formation, and personal habits play a critical role in how human beings imbibe and retain knowledge. Applying behavioural science theory can help employees overcome the forgetting curve and make sure that their learning investments yield the desired results.

Apart from neuroscience, there is a specific field called the science of learning and development, which offers valuable insights into the learning process across various stages of an employee’s personal and professional development. This skill with roots in psychology can help you outline effective strategies that factor in the human variance in learning experiences – particularly useful when combined with the study of adult learning technologies.

9. KPI Management

Learning KPI management is a branch of business analysis and basic data science, which equips L&D professionals to monitor, measure, and track key performance indicators (KPIs). Learning KPIs can vary widely from company to company, even from one team to another. Hard skills in learning data management and KPI analysis will help to pinpoint the most relevant indices to measure learning progress. Skills in KPI Management are a handy tool as you nurture your learning and development career. You can use KPI dashboards to guide learning strategies for the organisation in the right direction and secure buy-in from senior leadership.

Conclusion

Having the right skill sets and meeting the requisite eligibility criteria, forging meaningful relationships with industry peers can also give you a push in your career in workplace learning. Fortunately, our experts at PlayAblo offer you an excellent chance to help to exchange ideas with the world’s leading learning professionals!

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How Informal Learning at Workplace Can be Sustained Even When Working Remotely

When do you learn the best? Through practice and solving real-life issues at your workplace. And where does that come from? Experience. Now, to close any loopholes in experience-based knowledge, organisations need to have a well-designed training program. But if you stick only to a rigid and structured training methodology, you are bound to face some roadblocks. There have been so many innovations in technology and business that structured, offline learning modules are fast becoming obsolete. Replacing traditional training is informal learning – which you may deliver via several channels – including digital platforms. Today, we will discuss how you can sustain informal learning even when working remotely.

How Can Informal Learning at Workplace be Sustained Even When Working Remotely

Self-Directed Informal Learning

To progress further in their career paths, employees cannot rely solely on experience. Value addition is a summation of relevant, targeted, and practical learnings after completing any project. Usually, your high-performing staff members tend to generate as many takeaways as possible from their tasks. And as explained by author Tom Gram, “Everyday Experience Is Not Enough. Experts continually challenge their current performance and seek feedback from their environment to stay in a more or less permanent learning state, mastering conversational skills but continuously raising their bar. This deliberate approach to learning from experience is what separates top performers from the norm.”

Therefore, in both formal and informal learning, employees require to take ownership of their development. Additionally, feedback is vital. Now, when you want to deploy feedback-based learning at a remote workplace, you can go for a platform like PlayAblo. The software has the element mentioned above and offers the scope to track your learners’ progress — all from a digital platform. Moreover, you should know that a comprehensive informal learning program cannot be only about annual development plans that specify particular work tasks and conference attendance. Informal learning must never be only for those prone to making the most of their employment experience.

As explained by Mike Sullivan, this is what he had to say about informal learning: “Our company is ambitious. For us to win, we need to juggle being a low-cost producer, a growth company and a great place to do great work. The low-cost producer aspect can often be the most challenging. For certain investments, we sometimes have an affordability challenge. While we clearly can’t afford poor performers, we also can’t afford heavy investment in formal training. As a result, we expect employees to be accountable for their own development and then provide customized support to make that happen.”

Kevin Munson, CLO at Sears, added: “To get the most from informal learning opportunities, employees need to look for and take advantage of those opportunities.”

The Plan-Connect-Reflect Model

In this model, companies use work events to help employees extract learning from such activities. These events can include meetings, regular interactions, and even online training sessions while working remotely. In short, the learner plays a vital role in orchestrating informal learning activities. Munson explains this further in his statement: “With informal learning, employees serve as their own instructional designers. They identify their learning objectives, evaluate their performance against those objectives, and arrange or find real-life experiences to address those objectives.”

How Can You Sustain Informal Learning in a Remote Workplace Model?

Plan: In the planning stage, there are two stages. In the initial stage, learners must recognise their long-term learning objectives — inclusive of behaviours and skill improvements. They additionally have to identify the opportunities that will help them in achieving their goals. Next, we have daily planning — where the L&D department can help learners in outlining a structure. The plan can include activities such as interactions with various stakeholders. It is the responsibility of the learning leader to design the daily calendar by placing clear expectations and offering guidance for training aligning with the business goals.

According to Sullivan, “We use a disciplined approach to jumpstart employees’ self-development. We focus them on developing targeted skills that will increase their personal effectiveness and have them do this as they work to achieve their individual and functional goals … all in alignment with our annual company objectives. This avoids directed informal learning always have to be a ‘plus-one activity.’”

While making an online training model for your remote employees, you can use the same approach—record quick synopses of a day’s events and the informal learning opportunities that might surface.

Connect: Here, organisations need to maintain a follow-up of the events that had occurred on a particular day. One can then identify unseen opportunities for learning. Employees can connect their learning goals with the day’s activities through 5 ways — practice, impact, observe, listen, and set up. As we already know, practice makes perfect. Again, an employee should be able to provide feedback on the behaviours observed. Munson explained how to measure employees’ training impact: “Employees need to ask themselves, ‘How will I know if I’ve done it right? What outcome will I use to evaluate the impact of my behaviour?’ How others respond to their performance is a good leading indicator of their success. Specifying the response they want upfront makes it easier for them to give themselves feedback in real-time and adjust their behaviour on the fly.”

In remote informal learning, you can easily set up an impact-measuring process, especially when implementing an Learning Management System like PlayAblo. Additionally, observations can later be used to design the best training practices.

 Reflect: Reflecting on whatever a learner has absorbed from an online learning session can help them detect and recall nuances. As explained by Munson: “Reflecting allows employees to evaluate the impact of what they’ve done in the absence of any direct feedback. It also allows them to connect their learning experiences from the day with past learnings. This helps them identify patterns in what is and isn’t working for them.”

When your employees in remote locations take quick notes and practice journaling, they can quickly discover trends in skill development. It allows the evaluation of progress more efficiently. In offline training, recording the sessions can aid in self-reinforcement. On the other hand, online learning platforms reduce the time and effort required to track and organise learning. While daily planning and reflecting are essential for prompt and sustained learning, these steps need to be relatively quick. Otherwise, the model will become burdensome, and its active use likely will end abruptly.

Conclusion

You can achieve a solid informal learning structure for your remotely located employees by setting small daily goals and frequent reinforcement. Try to keep track of the plan-connect-reflect model to identify opportunities for regular support. Sullivan had to say this about support: “In our corporate learning, we use development-focused monthly one-on-ones for review, feedback, and reinforcement of learning activities from the prior month. This is typically an employee-driven meeting. They set the agenda and use their manager as a coach and sounding board.” He added:

“The key to building learning habits is to ensure that the behavior being developed gets timely feedback and reinforcement. One way we support this at Sears is through a social networking site where employees share a specific example of behavior or approach they are working on and the impact that it had. For example, employees often describe an opportunity to provide a positive customer experience, what they did to achieve that and how the customer responded. Others then provide social reinforcement for what they liked and offer suggestions for improvement. This is both a brag board and a help desk for skill refinement.”

To sum it up, short and organised planning guides employees in identifying opportunities in online training modules. Connecting them to a personal goal boosts growth and adaptability. Well, that’s all!

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Successful Workplace Learning Strategies. What to Invest in and What to Drop

According to a recent Training Industry Report, research covering approximately 1,500 executives across various industries, regions, and companies of multiple sizes revealed some stunning facts. One out of every five organisations does not have anything to measure the impact of employee training. Among the ones that do, a mere 13% calculate quantifiable returns, aka ROI. Of course, it’s a no-brainer that two-thirds of employees believe their training programs do not contribute toward improving business performance. So, what is the genesis of this gap? The answer is – most companies think learning is all about the hours you put in. However, successful workplace learning should incorporate disseminating the correct information to the right people at the right time. Well, let’s explore this further.

Successful Workplace Learning Strategies. What to Invest in and What to Drop?

Distribute Learning in Brief Bursts

One of the best strategies to design a successful workplace learning model is to keep the modules small. Break down bigger goals into mini-milestones. This strategy enables companies to meet their end objectives more efficiently. Why? Psychologist K. Anders Ericsson surmised that expert professionals segment their projects into smaller tasks. They then gauge the results after repeating them multiple times and watching what happens each time. Based on their observations, they introduce minor changes to improvise on the whole process gradually process. You can also use the same strategy in employee training. Break lessons down into small, digestible pieces, and coerce trainees to practice them repeatedly in the real world. Approaches like micro-learning enhance the efficiency of training programs and make it easier to absorb knowledge and retain it over longer durations.

Encourage Employees to Ask Questions

When a manager wants to establish a clear communication path between him/her and the employees, s/he can ask the following questions. What does the staff like about their job? Do they face any roadblocks? How can the management guide them? Such in-depth discussions motivate employees as it is a kind of positive reinforcement. Addressing gap areas in training programs encourages your workforce to put in more effort as they feel that the organisation is investing in their individual development.

Include Feedback

It would be best if you did not ignore the importance of feedback. After all, people want to work for their continual improvement. For instance, the L&D department can provide managers with a semi-annual/annual report that highlights their strengths and their areas of improvement. Keeping a record of gradual progress shall enable employees to work on and improve in areas they struggled with previously. You canYou can promote an environment where both employees and managers can effortlessly give each other regular feedback — both positive and constructive. An excellent successful workplace learning strategy is to coerce trainees to fill up feedback forms, ask questions, and foster open discussion. When people point out issues, only then you can look for solutions.

Give Frequent Reminders

At a given time, cognitive capacity is limited. Now, in a fast-paced workplace where employees handle so many tasks together, it is natural for them to overlook long-term development goals. In such cases, simple reminders such as an email or in-person check-in can work wonders. As per HBR, “At Google, we designed a nudge to help new hires succeed in their roles by reminding them of the behaviours our top performers practice regularly. For example, we listed ‘Ask questions, lots of questions!’ and ‘Actively solicit feedback — don’t wait for it.’ Doing so helped new hires find more opportunities to practice and develop those skills, boosting their productivity by 2%, or about $400 million per year.”

It will help if you made sending out regular reminders a norm in your organisation. Set learning goals with their direct reports. Next, meet them regularly by checking in on the progress. These norms will also enable employees to give feedback, thereby helping team members through any challenges they may face.

Invest Wisely

Keep track of your budget and invest in what gives results. Companies that have an online learning management system in place that can measure the effectiveness of their training programs are more prone to designing effective training programs. When you invest in learning and development, ensure that you define measures of success beforehand. Make it a habit to check if your training program has a measurable impact on metrics like productivity, retention, and job satisfaction. Rather than spending large sums on learning methodologies that do not deliver the required outcomes, you can concentrate on new technologies or strategies with a track record of success.

Conclusion

To sum it up, when you learn less, you learn the best. There is no point in spending a large sum on corporate learning modules. The best successful workplace learning strategy combines simple, timed, and efficient measures to transform intentions into actions. Only then you can boost the effectiveness of training programs and unleash the full potential of your workforce. Want some more tips? Our experts at PlayAblo are just a call away!

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Transforming the L&D Department

Workplace learning is fundamental in today’s business environment — driven by technological innovations, altering the demand for skills and roles. Employees should acquire new knowledge, replicate novel behaviours, and continuously adapt to ensure sustained success. Considering all of the factors mentioned above, companies are increasingly witnessing an elevated responsibility of the L&D function. This particular department must cohabitate with the leadership to allow an organisation to promote an effective, agile, and fast learning environment. And this is where the concept of transforming workplace learning comes in.

A Deeper Look into Transforming Workplace Learning

The organisational strategy must incorporate learning as a significant part of the core talent processes like performance management. However, several companies believe that multiple departments do not have the necessary know-how or authority to play such a role. Well, to give you a positive example, let’s see how a US healthcare company utilised its L&D function to tackle the COVID-19 crisis by transforming workplace learning:

“When 90 percent of the 55,000-strong workforce suddenly began working remotely, within 24 hours, the function produced and posted online videos and learning modules to help workers set up equipment at home and log on securely (relieving a severely overstretched IT department that was already taking thousands of daily inquiries). And it curated new “playlists” of learning modules for employees on its digital platform, tailoring them to help workers find the information they needed quickly and navigate the crisis more effectively”.

So, What Did the Company Do?

With the increased activities and change in working, the company’s recruiting department did not pause its hiring process. The same source says that the L&D function helped onboard 200 recruits virtually. Additionally, “The function also converted critical leadership-development programs into digitally-enabled sessions, facilitated calls for 1,400 leaders to help them build the behaviours required to manage teams remotely and ensure that productivity did not drop, and helped business teams learn about the latest technologies required to serve their clients in new, digitized ways.”

The Takeaway? Instead of concentrating on delivering learning programs digitally, companies must focus on making it more organised and roll-out capabilities. Any organisation should understand that transforming workplace learning involves an ability to forecast and respond to changes rapidly. And this demands the adoption of an agile operating model.

Transforming Workplace Learning to an Agile Model

Agile learning programs can perform superbly well in fast-changing operating environments. They lead to higher customer and employee satisfaction. Reports have also shown that agility promotes reduced costs and quicker marketing times. However, this transformation must embrace all the elements of the company — strategy, structure, people, processes, and technology. The elements should represent the ideal balance between stability and dynamism.

Now, if your L&D department is too stable, it can translate to rigidity. Training programs involve several aspects such as course design, content management, program delivery, and digital-platform support. Since the teams are scattered and have their own KPIs, they may not be working in tandem to achieve the same objectives. Hence, collaboration becomes challenging since the L&D function primarily focuses on broad organisational goals and KPIs. Rigid learning programs are additionally reluctant to accept change to adapt to theaneeds of the modern generation. Hence, while transforming workplace learning, there must be a proper balance between stability and dynamism. Be it your strategy, structure, people, processes, or technology, strength and vitality need to be aligned to create a stable backbone and ensure an agile, evolving workplace.

Let’s see how the experts at McKinsey have designed this model.

The above table demonstrates corporate learning both stability and dynamism into all elements of an L&D function — including its strategy, structure, people, processes, and tech and systems.

Now, How to Achieve the Required Balance Between Stability and Dynamism?

Transforming workplace learning takes time — ranging from a year to two years. But the time frame may vary. It can depend on where you have started, the complexity of the courses, the required speed. Even the attitude of the staff plays a vital role. You can begin the process by setting the learning vision. Secondly, ensure that the learning practices can meet this objective (s).

Next, assess your company’s current capabilities and readiness for change. You can then easily set the required interventions and priorities. This step should also include inputs from learning experts, end-users, and business leaders — while involving the five elements mentioned above. Next up is to create the operating model and map the way ahead. When you know your starting point, you can plan your learning methodology. A thoroughly developed methodology includes structure, processes, and required capabilities. Now, set a budget and finalise the initiatives and their sequencing.

Bottomline

Transforming workplace learning requires L&D functions to use data and research to enable employees to grow and improve. Learning and Development professionals can utilise their extensive knowledge and experience to address the changing needs of their organisations. Hence, they can create the ideal learning programs accordingly. If you need more help in transforming workplace learning in your company, our experts at PlayAblo Learning Management System are just a call away!

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Are You Blaming Bad e-Learning Experience to Stay in Love With ILT

In any workplace, you will come across two segments of people when it involves corporate training platform. One segment favours the traditional Instructor-Led Training (ILT), while the other prefers e-Learning. The latter, tech-savvy audience would willingly embrace a digital eLearning experience. The former half may also accept the change, but deep down, they cannot let go of the conventional ILT that had worked so well in the past. However, here is the thing. Classroom training has become obsolete, thanks to advancements in the quality and enhanced digital learning experience.

A high-quality eLearning experience is an ideal combination of data and expert research — bringing in the best of both worlds. Since digital training is information backed by research, L&D professionals are quickly drawn toward it. But even then, people continue being attracted by ILT. Why?

Why Are Organisations Still Lured to ILT?

There is this common misconception that there is not enough data to support the drawbacks of ILT. Well, here is the thing. Even when companies use ILT, online tools form a significant chunk of the learning experience. In fact, in blended learning, digital training accounts for a considerable percentage of the learning program.

On the other hand, the retention levels in ILT are much lower as compared to eLearning. During an offline session, the classes extend to longer durations. Learners eventually lose interest and stop paying attention. You might observe employees scrolling through their phones, working on their laptops, or simply gazing at the whiteboard! If you think they are taking notes, they are usually looking at emails and reverting. Additionally, even the activities see only a few of the attendees participating. The rest pray that they are not called upon to partake in the said activity. So, where will the retention come from? It is just not happening!

Next, what about the time? It’s OK to sit through an ILT session that lasts for an hour — at the max. Once these 60 minutes are over, the attention span of people starts to waver. Moreover, employees do not prefer to leave behind their work and attend training sessions.

So How Does eLearning Outweigh the Downsides of ILT?

Well, as per research, “Employee engagement is an increasingly difficult task. Studies have shown that organisations with actively engaged workforces have 2.6 times the earnings per share growth rate compared to their industry counterparts. This is important because companies that utilize corporate learning technology achieve an 18% boost in employee engagement.” eLearning is even more effective when you couple it with elements like interactive sessions and make it engaging with real-life scenarios.

Edgar Dale found that lecture (ILT)’s retention rates were five per cent, compared to practice by doing (75 per cent) and learning in an actual situation, 90 per cent retention.” And it is pretty simple to incorporate the aspects mentioned above in e-learning. Yes, e-learning tends to be more effective than classroom training. e-Learning has higher efficacy because classroom training involves less interactivity, more instruction, and less real-world practice when compared with e-Learning.

What About Visualisation?

Did you think that visualisation was all about Powerpoint presentations and slide projections? Well, no. In a training session, people at the back of the classroom can barely read what is written on the whiteboard. So, how can they have a visual experience? A good visualisation is easier in eLearning — via the use of embedded gamification, live sessions, and interactive quizzes.

Are You Blaming Bad e-Learning Experience to Stay in Love With ILT?

Yes, we have seen several articles which explain that eLearning is terrible. But this is not true. You cannot blame a bad eLearning experience and favour ILT. The primary reasons behind a poor eLearning experience are poorly designed content, ineffective instructional design, and the absence of real-life/world scenarios, including interactive and engaging content. If you include the elements mentioned above in your online training program, there is no question of a bad eLearning experience.

Again, comprehension with ILT is low. A presenter only has a specific time at his disposal. How can learners learn, retain and comprehend something in such a short amount of time? Additionally, synthesis is a complete no-no in offline sessions, and this is because of the way ILT is structured. But with online learning, synthesis is effortless since it is non-linear and focuses on what you want to know when you need to know it. Again, ILT has set times to attend. But eLearning is flexible. A Brandon Hall report suggests that online learning (in corporations) required 40 per cent to 60 per cent less employee time than a traditional classroom setting.

Finally, ILT is expensive since it includes travel expenses, time spent away from workstations, and venue + instructor costs. So, yes, ILT isn’t working out so well.

Bottom Line

ILT has indeed been around for a long time. But it is all but obsolete, thanks to the continuous evolution of technology in e learning management system that can match and even surpass it. If you wish to know more about how eLearning can help you bypass the downsides of ILT, our experts at PlayAblo are here to help you out!

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Before – During – After Improving Knowledge Retention With eLearning Methodologies

What’s training without practical application? Following a learning session, your employees must demonstrate their acquired skills in solving real-life issues at the workplace. Of course, you have invested a considerable amount of your resources in training your staff. Therefore, there should be a quantifiable Return on Investment. You do not want your team to recall theories, recite statistics, and memorise case studies. Rather than displaying troubleshooting tips, your employees MUST be able to solve actual problems.

However, here is the thing. Many organisations have approached us, saying that delivering training sessions and getting the desired outcome is not always easy. Knowledge transfer is a complicated process since all humans have their learning curve. You cannot develop a one-size-fits-all course and expect your entire workforce to respond in the same manner. For instance, gamified software might seem appealing to one, while it can appear complicated to another. Again, someone may get a good score on a quiz but won’t be able to apply the knowledge in tackling an issue in real-time.

But why is learning ineffective? As per reveals during the ATD International Conference & Exposition 2016, inadequate knowledge transfer is the most common reason.So, what’s the way out? Start by creating an effective eLearning program that leads to maximum knowledge retention. And for this, you have to consider the three stages of any training program — pre, during, and post a learning session. Therefore, let’s begin!

Pre-training Tips for Knowledge Retention

Before you deploy any online training program, we advise you to follow the following three steps:

Thorough Research

 Hold extensive brainstorming sessions to analyse the existing skills of your staff. Understand what additional knowledge they need to acquire to excel at their respective jobs. Now, kick off the design process after gaining insights into the requirements. Create eLearning courses with relevant content that helps learners perform well in their careers. You can ask your employees to fill up self-assessment forms so that they can identify their gap areas. You can then work on filling these gaps with targeted training modules.

End Objectives

 It is always essential to identify the training objectives before you begin creating the course. When you follow this step, you ensure that you have incorporated a common organisational goal. You can work toward achieving the related milestones and focus on finally reaching the end goal. When you are sure of your objectives initially, you have clarity on your audience expectations, learning content, and training outcomes.

Business Goals

It’s incredibly critical to have a clear connection between the organisational business goals and the skills needed to achieve them. It will enable employees to gain motivation and have quantifiable targets.

Training Delivery

It would be best if you always ascertained that your training has the maximum impact on learners. Trainees should receive learning sessions at the exact time trainees need them. For instance, your sales reps might require to know about the latest update on a product before pitching it to the client. Just-in-time, agile training is beneficial since it enables employees to implement acquired knowledge instantly.

Interaction With Learners

 To motivate the learners to join training sessions, the L&D leadership must make sure to meet them and inform them about the significance of the learning program. Employees should understand how LMS outcomes will align with the company’s business goals. They must also be aware of how training will help them progress in their career paths with the knowledge they acquire. On the other hand, managers should understand the importance of learning and create a seamless learning model for their team members.

During the Training Tips for Knowledge Retention

Clarity on How a Learning Session Will Benefit the Trainee

Any learner would want to know how a training session will benefit them. Hence, you should be able to offer a satisfactory and credible answer to this question. After all, it is a known fact that knowledge transfer is more efficient when employees understand their expected skill levels after a particular training session.

Bite-sized Content

Chunking content into bite-sized pieces makes learning materials clutter-free and relevant. Since the modern learner is extremely busy, they prefer to consume information in manageable chunks. Ensure that you review the learning objectives while chunking content. Try to include only relevant content while doing away with all the unnecessary parts.

Prior Learner Knowledge

It is always a good idea to comprehend, recall, and retain new concepts by discovering underlying patterns. Therefore, talk to your learners and attempt to gain insights from their prior knowledge or experiences. Establish similarities and patterns and then design a new concept. Analogies and metaphors are excellent instructional tools to connect seemingly distinct ideas. However, this does not mean that you do not explain the differences at all!

Instructional Strategies

You can coerce the contemporary learner into applying their newly-acquired knowledge only they are confident that it will help them resolve their real-life problems. Therefore, it is important to embed your learning sessions with realistic scenarios that simulate learners’ obstacles in the organisation.

Connection With Real-life Problems

Adult learners feel more motivated to apply the learning when they can see the relevance of the course to their job responsibilities. So, take every opportunity to establish this relevance. Create scenarios or stories that demonstrate positive outcomes. Incorporate case studies and video testimonials to add legitimacy. Use these media to explain how the learner can improve his on-job performance, as the people in the case studies and videos have done after taking the course.

Learning Objectives

It does not matter if you are developing a simulated scenario or planning an activity. Whatever you do, you should continue reviewing the learning objectives. This step makes sure that your training content remains relevant. You should not incorporate any information that does not directly translate to the end goals of the course. It would help if you concentrated on connecting the dots. Each learning element should eventually lead to the final objectives of the training program.

Segmented Training Modules

Spacing out and delivering your course in modules come with several upsides. And the most critical benefit arrives in the form of knowledge retention and transfer. Once employees return to work after completing each module, they get an opportunity to apply their newly-acquired knowledge. Because there is not much lag between learning and application, learners will be less likely to forget the content.

Action Plans

Guide your staff in creating action plans that help them when they return to their workstations. These action plans lay out the guidelines that will help learners apply what they have learned during the training. For instance, make action plans to guide learners just after the training and six months later. Also, ensure that the goals are realistic. Specify not only what learners should do to carry out a particular task but also how to troubleshoot.

Post Training Tips for Knowledge Retention

Social Learning

You can best achieve Knowledge retention via examples. Learners should be able to share their learning with peers or discuss their achievements with peers. They should also learn from mentors. Social learning is a powerful tool that connects learners and trainers to discuss and share stories. In-person meetings, chat groups, forums, and videos of trainees sharing their stories hosted on the Intranet are effective ways to incorporate social learning in the learning process. This social aspect of the learning process increases motivation and facilitates a smooth transfer of knowledge.

Refresher Courses

Learners often state that they find it challenging to retain key learning points after the training is over or recall these concepts when needed. These obstacles diminish the effectiveness of the practical application of knowledge. A refresher course can serve the purpose of information recalls. Crisp and straightforward refreshers offer a summary of the key learning concepts. You can connect such refresher programs with problem-solving sessions so that employees can help each other by recounting the problems they had encountered while applying the acquired concepts.

Follow-up Sessions

Reflection plays a vital role in identifying gaps in training and realising knowledge retention roadblocks. What you can do is — send follow-up emails to trainees after about a month to reinforce key learning points. You can also organise post-training follow-up sessions to give supplementary lessons. You can use these options to allow trainees to practice their skills or discuss their experiences as they try to apply their knowledge on the job.

Practice, Practice, Practice!

Finally, it is a known fact that repeated practice solidifies knowledge retention. Give the employees opportunities to apply the skills learned from the training program. As per research, the absence of opportunities minimises the ability of learners to resolve real-life problems.

Conclusion

Knowledge retention is a challenging task for educators, business managers, and eLearning developers. With the tips above, you can cement your plan for a comprehensive training program. Or, if you opt for a solution like PlayAblo’s

Online Learning Management System

, our experts here will do the job for you!

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Dear VP of HR, What is the Impact of COVID-19 on Your Approach to Workplace Learning?

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, workplace learning is emerging as one of the earliest and hardest-hit business activities. “Based on our observations as of early March, roughly one-half of in-person programs through June 30, 2020, had been postponed or cancelled in North America; in parts of Asia and Europe, the figure is closer to 100 per cent” — McKinsey. So, what is the response of the senior management of HR? Well, the answer from global HR VPs is pretty straightforward — no organisation can depend on short-term crisis management. The pandemic is here to stay, and the impact of the new normal has become increasingly apparent. The freshly adjusted corporate training strategies have to take into account the long-term repercussions.

In the current scenario, HR VPs require to review the impact of all changes on the training policies on talent retention and skills absorption that will work in the long run. This need to be checked now as well as at regular intervals. This strategy will ensure that you gain as much benefit as possible during the restart of the economy. Companies that are agile in adapting to crises have the scope of sustaining themselves even if the pandemic lasts for several years in the future. Indeed such organisations could build a market advantage that will last for several years.

So, How Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted Your Approach to Workplace Learning? What Are the Measures that You Should Take?

One of the common trends that have emerged in the corporate landscape is work from home. Research suggests that the frequency with which people worked from home before the pandemic will increase once offices reopen. As for others, who embraced this concept only during the pandemic, will witness a significant upswing in their adoption rates soon. Estimates say: “We will see 25-30% of the workforce working at home on a multiple-days-a-week basis by the end of 2021.”

Well, with this transition, it is a no-brainer that corporate training needs to embrace the shift toward virtual, digital sessions. The focus should remain on designing strategies to cope with the persisting uncertainty. Innovations in cloud technology enable the different planning exercises to come together in ways that weren’t previously possible.

But Before Making the Shift to a Virtual Training Model, Have You Created Your Cross-functional Team Yet?

To design a full-fledged framework for your digital workplace learning environment that adapts to the changes, you need to get together a cross-functional response team. This group should include all relevant stakeholder groups such as HR business partners, learning-delivery personnel, IT and platform technologists, and vendors. Build a network that connects the team to your organisation’s overall COVID-19-response effort. Underline the decision points and maintain transparency while deciding the training programs. Identify communication channels so that these new changes are related to the entire company, locally or centrally.

Now, you cannot design digital footprints of everything. Research on how to create a portfolio of learning offerings. Set priorities and select those areas that will require a digital-only format. And remember to be strategic about the allocation of scarce design resources. Decide the metrics — which subjects are critical? Which areas demand changes with immediate effect? How many employees will be affected? Give priority to must-have programs like employee onboarding and disseminate knowledge on essential topics like remote-working skills, remote-management skills, and leadership skills.

The Growing Importance of the Cloud

The pandemic has witnessed a surge in the usage of cloud technology when it comes to planning within organisations. Cloud providers have proven to be a vital asset in accelerating the adoption of digital learning methodologies and enabling HR VPs to make quick decisions based on changing information. As per PwC, the management across the globe continues to “move forward with their digital transformation investments, while 70%* are making changes to their financial plans. Best-in-class executives will use digitisation to connect the planning exercise to the application of scenario analysis.”

After all, you cannot spend months on launching and deploying a Learning Management System. A SaaS-based LMS like PlayAblo is quick to install. Why? It ditches lengthy time frames to launch online courses and corporate learning. Again, a SaaS-based LMS does not require you to install or build out from scratch. Why? The whole infrastructure is already in place. Therefore, if you need a quick deployment time, you can go for a Cloud-based solution, which translates to savings in resources and money.

Additional Pointers When You Are Designing an Online Workplace Learning Model

When you go for eLearning, your learners do not have to sit in one place to complete the courses. Additionally, they can productively use the precious hours they spent earlier in being away from their work stations to attend training sessions. eLearning enables learners to choose flexibility and pick courses as per their choice and pace.

Now, when you select an eLearning vendor to help you address the crisis, make it a point to opt for one who gives you the option to reuse old content. As we mentioned before, you cannot digitise everything within a short time frame. Therefore, it can repurpose the existing, critical training material to suit the current training needs. Repurposing saves a lot of time for organisations as they can roll out training programs quickly. With modern authoring tools available in the market, content revamping is exceptionally effortless. Finally, methodologies like microlearning and mobile-optimised training deliver learning in chunks, saving time for the busy learner.

Again, your strategies must consider the long-term repercussions. Hence, you might be sceptical about the high development costs involved in setting up e learning management system modules. But remember. The short-term expense far outweighs the long-term benefits. Traditional instructor-led training uses up vast chunks of the training budget in the long run. eLearning reduces overall training times, translating into increased productivity and profitability. Moreover, incorporating eLearning in the corporate learning process minimises the total development cost by doing away with all of the steps mentioned earlier. Since everything is online, you avoid the expenses involved in one-on-one facilitation.

Finally, go for a platform that offers the scope of uniform training with full tracking. When you track employee training progress, you have a clear synopsis of your learners’ progress along the learning curve. The correct numbers will give you a bird’ eye view of where learners are getting stuck in their learning journey and which training materials are ineffective or obsolete. Gradually, use the data to improvise your training programs and enhance the learning experience to create a rich learning culture in your company.

Conclusion

At PlayAblo, we are work closely with our customers to help them respond to COVID-19 and prepare for the new normal. Our experts hold the extensive experience needed to guide them in designing a comprehensive online training program that addresses the complex challenges arising out of the crisis and how to make the transition from the traditional ILT to eLearning. Think we might be able to help you? We are just a ping away!

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15 Workplace eLearning Statistics for L&D Leaders in 2021

The global eLearning market size is set to exceed USD 375 billion by 2026, according to a research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. Yes, especially after the COVID-19-induced work from home mandates current educational landscape is going through a massive revolution. And in the future, online training shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, Regardless of size, companies are increasing their use of eLearning. However, 41.7% of global Fortune 500 Companies deployment some form of technology to train their employees — [e learning magazine]. After all, eLearning leads to increased retention levels, fewer costs, and self-paced training. So, should you consider online learning management system methodologies as your next training model? If you are unsure of the answer, our eLearning statistics for 2021 will help you decide.

15 Workplace e-Learning Statistics You Should Know in 2021

1. Learning Time

As per research by Brandon Hall Group, “it typically takes employees 40 to 60 per cent less time to study a particular material via e-learning than in a traditional classroom setting.” Why? You can hold online training sessions asynchronously, allowing learners to access knowledge at their convenience. It also leads to an uninterrupted and smooth workflow. Moreover, even with fewer hours spent in learning, there is no compromise in quality when replacing offline classes with online programs.

2. Retention Rates

The Research Institute of America reported that eLearning leads to knowledge retention rates ranging from 25% to 60%. In comparison, traditional classroom training promotes retention rates in the range of 8% to 10%. Since eLearning offers the option of microlearning and multiple revisions, learners have the advantage of consuming information in bites and revisiting courses whenever they want.

3. eLearning vs Cost

With corporate e-learning, “IBM managers were able to learn five times more content at one-third of the cost. As a result, IBM saved $200 million, which accounted for around 30% of their previous training budget.” [Source]. This cost-saving is because IBM delivered more learning sessions in shorter periods after choosing online training models. The change led to fewer expenses in terms of venue, instructors, and travel costs. Even employees spent more time at their workstations than in training sessions — leading to a drastic reduction in the overall cost

4. eLearning and Revenues

As per a report named ‘The Ambient Insight 2012-2017 Worldwide Mobile Learning Market – Executive Report‘, 42% of the surveyed companies stated that game-based mLearning led to increased revenues. The same report also said that “Mobile is absolutely critical, if not ‘the’ growth driver for the industry for the next several years.”

5. eLearning Statistics in Terms of Productivity

In the IBM study mentioned in point 3 above, the researchers reported that each dollar invested in eLearning leads to $30 in productivity. Why? After attending an online training session, an employee can instantly apply the acquired knowledge at his job. The transition from theory to practical application is quick. As a result, it leads to a boost in productivity.

6. Employee Engagement

eLearning has proven that it promotes increased employee engagement. In a report published by Molly Fletcher Company, “organisations can achieve an 18% boost in employee engagement” after employing game-based online training.

7. Competitive Edge

CertifyMe.net came up with data on the effect of eLearning in corporate training platform. According to this report, 72% of the participating organisations stated that eLearning had aided them in increasing their competitive edge by offering them the option to adapt to a swiftly changing market landscape.

8. Turnover Costs

Did you know that employees usually leave their companies due to the lack of development opportunities? However, The Business Impact of Next-Generation eLearning reported that revenue generated per employee is 26% higher for companies that offer online training.

9. Savings

As mentioned in point 3, the company saved approximately $200 million after adopting eLearning in the report published by IBM. Since online sessions ditch all additional expenses related to travel, hotel rentals, equipment, and instructors, organisations report massive savings in resources.

10. eLearning Statistics in Terms of the Environment

It’s surprising, but eLearning also benefits the environment. A study carried out by Britain’s Open University’s reported that creating and distributing online courses consumes around 90% less energy and produces 85% fewer CO2 emissions per student than traditional training.

11. Motivation Factors

E learning management system motivators for employees are individual learning pace (95%) and no travelling (84%) — KPMG. Of course, we already know that modern learners prefer to consume information at their own pace and place. And eLearning offers them this opportunity.

12. Frequency of Virtual Classes

As reported by Computer Weekly, Shell, one of the largest oil companies in the world, has used e-learning to reduce the cost of their priciest training programs by 90%, deliver more than 12,000 virtual lessons, and save over $200 million.

13. Compliance Training

eLearning is exceptionally efficient when it comes to compliance training. 82% of organisations conduct some of their compliance training online. And 28% of organisations conduct absolutely all of their compliance training online — Training Magazine.

14. eLearning Statistics and Content Library

Airbus, the world’s largest airliner manufacturer as of 2019, employs 100,000 staff members across 35 countries. Airbus managed to cut down training costs by millions of dollars by establishing an e-learning library with more than 6,900 pieces of content. In addition to cost savings, the change had a positive effect on employee engagement and satisfaction levels — Computer Weekly.

15. eLearning Statistics and Employee Loyalty

94% of employees say that they would be more willing to stay in those corporations that prioritise and invest in employee career development — LinkedIn.

Conclusion

In the age of the internet, you cannot be left behind. If you want to maintain an edge over your competitors, you need to embrace online training as your go-to model. As these statistics make it very clear, implementing an effective eLearning program like PlayAblo can be a vital tool in generating more significant business revenues and performance outcomes in your company.

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Why and How does the Logistics Industry Need to Adopt Digital Learning?

The world of supply-chain is constantly changing. Logistics interlinks to every functional area of most organisation — directly or indirectly. The logistics industry is one of those sectors that rely both on textbook and practical theories. And this the major challenge of supply chain education. Proper training translates to employees better understanding the nuances of logistics and helps them to further their careers in this sphere. It is vital to efficiently train your staff in supply-chain since it is one of the most significant factors that differentiate you from your competitors. Organisations additionally need to push their vendors to develop and adopt innovative measures in their logistics.

Now, who determines the success of the logistics industry? Of course, the people working in it! Indeed, advancements in technologies such as automated on-site software and cloud applications have accelerated supply chain operations. However, the complexity of most logistics operations continues to defy IT. Only human interventions can diagnose patterns, discover links, and decide on the right trade-offs between different supply chain dimensions. And this is necessary for optimal overall profitability and customer satisfaction. Now, employees need to receive the proper knowledge to perform the functions mentioned above appropriately.

Therefore, today let us examine the significant challenges faced by the management in training their employees in the logistics industry. And we will also explain how corporate learning can address these issues.

Effective learning that addresses real-life problems

Especially when it comes to the logistics industry, prolonged and generic or only theoretical training sessions do not suffice. Courses that consume too much time do not offer much practical benefit. The apt solutions will adopt short, practically oriented training sessions. The distributed knowledge must be instantly applicable to address business and work-related issues.

Organisations can seek the help of trainers, instructors, or workgroup leaders who hold expertise in supply-chain. Only they can impart the most relevant and practical education on current, vital current issues. You can additionally seek the guidance of resources such as universities, education establishments, business press journalists, or supply chain theorists and modellers. In short, a comprehensive supply chain course should be a combination of all of the above elements. You can also consider including mathematical models in your modules to help employees understand and predict logistics performance before practically applying the acquired information in real-life scenarios.

The right way to incorporate all of the resources above is to go for a blended corporate training platform model, a mixture of offline and online learning sessions. While you can disseminate theoretical knowledge via short educational modules, aka microlearning, you can enlighten employees about practical applications through on-the-job workshops or instructor-led training.

Result-oriented learning

The quantitative measure of the effectiveness of supply chain education is how well learners and participants can solve their problems after attending a session. Of course, you can help them imbibe critical logistics issues through group discussions and practical exercises. With the incorporation of online training, you can embed live classes and interactive presentations.

Complement them with fun and rewarding assessments plus gamification features. This approach will allow participants to engage at different levels and gather the required knowledge for direct application afterwards. Additionally, social media elements in digital training enable professionals to come together in a non-competing yet industry-relevant virtual platform. They can share issues and insights.

Addressing the time constraint

When it comes to the logistics industry, we also need to consider the time needed to participate in training classes. For instance, if an employee is spending an hour in a learning session, s/he is away from his/her work station for that entire time period. This means loss of precious hours and a cut in productivity. Yes, the investment in supply chain education is important. However, enterprises rely on their employees to be present and available for their duties at work. This is where the concept of microlearning and mobile training comes in handy.

Short sessions that focus on only the “need to know” items aid learners to concentrate only on that information, which is required to complete a particular task. On the other hand, mobile learning, which is accessible anywhere and anytime, allow employees to absorb knowledge on the go — without wasting time at their workstations. Platforms like PlayAblo offer online learning that can optimise both micro and mobile learning. The solution can receive constant updates with industry knowledge that addresses the burning issues of today. This technique translates to an apt balance between effective knowledge transfer and overall productivity back at work. Finally, a combination of video, audio and text content with study guide books and exercises lead to maximum educational impact.

Maximization of the longevity of results

As it is true with most sectors, even in the logistics industry, employees tend to forget the acquired knowledge if there is no action taken later. Even with the most engaging, effective methods during the session, much of the information gained then evaporates afterwards. One of the online learning methods to solve this issue is microlearning –which delivers information in short bursts, thereby leading to enhanced retention. Again, online learning management system offered by PlayAblo allows learners to revisit any module at their own pace and place — if they wish to refresh their knowledge. Furthermore, refresher courses are another vital tool that helps employees recall information they might have forgotten. Weekly e-Classes can keep supply chain professionals and other interested parties on track.

Polishing the skills of supply chain experts

You will also have professionals who will know almost everything about the supply chain in the logistics industry. What can you teach them? Well, seasoned supply chain executives and managers form a significant chunk of the supply chain education market. They harbour an appetite for gathering new knowledge that rivals that of those just entering the field. They know how the industry is evolving. One of the significant challenges is how to equip them with new information relevant to the modern era. To address this issue, you can organise online sessions for your senior workforce, enabling them to interact with a broader cross-section of other leaders in the think tank. Digital sessions with different industry leaders allow cross-pollination of ideas, concepts and practices — in addition to business networking.

Conclusion

Yes, digital learning is a methodology that can help you address all of the five challenges in the logistics industry. PlayAblo‘s experts have the expertise in creating comprehensive online training programs targeted to address the requirements of cross-domain organisations. If you need further clarification, you can contact us instantly!

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Workplace Learning in 2021 | It is the Worst of Times It is the Best of Times!

“As businesses around the world postpone and cancel in-person meetings in response to the novel coronavirus (or SARS-CoV-2), which causes the COVID-19 disease, workplace learning is emerging as one of the earliest and hardest-hit business activities. Based on our observations as of early March, roughly one-half of in-person programs through June 30, 2020, have been postponed or cancelled in North America; in parts of Asia and Europe, the figure is closer to 100 per cent”.

Why? Well, the answer is simple. With social distancing protocols becoming the norm, Instructor-Led Training (ILT) has become a thing of the past. Travelling restrictions mean that employees cannot go from one venue to another to attend in-person and offline classroom training sessions. Yes, the pandemic has wholly shattered the traditional approach to traditional workplace learning. But as it’s rightly known, every cloud has a silver lining. Do you recall the quote from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens? “It was the best of times. It was the best of times”.

Due to the pandemic, companies are changing their products, solutions, SOPs, and working models. However, unless the employees get trained on the changes, it will be increasingly difficult to adapt to the new normal. Unless the staff is aware and entirely onboard with the changes (via solid training), the companies will struggle. So it is a double whammy.

So, What’s the Way Out?

To enable and deliver value-added training, learning leaders have several options to create learning programs and establish and expand virtual live learning. Digital and virtual learning programs had already started gathering momentum before COVID-19 struck. There is a rapid increase in digital learning, considering the learning habits of the modern workforce.

Quickly get their workforce up to speed with the desperately needed training

In the modern era, time is a constraint. We cannot spend months on launching and deploying a Learning Management System. A SaaS-based Learning Management System like PlayAblo is quick to install since it ditches lengthy time frames to launch online courses and corporate learning. Again, a SaaS-based LMS does not require you to install or build out from scratch. Why? The whole infrastructure is already in place. Therefore, if you need a quick deployment time, you can go for a Cloud-based solution, which translates to savings in resources and money.

Save time

Platforms like Playablo have the option to reuse old content. You can repurpose the existing training material to suit the needs of the current training. Repurposing saves a lot of time for organisations as they can roll out training programs quickly. With modern authoring tools available in the market, content revamping is exceptionally effortless. Finally, methodologies like microlearning and mobile-optimised training deliver learning in chunks, saving time for the busy learner

Save costs and efforts

Several organisations continue to be sceptical about the high development costs involved in setting up eLearning modules. However, this short-term expense far outweighs the long-term benefits. Traditional instructor-led training uses up vast chunks of the corporate training platform budget in the long run.

eLearning reduces overall training times, translating into increased productivity and profitability. Incorporating eLearning in the corporate learning process minimises the total development cost by doing away with all of the steps mentioned earlier. Since everything is online, you avoid the expenses involved in one-on-one facilitation.

Uniform training with complete tracking

When you track employee training progress, you have a clear synopsis of your learners’ progress along the learning curve. The correct numbers will give you a bird’s eye view of where learners are getting stuck in their learning journey and which training materials are ineffective or obsolete.

Conclusion

Across the globe, organisations are using digital learning to increase collaboration among teams working either remotely or across different time zones. Online corporate learning allows trainees to take courses together and collaborate in virtual formats. These are the reasons why you should place particular emphasis on digital learning as the number of people working remotely because of COVID-19 increases.

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7 Best Practices for Live Video Training

With the onset of COVID-19, there has been an unprecedented increase in the use of video communication tools. In fact, as per Statista, “Zoom saw its revenue skyrocket throughout the fiscal year ended January 31, 2021. Following a 169-per cent revenue increase in the first quarter, year-over-year revenue growth accelerated to 355, 367 and 369 per cent, respectively, in the second, third and fourth quarter.”

Why? As much of the world has been working from home and relying on technology to stay in touch with colleague amid national lockdowns, video apps, inclusive of video training tools, have witnessed a massive surge in usage. Despite this enormous change, not all organisations have refined their skills when it comes to video training best practices. For instance, if you think about a webinar, live class, or online instructor-led training session, it can be quite challenging to present yourself perfectly on the screen. This inability to present yourself accurately is a significant issue faced by trainers all across the globe. And our article will help you in tackling this problem with ease!

7 Best Practices for Video Training

 1. Punctuality

When it comes to corporate training platform, one of the most coveted soft skills is punctuality. Whenever there is a slot for a video training session, ensure that you log in on time. Currently, a considerable chunk of the meetings gets done remotely. Hence, punctuality is easier. How? You do not have to drag your way through endless traffic. Neither do you have the issue of losing your way if the session is offsite. Or, you do not have to spend additional minutes running from one location to the training room. Additionally, you have to make sure that your set-up is working. Test your mic beforehand and check if your camera is functional. When you start delivering the training, double-check to see that your mic is not on mute. Also, press the mute icon when you are listening or are in the waiting room.

2. Introduction

We have all attended telecon sessions in the past. But do you recall how confusing it was when we did not understand who was speaking? This unintended confusion can be an issue in the video training, too, when there is more than one instructor. Of course, video training offers many benefits over other ways of connecting live, and one of those benefits is knowing everyone’s name and seeing their face. Ensure that you enter your full name when you sign in for a corporate learning session. You can think of incorporating other relevant information as well. At times, it is also a great idea to include your name or organisation.

3. Appearance

Do you attend your classroom training sessions in your home or informal clothes? No, right? Therefore, you should not look like someone who has just woken up in the morning — even in the case of remote video training sessions. Mainly, this applies to trainers — they should never look unkempt. Dress professionally and keep in mind that grooming is vital to engaging people visually, even in a video session. And please don’t forget to put on trousers!

Additionally, give a check to your background. The best way is to keep your back against a wall, a bookcase, or some other background that won’t be distracting. The right location ensures that there is no unrequired interference from a family member. If you don’t have access to an appropriate surrounding, learn how to use a virtual one.

4. Lighting

Video training instructors should make sure that they are visible before everyone. You can opt for a ring light or another diffused light source so that your trainers can see you. You do not need a fancy lighting setting, but enough light sources to enhance the overall clarity and appearance. For instance, if you are seated with your back to a window, you will look like a silhouette. Again, if sunlight falls directly on the face, you will appear too bright. On the other hand, if the room is too dark and there is only a table lamp, you might seem like an entity from another world! Hence, test your camera before the session and adjust the lighting accordingly.

5. Preparation

One of the upsides of remote training is that you do not need to print copies of handouts. However, you still need to prepare yourself well ahead of time, especially when you conduct the session. Please keep all your materials in one place to be handy when you have to share your screen. Otherwise, you will end up wasting valuable time in locating the materials. Clear your device so that learners do not see your social media interactions while delivering the class. A great idea is to email the materials out ahead of the session. Many trainees want to go through the materials before seeing them on your screen.

6. Features

When you are an instructor, you get completely involved in the training session. Therefore, you may miss out to check the waiting room or the chat. However, these are essential features that can help you communicate with your audience. Certain trainees may only be able to communicate via chat since they are on mute. Others may be a bit shy to talk. Hence, if you’re a trainer, keep a lookout for any comments posted there and address them. Additionally, remember the other features that you have at your disposal. For instance, some of these features include polls or raise-hand icons — and several other LMS (Online Learning Management System).

7. Security

It is nearly impossible for an outsider to access what is going on inside the room in an offline training session. However, the same does not apply to video training. Anyone might try to log-in (unauthorised) to the meeting. Therefore, keep private learning classes private. Never share your sessions’ sign-ins openly. Also, make sure that your audience cannot record the materials. You do not want to create opportunities for your competitors to use your content!

Conclusion

You can easily integrate video training into the rest of your training program. By including video training tools provided by a solution like PlayAblo, you can make remote learning a regular piece of your training strategy. Video training is a great technology from the L&D toolbox. It enables you to connect and interact with your workforce from any location. Follow the steps mentioned above and make it a full-fledged practice!

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Importance Of Measuring eLearning Effectiveness In 2021

2020 had been a mess! And while the year has ended, there are no signs of the confusion coming to a halt anytime soon. Come 2021, and there are rampant lockdowns globally — forcing entire teams to shift from their workplaces to their homes. In fact, during this period, “Employers hiring people to work from homes has increased by 3 times compared to the time before the lockdown”.

With corporate increasingly embracing the virtual working model, learning and development teams have resorted to new training tools — to meet the changing demands of their learners. What does this entail? Evolved employee training programs, hybrid learning models, and of course, online sessions. Additionally, it means that L&D teams have to think about investing in their training programs.

Some organisations have increased their allotted budgets for learning and development. And others have made that swift change to spending on new solutions and technology. Of course, this shift means dedicating a considerable amount of resources — time, money, and workforce to enterprise learning. Some of the tools gaining prominence in the post-pandemic era are learning management system (LMS), content management, content authoring solutions, social learning tools, and training content development. Additionally, research has proved that a significant chunk of companies who had been planning to fastrack their L&D expenses before the pandemic is now hell-bent on spending even more cash on training initiatives.

However, here is the thing. You have decided to double or maybe, triple your previous budget in modern methodologies like e learning management system. Now, how do you measure training effectiveness? Furthermore, most importantly, why is it necessary to quantify the outcomes of your learning model? You’re going to need to show stakeholders that increasing the L&D budget will yield a return on investment for the business.

In short, when you justify your investment in a training program, you have to do that with proof. You cannot merely talk your way out and convince the management to embrace a new learning tool. Again, you have to solidify your case with metrics and objective key performance indicators (KPIs). Moreover, there has to be irrefutable evidence that your efforts will positively impact your employees. Furthermore, after a session, learners must demonstrate that they can retain information, are confident in the job, and apply their acquired knowledge to solve real-life problems at the work station.

Hence, to cut a long story short, showcasing training effectiveness and proving the impact of learning is not a luxury but a necessity. Let’s explore this in more detail.

Why Should You Measure Training Effectiveness?

 Measuring training effectiveness lends you deeper insights and generates metrics, which help you separate an efficient learning program from an inefficient one. How? Read on!

1.      Effective Time Management: Let’s assume that your LMS already embeds full-fledged training assessments, automated questionnaires, built-in benchmarks, and reporting dashboards. Therefore, what is the result? You drastically reduce the hours spent on manual evaluations.

2.      Measurable Business Goals: Measuring training effectiveness enables you to quantify your company’s learning investment. Hence, it allows you to make data-driven decisions, which will positively impact your people and, thereby, your business.

3.      Increased Learner Engagement: Quantifiable training programs boost learner engagement. It increases manager involvement and thereby enhances your post-training response rates.

4.      Data-driven Decisions: Quantifiable data allows you to assess your learning programs. Hence, you can identify gap areas and decide on which parts of your learning program need improvement.

With playablo, you can effortlessly demonstrate that learning is a strategic investment. Additionally, our analytical dashboard makes it easy to evaluate and assess training results and then interlinks it to improvements in employee performance. Also, you can track new knowledge and skillets acquired by your workforce.

Conclusion

In the post-pandemic era, if you have already embraced an corporate training

model to meet the evolving needs of your learners and your business, you will have to go for measuring training effectiveness. Additionally, whatever be the allotted budget, you should prove the impact of learning in your organisation. And the good news? This job is made extremely easy with a comprehensive, quantifiable solution like playablo

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5 Employee Training Methodologies for Workplace. What is Right for You

You can never compare an effective training program to a potato. Huh... what? Well, we do know that potatoes gel in with all kinds of edible dishes. Like one-veggie-fits-all! However, a one-size-fits-all concept never works for corporate learning. With so many alternatives available in the market, choosing the right learning solution can become overwhelming. Therefore, to help you out, we have compiled this guide to pick the best training method for your needs to suit your requirements.

The 5 Most Popular Employee Training Methodologies

You can segment training tools for your workforce into two major categories - traditional and modern. Let's get into the details of which learning methods fall under each category.

Traditional Training Methods

1.      Classroom-Based Training Programs:

Instructors usually conduct corporate training in the classroom, which happens to be a brick-and-mortar venue. The sessions go on for one or more days where learners sit through a series of presentation slides and group/individual activities.

2. Interactive Training

Interactive training is one of the most efficient employee training methodologies. It attempts to engage employees in their learning journey. Certain elements incorporated in this training model are simulations, scenarios, role plays, quizzes, and games.

3. On-The-Job Training

On-the-job training demands the employees involving actively throughout the learning process. Additionally, they partake in activities, which connect directly to their job at hand. This method is a practical training model and works exceptionally well for succession planning.

Modern Training Methods

Modern learning incorporates recent trends such as diverse workplaces and remotely located employees. Hence, new training needs to be online, entwined with social aspects.

4. Social Learning

Social learning is difficult to structure, measure, and control. However, it proves to be extremely effective since employees have the scope to grasp new perspectives and problem-solving skills.

5. Online Training

eLearning, aka online training, is currently one of the most common modern corporate training methods. Such learning models incorporate eLearning courses, webinars, videos -- enabling knowledge to be presented and tested in multiple formats.

How To Choose The Right Employee Training Methodologies?

Before settling on the right training methodology, you must ask yourself the following questions:

What is the End Goal of Your Training Curriculum?

Whenever you decide to introduce a new training model, you must work on defining the objectives first. For instance, if you wish to disseminate information about employee relations policies, you might want to go for offline training. Again, if you're going to enrich your staff about compliance, you can go for eLearning.

Who is Your End Audience?

Training is always more effective when your end audience understands the value of the imparted knowledge. Some of the factors involved here are demographics, nature of the job, level of seniority, and if learning will be delivered in groups or to individuals.

What Are the Challenges While Deploying a Training Method?

Training is not free, period! You have to invest resources in terms of money and time. If time is a constraint, we would advise you to go for quick learning methodologies. For instance, a one-day classroom-based workshop might do the job. But if all of the employees do not belong to the same workspace, you can think of an online LMS.

Conclusion

Training is never a one-off event or a one-size-fits-all solution. Organisations must continually work toward refining their employees’ skills and encourage workplace learning. Hence, a blend of different training methods does the job. In a blended delivery approach, one can access both offline and online employee training methodologies. And you can quickly achieve this with the help of a reliable Learning Management System such as PlayAblo.