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 employee training methodologies 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.
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The Right Employee Training Methods
The contemporary era continues to witness frequent changes in talent gaps and technologies. Hence, there is an inherent need for training and development in every organization. Since acquired skills come with short spans, even companies realize the importance of agile learning. In fact, “Average training expenditures for large companies increased from $17 million in 2017 to $19.7 million in 2018. The
the number for midsize companies rose from $600,000 to $2.1 million in 2018″ – [source].
The above numbers reflect the growing importance of training in organizations. Now, considering this evolution, L&D professionals must understand how to make their learning programs effective. And the first step is arriving at the right employee training methodologies for their workforce.
The 8 Most Popular Employee Training Methodologies
You can segment learning for your workforce into two major categories – traditional and modern employee training methods. Let’s get into the details of which employee training methodologies fall under each category.
Traditional Training Methodologies
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.
Activities may include debates, case studies, or questionnaires. The best part about classroom training is that it is interactive, and learners can absorb vast chunks of information in one sitting. However, offline sessions include multiple additional expenses, such as instructor fees, venue rentals, travel costs, and catering prices.
Read More: eLearning Can Reduce Your Customer Training Costs
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.
It is instrumental since trainees can apply their acquired knowledge in realistic, practical methods. Learners are more likely to retain what they have learned. However, interactive training consumes a lot of time since the instructor needs to give each trainee personal attention.
3. On-The-Job Training
On-the-job training is among those employee training methodologies that demand employees to be actively involved throughout the learning process. Additionally, they partake in activities that connect directly to their job.
This method is a practical training model and works exceptionally well for succession planning. On-the-job training results in a rapid learning curve since employees absorb knowledge and apply it simultaneously. Of course, the sessions consume time and sometimes make the learners stressed.
4. Mentoring and Coaching
Mentoring and coaching are yet another effective employee training methodologies to consider. With this approach, employees are paired with a mentor or coach who guides them through the learning process, providing feedback and support as they develop new skills.
Research has shown that mentoring and coaching can significantly improve employee performance. According to a study by the International Coach Federation, organizations that invest in coaching can see a return on investment of up to seven times the initial cost of the coaching program.
Mentoring and coaching can be particularly effective for developing specific skills or helping employees adjust to a new role. In fact, 71% of Fortune 500 companies use mentoring as a tool for employee development.
Incorporating coaching into your training program can help employees develop new skills and improve their performance while increasing job satisfaction and employee retention. To ensure success, it’s important to provide the necessary resources and support to both mentors and mentees and to set clear goals and expectations for the program.
Modern Training Methodologies
Modern learning incorporates recent trends such as diverse workplaces and remotely located employees. Hence, new training needs to be online, entwined with social aspects.
5. Social Learning
“According to a report from Bersin by Deloitte, enterprises with at least 10,000 employees spent three times more on social tools than they had in the previous two years. And according to a report from the Brandon Hall Group, 73% of surveyed organizations expect to increase their focus on social learning over the next year” — [source]
The same source defines social learning as follows: “In a business learning context, social learning is defined by the informal ways that we learn from our colleagues, particularly through social technologies like blogs, wikis, discussion forums, subject-matter directories, and videos. Businesses that support social learning have environments that foster conversation and collaboration between learners across the organization.”
Social learning is difficult to structure, measure, and control. However, suppose you use PlayAblo’s social elements. In that case, it proves to be highly effective among these employee training methodologies since employees have the scope to grasp new perspectives and problem-solving skills.
6. Online Training
eLearning, aka online training, is currently one of the most common modern employee training methodologies. Such learning models incorporate eLearning courses, webinars, gamified elements, and videos — enabling knowledge to be presented and tested in multiple formats.
This employee training methodology additionally permits content to be chunked into bites (micro-learning) — which fosters increased knowledge retention. Online training via PlayAblo is flexible, allowing learners to opt for a session as per their requirements and preferences.
They can learn at their own pace and place. However, there is an investment need — the cost and effort to implement a full-fledged learning management system software.
7. Cross Training
Cross-training is a valuable employee training methodology to consider. This approach involves training employees in multiple areas or departments within the company, helping them become more versatile and capable of taking on different roles as needed.
Research has shown that cross-training can benefit both employees and the organization as a whole. A Society for Human Resource Management study found that cross-training can lead to increased employee engagement, higher job satisfaction, and improved retention rates. In addition, cross-trained employees can help organizations be more agile and responsive to changing business needs.
This employee training methodology can be particularly effective for organizations that are looking to develop a more flexible and versatile workforce. By training employees in multiple areas, you can help them develop new skills and better understand the business as a whole. This can also help to break down silos between departments and encourage collaboration and teamwork.
To implement a successful cross-training program, it’s important to provide employees with the necessary resources and support. This might include training materials, job aids, and access to mentors or subject matter experts.
It’s also important to set clear goals and expectations for the program and communicate these effectively to employees and managers. By doing so, you can help employees develop new skills and improve their performance while also creating a more flexible and adaptable workforce.
8. Job Shadowing
Finally, job shadowing is an invaluable modern employee training methodology to keep in mind. With job shadowing, an employee observes and learns from a more experienced coworker or manager. The employee shadows the mentor and learns the skills and knowledge necessary to perform their job effectively.
Research has shown that job shadowing can effectively transfer knowledge and skills from experienced employees to newer ones. A National Bureau of Economic Research study found that apprenticeships, which often involve job shadowing, can lead to significant increases in employee productivity and wages.
Such employee training methodologies can be particularly effective for helping employees learn the practical skills necessary to perform their jobs effectively. By observing an experienced coworker or manager in action, employees can learn about the day-to-day tasks involved in their jobs and the best practices and strategies for completing them.
To implement a successful job shadowing program, pairing employees with experienced mentors who can provide guidance and support is important. It’s also critical to set clear goals and expectations for the program and to provide employees with opportunities to practice and apply what they’ve learned.
By doing so, you can help employees develop new skills and improve their job performance while also promoting knowledge transfer and collaboration within the organization.
Read More: How Much Does a Free LMS Really Cost?
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 via an enterprise LMS. You may think of interactive training for developing new skills and refining existing knowledge. For soft skills upgrades, social learning techniques can also be helpful. Again, for succession planning, on-the-job training methods are perfect.
Ad: PlayAblo’s Enterprise-Grade Micro-Learning platform is for the modern corporate learner. Micro-Learning, along with assessments and gamification features, ensures learning outcome measurement along with sustained engagement.
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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, the nature of the job, level of seniority, and whether learning will be delivered in groups or to individuals.
Now, generations like Baby Boomers or Gen X will be more comfortable with traditional learning models. However, Millennials will most likely be more invested in modern learning programs.
Read More: 7 Millenials Learning Habits in Our Workforce
Additionally, if your employees need to travel frequently on the job, they would opt for online training. If the tasks demand quick knowledge retention, you can think about bite-sized and accessible chunks of knowledge on LMS solutions.
Employees with deployment in complex tech departments may require interactive training methods. Coming to the level of seniority, people in leadership roles have to work on soft skills. Hence, they might need a combination of training methods to meet their learning objectives.
Read More: Integrating LIVE Classes in your LMS
Finally, training methods like assignments or coaching are beneficial when a group of learners shares the same learning objectives. If several learners need to be educated about specific skills, classroom-based training sessions, social learning techniques, and eLearning can be highly effective.
Ad: PlayAblo’s Enterprise-Grade Micro-Learning platform is for the modern corporate learner. Micro-Learning, along with assessments and gamification features, ensures learning outcome measurement along with sustained engagement.
Find out more and request a custom demo!
What Are the Challenges?
Training is not free, period! You have to invest resources in terms of money and time. If time is a constraint, we advise you to use 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 for corporate learning.
Companies on a tight budget can leverage the existing skills and knowledge of the current staff. It is not required to hire an external instructor. Other techniques include coaching, assignments, job rotation, and internally hosted webinars. You may also develop eLearning courses on PlayAblo‘s platform from existing content such as online videos, infographics, and articles.
Read More: Your Go-to Guide to Convert PPT to Mobile Learning
Conclusion
Training is never a one-off event or a one-size-fits-all solution. Organizations must continually work toward refining their employees’ skills and encourage workplace learning. Hence, a blend of different employee training methodologies does the job.
One can access both offline and online employee training methodologies in a blended delivery approach. And you can quickly achieve this with the help of a reliable Learning Management System such as PlayAblo. PlayAblo’s LMS can combine all of your training requirements in a single platform. All this while offering you tracking, micro-learning, and gamification features.
Ad: PlayAblo’s Enterprise-Grade Micro-Learning platform is for the modern corporate learner. Micro-Learning, along with assessments and gamification features, ensures learning outcome measurement along with sustained engagement.
Find out more and request a custom demo!
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