Your organization is only as good as its employees, and investing in corporate training programs to focus on key skill development can be a vital talent management strategy. E-learning and digital training platforms are similarly excellent means to foster development in employees. Some corporate training even leverages the educational technology of digital classrooms in more conventional schools and colleges, such as LMS (learning management systems) and VLE (virtual learning environments) for true first-rate experiences. But what are the key points to know about corporate training programs? We’ve got you! This post is intended to lay out the basic corporate training topics for you to be aware of.
- What is corporate training?
- What is the purpose of corporate training?
- Benefits of corporate training programs
- Types of corporate training
- Corporate training and employees’ productivity
- Tips for creating an efficient corporate training program
- Final thoughts
What is corporate training?
Corporate training is educational activities provided to employees, usually free of cost. This training is intended to improve employees’ professional or personal development. Most often it is formal training provided by the company which focuses on key skills and goals for their workforce. Corporate training programs for employees can take different forms and may range from in-person “hands-on” learning to virtual classrooms or even virtual simulations. E-learning/online learning is esteemed by many as both a popular training format (particularly among younger employees) and an engaging way to institute corporate training to stay competitive.
What is the purpose of corporate training?
As we pointed out in the above section, the purpose of corporate training is to help your employees increase their knowledge and improve their professional skills. The intent is for this increase in knowledge and skills to give employees a needed boost to perform their jobs at a high level. In addition to improved performance, it also can prepare workers for expanded roles or leadership, make your company better able to navigate technological and industry changes, and be able to identify and eliminate shortcomings overall.
Overall goals of corporate training include:
Equipping employees with needed skills.
For instance onboarding, orientation, and compliance training are all fundamental to an employee’s day-to-day functioning. Other types of training can build on the required skills in an employee’s job description and customize tasks to your workplace.
Reducing skills gaps and providing for continual skills education
Offering training in hard or soft skills relevant to employee roles can “futureproof” your workplace and keep you (and your workforce) up to date.
Investing in, and retaining talent
In addition to increased performance, opportunities for growth and development increase retention and greatly enhance the employee experience.
Building a strong company culture
Employees can gain confidence, camaraderie, and a sense of purpose in their work through learning together.
Benefits of corporate training programs
As perceived by most companies, the main benefits of corporate training lie in its effect on the bottom line. Corporate training is known to result in increased efficiency and motivation, and these in turn lead to an increase in productivity overall.
Corporate training can also poll well with employees. In addition to building confidence and strengthening their performance, by some estimates a strong majority of workers (the survey linked here cites 94%) would stay with a company that invests in their learning needs. So as long as the training aligns well with employee needs and interests, it can also be a tool for increasing retention.
Types of corporate training
Online Learning (E-Learning)
This represents any corporate training method where employees access content through computers or other online devices, whether it’s in a live video conference or chat with an active instructor, or a specialized and feature-rich online learning platform like Kaltura Virtual Classroom. Online learning is becoming a go-to solution as it significantly reduces training costs, is globally accessible 24/7 so employees can learn on their own schedule and at their own pace, and is strongly preferred among younger workers who respond better to self-directed learning. Additionally, it’s still workable at times when it may not be safe to gather, or when a substantial portion of your workforce is remote. With that said, even though online learning has greatly increased in popularity it’s not the only option going.
Traditional Instructor-Led Learning
Since the end of the pandemic, the practice of gathering in a conference room, classroom, or hall with an instructor in front is making its anticipated comeback. Some surveys have noted more than half of businesses surveyed are planning to return to instructor-led training. So long as it’s safe to gather, instructor-focused training is familiar to all employees regardless of age, it’s relatively easy to create and deliver, and has a collective, human touch that many learners respond to.
Blended Learning
Blended learning in corporate training is a hybrid of both methods, sometimes considered the “best of both worlds.” Face-to-face engagement enables employees to participate and collaborate with colleagues–however, the online aspect makes it possible for learners to access the content at whatever time is most convenient for them. Technology tools also make it possible for multiple learners to collab online at a time of their choosing.
Corporate training and employees’ productivity
As we point out above, the main advantage of training is in building up employees’ confidence, teamwork, and productivity. You’ll be able to quantify a successful corporate training program in increased focus and productivity afterward.
However, there also can be some doubts in the industries about the effectiveness of corporate training. While some types of training are essential information, out-of-touch or poorly-timed corporate training programs can instill negative reactions in employees. Consider the following factors that can undermine the productivity and usefulness of corporate training:
- Does the training meet employee needs? A quick way for training to feel irrelevant to employees is for the training to not align with their needs. So make sure the training you provide speaks directly to employees’ on-the-job needs.
- Is the training “too much to digest?” Information overload can be the result of trying to cram too much information into one session. Microlearning through short pieces of content and digestible graphics can help keep your employees from burning out from training sessions.
- Are the training methods outdated? Old training videos and poorly, blandly written instruction manuals are the type of things that will put your employees to sleep. Make sure your materials are overhauled to be engaging periodically. Specifically, when trying to reach younger employees, gamification techniques (badges, quizzes with high scores, etc.) can significantly increase engagement.
- Is the training conveniently timed for employees? They will feel obligated to participate, however, if the sessions are poorly timed and/or negatively disrupt workflow, it could end up being more of an interruption than a benefit. Online learning techniques are particularly advantageous for setting up corporate training that can be available whenever an employee wants to access them.
By addressing these pitfalls, particularly through effective online training options, you can make sure any corporate training you institute is a net positive and not something employees might resent as a burden.
Tips for creating an efficient corporate training program
In the creation and planning stage, applying the following can help you zero in on corporate training that will be the most beneficial:
- Define skill sets that are valuable to your organization. This is also known as “skills gap analysis”: To determine what the most relevant skills and training will be for your team, identify what is most needed, and most lacking. Additionally,
- Think about what skills you’ll need for your business over the next 5-10 years.
- Evaluate your team’s existing skill stack.
- Envision clear objectives. In other words, be clear about what you want your employees to learn through corporate training.
- Consider your employees. Understand their preferred methods of learning, think about their schedules, workload, and possible availability, and you can customize training to best fit your team.
- ˆ∫ What is your budget? What are your resources? You’ll need to make sure to work within your means.
Once you have a viable program in place:
- Set training goals. As mentioned above, know what you want your employees to learn, and how you can measure success. Training should be according to the roles and requirements of your employees.
- Leverage technology. Use employee training software and/or an online educational platform that’s suited to your needs and budget. Even if an in-person corporate training program is your ideal, consider hybrid options, or at minimum record sessions so they can be replayed on demand after the fact.
- Personalize the experience. “One size fits all” training programs may be cost-effective but will feel at best generic and at worst unhelpful to your employees. A personalized program and experience will be far more relevant and engaging.
- Gamify your training. As we pointed out above, gamification is highly engaging and can be particularly effective for younger staff members. Badges, certifications, and other rewards can motivate employees to learn and can take some of the pressure off the instructor to also serve as a motivator.
- Use data and analytics to improve. Here’s another place hybrid and virtual learning can shine: while in-person corporate training might be limited only to testing or certification to quantify effectiveness, virtual learning platforms, and LMS can offer advanced analytics for actionable insight into how to make your training more effective.
Final Thoughts
From what we’ve laid out here, it’s easy to conclude that corporate training can greatly benefit both companies and employees, and especially that online learning through software, educational platforms, and LMS can be cost-effective, easy to implement, and potentially highly personalized experiences for your employee learners. As virtual and hybrid learning expand, make sure you include these types of courses and experiences in your corporate training programs. It will keep your company on the leading edge of corporate training, and help you pull ahead of competitors.
