According to a 2018 Training Industry report, average training expenditures for large companies increased from $17 million in 2017 to $19.7 million in 2018. The number for midsize companies also saw a rise from $600,000 to $2.1 million. You may wonder why organizations invest such large amounts on training. Well, here are a few reasons why organizations must take employee training seriously and try different training methods:
Here are some employee training methods you can consider:
Instructor-led training refers to training that occurs in a classroom (real or virtual, it depends). It can have more than one instructor who teaches through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations. ILTs are most beneficial for complex content, because the learners have the option to ask questions directly and clarify their doubts.
| Face-to-face training | Face-to-face training is the traditional classroom training method that has been around for quite some time, for example, lectures, conferences, seminars, and the like. |
| Virtual classroom | In a virtual classroom environment, participants can communicate and interact in an online setting, mostly through video conferencing. They can collaborate with the instructor as well as the other learners. |
| Webinar | In webinars, learners participate in an online lecture. They can post questions and answer polls. In most cases, learners interact with the instructor and not with fellow learners. |
In ILT, you need not present content in lecture format only. There are several alternatives to get it done. Try the storytelling method to make it interesting. Or you could create a panel of experts and allow the learners to engage with them.
Brainstorming activities are also quite common in ILT. You can ask the learners to write their thoughts on a flipchart or sticky notes. Participants can work individually or in groups. You can even consider throwing them open-ended questions to see what ideas they come up with.
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eLearning is the delivery of learning through a computer or any digital device. It lends itself to a wide range of industries like retail, healthcare, automotive, and so on. Based on a report from Roland Berger, almost 77% of the organizations in the U.S. use some form of eLearning to train their employees. This high statistic is not a surprise, considering the various advantages it offers.
Online courses
An online course is a self-paced, asynchronous course that allows your employees to complete training online, meaning they don’t need to be physically available at some training venue. Learners can take a course during their free time, from anywhere they choose, like their living room or in the subway. As long as they have a mobile device with internet, they can access courses on demand.
Earlier, course creation was a complex task, even for technical specialists, but now it’s possible to build eLearning courses with no programming skills. The only thing you need is an authoring tool like iSpring Suite. It has a complete package of components for creating multi-platform interactive eLearning courses right in PowerPoint.
See what a course created in iSpring Suite looks like:
To share a course with learners, you can upload it to a cloud service and email a link to your employees, or add the course to your website. However, if you want to easily manage the training process and keep track of how learners view the content and what results they get, you need to upload it to a learning management system (LMS) like iSpring Learn. To have a complete look at the learning platform, read our blog post about LMSs.
Online games and quizzes
According to research from Metaarih, the growth rate for game-based learning in the corporate sector is very high, at a breathtaking five-year compound annual growth rate of 53.4%. It’s all about taking a boring task or process and turning it into an online game to boost user motivation.
A great example of game-based learning is McDonald’s UK Till Training Game. It delivers a memorable learning experience to support the launch of a new till system in 1300 restaurants. The game encourages learners to practice their customer handling skills. Employees deal with orders while being timed. They have to display their knowledge of the till system while keeping the customers happy. Gaming elements like bonuses, lifelines, and panels are added to boost further engagement.
Online quizzes are also a kind of gamified learning. eLearning authoring tools usually provide options to create such quizzes. For example, with iSpring Suite, you can create drag-and-drop activities. To see how it looks, experience this eLearning demo about the basic rules of merchandising:
iSpring Suite also makes it easy to build interactive assessments with rich media, video, drag-and-drops, branching, and flexible scoring and testing rules. Below is a fragment of an online quiz created with iSpring Suite from Learning Nurse, an informal learning platform for nursing students.
Video tutorials
Video tutorials are the best way to teach a process or walk through its various steps. They are usually not too long in duration. They leverage several instruction methods like direct instruction, quizzing, follow-along guidance, and so on.
If you need to create professional-looking video courses, how-to videos, and software tutorials, you can easily do it with iSpring Suite. It has a built-in professional video studio that allows you to record screencasts and webcam videos.
This is what a video lesson made with iSpring looks like:
Conversation simulations
A dialogue simulation is an interactive exercise that simulates a real conversation with an individual. It helps your employees master communication skills without any risk of rushing a deal or damaging their relationship with a client.
This is an example of a conversation simulation created in iSpring Suite:
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Blended learning refers to a teaching method that integrates technology with live location-based classroom activities and allows learners to get the best of online and traditional learning. There may be different ways of “blending” here, so every company needs to find a model that works for its employees.
| Flipped model | This is the reverse of traditional classroom teaching where the learners are taught in the class and then given homework. In this model, the learners are provided content before the class. They go through it independently online. During the classroom session, they discuss the content and perform various activities to ensure that they have understood the concepts. |
| Face-to-face driver model | This is one of the most utilized models in the workplace. Here, a chunk of classroom session is replaced with online activities. The classroom instruction along with pre and post activities are carried out online by the instructors. This model is best suited for participants who come from a diverse professional background. |
| Flex model | In this setup, the learners complete most of their courses online with a small portion of in-person activities like lectures and labs on a need basis. This is a flexible model and can meet the needs of a variety of formal and informal company training methods. |
| Self-blend model | This model of learning allows courses beyond what is offered traditionally. The learners not only participate in regular classes but also enroll in courses to supplement their regular programs. |
Different organizations use various types of “mixes”. For example, the Boeing Company chose the flipped model and created a blended learning solution with eight micro online lessons followed by assignments. Once employees completed them, they were eligible to attend a four-day live course. During this live course, participants are taken through hands-on cases and activities based on the knowledge they gained during the online sessions.
NHS East of England opted for a blended learning program with a mix of eLearning, videos, and face-to-face workshops. The solution helped home care workers, carers working in prisons, and relatives of critically ill patients develop their skills in end-of-life care.
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Immersive learning provides learners with an interactive learning environment where it’s possible to replicate real-life scenarios or teach particular skills.
| Simulations | Business simulations are a specialized form of immersive learning that focuses on enhancing in-demand skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, and so on. The learners can make decisions in a risk-free environment and experience the consequences of their actions. |
| Virtual Reality (VR) | VR is a form of interactive software that recreates a real-world environment in a 3D virtual space. Participants can learn new skills or practice old ones without worrying about the consequences of failure. |
| Scenario-based interactive video | This is a learning method that allows trainees to share their knowledge and ideas freely and thus changes the learning process from passive to active. Learner-generated content may be in the form of presentations, blog posts, videos, etc |
A good example of immersive learning is Boeing’s case. The company decided to reduce the scope and duration of certain physical tests for its aircraft, and use simulations instead. They switched to software-based trials for things such as wing load testing.
Another good example is Walmart, which rolled out a VR training program for its employees across the US. They used STRIVR technology to enhance learning experiences in 31 of their training academies. The company also used VR to train new hires on how to deal with rush crowds, cleaning up aisle spills, and so on.
KFC also adopted VR to train its employees. They use Oculus Rift headsets to show them how to cook their fried chicken. The training has certain gamification elements too. The employees need to master the five-step cooking process — inspecting, rinsing, breading, racking, and pressure-frying to win the game.
As for scenario-based interactive learning, a great example is an interactive recruitment video created by Deloitte. It’s a first-person experience introducing the candidate to the company culture and educating them about what is expected of employees. Through a number of real-life office dilemmas, candidates can choose which course of action to take.
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Social learning is not a new concept. People have been learning from each other since time immemorial and are great at it. Social learning happens effortlessly, as when people communicate with their peers about how to perform a task, receive mentoring from a supervisor, or observe other people’s opinions in a forum. Today, more and more companies are turning to this kind of learning.
Also read: Mentorship Program: All You Should to Know in 2023 [Expert Insights]
| Mentoring / Coaching | Mentoring refers to a semi-structured method of guidance in which the mentor shares their knowledge and experience to help others progress in their career. Mentoring and coaching are not the same, however. Mentoring is relational, whereas coaching is functional. |
| Learning through social media | Social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest can be great tools for employee training. They let everyone share the information they consider useful and provide convenient communication on specific topics with peers and supervisors. |
| Learner-generated content | This is a learning method that allows trainees to share their knowledge and ideas freely and thus changes the learning process from passive to active. Learner-generated content may be in the form of presentations, blog posts, videos, etc |
Various social media provide different opportunities for staff training. For example, with Facebook, you can start a closed group that will serve as an ever-expanding online library for employees. You can upload course materials and assignments there, encourage your colleagues to post links to great online resources related to the topic, set discussions, and carry out surveys on the training process.
Some educators have adopted Pinterest for educational use. Since the platform allows people to find and share new information via pictures, descriptions, and short videos, it can be a useful tool for encouraging learners to explore a topic. They can post their own creations or information they’ve found on their own pinboard or a team board and repin their peers’ posts.
Some companies, such as IBM, use YouTube for workplace training. On the corporate YouTube channel, employees can watch videos for training, internal HR updates, messages from executive leadership, etc.
Also read: The 11 Best HR Tools for Streamlining Your Workflow in 2023
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Experiential learning is learning by doing, but there’s more to the process. It has a four-part cycle.
When they put the new ideas into action, it becomes the ground for a new cycle of experiential learning.
| On-the-job training | This method is used to impart new skills and competencies required by an employee to successfully perform a particular job. They learn and apply the learning at the same time. |
| Role playing | Learners assume roles and need to develop and apply actual skills to resolve the problem at hand or navigate a crisis. |
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As you can see, there are several training and development methods to choose from. Each has its advantages and pitfalls. You will be spoilt for choice, and zeroing in on any one of them can be difficult at first. You need not choose the latest employee training methods and techniques, but you must select one that best suits your purpose. Consider your content, audience, and business and learning goals before making a final decision.
Also read: → Types of empoyee training
Before choosing a training method, you need to ask some questions:
Once you have reasonably clear answers to the questions above, you can go about the task of selecting the best way to train your workforce.
As mentioned above, the choice of a method relies on a number of factors. However, many organizations tend to use blended learning for sales training. For example, you can mix ILT sessions on selling techniques, eLearning courses on your products, and coaching – a coach will work one on one with each member of the sales team on their weak points.
Learn how to train sales reps with eLearning →
One of the most widely used ways to define how well your training methods work is with the Kirkpatrick Model. It allows you to measure training effectiveness on four levels: reaction, learning, behavior, and results. You can find out how learners feel about the training, evaluate the increase in knowledge, skills, and attitudes after training, check if they’re applying new knowledge in the workplace, and find out how behavioral changes affect the business.
How to measure eLearning ROI →