Has your company’s onboarding training program been struggling with some (or maybe even all) of the six common challenges discussed below? If so, read on to learn how e-learning can turn your onboarding program into a success, and make your company an even better place to work at.
Challenge: Information overload
Starting a new job is a major transition. There’s so much new information to take in. It’s easy for new hires to become overwhelmed with the huge number of new processes and facts they need to learn. Just take a look at any employee handbook and you’ll see why. There’s simply so much to cover in a relatively short period.
Employee onboarding program guidelines.
Solution: Microlearning
One proven technique for avoiding information overload is “microlearning.” This method involves reducing information into small, bite-sized portions, usually covering only one very specific topic, like a specific step of a work process, or single company policy. By narrowing down the focus, microlearning makes the material easier to internalize. It’s very easy to combine with online learning, making the learning available in the employee’s own time, even on their mobile device.
Challenge: Onboarding training isn’t “sticking”
It’s never easy to acquire new habits and routines, yet that’s exactly what companies expect of their new hires during onboarding training. New hires have to work through lots of new information and internalize it fairly quickly, so they’ll be able to work effectively on their own in their new positions.
Solution: Blended learning
Classroom training alone is not enough to enable new employees to acquire the skills they need. That’s because long-established scientific research has shown that learners quickly forget almost all of what they learn unless they have opportunities to repeat the knowledge. This makes blended learning a great choice.
Blended learning combines classroom training with interactive online components, like videos, educational games, microlearning nuggets and more. That way, learners engage with new knowledge repetitively, so it starts to stick much more quickly.
Challenge: Keeping employees engaged
For many of us, new hire training is not really the most enjoyable part of having a new job. Often, it can feel like we’re back in school, cramming for a big test. Sometimes, new hires may feel like the training process is out of touch and does not really address their specific needs. Other times, senior employees in the company may feel like the onboarding training is missing important information, so it’s failing to get their future colleagues well-prepared for the job.
Solution: Employee-generated Learning
Employee-generated Learning (EGL) is the best way to boost engagement through training. It gives your company’s experienced employees their say in the onboarding process because they will be responsible for creating all or part of the training content themselves. After all, nobody knows the job better than the people who are already doing it.
For the new hires, EGL shows them immediately that the company takes its employees seriously. They also benefit from having extremely relevant, hands-on training material, written by people who have first-hand knowledge of the job. Another crucial advantage of EGL is that it keeps your onboarding courses much more up to date, so new-hires always have access to the latest, most relevant information, right from the business side of the company.