Effective induction training is critical to the success and future of new employees within an organization. It’s equally critical for the organization to achieve faster and efficient business results. However, it is not always a cakewalk to organize and impart induction training through conventional classroom methods. HR managers struggle with several challenges associated with it, and digital/eLearning approach is rapidly getting popular as a solution to those challenges. So what are some of the top challenges related to in-person/classroom induction training, and how eLearning can help solve them? Let’s dig a bit deeper.
- Risk of inconsistent messaging: Classroom training is at the risk of inconsistent messaging which largely depends on trainers’ tone and methods. With deployment of a standardized eLearning program, organizations can ensure that new employees joining across locations get consistent induction experience. In addition, you can also localize the courses to reach out to various geographies.
- Logistical nightmare: It is challenging for HR teams to gather all new employees and trainers at one place for the required number of days. Also, there are a lot of administrative tasks like travel and stay arrangements of trainers and attendees, arrangements for classrooms and equipment, study material etc. Conversely, eLearning once created can be deployed number of times, across number of locations. Thus, it can help reduce the logistical hassles, and in turn, the associated costs.
- Information overload: New employees are often overloaded with information during induction training. They can take eLearning anytime (even before joining), anywhere and any number of times. Thus, they can take/revisit the content at their own pace and complete the training independently and confidently.
- Catering to various staff types: It’s a challenge to make the induction training program flexible enough which can be deployed across various occupational groups such as full-time, part-time, contractors, staff on secondment and temporary staff. eLearning course can be easily tailored to make specific part(s) of the training available to different types of staff.
- Tracking and ensuring compliance: Keeping a track of induction status of all new employees is a time consuming task. An eLearning course helps to track the completion and compliance in a faster and efficient way. It is easy to ensure that employees revisit the relevant content until they clear the course and complete the relevant courses before taking their role.
- Maintaining learners’ interest and focus: Some parts of induction training such as company policies and procedures could be heavy for new employees. With the use of compelling multimedia elements, variety of presentation styles and interactions, such topics can be made interesting for new employees. This, in turn, can help them in knowledge retention and transfer.
Let’s consider examples of product manufacturing and healthcare industries to understand how eLearning could benefit them. For product manufacturing companies with multiple product lines, eLearning ensures consistent and up-to-date messaging about various products across all locations. New employees can thus gain comprehensive product knowledge which is accessible to them all the times. Healthcare and life-sciences companies use a variety of data and record maintaining apps. The relevant app training becomes crucial for new employees to use it effectively on-the-job. ELearning can particularly be beneficial here as new employees can learn the apps independently through “Show-me”, “Let-Me Try” simulation courses.
eLearning also helps to make the induction experience fun and engaging for the millennial hires. Millennials are tech-savvy, goal oriented, and like to learn by exploring. Gamification elements such as leaderboards, badges, rewards, achievements, levels and visual progress bars appeal specifically to the millennial hires and inspire them to complete the training with focus and vigor.
Thus, eLearning helps in efficient on boarding of new employees with less time, cost and resources. If required, you can blend it with classroom training, and it could be an ideal deal as you can reap the benefits of both types of training. The blended approach can help create a positive impact on organization’s success, as new employees will come out of the training with more motivation, confidence and readiness to start productive work immediately.
