Some employees jump at the chance to learn as much as possible. However, others are similar to children parents try to sway to clean their rooms. If you want to get your workers excited about learning, you have to motivate them in the right way and give them the resources they need.
When it comes to eLearning, several studies, including one published by LinkedIn, found that getting workers to make time to learn is the biggest challenge that businesses face today. Everyone wants to get ahead financially. Even with a stabilized economy and growing job opportunities, many people either work more than one job or they spend long hours working for a single employer.
Helpful tips
- Make eLearning Part of the Work Culture – Starting with the interview process, let job candidates know that the company not only supports eLearning but also encourages it. That way, anyone who you employ already has the mindset that online training is part of the workplace culture. For existing employees, you can formulate a company-wide email or have a sit-down presentation that outlines your goals and expectations.
- Introduce eLearning Opportunities – Explain to your employees that instead of attending class at a traditional college or university campus, they can complete excellent courses online. Let them know that they can either complete training while at work without their pay docked or in the comfort of their home. Also, advise your employees that the majority of courses only take between 30 and 60 minutes to finish, so they do not have to invest a significant amount of time. Giving your workers such an easy option to learn eliminates a great deal of stress.
- Outline Online Course Benefits – By nature, people gravitate to things that benefit them, which is why you need to provide your team with the key benefits of taking online training courses. For instance, explain how eLearning will help them perform better in their current positions, but also prepare them for advances in their careers. The goal is to paint a clear picture of how learning opens new doors that they might otherwise never walk through. In addition to higher positions, online training sets them up for higher salaries. Because some of your employees genuinely want to be part of a successful business, express how eLearning is an excellent way to grow the business.
- Group Training – For employees who struggle with learning by themselves, you could set up a program that allows several of them to work in a group setting. As an example, schedule time for 5-10 employees to complete a course that would benefit all of them. Choose a reputable online source, run the course on a projector, and even provide lunch. Afterward, give the group 30 minutes to collaborate on what they just learned. In addition to gaining new knowledge or honing an existing skill, this shows your employees that you care about their success and will do what it takes for them to achieve it.
- Select Relevant Courses – If you are establishing a training program for your company, make sure you offer your employees courses relevant to their jobs and goals. In other words, you do not want workers going through eLearning just for the sake of saying that your company offers education. The training your employees receive must make sense and prove worthwhile to them. Instead of feeling as though they are wasting valuable time, they will commit, knowing the courses benefit their careers.
- Rewarding Training Efforts – People thrive on recognition. For the employees who voluntarily take online training courses, make sure you reward them in some way. As mentioned, when offering group training, provide lunch. While this might seem like an insignificant gesture, it can actually have a huge and lasting impact. Have recognition certificates professionally printed for everyone who finishes a course. You might even consider giving a monetary bonus or offering a day off work for anyone who completes a specified number of courses within any given month.
- Empower Your Employees – Use eLearning as a platform for empowering your team. You can accomplish that by making the training sessions more personal, again, using the group scenario. Because you want your employees to retain the information, have them take a test following the course
Retaining qualified employees
Use de-stressing strategies
If you can destress the process of learning, more of your staff will get onboard. Eager to move ahead in their careers, compete with others, and receive recognition from the executive level are all motivators instead of stressors.
While you want to encourage everyone in your organization to learn, always keep it on a voluntary basis. Initially, some employees will hold back, but as they see other members of their team advance, perform better, and receive accolades, more than likely, they too will begin to show interest in online training.
Start motivating your team today
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