{"id":5719,"date":"2017-07-06T18:00:28","date_gmt":"2017-07-06T15:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.efrontlearning.com\/blog\/?p=5719"},"modified":"2017-06-30T10:03:13","modified_gmt":"2017-06-30T07:03:13","slug":"reasons-online-training-program-fail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.efrontlearning.com\/blog\/2017\/07\/reasons-online-training-program-fail.html","title":{"rendered":"8 Reasons Why Your Online Training Program Is Failing"},"content":{"rendered":"
Did you recently set up a corporate online training program expecting it to set the world alight, only for it to turn into a damp squib? Don\u2019t panic. Most staff training and development programs are a process of evolution and many fall flat at first attempt. It doesn\u2019t suddenly mean that eLearning for employee development is ineffective.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

You need to assess what went right, what went wrong, and make the necessary tweaks (or wholesale changes in the worst cases) to make sure that the next one dazzles.<\/p>\n

This post focuses on what went wrong.<\/strong> We see many common mistakes repeated over and over and we can help you solve or avoid them in your online training program.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re including any of the following mistakes in your course design and delivery, consider whether your next online staff training program<\/strong><\/a> could do with a re-think to improve its chances of success.<\/p>\n

1. Inadequate needs assessment<\/h3>\n

It sounds obvious but all programs<\/strong><\/a> need to train on the right topics. So it\u2019s surprising how many don\u2019t quite manage it.<\/p>\n

Where are the knowledge or skills gaps?<\/strong> What do your people want or need to know? What will develop them either as employees or as human beings?<\/p>\n

\n
Assuming what needs to be trained is very dangerous.<\/blockquote>\n \n Share on <\/span>\n \n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n

Conducting adequate research and needs assessment underpins every successful course<\/strong><\/a> because it is based upon actual observation AND what employees tell you.<\/p>\n

Unless you are putting time into this up front, you will almost certainly struggle to hit the right notes.<\/p>\n

For employees, nothing\u2019s worse than being made to do training that feels unnecessary, too easy, too stressful, or a waste of time that could be better spent learning something else or just working.<\/p>\n

Remember this before designing your web-based employee training program;<\/strong> because what you discover about employees\u2019 needs will help to inform everything that follows.<\/p>\n

2. It\u2019s pitched too generally<\/h3>\n

Online training programs suffer from some of the same constraints as traditional training.<\/strong> Unless they are pitched correctly, they may end up being too difficult for some people and too easy for others.<\/p>\n

Trying to please everybody is impossible;<\/strong> but one of the beauties of online training for employees is that you\u2019re not all stuck in the same training room, working at a single pace.
\nSo it\u2019s possible to add optional modules into your program to cater for both less advanced and more advanced employees.<\/p>\n

If a particular module is not applicable to a particular employee, it can be skipped. That way, nobody is left bored and wondering why they are going over old ground or feeling that it\u2019s pitched way above their heads.<\/p>\n

3. The basic design methods are not up to scratch<\/h3>\n

Got an old PowerPoint presentation that worked wonders 15 years ago?<\/p>\n

While the information may still be relevant and it may still be used to produce a killer online training program, it will take some work to get it there.<\/p>\n

Employees expect much more than simply an online version of an old presentation.<\/strong> For starters, they expect a high degree of readability, interaction, and visual engagement<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 just as they do when they visit a website or ecommerce store.<\/p>\n

Many millennials, for instance, have shorter attention spans than their Gen-X bosses. They have grown up playing Candy Crush and watching Netflix \u2013 and want to be wowed visually and aurally.<\/p>\n

Bear this in mind when designing your employee training programs. Don\u2019t make them simply a string of bullet points – or they may be greeted with a string of yawns.<\/p>\n

4. Lack of engagement with the actual content<\/h3>\n

This one follows on from the above point.<\/strong> Millennials are hungry consumers of media \u2013 so unless you\u2019re including video as well as graphics and images, your content may lack a critical \u2018edge\u2019.<\/p>\n

Take a lesson from marketers<\/strong> \u2013 they understand that video \u2018sticks\u2019 and that\u2019s why it\u2019s used extensively in product marketing. The same goes for teaching: video can be an effective way of engaging your staff and getting important messages to stick.<\/p>\n

If your online employee training and development program is too \u2018traditional\u2019, it may be overly static and one-dimensional – and fail to hit the right notes with employees.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Are you including storytelling? If not, try it as it can be an effective way to learn. Adding this via short videos<\/strong><\/a> can save your content from causing employees\u2019 eyes to glaze over.<\/p>\n

5. It\u2019s not broken down into enough modules<\/h3>\n

Online training programs for employees have saved many people from having to sit through long and arduous training sessions.<\/strong> You know, the ones when the training manager<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>squeezes the most out of the allotted time because the room has been paid or booked for a day or half, for instance.<\/p>\n

Is your online training program is trying to do the same? Squeezing too much into sessions?<\/strong>
\nBreaking it down into manageable chunks<\/strong><\/a> works best. Design your program with short attention spans in mind; make each lesson short, impactful, and with regular recaps and tests so your employees can check comprehension and progress.<\/p>\n

6. A perceived lack of real-world application<\/h3>\n

This is another problem that could plague your online training program and crosses the divide into traditional programs.<\/strong> Unless the training is perceived as having real-world application<\/strong><\/a>, it may not be highly valued by employees and it will fall on deaf ears.<\/p>\n

This means you need to demonstrate how to use the skills learned.<\/strong> In the training room, this would traditionally include role plays but online programs need to be smart with their design to incorporate ways to practice the skills in real-world situations.<\/p>\n

There are online programs that include simulations. Or you can use videos to show how a particular skill is used in the real world, then give employees the time to practice it before reporting back about their experiences online.<\/p>\n

7. A lack of perceived progression and achievement<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s human nature to want to see progression in everything we do.<\/strong> We like to feel a sense of achievement. Employees are no different when it comes to training and development programs.<\/p>\n

Unless you have built in tests and ways for your employees to check their learning and to see progression, they may feel that they are not getting anywhere; that they are simply going through the motions with no end product.<\/p>\n

So, make sure that your online training program allows your people to test what they\u2019ve learned:<\/strong> make it a little competitive if need be. Tests, quizzes,<\/strong><\/a> and games<\/strong><\/a> all help to reinforce what\u2019s learned and provide a sense of progress for employees.<\/p>\n

8. You\u2019re assuming it works \u2013 not proving it!<\/h3>\n

One of the most common problems with online employee training systems is that employers set and forget.<\/strong><\/p>\n

They assume that because people are learning online, it is effective \u2013 as that\u2019s how people like to learn nowadays, right?<\/p>\n

Wrong! eLearning can be a superb medium by which to learn but the best programs have been extensively tested, measured, and adjusted before they become part of the corporate ecosystem.<\/p>\n

Check that all the design elements work;<\/strong> that the content resonates with your intended audience; that the testing elements are suitable; and that feedback systems are adequate.
\nDon\u2019t assume that you\u2019ve got this right first time<\/strong> \u2013 it often takes several attempts to perfect all the elements of successful online staff training.<\/p>\n

Last but not least!<\/h3>\n

Just because your last online training program failed, there\u2019s no reason why your next one can\u2019t be a resounding success \u2013 if you make the necessary adjustments.<\/p>\n

Know what your people need,<\/strong> design the course to engage them, and measure progress. Then gather feedback to find out what can be improved \u2013 because it nearly always can!<\/p>\n

If you do, you won\u2019t be counting the cost of your next training program. Instead, you\u2019ll be making it part of your regular employee training schedule.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Did you recently set up a corporate online training program expecting it to set the world alight, only for it to turn into a damp squib? Don\u2019t panic. Most staff training and development programs are a process of evolution and many fall flat at first attempt. It doesn\u2019t suddenly mean that eLearning for employee development […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33872,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[288],"class_list":["post-5719","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-elearning","tag-online-training"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy Is Your Online Training Program Failing? Here Are 8 Reasons!<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Wondering why your online training program doesn\u2019t deliver the results you expected? 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