When it comes to employee training, there are plenty of online training software available to you. But, how do you choose the right one? It depends on your training requirements, IT resources, budget, and several other factors.
You naturally want to choose the training software that offers maximum advantages to your workers participating in the training and to the organization as a whole.
Regardless of which eLearning software you choose, each of them offers a plethora of benefits, especially for mid-sized businesses that have a limited budget for employee L&D initiatives.
We’ve compiled the top 7 benefits that an online training software can offer to your employees and the organization. Knowing these benefits will help you determine whether or not you should invest in training software.
1. Reduced Costs
Online training software considerably reduces the cost of conventional training methodologies, such as class-based training. You no longer need a physical space for training, either in your office or having to rent a space externally. This saves you from the cost of setting up the necessary infrastructure.
Since employees can attend training sessions in the comfort of their home or workplace, it also cuts down the expenses of commuting, hotel reservations, food, and other traveling costs.
Here’s another cost-saving aspect: All your training content is already uploaded in the online training software. This means you (or your employees) don’t have to buy learning materials, books, and other resources that conventional training methods often need.
2. Flexible and on-demand learning
When your employees travel to attend any training program or you hire an instructor to come onsite, you strongly depend on other people’s schedules.
But, by using an online training software, you offer a more flexible and on-demand training. It allows you to schedule training in groups so that it’s more convenient for your company as a whole. Plus, your employees also enjoy the flexibility to individually choose their training times as per their convenience and work schedules.
This is especially effective if you have a remote and physically dispersed workforce. Each employee can attend training according to his/her availability and learning pace, without worrying about different time zones.
3. Better engagement and retention
Online training software is more effective as compared to the class-based training program. This is because your employees have to retain the information they learn in a classroom setting. But, with online training software, the information is always at their fingertips.
They can easily retain the information as they go through the learning material. And, they also have the option to access the content later on, whenever needed. Plus, as an online training software offers self-paced learning, they can consume as much content as they want and take a break whenever they feel burnt out.
4. Suitable for full-time employees
One of the main reasons full-time employees find it challenging to focus on learning is the lack of time. Often, training sessions are scheduled during work hours and are very rigid, making it difficult for all employees to actively participate.
An online training software helps learners access content whenever they have the time to do so. It could be during normal work hours, during the downtimes in the day, or in the evenings.
Also, as your employees aren’t compelled to complete training in one sitting, they can opt to take the sessions in time increments that work well with the rest of their schedule and workload.
5. Removes nervousness among learners
Traditional training methods put workers together in a face-to-face setting. An online training software removes this face-to-face interaction. This is advantageous to learners who are generally shy or feel awkward around others.
Online learning creates an environment where trainees are almost anonymous. So, they can freely ask questions or share comments online without the fear of being judged by a class full of people.
6. Reporting and analytics
When implementing an employee training program, the biggest concern many medium-sized organizations have is regarding the measurement of their ROI.
How do you ensure that your employee training initiatives are successful? And, how do you justify your investment in online training software?
This is where the analytics and reporting feature of eLearning software steps in. It helps you monitor the progress of your employees in real-time so that you know how effective your training program is. Also, you can identify any knowledge gaps that may exist in your business.
Depending on which industry you work in, your company may be required to fulfill certain compliance requirements. Online training software offers robust reporting in the industry-compliant format so that you are inspection-ready 24/7.
7. Improved onboarding process
Having a successful onboarding process is key to employee satisfaction and retention. An online training software helps you simplify your employee onboarding process by leveraging technology.
You only have to create and upload training content once into your training tool. And, your new hires can access them at any time. Plus, you can recycle some of your old content to upgrade your training. There’s no need to create a course from scratch or dedicate a mentor to train every new employee.
Key Takeaway
When it comes to elevating your employee training program, medium-sized businesses will find several different online training software available commercially. This is how you can determine if it’s the right tool for what you’re trying to accomplish with the training and development of your workers.
Ehsan Memari is a blogger for SkyPrep, a provider of leading online training software for organizations to train employees’ partners and customers. Ehsan is a regular contributor to blog posts related to knowledge sharing, L&D, and eLearning.
