Employees expect more from training today and want to learn actively rather than passively. They want to work for companies that are interested in their professional development. Employers need to focus on continuous training and use interactive features to engage them. Interactivity can include everything from clicking a link to accessing further material or completing a quiz. Training for employees is beneficial for the bottom line of a company and for employees.
Many companies today offer online learning due to factors such as convenience and cost-effectiveness. It is essential to make their online courses interactive. A lack of interaction basically defeats the purpose of employee training courses.
Purpose of employee training
Employers need to train employees on an ongoing basis if they want them to keep up with new technologies, best practices, and more. There are numerous ways employee training benefits a company.
- Employees who receive training in new technologies allow the company to maintain a competitive edge. They become more productive which leads to an increase in profit.
- Training in best practices and processes is essential to improve workplace safety. In a safer workplace, there are fewer accidents, fines, lawsuits, etc.
- Career development is important to employees. Employers who want to retain them must give them opportunities to grow and improve their skills. The majority of employees prefer to work for a company that invests in learning and supports their professional development. Their ability to do a job properly will increase their confidence levels and they will be able to work independently with less supervision.
- Employee training courses can help to improve company culture and result in better workplace relationships. This can facilitate employee collaboration and motivation.
Advantages of online employee training
Companies can experience numerous advantages by offering online employee training.
- Cost-effective: In-person training is expensive, especially for small companies. Online learning is cost-effective because there is no need for a specific venue for training, instructors, or printed materials. Participants don’t have to travel to a specific location and take time off from work. Microsoft is just one large company that managed to decrease its training costs by using training videos in its employee training systems rather than instructors.
- Convenient: With the rise of mobile learning, employees can view videos directly from their phones or tablets. This means they can learn from anywhere and at any time. They have the flexibility to fit an online learning course into a busy schedule.
- Customization options: Advances in technology allow companies to create and design online courses exclusively for their employees. They can organize and structure employee training systems in a way that suits their purposes and the needs of their employees.
- Flexible, self-paced learning: One of the biggest drawbacks of in-person training is that it restricts employees from learning at a certain pace and time. With widely dispersed workforces, online employee training courses present a more flexible option. Employees can learn from wherever and whenever suits them. This gives them more control over the learning process and their professional development. They can go at their own pace and revise material if they don’t understand it.
- Interact and collaborate: Technological advances allow companies to make online learning courses more interactive and collaborative. Webinars, discussion groups, and virtual breakout rooms can keep live, online training sessions with multiple employees entertaining and fun. Access to training video assets on one platform helps to encourage collaboration. When employees interact and collaborate while learning, it can boost knowledge retention. This can accelerate their career development and motivation.
- Analytical reports: With online employee training courses companies have the opportunity to access analytical reports. They can see how employers interact with material in employee training and development courses. This enables them to make informed decisions about how to make improvements.
Ways to create interactive employee training
Online training for employees is becoming increasingly popular, especially as so many employees now work remotely. Online training videos offer benefits that in-person training can’t match. Using video is one of the best ways to make employee training and development more interactive.
Use of video
Studies show that video training helps employees to gain and retain knowledge better than other instruction methods. U.S. companies spent more than $100.00 billion on employee training and development in 2022. Here are some video statistics that show why they consider it so worthwhile to invest in training videos.
- According to a 2022 Training Industry Report, 92% of employees say well-planned employee training systems favorably impact their level of engagement.
- In 2022 training videos were the most popular type of video made by companies.
- Employees are 95% more likely to recall knowledge delivered by video than by text on their own.
High training ROI: The use of training videos in employee training and development maximizes learning outcomes. This can outweigh the costs that come with video production. There are many ways that using video cuts costs. Employees can watch and learn at their own pace so there’s no need for special venues, printing of documents, or finding instructors. Employees become more productive for the company when they receive continuous training.
Consistency: One of the advantages of using videos for an online learning course is that employees receive a consistent message. With in-person training sessions, it can be challenging to ensure that all employees receive consistent training. The use of videos can standardize the training process and make sure all employees receive the same content, regardless of location. This is important for making sure standards are consistent throughout a company and helps to ensure compliance.
Expertise and authority: If videos don’t convey confidential information, companies can use them online to show expertise on a subject. This can help to build their brand image and trustworthiness.
Versatility: Videos provide a very versatile learning format. Companies can create videos in many different styles, from talking head videos to live action videos.
Live streaming: There are many benefits for remote workers of using video for employee training. Live streams can help to make remote workers feel more connected and enhance collaboration. They can participate in live streams by asking questions, answering polls, voting, etc.
Video-on-demand: Access to a library of video-on-demand (VOD) content means employees always have easily accessible material to improve their knowledge and skills. These videos can help with onboarding and corporate training. It is difficult to retain information for long periods of time. With VOD readily available, it is easy for employees to quickly update their knowledge.
Storytelling
Storytelling is one of the best ways to get employees to engage. Stories can bring employee training to life and simplify concepts. Employees connect with stories in a deep way that evokes their emotions. Videos provide a compelling way to tell stories. Incorporating storytelling in corporate video training can boost recall and retention rates.
A good story usually has a relatable character and believable motivations. Videos can convey these without having to spell out details. When incorporating storytelling in training for employees, the story must guide them through content rather than detract from it. Keeping a story clear and simple will make it more impactful.
Documenting a day in the life of an employee could provide content for an onboarding learning course. Customer service training could include a story about how an employee had to deal with an angry customer. Compliance training could tell a story about how an employee identified and managed to avoid potential violations.
The following use cases show the use of screen recording video, animation, and role-play to create videos that tell stories.
- HSEnvolvy has a short workplace safety training video that uses storytelling techniques and builds suspense right to the end when everything falls into place. It depicts the danger of not following safety rules.
- Zoho People uses a screen recording video to show employees how to use the employee account. The demo is from a team member’s perspective and micro-animation makes the content more engaging and intuitive.
- A short employee training video by Xenium HR focuses on feedback in the workplace. It uses a conversation between two people in a role-play to show what constructive feedback looks like.
Other interactive video features
- CTA’s: A call-to-action in a video can persuade an employee to go to a specific page on a website to learn more or to download an eBook with further information.
- Video chaptering: Video chaptering increases engagement because it allows course creators to break videos down into sections. Many studies show that videos of less than three minutes long offer the most engagement. Segmenting videos into chapters allows viewers to go to specific chapters rather than having to sit through an entire video to find what they want. With smart search, they can even access a specific phrase in a video.
- Quizzes: Incorporating quizzes makes a video more interactive. In a quiz, employees must answer multiple-choice questions about the video content. After they choose an answer, they are shown whether it’s correct. Getting immediate feedback helps employees to retain the information better. According to one study, videos, where employees complete quizzes, offer higher information retention than just watching a video or discussing it with colleagues.
- Annotation links: Annotation links in videos can refer employees to interactive PDFs and workbooks where they can complete exercises. Annotations appear at the top of a video so they don’t interrupt its flow. They provide a great way to further engage employees, especially when watching a short video and wanting more information.
- Surveys: When employees complete surveys, it gives employers more idea about what they’re thinking. They provide a way for employees to contribute to corporate conversations. When everyone has an opportunity to contribute it leads to a healthier company culture.
Subtitles and closed captions: These make video content more accessible to employees who speak different languages or who have disabilities. They can also enable employees to watch without audio when necessary.
As AI tools and virtual reality become more accessible, training videos are likely to evolve and offer even more engaging learning experiences. The use of voice assistants and chatbots will help employees to access support in real time to make the learning journey more efficient. There are likely to be more interactive simulations based on real situations. This can provide employees with hands-on training and the ability to put their knowledge into action.
Cincopa – creating interactive online courses
Using the Cincopa platform allows companies to design, manage, and host employee training and development courses with ease and they don’t need too much technical expertise to do so. All of the interactive features mentioned above are available on Cincopa. The platform also offers easy ways to create videos and customize them to make them more interactive.
- User-friendly software allows trainers to create a range of different video types. For instance, they can create an explainer video by showing their screens. Explainer videos are perfect for breaking down complex ideas into bite-sized chunks that are more digestible.
- Customizable templates allow course creators to tailor video content to meet specific learning objectives. A video player is also customizable and it’s easy to embed it on any website and brand it with the brand logo, colors, and fonts. A video player has interactive elements, complete API, and various template-style designs.
- Responsive design of video players means employees have a great learning experience on any device and screen size.
- Live streaming content and video-on-demand (VOD) allow companies to use a mix of methods to offer employee training. They can engage employees with live streaming content and then save it to the video library.
- Security on Cincopa involves the use of features like encryption, password protection, domain lock, and watermarks. These security measures mean unauthorized users can’t download, embed, or share a company’s video content.
- Advanced analytics allow online course creators to see exactly how employees digest content. Video heatmaps allow them to see when they rewatch, skip, or drop off videos. With this information, they have the insights to improve training for employees.
Conclusion
Ongoing employee training is extremely important and has benefits for both employers and employees. It makes employees more productive and helps with their career development. When training is online it is cost-effective and convenient. The main challenge with online training is to ensure that it isn’t boring and doesn’t encourage passive learning. Video is already one of the most engaging content forms and course creators can use many interactive features to increase engagement.
