Employee training software drives engagement
While in-person training remains a vital component for many companies, employee training software and online training software plays an ever-increasing role. Online training courses for employees have a significant positive effect on employee engagement. There are a few reasons for this. First, as valuable as it can be to have formal, live, in-person employee training, the quality of engagement of the outside trainer that is brought in isn’t guaranteed. Some are great, and some aren’t. Add to this the fact that some employees won’t retain as much from an in-person lecture as they will from interactive training. Then, consider the costs, both from a financial and opportunity standpoint. How often do most companies (or, for more specific training, departments within companies) bring in a corporate trainer? Once a year? Less? In today’s fast-paced workplace, turnover is higher than in previous generations. Companies who train once a year or even less frequently are missing out.
Online employee training fills in this gap quite nicely. Employees can use online training software as frequently or as infrequently as needed. If a week after live training, an employee wants to ask a corporate trainer for clarification on some technique, the employee is out of luck. With employee training software, on the other hand, the employee can revisit whichever training module he or she recently completed to be reminded of the answer.
Online training courses for employees help managers, too. If in-person training is the only tool, a manager dealing with an inefficient, unengaged employee may have to wait months for the next session. Or the manager will need to attempt to train the employee alone. This can work if the manager has deep knowledge in the target area and is a skilled instructor. But many managers don’t have the requisite knowledge or teaching ability. With access to online employee training software, managers can assign relevant courses or modules to the employee instantly.
Online training software drives engagement by equipping and empowering employees to do their best work. An employee who doesn’t have the tools or training needed to succeed is disengaged. Engaged employees are the ones who see regular success and who can see how their success is tied to the company’s success. Quality training (and, by extension, employee training software) isn’t the only piece of the engagement puzzle, but it is a necessary, essential component.
Employee training topics to consider
As a manager, you will strengthen your employees and create a more productive team by proactively training them in new skills and work methods. Consider training your staff on the following employee training topics:
Customer service
This includes handling customer complaints, product knowledge, goal-oriented focus, and defining exceptional customer service.
Sales training
Sales training should feature communication skills training, listening skills, customer service skills, and time management skills.
General onboarding
Onboarding should include client and end-user support training, setting and achieving customer expectations, and building customer confidence.
General training
Don’t forget about business ethics, diversity, workplace safety, sexual harassment for managers and employees, the Family Medical Leave Act, and managing challenging employees.
Why it’s time to switch to employee training software
How can an organization decide whether it’s time to implement employee training software? It’s pretty simple. An organization probably doesn’t need it if all the leaders and employees are 100% satisfied with their current training methods and never face work issues that arise due to poor training or lack of training. But that’s pretty much never the case. Most companies could use more corporate training tools. Here are a few scenarios where it makes sense to add employee training software to your roster of corporate training tools.
Managers without deep subject knowledge
Sometimes the highest performer in a department gets promoted to lead it. That person, if he or she is skilled in teaching, may manage just fine at training new employees in the department. But often a skilled leader is given oversight of a department where he or she has only a surface-level understanding of the work being done. This manager can lead effectively but likely can’t train new employees well in complex department tasks. Managers like this will benefit from using the best employee training software for their given field.
Managers who don’t want to teach
Some leaders who have deep subject knowledge still aren’t good candidates to conduct training for new employees. Perhaps they must focus on other aspects of the business, or perhaps they aren’t skilled in teaching and training. It’s a smart move to play to those managers’ strengths. Let them excel at what they’re strong at. Implementing employee training software can free them from some of the burdens of training employees in their department, allowing them to focus on what they do best.
Members of virtual teams
In today’s global economy, many organizations form virtual teams that don’t ever meet in the same office. In-person training is impossible without significant airfare and hotel costs. Companies employing virtual teams should add online employee training software to their roster of corporate training tools. The best employee training software easily overcomes location-based hurdles. It enables teams to learn collaboratively and effectively from anywhere in the world.
So, are you ready to make the switch? Take a look at Seismic’s employee training software, and get a demo today.
