Microlearning Is the (Not So) New Buzzword
According to a recent article in TD magazine, microlearning is defined as training that is delivered in a bite-sized format that puts individuals in control of what they’re learning. Not exactly revolutionary, of course, as companies over the past few years have come to recognize the value of presenting training in shorter formats, that employees […]
Don’t Write off Instructor-Led Training Just Yet
With thousands of courses and learning opportunities, we still need competent teachers. With the explosion of online courses, tutorials, and other self-directed learning materials, the L&D leader may think that instructor-led training (ILT) is all but dead. But don’t count on that just yet. According to The Future of Corporate Learning: Ten Disruptive Trends, a […]
“I recorded a video. It’s on SharePoint. Are we done?”
In the rush to train team members on new processes, many department heads or managers decide to take training into their own hands. With the ubiquity of smartphone cameras, editing software, and cloud storage options, many people opt to circumvent formal training designed by L&D and simply build their own ‘training’ for their employees or […]
How Learning Initiatives Lower Recruiting Costs
Yet another reason to initiate a culture of workplace learning: recruiting costs will be lowered, perhaps dramatically. Companies pay for recruitment advertising — and commissions to inside or outside recruiters — to fill vacancies. Recruiting takes place in the open-job market because employees with specific skills are not available in a current employee population. It […]
Why Learning Initiatives Drive Employer Branding
According to Harvard Business Review, the term employer brand has been around since the mid-1990s. Employer brand denotes an organization’s reputation as an employer, as opposed to its more general corporate brand reputation. As the competition for talent has grown more intense, corporations have begun to apply the same focus and consistency to their employer […]
Building a Culture of Curiosity
Learning programs only succeed when everyone buys in. Naysayers — perhaps a senior finance person or an employee with a bad attitude — can stymie such programs and need to be dealt with — the sooner the better. A new Vice President, Learning Management System, or corporate subscription to an online university will not instantaneously […]
Dealing with WIIFM
Getting employees to embrace training can be as fun as herding cats. Adult learners often ask, ‘Why do I have to do this?’ or more likely, ‘What’s in it for me?’ This last question, abbreviated to WIIFM, is something learning leaders deal with quite frequently. Employees are resistant to participating in an exercise which they […]
When Employees Cry Tears of Joy for Training
As the L&D function is currently being redesigned and redeveloped — especially as there may soon be a Chief Experience Officer, as referenced in a previous blogpost — learning leaders are looking for more ways to engage their internal customers. Moving from nice-to-have to need-to-have, learning leaders can push for even further engagement from employees […]
Reverse Engineer Learning Initiatives and Business Outcomes
For learning and development executives, training needs to be tied directly to business outcomes. It is safe to say that the future of the learning function lies not in pushing stale ‘interactive’ tutorials that simply require a box to be checked once they are completed. If learning executives want to prove their value to the […]
When Employees Are Trained to Set Goals, Profitability Results
Employee training is supposed to be all about helping employees get better at doing their jobs. But researchers at Harvard Business School have uncovered a startling fact: a mere 7% of employees today fully understand their company’s business strategies and what’s expected of them in order to help achieve company goals. This is alarming. Apparently, […]
