How To Create Training That Doesn’t Bore Your Employees To Tears
Forget School. Your Employees Aren’t Full-Time Students.
Sure, outside of work your employees might be full-time students, but at work they aren't.
When creating training programs for busy employees, many companies rely on the only model they know: their own time in school. And it’s understandable. After all, you learned a lot in school and probably achieved a lot, too.
So, then, why do lecture-based seminars, assigned readings, assessments, and e-learning modules often fall flat with working adults? Why do they just click through required training? Why do they groan at the thought of taking another course?
It’s because your employees learn differently than full-time students.
Working adults generally have less time, more experience, and different motivations than someone earning a diploma or degree.
Let’s explore what makes employee learners unique and what you can do to make your training programs more successful.
Understand That Busy Adults Have Unique Needs.
Appeal to Their Intrinsic Motivation.
The first difference between a full-time student and an employee learner is self-motivation.
Working adults are less likely to care about content simply because someone told them to. They need to understand why the information is helpful to them right now.
How will it help them achieve their goals? (Not the corporation’s goals, but their own goals as an employee.)
Once your employees understand the benefit of the information being provided, they will be more self-motivated to learn it.
For example, let’s say your organization is switching to a new customer management system. For the company, the new system will increase profitability, but for the employee, all they see is how much work it’s going to be to switch systems. What’s in it for them? Will it reduce their workload in the long run, leaving them more time to work on things they enjoy or time with their family? If so, frame the training around that!
How will it help them achieve their goals? (Not the corporation’s goals, but their own goals as an employee.)
Once your employees understand the benefit of the information being provided, they will be more self-motivated to learn it.
For example, let’s say your organization is switching to a new customer management system. For the company, the new system will increase profitability, but for the employee, all they see is how much work it’s going to be to switch systems. What’s in it for them? Will it reduce their workload in the long run, leaving them more time to work on things they enjoy or time with their family? If so, frame the training around that!
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2016/03/22/lifelong-learning-and-technology/
Acknowledge Their Experience.
Compared to full-time students, working adults have more life experiences to draw from and may have years of experience in the specific industry or topic you’re training on. Having them reflect on and share their real-world experiences can both help create buy-in and transition the information from theoretical to practical.
Likewise, when training programs give examples of how the information can be applied in the trainees’ day-to-day roles, they are often more likely to retain the information and use it successfully.
A common example of this is during Q&A sessions when an instructor uses a trainee’s real-world problem to reinforce a broader point. The instructor may even ask other trainees to chime in with their ideas for how to solve the problem, thus turning the training session from a passive, lecture-based experience into a collaborative one. By doing so, employees can both relate to the problem and see how the information being provided can be useful to them.
Treat Your Trainees Like Adults.
Let Them Choose Their Own Path.
Adult learners are independent. Forcing them to complete training modules in a particular order or to complete repetitive tasks and quizzes can frustrate those with little time and busy schedules.
Likewise, experienced team members may grow bored and disengage if forced to spend time on the basics before moving on to the more specific information they actually need. Allowing them to skip ahead after completing a short quiz will keep them invested and direct them directly to any topics they need to review.
Providing options is especially important when creating self-study or on-demand programming. Let trainees quickly navigate to the information they need when they need it. This will encourage them to take the time with the areas they need the most information on.
When it comes to assessments and quizzes, make sure each question gives feedback as to why an answer is correct or incorrect. Use assessments as a teaching tool, not a judgment tool.
Give Ample Opportunities for Practice.
Acing a quiz is no guarantee that someone will be able to implement new skills on the job. Therefore, focus on creating experiential learning over assessments to test their understanding.
This means creating hands-on, real-world practice scenarios with constructive feedback that focus on helping them build practical skills.
Ensure that practice experiences occur as information is presented. This keeps trainees engaged and help them retain the information. As they say, use it or lose it.
Ask Yourself These 11 Questions Before Designing Any Training Program.
Writing and designing effective and exciting training programs isn’t easy. It can be challenging to switch your mindset from “subject matter expert” to “trainee.” You may wonder, how much information is too much? Does this make sense? Are my trainees going to care?
To help, here are the questions we always ask our clients when starting an instructional design project. These questions will help you understand the perspective of your audience and zero in on the most important information and training options.
Who will be taking this program and what do they already know?
What do attendees need to know prior to the program?
Is there a gap in their experience that needs to be filled?
What are their current responsibilities and challenges?
How will this training program / topic help them overcome challenges or achieve their goals?
Within this topic, what is a basic concept versus a more advanced detail or nuance?
What real-world examples can be included? Are there any frequently asked questions?
What experiences helped the subject matter expert really understand the topic?
How much time did it take the subject matter expert to learn this information?
How much time do the trainees realistically have to spend in training?
What style of training do trainees prefer (online, in-person, etc.) and what is logistically possible? Can we offer multiple formats?
Need help creating a training program that excites, educates, and empowers your team? The instructional designers at Dream Write Creative can help. Email us your question or click here to schedule a free content strategy session.
