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Many people who have been in the workforce for a few years have horror stories about their on-the-job training, or lack thereof. I am reminded of a recent visit to the post office, where I pointed out a mistake made by the counter clerk. She apologized, explaining that postal regulations had recently been changed by Congress, and all the retraining the post office employees had received was a typed sheet of 8 ½ x 11 paper. While we might expect a sub-par training program from our federal bureaucracy, it is a surprisingly common failing of businesses big and small. Many are attempting to address the issue by implementing e-learning and online training programs. These flexible programs give more freedom to workers to learn at their own pace and in their own methods. They can also save time, cut down on costs, and allow for more frequent training.

Though print materials are still the most common way that companies prepare their employees to perform essential tasks, e-learning is quickly becoming very popular. Synchronous programs provide lessons to groups of employees simultaneously, and everyone learns together. This can be beneficial if you want to provide training to people at different locations at the same time through e-conferencing technology. I participated in two training sessions this way, logging into a website to watch the instructor’s presentation and feeding audio through a telephone. However, asynchronous courses are more common, allowing each individual to log on and complete tasks at their leisure. Some common tools used in both types of programs include online discussion boards, text chats, screen/podcasts, games, and wikis. These types of interactive technologies can give employees a sense of freedom and participation in their training, encouraging them to dedicate themselves to the tasks they will learn and fully invest themselves in the program.

Some businesses are seeking professional help to implement online training programs. One company which specializes in the market is ej4, which provides pre-packaged or custom sales, compliance, or technology training programs. ej4 also offers testing, video production, guide materials, or will distribute customized sales materials to your e-learners. Their boast is that they can reduce your training costs and increase revenues. Software developers are also jumping on the online training bandwagon. HP’s learning center provides free online classes, how-to guides, business templates, and software seminars. In addition to resources on using their own products, HP has even expanded training offerings to Microsoft Publisher and Access, Adobe products, and CorelDraw. Small business owners can even access free courses on general topics like guerilla marketing, driving online sales, and time management at www.officeliveseminars.com.

The trend towards online and e-learning training is catching on for large and small businesses alike. Companies are finding that participation rates are higher than in traditional face-to-face training, and employees have their pick of larger course offerings to encourage self-improvement. Critics of e-learning point to the lack of face-to-face contact that is the essence of an educational experience; proponents of the system argue that “face-to-face” has a different meaning in our Web 2.0 culture. More and more of our daily “human” interactions actually take place through the conduit of the web. Is there something lost from taking the live person out the training process? Perhaps, but there is also something gained. When the responsibility of training is put in the hands of the employee, making it an opportunity instead of a chore, they gain the desire and drive to make the most of it.

Friday, October 19th, 2007 Both comments and pings are currently closed.

By Haley January Eckels