Why flexible learning matters to your business

Wednesday August 28, 2019

As a business owner you would have heard that training employees boosts productivity and can take your business to the next level. Which sounds great! If it wasn’t for the time it takes, the expense incurred and then the risk of them leaving with all that knowledge only to go and work for a competitor. Yikes.

Of course, the alternative to this would be that you save the money and the time on training and employees carry on as they are. Business is ok, could be better. Employees continue to waste at least an hour a day checking their phones due to boredom. Minor distractions continue to creep in, and the hours lost to unproductive habits increase.

British businesses lose around £22 billion a year due to unproductive employees.

Additionally, the absence of training, on matters such as Health and Safety, leaves a business wide open to risk and can lead to enormous fines.

So, whilst a training and development plan may have seemed like an unnecessary expense, it saves money in the long run. Oh, and about them leaving with all that knowledge to work for a competitor? Training is known to improve employee retention and there are legal ways to protect your investment and business interests.

The problem with most workplace training

Is that it is outdated and typically only applies to one style of learning. But as we know, people are different and process information and learn in a variety of ways.

Ever dusted off an old VHS or DVD, put it on in the staffroom and wondered why some staff didn’t retain any of the information? Aside from the fact that some of them may have never seen a VHS before, this approach to training is limited and not going to give you the ROI you are looking for.

So, what will?

Flexible learning can help

A successful training strategy will factor in the following:

Timing – Employees are busy and a flexible approach to learning can help them to manage their workload.
Platform – Continuous advancements in technology mean that employees are used to adapting to new devices, some quicker than others, so variety is still important.
Participants – People learn at a varying pace and so flexible learning can give everyone ample time to complete a course.
Engagement – A lack of engagement can lead to a lack of learning. Flexible learning will factor in a mixture of techniques to encourage engagement.

Flexible eLearning empowers employees and allows them to learn and develop their skills at a time that best suits their schedule. Accredited, easy-to-use video courses can be completed at any time on a device that works for them.

While face-to-face training is still an effective method of upskilling your workforce, accessible eLearning can add a degree of flexibility and encourage employees to take control of their learning. A successful training and development strategy will consider both methods for a well-rounded approach.

Making it work for you

Your business is unique and that’s why it is essential to have a customised training programme that suits your workforce.

If you are ready to look at learning and development for your team, ask us about our diverse offering. We’ll explain why certain clauses should be in your employment contracts and provide a training scheme that suits you down to the ground.

Preventing People Problems

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