As businesses adapt to the evolving work landscape, with a majority of employees now working remotely at least part of the time, it has become essential to establish effective training and upskilling strategies that offer flexibility without compromising effectiveness. This is where e-learning emerges as a powerful solution. Beyond providing the expected flexibility for modern employees, e-learning offers a range of benefits for businesses. However, to ensure a successful e-learning program, it is crucial to be prepared for the challenges that come with this approach. This includes budgeting for necessary tech investments, devising an employee engagement plan, and adopting best practices for creating engaging and retainable e-learning courses. In this blog post, we aim to empower training managers and learning and development leaders by addressing the four key challenges of e-learning for businesses and providing valuable advice to overcome them.
- Overcoming the Initial Software Investment Challenge
When implementing an e-learning program, there is a need for initial software investments. While many organizations opt for a learning management system (LMS) for e-learning, the choice may vary based on the program’s scope, leading some to select employee training software or a content management system.
Both LMS and employee training software offer the capability to create courses and assign them to employees. Interestingly, certain tools can be found in both categories on our website. However, content management systems primarily focus on the organization and storage of course content rather than its creation. The cost of a system depends on factors such as user requirements and licensing options, including perpetual or month-to-month subscriptions. Regardless of the chosen system(s), it is essential to budget for both initial and ongoing software costs while developing a plan to measure the return on investment (ROI) of the e-learning program.
- Low Adoption Rates and Ensuring Employee Engagement
Implementing an e-learning program comes with the inherent risk of encountering low adoption rates among employees. This challenge becomes even more critical when the program’s focus is on providing development opportunities rather than mandatory compliance training. Addressing this challenge requires proactive measures to ensure employee engagement and participation in the e-learning initiatives. By implementing strategies such as promoting the benefits of e-learning, creating a supportive learning environment, offering incentives, and incorporating interactive elements, organizations can boost adoption rates and foster a culture of active employee engagement in the e-learning program.
- Overcoming Challenges in Creating Custom E-Learning Courses
Creating custom e-learning content presents its own set of challenges, despite the user-friendly drag-and-drop interfaces offered by course authoring tools. Developing such content requires overcoming a learning curve associated with the process. Furthermore, certain platforms impose restrictions on the number of users who can hold administrative privileges, thereby hindering the scalability of in-house e-learning course production. To overcome these challenges, organizations can invest in comprehensive training and resources to upskill their instructional design teams, explore alternative authoring tools that better align with their content development needs, and consider outsourcing certain aspects of course creation to external experts. By taking these proactive steps, businesses can overcome the hurdles and ensure the successful creation of custom e-learning courses.
- Low knowledge retention rates
Training managers have long grappled with the task of ensuring high knowledge retention rates, but the shift to online learning poses an increased risk. With employees completing their training without direct supervision, it becomes more challenging to detect disengagement, especially when compared to in-person training sessions. Consequently, employees may view e-learning courses as mere tasks to be completed and checked off their to-do list. To overcome this challenge, organizations can implement strategies to enhance employee engagement, such as incorporating interactive elements, offering personalized learning experiences, providing timely feedback and support, and fostering a collaborative learning community. By taking these measures, businesses can increase knowledge retention rates and maximize the effectiveness of their online learning initiatives.