Developing new skills that an employee can take with them wherever they go, whether it be in a work setting, or in a personal setting has many advantages. Providing staff with the tools to excel in this area will offer a great range of benefits, whether that be due to a corporate online training course or offline. But how do you set up a successful corporate learning program? Continue reading this article to find out the best ways to help your employees reach success with a learning programme.
What is a corporate learning program?
Corporate learning is a way of providing learners with new skills and knowledge that can help them perform highly within their jobs and roles. In a smaller company, the HR team will set this up and in a larger organisation this will be the role of a Learning and Development team.
Steps to reach success
To set your employees up for success, there are many steps that you should follow…
Outline key objectives
Firstly, consider what is the reason for setting up the corporate learning programme? Before getting stuck in, research is essential to set your business in the right direction. There needs to be a clear plan on what you hope to address and any objectives you aim to achieve through the programme. Both your goals and objectives should align with the programme.
Understanding both long and short term goals will help with this, does your company aim to:
- Increase profit?
- Boost productivity?
- Retain staff?
- Save costs?
- Stay competitive?
Not only should you listen to what staff higher up in the business have to say such as managers and executives, it’s also important to listen to what employees have to say. As these are the people who will be taking part in the programme, you should understand what they want to progress in their careers and what will be beneficial for them to learn.
Identify skill gaps
Identifying skill gaps in employees is also important to consider. What are staff lacking and what skills could be improved to benefit the staff and the business? Understanding what the gaps are will help to boost productivity, confidence, communication and much more. Consider what skills are needed to ensure your business is future proof and also what competitors are working on to improve.
Identify the format
Another crucial thing to ensure is clear and obvious and what the format of the corporate learning programme will be. Knowing what gaps in the business are will help to determine this. Will it be online or offline? This is an important question to ask and may also depend on the nature of the business and what skills you aim to enhance. There is also the option of having a blended programme, this will incorporate both online and offline practices.
Will the training be in groups, one on one, or individual learning? Again this may depend on the nature of the business and what skills employees aim to learn. With peer learning, employees will be paired with one another, this a great way for them to learn from each other and help each other with challenges. However, with individual learning, an employee can work at their own pace and at a time that suits them. So, considering what will work best, or even using trial and error, will help your workforce reach success.
Measure the effectiveness
Finally, when your programme is set up and running smoothly, it’s time to see how effective it is and what may need to be improved. Ways to do this include, asking employees for any feedback they may have and measuring productivity. Also refer back to your original business goals and see if they are any closer to be met. Continue to update the programme where necessary and reevaluate the process.
When it comes to a corporate learning programme, a business should create it to be future-proof, but also flexible to business and employee needs. Following the above steps will set you in the right direction for success.
