Employee engagement in training is a huge challenge for HR today. For bored or disconnected employees, training is just another task they have to check off. But when they are truly interested, they learn better and can truly drive the company to new heights.
As Annette Franz puts it, “Employee engagement is not just a strategy. It comes from within. It is the emotional connection an employee feels toward their company. That connection makes them want to give their best.”
The good news? With the right efforts, you can create the work environment you are dreaming of. With the right strategies, training can become something they look forward to. This article explores the 5 best employee engagement strategies to make training effective and even enjoyable.
Why is Employee Engagement Important for Companies?
Employee engagement directly affects every aspect of your business. It impacts productivity, quality of work, customer service, employee turnover, workplace morale – you name it! If your employees are connected to their work, you reap the benefits. They perform better and stay longer with the company.
Gallup’s research highlights the global engagement crisis:
- In 2022, only 23% of employees worldwide were engaged.
- 18% of the global workforce was actively disengaged.
The numbers vary by region:
- United States: 33% engaged, 16% actively disengaged
- United Kingdom: Only 10% engaged
- Netherlands: 14% engaged, 9% disengaged
- France: The worst numbers—only 7% engaged, while 19% were actively disengaged.
7 Best Employee Engagement Strategies for Training
As you can see, most countries have very poor stats on employee engagement. So chances are that it exists even in your own company, whether or not you notice it! It might not have any immediate impacts, but if this is the case, your company has a high chance of suffering in the long term.
Lower productivity, poor business performance, and poor customer service are just a few to name. Investing in employee engagement strategies in training is, therefore, essential for a company’s success.
Use Practical Examples
The best way to engage employees in training is to make it relevant to their daily work. Instead of bombarding them with legal jargon, show them real-life situations they might face.
For example, if you are conducting compliance training, show them the consequences. Don’t bore them with data protection laws. Instead, show them how mishandling customer information can lead to identity theft or financial fraud. In a healthcare setting, explain how one small mistake in patient records could lead to serious medical errors. This is the foolproof method to make someone pay attention.
Explain the ‘Why’ Behind Compliance
Employees are more likely to engage in training when they understand why it matters. Instead of saying, “You must follow this law,” show how compliance affects them, their team, and even society.
Retail bank employees should understand how preventing money laundering is important for the masses. Linking training to real-world consequences – like recent cyberattacks, workplace safety incidents, or ethical scandals – makes it more meaningful.
A good example is this. During Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a company can show employees a case study of a real phishing attack and how it affected thousands of customers. Connecting training to current news makes it feel urgent and important.
Interactive Elements
This is one of the best practices to engage employees in training – also a very common one adopted! Adding interactive elements like quizzes, scenarios, and games usually never disappoints. It can also be done very easily. You need to weave in a few games, leaderboards, and rewards into the program.
If you are unable to do this, look for an experienced training provider like EducationNest. With years of experience in providing customizable offline and online corporate training programs, they can help you hit your training goals just as you want them.
Make Training Accessible Anytime, Anywhere
One major reason employees skip training is lack of time. Offering multiple formats helps combat this issue. Mobile-friendly courses, bite-sized videos, interactive apps, and on-demand webinars are some solutions.
For example, Google uses microlearning for its employees. They use short, engaging lessons that employees can complete in minutes. Airbnb created an internal learning platform where employees choose how and when they learn. Giving employees flexibility and control makes them more likely to participate.
Read More
Ultimate Guide on Using AI for Perfect PowerPoint Presentations
Mastering DAX in Power BI: Tips and Tricks for Effective Data Analysis
Personalize Training Content
Generic, one-size-fits-all training rarely resonates with people. Personalizing your training with company-specific policies and real workplace scenarios makes it more engaging.
Let’s see how to do it. Safety training in a construction company could use site-specific hazards and employee testimonials to explain risks. A retail company can tailor employee compliance training through case studies of real customers.
They can offer it in multiple formats – recordings, reading materials, etc. – to accommodate different learning needs.
Keep Training Fresh and Engaging
Repeating the same compliance training year after year can lead to disengagement. And for obvious reasons, that’s a no-brainer! People tune out content they have seen before. To keep it fresh, update training with new case studies.
Instead of making employees read long policies, turn them into interactive simulations. Through these, employees can make decisions in simulated scenarios. Amazon uses AI-driven training that adapts to each employee’s role. The delivery format is also kept relevant and engaging.
Use Technology to Drive Engagement
Employees expect training to be as user-friendly as the apps they use daily. Companies like Salesforce and Microsoft use AI, chatbots, and interactive dashboards to make this possible.
Instead of long compliance documents, you can use AI-driven chatbots to deliver short, conversational lessons. Interactive game-based employee training platforms make training feel less like a chore and more like a challenge.
Conclusion
If you are still wondering how to engage employees in corporate training, the easy answer is – simply switch it up sometimes. Use different training methods to try and see what works best for your workplace.
Keep the training content fresh so that learning feels easy and can make a big difference over time. It does not have to be immediately fruitful. While financial rewards can help, the real impact comes from well-designed training programs to keep the motivation on.
Whether it is e-learning, hands-on training, VR simulations, mentoring, or interactive workshops, you will find the one. If you are looking for a reliable corporate training provider in Delhi, look no further than EducationNest.
With years in this sector, they offer numerous courses in different areas – digital marketing, cybersecurity, ML, soft skills, leadership training, and much more. All their courses are designed and delivered by industry experts and have customization options to suit your team’s needs – contact them for the best corporate training in Noida!
