7 Tips for eLearning Success in Your Organization

Does your idea of eLearning success involve a steady increase in customer service scores? A reduction in employee attrition? Your sales team hitting their monthly targets? In this article, I’ll share 7 tips that will help you define eLearning success in your organization.              

7 Indicators of eLearning Success in Your Organization

Success means something different to everyone, especially in the corporate sector. You devote a significant amount of resources to employee L&D. As such, you need to achieve the desired outcomes to recoup your investment. But what is your criteria for eLearning success, and how to you measure the results? Here are 7 top tips to define eLearning success in your corporate eLearning program.

1. Create Measurable Goals and Objectives

The only way you can determine if you’ve achieved eLearning success is to pinpoint specific indicators. This involves measurable goals and objectives that allow you to track your progress. Then you know when you’ve officially attained eLearning success and chosen the right online training path. These goals also help you readjust your corporate eLearning strategy if you fail to achieve milestones along the way. Be as specific as possible regarding your definition of eLearning success. Include dates, sales targets, and customer satisfaction rates, where applicable.

2. Evaluate Employee Performance to Pinpoint Gaps

Bridging gaps is a great way to gauge the success of your eLearning program. Evaluate employee performance on-the-job. Or encourage them to participate in online training simulations and branching scenarios that feature built-in feedback. Identify common gaps, then figure out the best course of action. Signs of improvement indicate that your eLearning course is doing its job, while widening gaps may indicate that it’s time to rethink your corporate eLearning strategy.

3. Conduct Skill-Based Assessments that Align with Job Duties

Conduct a skill-based online assessment to identify employees’ level of proficiency and mastery.

The first step to conduct any training needs analysis is to clarify job duties. Thus, you’re able to determine what they need to do their job most effectively, which includes essential skill sets. Conduct a skill-based online assessment to identify employees’ level of proficiency and mastery. Focus on abilities that directly relate to practical tasks and responsibilities. For example, your sales staff needs communication, persuasion, and negotiation skills to achieve their monthly goals. Conduct periodic online assessments to see how they’re faring and intervene when necessary. This also allows you to determine if your corporate eLearning program is leading them down the path to success.

4. Analyze your LMS Metrics

There are several ways to collect Big Data that allow you to track employee progress and performance, but LMS metrics is one of the most effective data mining tools. In fact, LMS analytics can help you gauge eLearning success on a case-by-case basis. For example, view individual employee results to see if they’re getting the most from the online training resources, or to determine if a particular eLearning activity or module is popular based on participation stats.

5. Track Compliance Initiatives

A sure sign of success is a reduction in compliance violations. Employees who are well-trained are more likely to follow protocols and policies. They understand the importance of ongoing L&D, especially where rules and regulations are concerned. Evaluate compliance breaches and see if the rates are on the decline. If not, this indicates that your mandatory eLearning courses are misaligned with learning objectives or lack real-world value.

6. Pre-Assess Corporate Learners to Set the Benchmark

Carry out online pre-assessments to determine where employees stand now. Then periodically conduct follow-up eLearning assessments to monitor the gaps. This allows you to determine if your corporate eLearning program is on point or needs some fine-tuning. For example, employees still display the same skill gaps each time they participate in online training simulations or branching scenarios even after they’ve completed several online training sessions. Another benefit of frequent eLearning assessments is that you can determine how successful your online training initiatives really are, as there are varying degrees. For instance, corporate learners may bridge the product knowledge gap, but still need to work on their communication skills to achieve the desired outcome.

7. Survey your Audience

Your employees are the direct beneficiaries of your corporate eLearning program, but they also bear the brunt of poorly executed eLearning strategies. Survey your staff to determine what’s working and what needs to be improved to achieve the learning objectives. They’ll also be able to tell you if your online training is successful on a personal level. For example, the online training resources helped them overcome performance gaps and build essential skills.

4 Extra Tips to Improve eLearning Success Rates

1. Provide Personalized Online Training Resources

Employees get more value from personalized online training materials that cater to their needs. You might consider personalized online training paths or customized eLearning course maps so that they can focus on their own strengths and weaknesses.

2. Offer Moment-of-Need Support

A crucial component to eLearning success is realizing it’s an ongoing effort. You cannot simply train new hires and expect them to retain the knowledge for their entire career. They require periodic refreshers and skill-building resources to continually improve. For example, microlearning online training libraries to help them bridge gaps and overcome daily obstacles.

3. Continually Re-Evaluate your Corporate eLearning Strategy

Just as employee L&D should be ongoing, you must continually fine-tune your corporate eLearning strategy. The only way to ensure eLearning success is to adapt to evolving needs and organizational objectives. Use LMS metrics, online surveys, and assessments to analyze the effectiveness of your corporate eLearning initiatives.

4. Get Managers Involved

Success doesn’t have to be elusive in eLearning.

Team leaders set the example for the rest of your staff. Ensure that your managers have all the resources they need to advocate online training. They should also stress the benefits of active participation to encourage employee involvement.

Success doesn’t have to be elusive in eLearning. The key is setting measurable goals and re-evaluating your priorities periodically, as well as gathering feedback to ensure that you’re on the right track. And that employees are getting the online training resources they need to achieve their own version of success.

Wondering which information you need to track in order to increase the eLearning success of your online training program? Read the article 6 LMS Metrics eLearning Professionals Should Look For to discover the 6 most valuable LMS metrics that your Learning Management System should measure.