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4 Tips to Design Customized Corporate Training

When was the last time your organization reviewed its employee training design and development strategies? More companies than ever before have made the transition to a remote workplace. As a result, your corporate training could likely use an update to reflect the new best practices at your organization. It’s always a good time to invest in customized corporate training your workforce – one research article notes that 42% of companies that invest in training see increases in their revenue. Furthermore, KZO Innovations found that every dollar invested into training increased to $30 worth of productivity. Further benefits of looking at how and why you do things as an organization and customizing your corporate training include a stronger sense of brand identity, better employee buy-in and increased revenue.

So, how do you go about creating the right training process for your organization? You’ll want to keep the following in mind as you go about the process.

Developing Customized Corporate Training

Target business specific challenges

Understanding what challenges are unique or specific to your business and incorporating them into your custom eLearning solutions is the first step to customizing your corporate training. Needs to address at your organization may include: crisis management processes, new industry norms, training on daily tasks and use of technology, and/or how to deal with your specific clientele. Taking note of company specific challenges allows you to get in front of them while addressing them with your employees. This adds the benefit of transparency, as well as another layer of training that will be unique to your company and its values.

Capturing this important internal data to determine how you will customize your training can be done in a few different ways. Your learning and development team can interview your executives to measure what they view as the most pressing training issues within the company. You can also survey the employee base to find out what they feel is lacking in any current training and what added information would make their job easier going forward.

Zero in on company needs

Taking time to think about what you need your training to be is an important step in developing custom corporate training that suits your company culture. Things to consider as you start evaluating your needs are company values, goals for training, tools available, and skills you want incorporated. From there it becomes easier to see deficiencies in your current training and where you can improve the overall experience through customization. By keying in on your business needs and taking inventory of the tools you have available to accomplish those goals, you help set the stage for what you need your employees to do.

Design role-based learning paths

As you analyze company needs and identify particular hurdles to overcome, it becomes time to start separating out who needs to know what. Having role-based learning paths within your corporate training adds efficiency to your training because not everyone needs to know everything. This saves time, money and energy, but also leaves the door open for employees to add more to their knowledge base down the road if they want to. You also take an important step in avoiding information overload or employee burnout by narrowing down what each position specifically needs to know to function and cutting back on knowledge that will not be helpful.

Communicate your custom training message

Everyone thinks to communicate about products and services their companies offer to consumers, but often forget to communicate with employees their training options and why they are important. When you communicate and are excited about the customized corporate training you offer, employees are far more willing to not only look at it but complete it. By essentially advertising your efforts to train your employees you are letting them know you see value in them and want to help them succeed by creating training that works specifically for them and their needs while also addressing your own as a company.

Trends in Customized Corporate Training

Gamification

Learning is always more fun and engaging when it does not feel like you are being slammed with a bunch of text followed by a test. Most employees (72%) said they felt like getting training through gamification inspired them to work harder according to Review 42. Using games to engage employees while teaching them specifics of their job or your company is one of the most popular ways to give your corporate training a customized touch to your brand.

Microlearning

Creating modules where only one learning objective is addressed per eLearning activity is another great way to give your corporate training the personal touch it needs, while keeping things fresh and easy to digest.

Video Training

Having a library of custom videos that address various situations and topics specific to your business can be an effective tool in your corporate training arsenal. When done well, videos are highly stimulating and can cover tougher topics better than text or games. Videos are particularly helpful if you work in an industry where teaching processes is your main company objective. That way, your audience can see exactly how a machine works or the steps needed to make an application run.

Learning on the go

Work can now be done remotely, so it only makes sense that your corporate training can be customized for a mobile setting, too. Whether your employees are on the road, at a business conference, in office, or at home, being able to refresh or learn something new on the go is invaluable and kicks your training up a notch.

Personalized Learning

This might be the most effective type of customized corporate training. We all know no single person learns exactly the same way, so making your training flexible enough to adapt to each employee’s individual learning style only makes sense. Whether they are visual learners, verbal learners, hands-on learners, etc. you can create a learning library that has something for everyone on your staff.

Conclusion

By taking the time to really evaluate what makes your company unique you can design a corporate training that is unique to your organization. Customized corporate training allows you to showcase your brand identity and culture to employees at the same time that you’re providing valuable skills training and development. The right training is a valuable tool to communicate with your workforce, and will help you retain talent by making it a place they want to work.

representative talent profile

instructional writer

Position(s): Lead or supporting writer
Years of Instructional Experience: 2+
Number of Completed Projects: 15+

Key Skills: Instructional Writing, Technical Writing, Instructional Design, Content Curation, eLearning Development, Curriculum Development, Course Authoring, Storytelling, Learning Assessment, Editing, Proofreading, AI Prompt Engineering

Media Skills: Use of stock media libraries

Strengths: Problem-Solving, Clear and Concise Writing, Tone and Style, Formatting, Consistency, Creativity, Communication, Active Listening, Research, Brainstorming, Collaboration, Attention to Detail, Adaptability

Career Highlights:

  • Scripted over 100 hours of learning content and supporting materials for different modalities for both US and global audiences  
  • Adapted writing style and reading grade level to suit design specifications and learner needs in several different industries (finance, healthcare, manufacturing, etc.) 
  • Used generative AI to supplement source content and to accelerate the writing process (without plagiarism) 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

learning experience designer

Position(s): Learning Experience (LX) Designer or Strategist
Years of Instructional Experience: 7+
Number of Completed Projects: 30+

Key Skills: Learner Experience Design (LXD),  Instructional Design, Learning Assessment,  Hybrid Learning, Learning in the Flow of Work, Project-Based Learning Methodologies, Cohort and Social Learning, Learner Experience Platforms

Media Skills: LX journey maps and representations of other interconnected or integrated learning strategies 

Strengths: Systems Thinking, Stakeholder Communication, Instructional Design Strategy, Learning Theory, Training Effectiveness

Career Highlights:

  • Designed personalized learner experience (LX) journeys for an organization of 30k (with 5 tiered tracks) 
  • Curated existing LXs that could be leveraged in new learning journeys for other roles, with measurement at key milestones to evaluate progress and success 
  • Wrote up the specifications for branching scenarios, question libraries, options for audio/visual media, and more, connecting each learner experience to a personalized journey 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

instructional media specialist

Position(s): Lead or supporting graphic designer, lead motion video artist
Years of Instructional Experience: 6+
Number of Completed Projects: 40+

Key Skills: Visual Design, Illustration, UX/UI Design, Storyboarding, Animation, Audio Engineering

Media Skills: Engaging illustrations, 3D models, character design, storyboarding, live-action and motion graphic video creation, audio recording and editing, client branding, and more to enhance media and create engaging touchpoints that resonate with learners 

Strengths: Brainstorming, Collaboration, Visual Communication,  Color Theory, Typography, Layout and Composition

Career Highlights:

  • Completed projects with extreme attention to fonts, colors, spacing, and more that ensured integrity with client branding requirements 
  • Designed and integrated media based on project-specific content that reflected the learner audience, established realistic learning environments, allowed for hands-on practice in virtual environments, and promoted diversity and engaging storytelling
  • Created quick-reference illustrations learners could access on the job to help them make fast, effective decisions   

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

lms admin

Position(s): Admin or sub-admin for Learning Management System (LMS)
Years of Instructional Experience: 5+
Number of Completed Projects: 15+

Key Skills: LMS Configuration, User Management, Course Management, System Maintenance, Reporting, Data Analysis, System Integrations

Media Skills: Network and tech-stack diagrams to communicate system architecture and integration 

Strengths: Troubleshooting and Analysis, Learning Analytics, User Administration, Technical Proficiency, Documentation, Adaptability

Career Highlights:

  • Managed a curriculum of more than 1,450 course offerings in the LMS for more than 10,000 learners 
  • Uploaded, tested, and ensured the readiness of new and relaunched programs 
  • Created and maintained reporting workflows to meet stakeholder needs 
  • Provided on-demand support to the learning team to answer questions and promptly address concerns 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

learning project manager

Position(s): Learning project manager, project lead, or coordinator
Years of Instructional Experience: 5+
Number of Completed Projects: 35+

Key Skills: eLearning Development, Resource Coordination, Project Management (PMP Certified), Agile and Waterfall PM Methodologies, Budgeting and Forecasting, Scheduling, Quality Assurance

Media Skills: Visual reporting of project plans via Gantt charts and other standard formats

Strengths: Problem-Solving, Communication, Active Listening, Collaboration, Decision-Making, Attention to Detail, Adaptability, Time Management, Risk Management, Budget Management, Team Coordination and Delegation

Career Highlights:

  • Managed concurrent award-winning projects without missing deadlines or wasting resources 
  • Completed several projects earlier than the expected timeline and under the anticipated budget 
  • Built strong relationships with returning client partners for multi-phase initiatives or course maintenance projects 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT (SME)

Position(s): Industry-specific specialist
Years of Instructional Experience: 5+
Number of Completed Projects: 5+

Key Skills: Content Curation, Specialized Content Development, Industry-Specific Expertise, Domain Expertise (e.g., Leadership, Onboarding, Compliance), Content Review

Media Skills: Recommendation and review of technical diagrams or industry-specific images

Strengths: Specialized Content Knowledge, Content-Gathering, Simplifying and Organizing Complex Material, Brainstorming, Collaboration, Documentation of Source Content, Decision-Making, Technical Content Review

Career Highlights:

  • Helped create, gather, and organize over 50 hours of content for projects with specific industry or learning needs and contextual nuances
  • Facilitated the decision-making process and collaboration between internal and external teams to consolidate feedback into actionable next steps 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

LEARNING STRATEGIST

Position(s): Lead strategist or performance consultant
Years of Instructional Experience: 7+
Number of Completed Projects: 20+

Key Skills: Needs Analysis, Learning Theory, Learner Experience Design, Learning Analytics and Measurement, Performance Mapping, Behavioral and Performance Analysis, Content Curation, Curriculum Analysis, Change Management

Media Skills: Curriculum maps, learner experience journeys, and conceptual program wireframes

Strengths: Big-Picture Thinking, Critical Thinking and Analysis, Problem-Solving, Creativity, Stakeholder Communication, Research, Design, Collaboration, Facilitation

Career Highlights:

  • Conducted a comprehensive learning needs analysis for customer services representatives that included both product knowledge and interpersonal skills development 
  • Prioritized alignment of business and learner needs, such as high-impact accessible design solutions within budgets or agile timelines, for award-winning projects
  • Designed strategies for measuring performance and results over time to inform continued client success 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

Instructional Designers

Position(s): Lead or supporting designer
Years of Instructional Experience: 3+
Number of Completed Projects: 15+

Key Skills: Instructional Design, Adult Learning Theories, eLearning Development, Learner Experience Design, Curriculum Development, Course Authoring, Writing, Learning Assessment

Media Skills: Simple graphic design using stock imagery, audio production

Strengths: Adaptability, Problem-Solving, Creativity, Communication, Collaboration, Technical Proficiency, Attention to Detail

Career Highlights:

  • Led the design and development of an onboarding program for new manufacturing employees
  • Scripted technical instructional content for high-tech, product knowledge training
  • Developed hybrid materials for both instructor-led training (ILT) and microlearning tutorials

Technical Skills: