Guide to implement online training
Have you noticed how online courses are becoming more and more sought after?
Whether it is to pursue a university degree, specialize in a certain area or acquire new knowledge, many people have turned to distance learning to achieve their goals.
Within the job market it is no different.
Companies are taking advantage of the virtual environment to invest in online training, improve equipment and enhance their performance.
Both large companies and small businesses can benefit from this modality, it is enough to know exactly how to apply it within your business.
To find out how online training can be used in your company, read on today’s text – we’ll explain everything about it!
The importance of online training
Before learning the step-by-step of creating an online training, it is essential to understand the importance of offering constant workshops to your collaborators.
Investing in the people who work with you increases the chances that your business will achieve the desired objectives, as well as encouraging their individual growth and keeping them committed and motivated to carry out their activities.
An entrepreneur who ignores the training of his employees loses the opportunity to align them with organizational strategies and increase individual performance, which generates benefits for both parties.
How to implement online training in your company?
Now that you know the importance of investing in online training, it’s time to learn how to implement it.
Get to know your company’s needs
For training to be truly useful and efficient, it must meet the needs of the company and its staff.
What is the point of creating an incredible online training, if it does not add any value to its direct beneficiaries, nor does it fit into your company’s strategic planning?
That’s why the first step to create an online training should be the evaluation of your company’s needs, so that you identify well the competences and skills that need to be worked on in the teams that are with you.
Define your audience
Before developing the online training, you must define to whom it will be directed.
Will your training be for new employees? Or will it be available to refine and update the knowledge of current employees?
If your company has several branches of activity, define well which areas will benefit from this training, in order to elaborate the material in an assertive and attractive way for the participants.
Other data such as average age and interests of the group should also be taken into account, since all these factors influence the language and tone of communication.
Select the format
Online training can be provided through video classes, ebooks, interactive games and live broadcasts, for example. There are several formats to choose from depending on your goal.
We know, however, that video content has been one of the most consumed due to its practicality. This has caused companies to invest heavily in this format to ensure employee engagement.
If the idea is to transform learning into something dynamic and interesting, forget about materials with very long texts that tire the reader.
You can’t complain that employees don’t adapt to training if you’re offering unattractive options, right?
Write the script
You have defined the audience that will access your training and the ideal format, now it is time to elaborate the script.
This step is important even for those who have mastered the content that will be shared. Without the script, you run the risk of forgetting important information or you may have difficulty in conveying the message clearly and objectively.
Dividing the training into stages is essential for collaborators to understand the sequential logic of the content and to absorb as much knowledge as possible.
Think about the most important information, the data you cannot fail to share, and write down everything that is essential to the development of your online training.
Get the necessary equipment
If you chose to do a video training, you will need the camera, the microphone and a lighted environment.
For participants to have a good experience and really be interested in what is being shared, it is essential that the videos are of high quality and easily understandable.
Don’t worry if you are not able to invest in professional equipment. Many smartphones have cameras that record in HD and can be the solution for your training.
Edit the material
To leave your online training looking professional and add effects, cuts and other elements, you will need to edit the content.
There are several video-editing programs available online that you can use, including iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, and Shotcut. Most are intuitive to use and offer several free tools that will get your material ready for use.
Worry about leaving your audio free of distortion, as interference, noise, and low-pitched sounds detract from the user experience and can affect training results.
Choose a platform for online courses
The training is ready, now, just choose the ideal place to store it.
Even though YouTube is a worldwide known and easily accessible social network, it is more advisable to invest in an own platform for online courses.
These services offer tools that facilitate both the experience of those who store the videos and that of the users.
They have a variety of resources that enable interaction between teacher and student and make learning more dynamic, simple and accessible.
It is important to check some details before making your choice:
- If the platform is responsive, i.e., it adapts to different mobile devices;
- If the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) has the necessary functionalities for the realization of your training, such as discussion forums, spaces for information exchange, publication of texts, slides, support to solve doubts, among others;
- If you can customize the content to appeal to employees and provide a positive experience.
Why do an online training for your company?
It is not by chance that an increasing number of people are preferring to invest in online training in their businesses.
Replacing classroom training with the distance model can be advantageous for both employees and the company, and it is exactly about these advantages that we are going to talk to you now.
It’s low cost
Online training does not require large financial investments to be carried out. As we have seen before, with accessible instruments it is already possible to create complete and quality classes.
However, even if you decide to invest in a more expensive platform, buy a professional camera and microphone or use any other element that has a high cost, when offering the training it will not be necessary to spend more money.
To train people in person, it is very common for companies to hire instructors, screens, projectors, physical spaces, coffee breaks, among other details that make the whole process quite expensive.
With the online version, you avoid these expenses without harming your employees’ learning.
You don’t need to worry about travel
When you’re setting up face-to-face training for your team, you need to worry about how to get all the employees to the same place at the same time.
Unless your company has enough space available, it may be necessary to resort to outsourced environments that have auditoriums or meeting rooms, for example.
If you do online training, you don’t need to travel, you can do it in your own workspace, individually.
It can be done at any time
In order to train the employees in person, it is necessary to stipulate fixed dates and times in advance, so that all participants are organized and present.
In companies with a large number of employees, this can be extremely complicated and difficult to manage.
On the other hand, online training can be available continuously, so that the employee can access it at the time he/she prefers.
It is better for the employee to use that time of day when they are more relaxed to do the training than to have to stop or postpone important activities to be present at the set time, right?
Also, you may later find yourself in a situation at work that requires some information from your classes. With all the online content, you can access it at any time, remember what you need and put it into practice.