Everyone relies on motivation to get through the work day. When the 2 p.m. slump comes around, a cup of coffee isn’t always enough to finish the remaining three hours. For this reason, boosting employee motivation is important for businesses. New research published in the journal Neuron sheds some light on a tool that improves intrinsic motivation: curiosity. According to the study, curiosity can improve learning outcomes and memory, so it’s an effective tool for training programs. You can use this information to help your employees learn new skills.     The magic of curiosity   Researchers from the University of California at Davis gathered 19 volunteers to assess the physical effects of curiosity on the brain. Each participant was hooked into a functional magnetic resonance imaging machine and researchers captured photos of areas of the brain that lit up when highly active. The participants looked at a trivia questionnaire that included inquiries like "What year did the Beatles sing ‘Hey Jude?’" Then, volunteers ranked each question based on how curious they were about the answer.   The MRI showed that when subjects were curious, the parts of their brains associated with reward and pleasure lit up. Additionally, the area associated with memory creation, the hippocampus, ignited as well. Once the MRIs showed that the volunteers were curious, the researchers had them perform a task that did not involve a subject about which they were curious.   After all the observation, participants took a quiz to see how much they recalled. They took the same quiz one day later. The results showed that when participants were curious, they had the best learning outcomes, even if they were learning about a subject they found uninteresting.   Harnessing curiosity   Training tasks may not sound interesting, but they can be. Prime employees prior to training by launching the program with a fun topic. Many of ej4′s eLearning videos employ this tactic. Though presenting information related to work, the videos are relatable and light. They open by noting something most people can relate to, which will hopefully help turn on your employees’ curiosity.   Want to experience ej4′s curiosity-inducing eLearning courseware yourself? Start Your Free Trial Now The post Using Curiosity to Motivate Employees appeared first on .

Thinking Bigger Business Media honors Kansas City’s best small businesses every year with it’s 25 Under 25 Awards®. And out of more than 1,400 companies nominated, ej4 was selected as a member of the class of 2015!     It’s a wonderful recognition and we’re thrilled to be included alongside other Kansas City area businesses.   Here’s what Thinking Bigger said on the merits of this award:   "These companies were judged on their financial stability; ability to overcome adversity and challenges; community involvement; distinguishing or defining characteristics; and company vision."   ej4 Owner, Paul Russell on this achievement:   "Kansas City-born in 2003, the ej4 streaming-video dream sprang from a need to rethink business productivity training. It worked. Primarily thanks to Pepsi-Cola and Anheuser-Busch, we were immediately profitable—unheard of for an internet business. Our team has since posted a decade of annual sales gains from varied clients in multiple industries across the country and aboard ships at sea. With one of our offices planted firmly in the Crossroads Arts District of Kansas City, we have proudly invented, invested and innovated and now enjoy pro bono partnerships with several local not-for-profits in addition to our far-flung business clients. We are honored to be among the 25."   ej4 CEO, Ryan Eudy:   "This award echoes our commitment to making a positive impact within our own communities, while also helping companies and their employees improve performance through better, more accessible training via our award-winning eLearning courses and services."   Thank you so much to Thinking Bigger for the honor! To learn more about ej4 and how we create smarter video-based eLearning solutions that positively change employee behaviors, watch this video…     … or check out our courses now with a free 15-day trial of our learning platform, Thinkzoom. Sign Up Here The post We’re a Member of This Year’s 25 Under 25! appeared first on .

With the many Federal Employment Laws currently in place, making sure your company adheres to them can be tricky. You have to cover all of your bases even when your plate is full. In fact, your company’s HR department is probably working hard to ensure safety, compensation, benefits, etc., all align with federal law. Despite the efforts businesses make, many find staying on top of the laws difficult. According to a survey conducted by ADP, 52 percent of mid-sized companies have experienced at least one HR-compliance issue. Additionally 90 percent of companies (of all sizes) look for outside aid to help them meet regulations. That statistic makes sense, given that half of HR departments worry they won’t be able to keep up with current laws.     If your business is among the 90 percent that wants a little extra help, you’re in luck - it’s readily available. The facets of HR compliance related to employee training (such as workplace safety and ethics) are easy to outsource. By using eLearning courseware to teach your employees and HR team valuable information about workplace laws, you’ll save time and adequately train the people in your company. Here are the ways in which video training makes HR compliance simpler:   Cuts down on time   Rather than place your employees in an hour-long meeting (which they may not have time for), you can present eLearning courseware that’s less than 10 minutes long. These short videos cover a specific topic, hitting all the key points. With the quick learning format, your employees will have to watch numerous videos, but they can more easily squeeze them into their already packed schedules.   Doesn’t require a trainer   If your HR department has to train all employees on certain labor laws, they’ll have to create presentations and administer them. Video learning removes that need. Employees can sit at their desks and watch videos without the help of other personnel. This frees up your HR team to work on other important projects, like meeting other compliance areas.   Companies can manage progress   ej4 eLearning courseware can come with Thinkzoom, an innovative system that makes tracking employee progress easy. Through the platform, administrators can check to see which employees have completed their training and which have not. This system makes ensuring the entire company is up to date on labor laws simpler. Furthermore, Thinkzoom has a custom content tool administrators can use to make training videos that address the company’s unique policies.   Start a free trial with ej4 now to see just how much using training videos for HR compliance will help. The post Simplifying HR Compliance Through eLearning Courseware appeared first on .

The holidays can feel like a haze of family, parties, gifts and relaxation, and they always seem to end too soon. Now that January and the new year have arrived, your employees are steadily returning to work, still remembering the joys of sleeping in and spending time with loved ones. With the excitement of the holidays still fresh in their minds, your employees may struggle to refocus when they’re back in the office - sitting at a desk for eight hours isn’t as nice as watching holiday movies in your pajamas.     However, you can help your employees find their groove again by following these tips:   Touch Base   Big projects and client meetings seem a world away when they happened just before the holidays, but now your employees need to dive back into them. You can help individuals identify what’s on their plates by having a quick meeting. Ask where they are in a certain project, if they need any help or if they’ve heard from the client. Simply chatting about work-related tasks helps your employees get out of the holiday haze and back into work mode.   "Of the employees who said their supervisor focused on their weaknesses, 22 percent said they were actively disengaged."   Utilize Employee Strengths   According to a Gallup poll, the more supervisors focus on the strengths and positive sides of their employees’ performances, the more engaged those individuals become. Basically, if you give praise appropriately and utilize the abilities of each team member, those people are more likely to focus at work. In fact, 37 percent of those polled noted that their supervisors focus on their strengths and positive characteristics. Of the people from that group, only 1 percent were actively disengaged. Of the employees who said their supervisor focused on their weaknesses (about 11 percent), 22 percent said they were actively disengaged. Finally, 25 percent of employees said they were ignored by their supervisor, and of those, 40 percent admitted to being actively disengaged at work.   The Gallup poll draws attention to the importance of supporting your team by attending to their strengths and praising their good work. Doing so can keep individuals motivated.   Offer Training Opportunities   Jumping back into work after the holidays can be a bit jarring, but you can ease employees into the new year with some eLearning courseware. Have employees take a little time to watch training videos that either reinforce skills they already have or teach them new ones. Whether you use off-the-shelf content or create custom videos, you can provide your employees with the support they need to develop professionally - and having that extra help can promote focus.   For more information on how eLearning courseware can help your employees focus at work, contact our sales team today. The post Helping Employees Refocus After the Holidays appeared first on .

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