Some of the most interesting parts of Towards Maturity’s recent report on compliance training are the direct quotes from learners and L&D professionals talking about compliance elearning.We’ll look at what we can learn from this genuine feedback and examine strategies to help overcome the problems that real learners are having with compliance training.Excellence in Compliance Training is the latest report from Towards Maturity, an independent research organisation that provides benchmarking data to help L&D professionals improve their results.Generic courses aren’t relevant"The mandatory courses all feel too generic and often lack relevance to my working environment."It’s clear from this feedback that off-the-shelf compliance courses are failing some employees.Often, a generic approach can’t offer the same engagement as a bespoke course designed for your organisation. One of the biggest themes of the report is the view of employees that compliance elearning is boring and irrelevant.A well-designed compliance course will highlight the real world benefits to learners of being compliant. Knowing the specific details of an employee’s role within their organisation is critical in creating a course they can relate to."My experience of off-the-shelf training is that the majority of it is dull and usually filled with too much irrelevant information, due to the fact that the author doesn’t know what audience they are writing for, so they have to cover all eventualities. They also tend to fill training with irrelevant gimmicks to make it seem more interesting."It’s important to ensure that any interaction adds to the objective of the course. It’s tempting to introduce elements that brighten up a dull subject but as we can see, learners value concise content that shows them the benefits.Real learners can spot a generic course.  It can affect their performance and the likelihood that they will complete the training. A bespoke approach allows an instructional designer to create the most effective route to the learning objectives for your staff.If you can hear your employees when you read these quotes, consider using a tailored solution for your next compliance elearning programme.Multi-device learning"We already have mobile-enabled applications for compliance training on certain devices but we are trying to get support for all devices since training platforms are not entirely supported. We hope to have easier access to training applications for all mobile devices in the near future."This experience is echoed by many other respondents to the Towards Maturity study, with only 23% using mobile phones and 42% using tablets to access online learning content. Making it easier for staff to access training is a priority for many L&D departments.Creating platform specific training limits the benefits of the course to learners using that single device. You’re also limiting the lifespan of the training to the operating system or device that it’s designed for.Elearning enables more people to take training, with geographically dispersed workforces able to experience the same course as their colleagues. Unfortunately they will often be using different types of devices to access these online courses.One solution is to create responsive content that is designed to be accessed through a web browser on any device.When a responsive course is accessed on a mobile the learner will be presented with a layout that’s suitable for a small touchscreen. If the same person arrives at their desk and would prefer to use a desktop with a large screen, mouse and keyboard, the content adapts to the new hardware and progress is resumed.Building a responsive course will allow you to extend the life of your learning and make one set of content accessible to many more learners.  Responsive elearning therefore represents a cost effective way to reach as many people as possible with one course. Adapt - Responsive elearning framework Creating responsive content is simplified by using a framework like Adapt. It makes it possible to create multi device learning that will work on all the devices your learners use. Sponge UK were founder members of the Adapt Open Source project and continue to develop the framework whilst using it in many commercial projects. Too much choice"I would like a study plan, requiring time and support from my Line Manager. I’m not sure where to start; there’s so much on our online learning portal, it’s a bit overwhelming."Sometimes, presenting staff with too many options results in ‘analysis paralysis’, the abundance of choice making it difficult to select the best option.The following quote is from a high performing company that is meeting the majority of its compliance training targets."We shifted from eight mandated courses on induction to a new approach aligned to what a new person needs to do in the organisation. Mandated training is aligned to individual job roles and placed in context."The different experiences make it clear, target your employees’ job roles and give them less elearning that is more relevant and you can achieve better performance.This kind of targeting can be achieved in the LMS (Learning Management System) by using the information you have to identify which areas different types of staff need to access.It’s possible to take this approach a step further when dealing with an elearning induction programme.Using adaptive learning techniques like pre-assessment can steer staff to the relevant parts within a single course. Giving them one course that provides all the relevant information is better than offering many individual courses.If you want to find out more, including the statistics that back up the quotes from the report, you can download it in full from Towards Maturity.Keep this genuine feedback and these real solutions in mind when you take on your next elearning project. Discuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter The post Real feedback and real solutions to compliance elearning problems appeared first on Sponge UK.

How can you provide effective training for all your employees wherever they are in the world?Large businesses routinely operate across borders and they need training that can adapt to the different cultures and environments that their staff are part of.Everyone knows that when you see the familiar Tesco sign, whether you’re stepping off a bus in Malaysia, or visiting friends in Slovakia, you’re going to get a familiar experience.If you ask for the cornflakes you’ll be taken to them by a staff member, the checkout process will be the same and the floors will be clean. There are standards that are expected across the entire chain of stores that are kept consistent thanks to standard training.There are some differences though, the bakery might serve different types of bread, the majority of milk may be long life rather than fresh and the sandwiches might not be pre-packaged in triangles. Training is also needed for the unique aspects of each location.Food retailers offer the most obvious examples of the challenges in training for global organisations, but all companies face similar issues. Elearning can help overcome these problems through a number of techniques.How can elearning help?Elearning is one of the best ways to get this training out to your staff.  It can be served centrally so any updates or translations can happen in one place and be accessed from around the world.The key to creating a course that can be used anywhere is to break it into modules. By identifying the parts of the training that are unique to an area you can separate the parts which will require adapting from the standard core modules.Common skillsThe standards that a company’s reputation and business relies upon need to be instilled in every employee, regardless of location.Common skills that need to be consistent across an international workforce offer a great opportunity to save on costs by having one set of training for everyone performing that role.Once the basic training is established you will need to consider both translation and localisation of the content before deployment.Translating elearningTranslation often doesn’t require the creation of new content. If the course has been well designed the new text can be imported to replace the existing content. Working with a provider who is experienced with translation helps ensure this is a smooth process.Some courses will require some more substantial changes. Moving from English to a right to left reading language like Hebrew for instance might require adjusting the layout of assets to make sure the learning objectives are still clear.Localising elearningLocalisation is the process of adapting content to fit a local area. Making sure the training is relevant to the culture and environment that the learners are part of.In order to localise content properly you need to take account of all the different types of media in the course. Images, audio and video can all reflect the values and customs of the part of the world they’re created for.Look for an elearning provider that has experience in, not only translation, but localisation of content, if you need to deploy the same course across many territories.Unique skillsThe specific training that’s required for staff in a certain location is more difficult to create. Often the training will follow the same basic processes but with key differences throughout.Building templates allows you to create the structure of a module and then slip in the relevant content for your area. Creating another version of the module for a different but similar process is then a much more manageable task.Every elearning authoring tool will allow you to create some sort of template, and many providers offer a template creation and training service to get you up to speed on adapting templates into new modules.The best templates are broken down into distinct sections which can then be edited or moved individually, creating a versatile tool kit for an elearning developer to quickly put together a course which best fits the specific needs of the area.Combining a template with translation and localisation makes it easy to introduce new region-specific training modules.Get your staff the right trainingOnce you’ve translated, localised and modified the courses to make sure they are suitable for any member of staff no matter the location, you need to give them access to the relevant information.Being overwhelmed with options can be a major turn-off for staff wanting to develop their skills. With so many versions of courses you need to narrow the possibilities down to a manageable selection.Geolocation technology that’s built into web browsers and mobile devices can be used by elearning to help ease the process of serving the right content to the right people.You may need to serve the same course on new EU regulations to everyone in Europe in their local language, and a different course on US law in English to others.  Automatically detecting the region of an employee who is accessing the elearning makes it a seamless experience for them.You can control which courses are available through an LMS (Learning Management System), so that only the appropriate courses for your audience are available to take. This solution means you get full control over who takes the training.Alternatively, you could opt for an adaptive learning approach, allowing the learners themselves to answer questions or select options which then present them with the appropriate course.If a staff member accidentally answers incorrectly and is steered to the wrong course, it’s easy to add safeguards that allow them to back up and make a different selection.SummaryHere are the main reasons elearning can help when training a global workforce:Translation - once a final master version of the elearning is signed off the content can be translated and easily substituted into individual coursesLocalisation - elearning makes it possible to change other course assets like images and video to match the local culture without having to produce an entirely new courseTemplates - all elearning software allows creation of templates which reduce the time it takes to modify elements of the course to make them relevant to staff in different countriesGlobal deployment - having the course housed on an LMS accessible from the web allows you to update it and immediately make the new version available worldwideGeolocation - identifying a learners location using web technology puts the relevant information in front of the right staff automaticallyMany of the common pitfalls and challenges can be avoided if you use an elearning provider who has experience with delivering international elearning programmes.Discuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter The post The challenges of training global workers appeared first on Sponge UK.

The eLearning Network’s annual conference will hear how "thinking like game designers" can help learning professionals unlock the full potential of games in digital learning.Kate Nicholls, Creative Director at award-winning elearning company, Sponge UK is hosting a session at the conference looking at the role of games in elearning.Nicholls said:"Designing effective learning games requires a different skillset to ‘traditional’ elearning. It can be daunting to start with but it’s worth the challenge.  I think game play comes naturally to humans and it is just a question of working out how to make the most of this innate ability to reach a learning objective. As learning designers, we can gain a lot from borrowing techniques from the commercial gaming world.  During my talk, I will be suggesting ways of thinking like game designers and exploring how to best use games and game elements in elearning."The session, The Role of Games in Digital Learning, will also cover the different types of games available, when to use games in elearning and why games are effective as a learning tool.   It takes place at 12.10-12.40pm at the ‘Beyond Click Next’ conference on Wednesday, November 11 at 15 Hatfields, London.The event is the biggest event ever staged by eLearning Network (eLN) and open to members and non-members alike.There are three streams of presentations covering strategy and tactics in digital learning, design and methods and tools and systems.Keynote addresses will come from educational scientist, Pedro De Bruyckere and elearning expert, Clive Shepherd.Registration is available via the eLearning Network website.The post Think like game designers plea at eLN conference appeared first on Sponge UK.

The role elearning can play in creating a positive and lasting induction experience for new employees will be explored in an interactive webinar this month.Award-winning elearning provider, Sponge UK is hosting the session to provide new ideas for organisations looking to improve their approach to onboarding.Learning Designer at Sponge, Brayley Pearce, is hosting the webinar, First Impressions to First Year: Benefits of Bespoke Induction.Brayley said:"The picture you paint during an employee’s induction is the one that stays with them, so it is essential to get it right. I’ll be following the journey of a new starter from the moment they accept a job offer to their first year of service and highlighting ways bespoke elearning can help make the induction as positive and productive as possible. As with all our webinars, I’m interested to hear about a wide range of experiences and there will be plenty of opportunities for attendees to share their views and ask questions."Data from the independent research organisation, Towards Maturity suggests that while 97% of organisations offer induction or onboarding training only 58% of these skills are e-enabled.The webinar takes place between 12:30 - 13:00 (GMT) on Wednesday, 18 November 2015 and registration is available via http://buff.ly/1NTs4NI.The key areas covered will include:Benefits of induction elearning for your business Pre-boarding strategiesFirst day, first impressionsExtended induction programmes  The webinar will be useful for L&D professionals, HR practitioners and managers looking to implement change in onboarding, and will be relevant across all industry sectors. The post Webinar on positive induction from first day to first year appeared first on Sponge UK.

How well does your organisation deal with change?Increasingly, the degree to which businesses can adapt positively and quickly to change is driving their success. But it’s not just at board level - every employee has a role to play and elearning can help.Rapid pace"Change is inevitable. Change is constant."British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli speaking at the zenith of the industrial revolution must have thought his generation had the monopoly on change, given the social and economic upheaval of his time.We may just outdo the Victorians.In our world, it is not just the level of change, but the rapid pace of change, that is defining.Technology is the best example.Today, even the most basic smartphone has the equivalent computing power of a 1980s defence system.But so-called exponentials promise to take this is a whole new level.Exponentials are technologies that grow in capability at a much faster rate than normal tech, roughly doubling in performance every 12 to 18 months (relative to their size and cost).Examples are things like quantum computing, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics.We don’t yet know where this rapid pace of change will lead us, or how it will impact on our everyday lives, but the ability to adapt to change is likely to become a fundamental requirement for both individuals and organisations.CEO surveyWhat keeps company leaders awake at night?The latest Global CEO survey by PwC sheds some light.Out of more than 1,300 CEOs in 77 countries:72% said they are concerned about geopolitical uncertainty60% are worried about social instability58% are concerned about the speed of technological changesReassuringly, those at the top of business are clear on the strategic importance of developing the skills of their employees to help meet these challenges.More than 80% said their organisation always looks to equip employees with new skills through continuous learning programmes.Common barriersWhether it is the introduction of a new technology, a merger or entering a new market, the workforce’s ability to adapt positively is crucial.But there are many things that can go wrong.Some of the common barriers include:Workforce resistanceLack of employee engagement and motivationOrganisational culturePoor communicationLack of adequate resourcesPoor leadershipThese pitfalls lead to an estimated 70% of organisations failing to successfully implement business change projects. Learning innovationBusinesses that are digitally transforming their learning are seeing results.  Towards Maturity’s latest Benchmark Report reveals that learning innovation has contributed to a 22% improvement in the ability of organisations to change procedures and products and delivered a 24% improvement on their ability to speed up rollout of new IT, over a 3 year average.With the speed of change now increasing across all sectors, multi-media elearning is likely to play an even bigger role in future in helping organisations respond to business change.Interactive videos, explainer animations, elearning games, interactive challenges and quizzes and social learning technologies can all be used as part of an online learning campaign to support a business change project.We’ve identified 5 ways elearning contributes to successful transformation:CommunicationA key factor in the failure of change initiatives is communication. Poor communication leads to a lack of understanding and fuels resistance. Getting communication right can be tricky if the business change is complex or happening quickly. Elearning can prove a rapid and effective communications tool. Learning designers are adept at turning detailed information into an easy-to-digest format. Businesses can check understanding through interactive quizzes so they can provide more information where necessary.MotivationWinning hearts and minds - you may have heard this phrase if you have been involved in change management. But that’s not going to happen without tapping into emotion. Elearning can use elements such as video and animation to inspire the workforce about the business change, why it’s necessary and what’s in it for them.EngagementClosely linked to motivation, business change success is dependent on employee engagement. Engagement will vary throughout the business change initiative, in a process called the ‘change curve’. Elearning has the advantage of being available at any time so employees can refer to it repeatedly and when they are ready. Good elearning also keeps people’s attention for longer and helps them absorb information so it can prove far more engaging that a dry, written communication.InteractivityBusiness change is far less effective if the only option is to respond  passively. Elearning is built around interactivity, allowing workers to understand the change through active learning. Being told to ‘listen and accept’ is very different from being asked to ‘discover and explore.’  The latter is much more effective in supporting employees through change.FlexibilityFor organisations implementing business change quickly, or those with a workforce spread across the world, elearning can be particularly useful. Face-to-face sessions inevitably take time (and money) to rollout. Elearning can be available to all staff at the same time so everyone gets a consistent message, wherever they are in the world. Given the pace of change in some sectors, elearning may be the only effective option to keep employees updated.To recap, elearning can help support staff development through business change in 5 key ways:CommunicationMotivationEngagementInteractivityFlexibilityWith constant change now the new ‘norm’ for many businesses, those proving most successful are the organisations evolving their approach to change management and how they communication with and train their workforce.Sponge UK has experience of working with large companies to workforce training on business change using a wide range of multi-media elearning.Discuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter The post 5 ways elearning can support business change appeared first on Sponge UK.

In a connected world where data is one of the most precious resources for any business, cyber-attacks are becoming more common.From major government leaks to hackers targeting corporations, all L&D departments should be helping to prepare for a potential data breach.We’re focusing on the strategies that you can put in place to ensure the best performance of your staff, from frontline to management, before and immediately after a hack.PreparationThere are many types of cyber security breaches.  The highest profile examples tend to be outside agents attacking or stealing secure data, but perhaps more common are simple lapses in protocol or mistakes in securing data.There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to dealing with an area as big as cyber security so being able to offer a cost-effective, versatile approach is key.Elearning has the flexibility to make preparation for a hack easier and more effective.Types of elearning that will help:InductionDuring induction or onboarding you can build a sense of loyalty and responsibility in your staff, a culture of accountability. Many security breaches come from an inside source either willingly giving up information or accidentally losing important hardware.With a good induction programme in place you can encourage new starters to take data security seriously. It’s also an opportunity to explain what data the company stores, how important it is and what precautions are taken to protect it.We have lots of information on how induction can reinforce a culture of responsibility. Find out more on our induction page.ComplianceThe basic groundwork for knowledge around a data breach is usually dealt with by compliance training. Compliance elearning can give your employees the general knowledge they need to quickly get up to speed on the specifics of an event.There is an argument that everyone in the business should have a good basic understanding of the data that is held in the company and what the regulations are around protecting that data. Elearning makes it easier to deliver this message consistently.Consider updating your compliance elearning regularly by having an easily editable course which presents the latest information.Having bespoke compliance elearning around data security allows you to give specific, relatable examples to your staff which will be key to helping them understand the unique data situation of your business.Soft skillsIf you have customer facing staff they will have been trained on handling customer’s concerns and often the basics of data protection too. This should provide a good grounding for dealing with general enquiries.It’s not just customer facing staff who will be dealing with an extraordinary situation. Intermediate management will also need to be primed with the skills they need to support frontline workers.Any crisis in a business can reveal gaps in the skills or knowledge of employees so it’s important to take any opportunity to prepare for these situations.Simulation and serious gamesExperiencing a crisis before it happens, with the ability to make mistakes without fear of doing any damage, is an effective way to prepare staff.Real world events can be simulated within software to allow employees to understand the consequences and the possible outcomes. This type of elearning can incorporate many levels of employees and even external factors like social media and press can be reproduced to add realism.After a breachExperian’s data breach response guide (PDF) lays out how to set up a plan for dealing with the various stages of a data security breach. Naturally, creating a plan and preparing for a potential breach is a big part of the guide.Most experts agree that being open and honest about the breach as quickly as possible is the best tactic to limit damage to a company’s reputation. In order to get the correct information out to the people who need it staff will need to be informed about the specific circumstances as well as the fundamental issues.A responsive, easy to update elearning module can be one of the most effective ways to get the message out.There are ways that elearning is especially useful when dealing with situations like this:Just in time learningBy getting the information out quickly and updated regularly, with a suitable LMS (Learning Management System) acting as the foundation, you can quickly disseminate information to all your staff.Leading figures will need to know the information that frontline staff are passing out to the customers. If the same training course can be accessed online by top level managers they can get a clear idea of what the customers are going to be told.Communicating clearly and consistently is one of the best ways to limit potential reputational damage and elearning is one of the best ways to keep everyone on the same page. Not only can you have one course for everyone to access, it can be tailored to individual needs.With the tracking built into an LMS, you can tell who has taken the training and remind anyone who hasn’t to take the course, ensuring that the latest information reaches everyone who needs to see it.VideoSometimes the best way to get information across quickly is to talk to your employees. If you can’t do that face-to-face then video could be the next best option.Distributing video is as easy as adding it to your LMS or putting it into a new course.  Any video that is aimed at the customers can also be made available to staff in the same place.If your business relies on customer data (and most do) your staff should be in a position to answer questions on what happens if a breach takes place.  A bespoke elearning solution can help prepare staff in the event of a breach and help them deal with the aftermath.We produced our own cyber security module as an example of how multi-device elearning can help your organisation prepare stay cyber safe.  Follow the link to request access to the demo or contact us using the button below to discuss your cyber security training needs.Discuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter The post Handling a hack: Data security elearning appeared first on Sponge UK.

"Leave this conference with questions not answers," urged Elliott Masie, as the curtain fell on his 25th annual extravaganza, Learning 2015.There was a lot to think about following the event, which explored the changing face of workplace learning in the beautiful setting of Orlando, Florida (Nov 1-4, 2015).Three questions jumped out for me - none of them are answered easily.Question 1: How can we make better use of neuroscience to improve workplace learning?Corporate learning expert, author and Learning Now TV presenter, Nigel Paine banged the drum for evidence-based learning in a conference talk inspired by his new book, The Learning Challenge.  He picked out neuroscience as one of the big themes facing learning along with big data and technology.  Paine went on to focus on neuroscience and some of the myths prevalent among learning professionals. He highlighted some of his favourite fictions:Left handed people are more creativeWe only use 10% of our brainsPeople learn better when they are taught in their preferred learning styleBrain cells are dying as we get olderWomen have more balanced brains than menHow many did you think were true? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.Thankfully, Paine also covered some the things that we actually know about the brain and learning. He explained how emotional engagement is important; learning is more effective when people care. And he highlighted the positive link between physical activity and better brain performance with remarkable footage of a brain scan before and after exercise - food for thought in our increasingly sedentary workplaces!Paine’s point is that we need to change traditional views on workplace learning by using neuroscientific research to inform and improve learning design.Question 2: How can gamification and game elements be used more effectively in learning?One of the conference speakers I really wanted to catch was gamification expert, Professor Karl Kapp of Bloomsburg University. He has a particularly clear and understandable way of explaining how games can be used in learning.Kapp breaks down gamification into two types; structural and content.He describes structural gamification as the application of game elements with no alteration or changes to content. This might be through points, levels, badges, timed exercises and leader boards.On the other hand, Kapp’s definition of content gamification is the application of game elements with alteration or changes to the content. This could be through the use of a story, challenge or mystery.Kapp went on to share with delegates some more of his observations about games and gamification and their relationship to learning. These included:Failure - allowing people to get things wrong and try again is a key mechanism for helping people to learn.Rewards - making a game reward too large could be counterproductive if the learner is more preoccupied with the reward than the learning.Leaderboards - they work best when learners have a realistic chance of getting on the leaderboard. If they can’t hope to win it will act as a disincentive.Testing - pilot testing of gamification elements is important to make sure the game elements work as expected.After his talk, Professor Kapp also shared with me some advice for instructional designers. "Practice playing games if you want to be successful at game design for learning," he urged.Question 3: How can we make leadership training more effective?Maestro Roger Nierenberg conducted the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra as part of his demonstration on leadership and organisational dynamics. It was fascinating to see such a powerful visual demonstration of the impact of leadership; in this case the conductor leading the orchestra.Nierenberg showed how his behaviour directly affected the performance of the orchestra.At one point, he conducted without looking up, focused inward on what he was doing rather than connecting with his team of musicians.The result was instantaneous as the orchestra struggled to pick up his instructions and lost confidence.Nierenberg made several important points about leadership, including:Share the big picture with everyoneListen, hear and anticipateBuild a culture of trust that is agile and keeps changingConnectedness is importantAs a leader, be careful not to get caught up in your own work and not connect with your employeesBringing the best out in individuals helps to make a great teamIn summary, my three burning questions from Learning 2015 are:How can we make better use of neuroscience to improve workplace learning?How can gamification and game elements be used more effectively in learning?How can we make leadership training more effective?What’s your burning question about learning?Author: Louise Pasterfield, Managing Director, Sponge UK Discuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter The post 3 burning questions inspired by Masie’s Learning 2015 appeared first on Sponge UK.

United Biscuits (UB), the leading manufacturer of biscuits, cakes and snacks, is supporting ongoing culture change in the organisation with new elearning for its staff.The global company behind brands such as McVitie’s and Jaffa Cakes has launched two online learning modules for new and existing employees about the key behaviours and culture change helping to drive success in the business.Award-winning elearning provider, Sponge UK created the bespoke modules using responsive technology so UB staff can access the training on any device.  The elearning outlines UB’s PACE behaviours (performance, ambition, competitiveness and energy) and the role they play in helping the company achieve its goals.Employees are introduced to PACE through the eyes of three illustrated characters, based on real life employees.Louise Pasterfield, Sponge UK’s Managing Director, said:"Culture is vital to the success of modern organisations, but it can be a difficult thing to teach. Providing authentic examples and experiences is important and the illustrated characters do this in a really engaging way.  Each character has a different perspective and experience so learners get to see how PACE works across a wide range of situations. We’ve also created a short video animation which sets the scene and helps to introduce new employees (and remind existing ones) about the context of PACE within the company."  Head of Learning and Development at UB, Lisa McCandless said:"Our challenge was simple - create something that helps new starters and current employees understand and ‘get’ what the culture we describe as PACE actually means at United Biscuits. However, we soon discovered the solution was not that simple. Working in collaboration with the creative minds of Sponge, who truly understood human psychology, was key in helping us to create something we are really proud of. By using storytelling with real people within UB combined with their avatar characters, which genuinely look like them, we were able to bring PACE to life.  We are really impressed by the feedback we’ve had from our employees, those involved and even our CEO on these two new modules."The elearning has been created using Adapt, the world’s leading multi-device elearning technology that allows a single version to run perfectly on any size device.More than 4,500 UB employees in the UK will undertake the training and the elearning will be rolled out to a further 9,000 staff globally in the near future.Workers also have access to a supporting workbook called PACE in my Pocket which will be available in print, or as an app, to act as a quick reference guide.   Discuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter The post United Biscuits drives success culture with new elearning appeared first on Sponge UK.

It can take time for new employees to learn the job, gain confidence and become productive, but only 37% of businesses extend their onboarding beyond a month.As a follow up to our webinar on induction, we’re going to dive deeper into the benefits of an extended induction programme.It’s often the case that the person tasked with implementing an induction process hasn’t actually done one themselves for several years.  It can be hard to empathise with a brand new starter, especially if they are going to be doing an entirely different job to the one you’re doing yourself.We asked our webinar participants to take part in a survey so we could see what the real motivations were for creating or improving an elearning induction programme.As you can see, engaging staff in order to increase productivity is the clear winner from this sample of L&D professionals, but every business is different and there are people who have different aims even within this group.We’re going to explore some of the ways extending the induction elearning process can help with these goals.PreboardingAs soon as your new hire formally accepts the role you have a chance to start the induction process. Preboarding, or pre-induction involves helping the new starter become a part of the company before their first day."There’s an opportunity to give them information, knowledge and confidence before they join so from day one they can be more productive." - Brayley Pearce, Learning DesignerAround 50% of companies offer some form of preboarding, and the trend is growing to offer a more substantial package to new starters before their first day.Elearning is perfectly suited to delivering preboarding content. It can be made available securely outside of the organisation and is accessible on any device, giving new hires plenty of chances to get started.There are some situations in which preboarding will be especially useful:Long notice periodsIt’s not unusual for an employee to have to give up to 3 months’ notice before leaving a job. During this period, they could receive counter offers to stay in their current role, or even find alternative options. Keeping them engaged and up-to-date on their new company and role will help alleviate this risk.Temporary workersThere are many industries that will have seasonal workers during busy periods. If you have to deal with a big influx of new starters in one go you can save time by making part of the induction process available online before your temporary staff walk through the door.Often casual workers are sourced from an agency and might not have attended a face-to-face interview before turning up at the business location on day one.  Any preparation they can do in advance will be a real help in getting them up to speed quickly.Being able to update your pre-induction gives you the chance to keep it fresh for each season. Make the information relevant and your new employees will be better prepared, more engaged and more productive.Graduates or first-time sector employeesIf you’ve got new starters coming from outside of the industry, returning from a long break or from higher education, then extending the induction further forward can be really useful.A tailor-made primer for your business can include the specific industry information that a new employee needs to prepare for their start.Within your organisation it’s also possible to tailor further to individual roles and skills areas. Many jobs will require a unique mix of skills and knowledge to be truly productive, and this is where bespoke induction really pays off.How long should induction be?If you’re like 63% of companies and don’t have any form of formal induction beyond the first month then you might be used to dealing with first day nerves and the legally required health and safety briefings of the initial contact.Looking beyond this to the ongoing development of an employee you might want to separate induction from the standard training that you offer.Many businesses have a 3 or 6 month probation period, it might be intuitive to cap your induction elearning at one of those points. But are there advantages to continuing the process beyond 3, or even 6 months?"The values and culture of the organisation need to be instilled in everybody from day one onwards. The personalisation of that journey depends on ongoing induction and development, looking at reviews, skills gaps and knowledge gaps." - Sarah Williams, Senior RecruiterThe CIPD defines induction as "the whole process whereby employees adjust or acclimatise to their jobs and working environment". This process can take much longer than 6 months, and some situations can effectively send your employees back to the start of this process:Business changeMergers, spin-offs or any other large-scale changes to the way a business is run can have a knock on effect for all staff. Keeping employees engaged through these changes is a challenge that induction can help you meet. With a well-designed elearning induction programme you can make changes or additions to the module and deploy it quickly to everyone in the firm.With elearning, it’s possible to incorporate external documents and resources which can be altered independently of the module. Whether it’s a simple update to terms and conditions or a brand new mission statement, an elearning induction is much more cost-effective to update than a printed or face-to-face alternative.PromotionWe’ve worked with retailers who have used induction not only as an introduction to roles and responsibilities but also to identify potential talent for promotion.By building modules aimed at many different roles and allowing all members of staff to complete every level they got a good idea of the self-motivated individuals. It turned out that many of the staff wanted to take the induction courses for their line managers and even area managers.If you have a bespoke elearning induction course based on each role it’s easy to make these available to anyone through an LMS. As well as identifying candidates, you have the benefit of a pre-built induction module for anyone promoted into a new role.Get in touch to discuss a more effective and engaging induction process that offers cost-effective options for extension, before and after the first day.Discuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter  The post Don’t take the stabilisers off too soon! Extend your induction appeared first on Sponge UK.

Business leaders are being urged to challenge their expectations in the latest Towards Maturity report.But what assumptions about elearning should they cast aside? What should they demand from elearning in future?Towards Maturity’s latest industry benchmark report, Embracing Change includes insights from more than 600 Learning and Development (L&D) leaders from over 50 countries.   It makes the case for a shift in thinking away from ‘traditional’ ideas about workplace training, and points to the activities of top performing L&D leaders who are taking a fundamentally different approach and achieving much more.One particular section of this comprehensive document lays down a challenge to business leaders to expect more from L&D."Significant business improvement can be achieved through the digital transformation of learning strategies when business leaders demand more than just efficiency."  - Embracing Change, Towards Maturity.This post takes the report’s theme of ‘expect more’ and applies it specifically to elearning, which continues to be used by 90% of the organisations surveyed. What should business leaders demand from elearning in the context of change?Expect impact   Elearning can deliver critical business benefits for organisations, but in the past it has sometimes failed to prove its value or contribute in the right areas.Showing evidence of impact is often limited to feedback surveys, learner questionnaires or course completion data.Of course, these have their place, but they don’t show the difference elearning can make to the central goals of an organisation, and ultimately the bottom line. The Embracing Change report urges L&D to align more closely to business objectives to achieve a greater impact.The findings from the best performing organisations underline the benefits of this approach.The top 10% were five times more likely to agree that they are improving productivity, employee engagement and business responsiveness, compared to the bottom quartile of the index.Those involved in commissioning and creating elearning will need to find robust ways of evaluating it and demonstrating its value against KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) that fit tightly with business goals. In hindsight it sounds obvious, but business leaders should expect elearning to make a difference in the areas that matter most to their organisation, whether that’s customer satisfaction, productivity or sales.  Expect innovation Dave Buglass of Tesco Bank has a warning in the foreword of Embracing Change."If we continue to do what we have always done, many [organisations] will continue to fall short of their full potential," he said.In terms of elearning, breaking with the past must mean moving beyond long, unimaginative, ‘click next’ content that leaves learners feeling bored and demotivated. Thinking deeply about the needs of the audience and the most effective way to connect with them is far more likely to deliver tangible results. This will take both creativity and innovation.Obviously, technology has a role to play, but innovation in learning design is equally as important. Expect more than a course  More than 90% of top performing organisations questioned for the Embracing Change report considered the ‘course’ as only one option for building skills and performance.Yet, elearning is all too often created and deployed as just that - a single online module in isolation.Finding ways to extend elearning and combine it with other learning approaches and technologies to maximise its effectiveness is no longer just desirable - it’s essential. Using elearning in conjunction with learning campaigns, social elements, face-to-face sessions and learner-generated content can increase its effectiveness and impact.Business leaders should be prepared to ask questions about how elearning can add value above and beyond its existence as a single course.In summary, expect impact, expect innovation and expect elearning that moves beyond a ‘traditional’ course - don’t settle for less.  If we demand more of workplace elearning it can play a greater role in helping to improve business performance. Discuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter The post Are you demanding enough from your elearning? appeared first on Sponge UK.