Stop guessing how to engage employees Your organization offers great perks like a casual dress code, flexible hours, and social events. And yet your top performers still leave, and you're left sorting through another stack of resumes wondering what happened. What is it that they actually want? If your organization is struggling with employee engagement, you're not alone. An alarming 85 percent of the U.S. workforce is disengaged. And if you're wondering why you have low engagement, you're not alone there either. Despite their best intentions, organizations often miss the mark when it comes to engaging employees. Low employee engagement isn't just bad for morale. It can lead to more safety incidents, less productivity and profitability, and increased turnover. But don't feel like engaging employees is a losing battle not worth fighting. It is possible to improve employee engagement by first understanding what drives employee engagement. Once you get to the root causes of disengagement, you can begin to engage employees in a way that resonates with them. In this infographic, you'll learn: How improving engagement produces positive business results  The conditions employees care about most Detailed models to use to improve engagement

Created in 2008, the Training Top 10 Hall of Fame comprises organizations that attained a spot in the Top 10 of Training magazine’s Training Top 125 for four consecutive years. The Training Top 125 awards program recognizes outstanding employer-sponsored workforce training and development. Each year, members of the Training Top 10 Hall of Fame gather in-person to discuss a current learning and development issue and then produce a white paper containing their thought leadership and best practices on the topic.

The term, "Agile," isn’t new, but the use of such a framework has become an indicator of relevance in today’s ever-changing business environment. Since Agile emerged in 2001 as an alternative to the cumbersome documentation process miring the software industry, it has been adopted widely by other businesses as a framework to develop effective solutions quickly. Its hallmarks are collaboration, flexibility, and speed. Like most business functions, Learning and Development (L&D) organizations that can’t meet those ideals soon will be irrelevant.   Agile methodology isn’t the only worthwhile approach to instructional design, of course. ADDIE, Lean, and other frameworks are available and effective, but Agile is particularly well-suited to instructional design, and its core principles can be applied to many design approaches.   This white paper discusses what the Agile design concept means for L&D and outlines some best practices that can make all organizations more responsive and flexible.

Choosing the best technology to deliver learning solutions challenges every training organization, regardless of size or experience. It’s easy to become stymied by legacy systems or diverted by the latest bells and whistles, especially when business leaders have a keen desire to try the newest technologies.   We among the Training Top 10 Hall of Fame organizations are struggling with this, too. We’re learning, though, and know it is critical to continue to focus on aligning learning strategy, content, and supporting technology with business results and needs. When we do that, learners win every time.   In this white paper, we look at Training Top 10 Hall of Famers’ learning and development (L&D) technology best practices and what we’re still learning. These lessons can be applied in any organization, regardless of size or industry.

Talking with the C-suite, having a seat at the table, being a trusted advisor…whatever you call it, this form of success only comes from credibility fostered by a reputation of consistently giving good advice.   That requires being accurate, intuitive, and trustworthy - attributes that can be built only over time. To foster that perception and, thus, gain access to the C-suite, Learning and Development (L&D) leaders must understand the business, see the big picture, and be able to tap subject matter experts to provide the granularity required to ensure that each development activity adds value. Development for development’s sake is not an option. The inkling that L&D could be a valuable business consultant begins with small things—successes forged despite adversity—and grows with consistent improvements until, eventually, the C-suite routinely seeks its input.   With guidance and tips from the Training Top 10 Hall of Fame organizations, this white paper will help you develop what it takes to propel yourself and your department into the confidence of senior leaders, reliably and consistently.

When Learning and Development (L&D) leaders consider the future of training, they often focus primarily on technology solutions. After all, who wouldn’t be intrigued by learners accessing content and swiping through data on holographic white boards shimmering in the air (remember the Tom Cruise movie, Minority Report?)? Or learners channeling Dick Tracy as their smartwatch answers their questions in the field?   Indeed, virtual reality and augmented reality are becoming realistic delivery methods for training; artificial intelligence likewise is becoming a more practical option; and on-demand learning, microlearning, and social learning continue to be increasingly key elements, especially for tech-savvy employees.   Despite the plethora of high-tech solutions, Training Top 10 Hall of Fame members resoundingly believe the classroom will continue to play a vital role in the future of training. That said, this isn’t the classroom you probably trained in. Front-of-the-room lectures to passive listeners are being replaced by flipped classrooms, learning labs, PODs (points of dispersal), facilitators, games, and simulations that engage learners. And that means instructional design will take on an even more crucial role.   This white paper discusses the future of training, the new skills that will be needed to optimize cutting-edge delivery modes on the horizon, and how L&D can best measure results and ensure training effectiveness.

Every organization’s most important asset is people. As such, Learning and Development (L&D) professionals play a vital role as they develop and grow people through training and, thus, have an impact on business success. That means it is crucial for L&D professionals to continuously build and enhance their own skills. But what exactly are the needed skills and how are they changing? As a profession, there are few agreed-upon, universal standards outlining exactly what L&D professionals need to know and do to help employees change their behavior and improve their skills. It’s about more than just mastering core competencies. It’s about identifying certain traits that allow L&D professionals to meet today’s needs and move nimbly into the future. This white paper aims to identify the factors that separate the good from the great by exploring the traits and competencies that characterize the best-of-the-best L&D professionals and what skills will be needed in the future. The goal is twofold: To identify the traits and competencies of the highest echelon of L&D professionals To lay the groundwork for creating a master class curriculum that can propel L&D professionals from proficiency to mastery of their profession. What form that curriculum may take remains to be determined; this white paper is the first step in the process.

Are you missing the opportunity to deliver training to franchisees, manufacturers, suppliers, resellers or your own customers?  Learning, shared objectives, skills, and behaviors are more important than ever to your organization's contingent workforce, yet many are failing at this.    Read Totara Learning’s Extended Enterprise Insights Guide to discover how to create successful learning programs for workers both inside and outside your organization, including:  What audiences organizations need to consider when they are creating a learning program. The business benefits of delivering training to the extended enterprise. How to manage extended enterprise learning.          Download your guide today to discover more about extended enterprise learning. 

Get a competitive edge by developing your emotional intelligence Emotional intelligence, or EQ, is a fairly new concept, but it's quickly becoming a highly desirable trait for many employers. In a time when technology has allowed us to automate many processes, the ability to relate, empathize, and connect is more important than ever. There are several factors that make up emotional intelligence, including self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, and relationship management. Taking time to improve each of these can set you and your organization apart. Individuals with high EQ have stronger relationships in and out of the office, which can lead to higher job satisfaction and lower employee turnover rates. But strong relationships are just one benefit of high EQ. Employees with high EQ tend to have higher productivity and profitability rates, solid problem solving skills, and the ability to control their emotions during stressful situations. Not only do these traits make the workplace more enjoyable, they can also drive business results and keep the organization competitive. Everyone has some degree of emotional intelligence, but there's always room for growth, especially as your role or circumstances change. This ebook has prompts and practices to help you improve your emotional intelligence. You'll also learn: Tips for becoming a more active listener  How to have effective conversations Ways to manage your emotions  How developing your emotional intelligence improves business results

What's the reality of training today?    Poor engagement, low completion rates and next to no knowledge retention. Despite learning leaders aiming for the exact opposite. Here are the numbers: ·  6.5% of learners complete their training (excluding mandatory training) ·  87% of training is forgotten within one month of training ·  80% of new skills are lost within one week of training if not used  Bridge the gap between corporate training and real work outcomes   How are we still getting training wrong? Corporate training programs are designed in a way that’s inherently flawed, focusing mainly on passive content delivery. Action-based learning helps bridge the gap between theory and practice, and leads to an 18X higher knowledge retention rate and 4X higher completion rate.    Download the eBook and learn how to apply action-based learning to deliver a stellar ROI for your company.