3 Types of Employee Training to Benefit All Kinds of Learners

The most effective types of employee training are suited for employees with diverse experience and a wide range of skills.

While individual training is tailored to a specific role, the framework for training new employees should apply to everyone.

Make your employee training simpler and more productive — instantly.

When strategizing types of employee training, think big and small

Diversity of thought drives business success by enabling out-of-the box problem solving — a mix of professional expertise stimulates employee growth. It’s a win-win situation.

While diversity is worth striving for, it is not without a few hurdles, especially when it comes to developing employee training. The biggest mistake an employer can make is assuming that there is a one-size-fits all approach to training.

An effective employee training plan must not only be adaptable and well-rounded but also appeal to the different backgrounds and learning styles of a diverse group of employees.

Start by identifying your employees’ learning styles

As a famous quote commonly attributed to Einstein goes, “If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

We know fish can’t climb trees, just like we know everyone learns and retains information in different ways. It’s neither fair nor effective to apply the same types of employee training to all staff and expect the same positive outcome.

Social scientists have identified three main learning styles through which most learning occurs: visual, auditory and kinaesthetic. Individuals may learn most effectively in one style, or a blend of two or three.

It is important to remember that you do not need to create separate types of employee training plans to suit each type of learner. Instead, try to implement aspects of each into any enterprise training plan. Different types of employee training sessions built to engage each kind of learner will have the best chances for success.

How to design effective training for different types of learners

It’s important to understand how different learners best absorb information in any context, but especially in a digital work environment. As technology continues to permeate the modern workplace, companies need employees to gain proficiency on a variety of digital solutions.

To do so effectively, the types of employee training you administer should appeal to all learners.

Visual learners

Visual learners best retain new information by seeing the material firsthand and visualizing concepts. Training methods that are tailored to visual learners should ideally involve textual and graphic elements.

Lectures are less beneficial for this type of learner unless they are accompanied by some type of visual aid.

When it comes to learning digital platforms, visual learners will appreciate types of employee training with on-screen cues. The the visual prompt will guide them during the moment of need and stick in their memory better than listening to an instructor.

Auditory learners

Unlike visual learners, for auditory learners, hearing is believing. They learn best by hearing someone explain a concept and then applying it to their daily work.

Learning digital platforms can be challenging for auditory learners because generally, lectures are an ineffective software training method. However, many eLearning and LMS and Digital Adoption Platforms include features that provide audio effects.

Auditory learners also love to talk about what they’ve learned with others. After a lesson, hold a discussion so that the employees can review the information out loud and hear others’ perspectives on the content.

Kinaesthetic or tactile learners

Kinaesthetic learners can engage through lectures and discussions, but they thrive on interactivity. Throughout the lecture, create quizzes or activities that get employees out of their seats and have them practice what they’ve just learned.

Hands-on learning is the best training method for these learners. Examples could include case studies, role playing and assessment activities.

Diversify your types of employee training and increase engagement

It may seem difficult to mesh all of these types of employee training together, but it is essential to be adaptable and open to all learning styles.

Using a program like WalkMe for employee training ensures effective software learning, and boosts employee engagement.

Training is challenging but it can be an enjoyable experience for everyone. Embracing diversity and keeping the different types of training and learning styles in mind will help ensure a successful training program for all employees.

WalkMe helps ensure training is effective for all employees. Discover how.

Originally published at blog.walkme.com on November 7, 2017.