In the quest to develop effective and engaging employee training programs, many organizations have turned to custom eLearning services as a solution. These services offer the flexibility, personalization, and scalability needed to address specific training needs. However, like any strategic investment, the implementation of custom eLearning services comes with its own set of challenges and learning opportunities. In this article, we’ll share the key lessons we learned from our experience using custom eLearning services, highlighting both the successes and the areas where we could have improved.
1. The Importance of Clear Objectives
One of the first lessons we learned was the necessity of defining clear objectives before embarking on the development of custom eLearning content. Without well-defined goals, it’s easy for the project to lose focus, resulting in content that doesn’t fully meet the organization’s needs.
- Key Takeaway: Start by identifying the specific skills, knowledge, or behaviors you want to address with your training program. Establish measurable goals that align with your organization’s broader objectives, such as improving employee performance, increasing compliance, or enhancing customer satisfaction.
- Our Experience: Initially, we approached custom eLearning with a broad goal of “improving training.” However, we soon realized that we needed more specific objectives. After refining our goals to focus on improving customer service skills and reducing onboarding time, the effectiveness of our custom eLearning programs improved significantly.
2. Engaging Stakeholders Early
Another critical lesson was the value of engaging key stakeholders early in the process. Custom eLearning services often require input from various departments, including HR, IT, and subject matter experts (SMEs). Early involvement ensures that everyone’s needs are considered and helps build support for the project.
- Key Takeaway: Involve stakeholders from the beginning to gather input, set expectations, and ensure that the final product meets the needs of all departments. This collaboration helps avoid misunderstandings and ensures that the eLearning content is relevant and effective.
- Our Experience: In one of our projects, we initially overlooked the importance of involving the IT department. This oversight led to compatibility issues with our learning management system (LMS) later on. After learning this lesson, we made sure to include IT in the planning stages of future projects, which helped us avoid similar issues.
3. Balancing Customization with Budget Constraints
Custom eLearning services offer a high degree of flexibility, but this comes at a cost. One of the challenges we faced was finding the right balance between customization and staying within our budget.
- Key Takeaway: While it’s tempting to create highly customized content, it’s essential to prioritize features that will have the most significant impact. Work closely with your eLearning provider to identify cost-effective solutions that still meet your objectives.
- Our Experience: In an effort to create the perfect training program, we initially requested numerous custom features. However, the costs quickly escalated, leading us to re-evaluate our priorities. By focusing on the most critical elements — such as interactive simulations and assessments — we were able to deliver effective training within our budget.
4. The Value of Iterative Development
One of the most valuable lessons we learned was the importance of an iterative approach to developing custom eLearning content. Instead of trying to get everything perfect in the first version, we found that developing in stages allowed us to refine and improve the content based on feedback.
- Key Takeaway: Embrace an iterative development process where you launch a basic version of the eLearning program, gather feedback from users, and make improvements in subsequent versions. This approach helps you create a more effective final product and reduces the risk of costly mistakes.
- Our Experience: In one project, we launched a pilot version of the eLearning course to a small group of employees. Their feedback revealed some areas where the content could be improved, such as simplifying complex concepts and adding more interactive elements. By making these adjustments before the full rollout, we were able to significantly enhance the effectiveness of the training.
5. Continuous Evaluation and Improvement
Finally, we learned that the implementation of custom eLearning services doesn’t end with the launch of the training program. Continuous evaluation and improvement are crucial to ensure that the content remains relevant and effective over time.
- Key Takeaway: Regularly assess the performance of your eLearning programs by gathering feedback from learners, analyzing completion rates, and measuring the impact on business outcomes. Use this data to make informed decisions about updates and improvements.
- Our Experience: After launching our custom eLearning programs, we implemented a system for ongoing evaluation. This included regular surveys, assessments, and performance reviews. The insights gained from this process allowed us to keep the content up-to-date and aligned with our evolving business needs.
Conclusion
Our journey with custom eLearning services has been filled with valuable lessons that have helped us refine our approach to employee training. By setting clear objectives, engaging stakeholders, balancing customization with budget constraints, adopting an iterative development process, and committing to continuous improvement, we’ve been able to create training programs that truly meet the needs of our organization. These lessons have not only improved the effectiveness of our training but have also reinforced the importance of a thoughtful and strategic approach to custom eLearning. For organizations considering custom eLearning services, we hope that our experience provides useful insights that can help guide your own journey toward more effective and engaging employee training programs.