5 reasons why inductions need to be online

Let’s be honest: Covid-19 is having a profound effect on the way learning is delivered in the workplace.

Before the Coronavirus stuck, traditional face-to-face classroom-style delivery was still very much the norm, but lockdown and now the strict social distancing measures have effectively forced learning and development teams across the world to upskill staff and induct new starters online. However, just because businesses have little choice but move their training online, it doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing.

In this article, we give five reasons why modern inductions should be online… with or without a deadly virus doing the rounds.

1. They can be delivered anytime, anywhere

Right now, flexibility is probably the most important reason! New starters still can’t visit the office quite like they used to, so online inductions are vital ways of getting across important information about the company’s history, core values and structures. Without the ability to deliver inductions online, new starters might be in danger of feeling a bit lost during the early stages of their new role. They may have joined a business, but it’s hard to get a feeling of a company through awkward Zoom calls with the team alone! Take a look at how we created an interactive webinar for BOSCH just before the lockdown.

2. An engaging way of introducing a business

Good inductions not only get across the information that new starters need, they also help to sell the company to the individual as well. By the end of it, you want the employee to be glad they decided to take the role, not bored to death just a few hours in! Inductions delivered through eLearning can help to keep users engaged with the information by including interactive design features such as hot graphics, click-to-reveals and quizzes. Also, video works great in eLearning and is a useful way of bringing workplace related situations to life. See how we produced a bright and vibrant online induction for Saks Hair and Beauty.

3. It keeps the message consistent

In the past, businesses would often turn to their confident (and a little quirky) in-house company expert to deliver the training, but what happens when they aren’t available? Does the new starter have to wait to be inducted or does someone else with their own take on things deliver the training? Online inductions provide you with the opportunity to make the information consistent for everyone who receives the training. 

4. It’s cost effective

Okay, designing and building online training does incur a cost, but so does every time an individual delivers the session to a group. And if they are doing this monthly, weekly or even daily, it’s not going to take long before you’ve paid for the cost of developing the eLearning module or interactive webinar… and then some! If yours is the sort of organisation where the information in the induction barely changes, imagine how long you could get out of a well-designed online induction?

5. Measure the impact

If it’s worth doing, it’s worth measuring, right? Well, why should inductions be any different? eLearning modules usually sit on top of a Learning Management System (LMS), which is designed to track and monitor the progress of the people participating in the training. Depending on the LMS, you can see how much their knowledge of the organisation has increased, if they have completed the training or even which questions they got wrong. This can help HR teams learn if there are parts of the training material that needs improving in the future. Learn more about the Lite LMS we built for the International Olympic Committee.

If you would like to speak to the First Media team about online inductions or anything mentioned in this article, email hello@firstmedia.co.uk or call 01507 607783.