7 Tips To Create Online Training Courses For Distracted Employees

• 5 min read

Your distracted employees could be costing you big. Here’s how to counter lost productivity

Do your employees have to contend with distractions that delay their online training progress? In this article, I’ll offer 7 top tips to create online training for employees who need help focusing on the task at hand.

How To Create Online Training Courses For Easily Distracted Employees

Employees face a myriad of distractions every day, especially in busy work environments, which makes it increasingly difficult for them to take time out for online training. There are looming deadlines and personal obligations to contend with, therefore completing an online training course isn’t typically their top priority. However, online training gives them the skills and knowledge they need to reach their potential and achieve their professional goals.

Here are 7 top tips to get everyone actively involved in online training, even easily distracted employees or those lacking the necessary motivation.

1. Personalize The Online Training Experience

Employees need anytime, anywhere access to online training resources. But they also want to feel like the online training materials are made just for them. Before designing your next online training course, it’s important to know who your corporate learners are. That includes their experience levels, personal and professional backgrounds, as well as their performance gaps. It’s a great idea to survey your employees about their learning preferences and needs.

Of course, you can’t personalize every aspect of the online training course to suit everyone’s tastes. However, surveys at least give you a sense of what sort of challenges your employees may face. Particularly when it comes to distractions. Then you can offset it from the beginning to pique their interest and get them actively involved.

2. Incorporate Striking Visuals

The last thing anyone wants to do is take time out of their busy day to train, and then be bored to tears. People like to get information in its simplest form. So, consider using images instead of text wherever possible, as this engages employees and improves knowledge retention. Visuals also reduce the amount of seat time, which means that employees can get back to work as quickly as possible. For example, infographics allow them to acquire the information they need without having to spend a lot of time reading text.

3. Break Long-Term Goals Into Smaller Milestones

Employees are more motivated when they feel like they can achieve their goals with minimal effort and maximum engagement. Break long-term goals into manageable milestones so that corporate learners see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. For example, achieving their compliance online training certificates involves multiple online training tasks, courses, and activities. If they’re able to take one step at a time, they are more likely to achieve the end goal. You can also integrate gamification elements to reward employees for each milestone they accomplish.

4. Get Their Priorities Straight

When employees are faced with a number of deadlines, adding another task on top of it may cause some inner turmoil. They don’t know which task to take care of first. As a general rule, employees will put pay or position-based tasks at the top of their list. For example, work obligations that are directly related to monthly manager evaluations.

The issue with this approach is that employees overlook online training tasks that have a direct impact on performance. For instance, real-world simulations that build an essential skill they need to improve their proficiency. Thus, they may need tasks or checklists that outline their priorities, such as an eLearning course map with the target tasks or a calendar to help them plan ahead. Additionally, you can divide your online training content into smaller modules that start with the most important online training content or cluster information. This allows employees to pick-and-choose the online training modules that align with their personal priorities.

5. Stress The Real-World Benefits

Helping employees to see the importance and relevance of taking time out to complete an online training course enhances mental focus. Use simple and clear learning objectives so that the employees know what they will be assessed on throughout the online training course. You should also connect the subject matter to real-world applications.

For example, stress what they’ll be able to accomplish after completing the task-based simulation. One of the most effective ways to stress the real-world benefits is to put their skills and knowledge into action. Create online training simulations and scenarios that give employees the chance to use what they’ve learned in a realistic context.

6. Eliminate In-Course Distractions

In our fast-paced, sensory-overloaded environment, it’s best to minimize the amount of distractions. For example, ensure that you design the online training course in a way that it does not clutter the mind or detract from the key takeaways. The online training course design needs to be aesthetically clean and clear so that your employees know where to focus their attention. You should also be mindful of social media usage. While sites like Twitter and Facebook can be valuable social learning tools, they are also potential distractions. Employees use social media to get valuable tips and resources but there are also personal pics and posts vying for their attention.

7. Create A Dedicated Online Training Space

Many employees may prefer to do their online training from the convenience of their own workspace. However, it may be wise to provide a clean and welcoming space where employees can train on site. Easily distracted employees may find even their own work environment to be distracting. It’s relatively easy to get caught up in conversation at their cubicle or to reply to every email or social media comment when they’re supposed to be training. Thus, offering an escape area gives them a chance to take a break from their regular work and dedicate their full attention to the online training experience.

Distractions abound in the modern, tech-centered workplace. However, a clutter-free online training course design that features striking visuals and real-world applications is sure to grab their attention. Use these 7 tips to create online training courses that are personalized, memorable, and manageable even for the most easily distracted employees.

It is no surprise that many easily distracted employees are actually very busy or even exhausted from their heavy workload. Read the article 7 Tips To Create Online Training Courses For Overworked Employees to discover how to create online training courses for overworked employees.

Do you have a question about social learning, or about how to improve the effectiveness of your learning programs in general? Ask in the comments and we’ll do our best to provide a timely response!

Experience what a distraction-free and fun-to-use learning management system is like by trying Docebo free today for two weeks. No cost, no credit card, and no commitment!