Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/295251
[ 30 ] HRO TODAY MAGAZINE | APRIL 2014 1. Take advantage of 'bring your own device' (BYOD) trend. With the proliferation of smart phones and tablets, employees increasingly want to train on their own devices. Many employees would rather train by watching a 60-second video at their leisure than being tethered to an office computer. A solution that reflects the increased mobility of on-the- go employees puts staff in control of their own learning experience. A 15- to 30-minute lunch break or during a commute to and from work can become a productive and desired way to master new skills. 2. Look for opportunities for 'hyper-attentive' learning. With the ever-increasing trend of companies trying to do more with less, they look to streamline every area of their business, including learning. In 2014 and beyond, short-form learning will have a greater role to play, and seminars, conferences, workshops, and webinars will continue to decline. Research has shown that hyper-attentive learning increases knowledge transfer by as much as 17 percent. With hyper-attentive learning, you can provide individualized learning faster while still delivering at scale. It's less disruptive, easier to fit into busy work schedules, and helps eliminate information overload. 3. Start training on day one. While employees are being onboarded, the first few weeks can be frustrating for candidates and unproductive for the company. It is much more productive for the company and satisfying for new employees when they receive training their first day on the job. Giving new employees a 30-, 60- and 90-day plan during their first week on the job puts their work ahead in proper perspective and gives them a better understanding of what they need to accomplish to be successful in their new job. 4. Allow people and departments to perform at optimum competency. An IT department's expertise is not in training; its core competency is knowledge of systems and software. So avoid making training the responsibility of IT, except where it concerns "how to" complete an IT-related task. As HR departments are well aware, their core responsibility is making sure people can do their job effectively. They understand best how people work and how to train them to work more productively. An organization functions most productively when everybody does what he or she does best. 5. Require training for productivity-boosting mobile apps. With mobile devices increasingly dominating the future of employee training and development, organizations can increase productivity by training staff on how to navigate the world of productivity-boosting mobile apps. Skype is ideal for face-to-face, two-way communication within the company or across the country. Dropbox, an online cloud-based application, facilitates the sharing of ideas and documents, promoting teamwork. Organizations that train employees on how to use the most essential mobile apps will gain a competitive edge over competition that fail to train staff on how to use these time- and money-saving apps most productively. 6. Offer supplemental training materials that provide ongoing advice. Downloadable PDFs allow employees to brush-up and improve their performance on skills they may not have mastered in their initial training sessions. Supplemental Short-form learning will have a greater role to play, and seminars, conferences, workshops, and webinars will continue to decline. Research has shown that hyper- attentive learning increases knowledge transfer by as much as 17 percent. Learning