Companies 'can boost staff skills' with online training courses

Online training can help employers organise staff training quickly and effectively.

Speaking to the Guardian, senior manager of research and policy for the Institute of Leadership & Management David Pardley suggested that an individualised e-learning course could help reluctant employees to become involved in expanding their skill set.

Although people will not be necessarily motivated to put more effort into education when operating from a comfortable and relaxing environment, a poor-quality learning space "certainly acts as a demotivator", he stated.

The specialist advised organisations to design their education around the area in which they have to work.

People who "sit there with their arms folding, daring you to teach them" can often be better equipped to deal with distance learning online or other external training opportunities, he remarked.

Quite often, these individuals will have had a negative experience of academia or could feel insecure about exposing themselves to their colleagues, Mr Pardley continued.

Furthermore, people can be reluctant to take part in traditional training because it is seen in a negative light and is only given to underperformers.

Workers will be more eager to increase their skill set if it is viewed as a "positive activity that helps people progress" within the workplace, the expert argued.

He had previously noted in a blog for his organisation that e-learning courses also enable companies to avoid losing a worker for the day while they take part in essential training.

John McGurk, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's learning and talent development adviser, told the Guardian that "clear objectives" ought to be set out "from the start" when a company is training remote staff through a virtual learning environment.

"Coherent teams are central to an effective growing businesses and with a dispersed team it can be a real challenge," he explained.

Online learning tools can help to bring these students and employees together through social networking and webinars, the expert continued, pointing out they can even enable companies to carry out "virtual team meetings".