6 Types of Online Employee Training

By: LearnDash Collaborator • October 9, 2020
Filed Under:

Employee training is an investment. When employees feel supported in their jobs, they enjoy their work more and are more likely to stay with a company. And when employees are satisfied with their work, they are often more productive.

Many businesses recognize employee development as an essential internal initiative. But instead of traditional training, companies are turning to online courses to help develop all employees, whether in-person, hybrid, or remote.

If you’re thinking about what kinds of employee training courses you might develop for your workforce, these six types of training courses might give you an idea of where to start:

  1. Orientation
  2. Onboarding
  3. Products and services
  4. Technical skills
  5. Soft skills
  6. Compliance and security

Let’s take a closer look. 

1. Orientation

No matter how skilled or qualified a new hire is, they still have much to learn about your company and processes. Use orientation training to get new employees acquainted with your organization. 

An orientation course should: 

  • Provide your organizational chart 
  • Explain core values, mission, and culture 
  • Give information about benefits and enrollments 
  • Guide them through other necessary paperwork

A poor orientation program can leave a new hire struggling to find their bearings during the first few weeks. A good orientation program can help that same employee feel more confident. Plus, handling orientation right can prevent complications and mistakes down the road. 

2. Onboarding

Employee training consists of an onboarding program that happens around the same time as orientation. But while orientation covers company information, onboarding focuses on the specific job and department. Onboarding is also a longer process, taking days or weeks to complete. 

Onboarding goes beyond general company information–even a long-time employee might go through onboarding when taking on a new role. 

This type of employee training should include:

  • Job duties and responsibilities 
  • Expectations and goals 
  • One-on-one introductions with team members

After onboarding, employees should understand their role, team, expectations, and next steps.  

3. Products and services

Every business has unique products and services that employees should know about, especially if they are complex or regularly updated. Consider including products and services in online employee training. 

This training is crucial in sales and customer service roles. Employees will interact with customers, so they need to know the product to answer questions accurately.

Products and services training doesn’t have to be limited to new employees, either. Use it in refresher training for existing employees or send a training program for new or updated offerings. 

4. Technical skills

Some of the most valuable employee training you can offer comes in the form of technical skills. These are specialized skills such as:

  • Programming
  • Graphic design
  • Software proficiency
  • Data analysis 
  • Project management  

By learning technical skills, employees are more marketable in their careers. But the benefits don’t end with employees. Developing employees through technical skill training makes them more capable in their positions and improves the overall skills of the workforce. 

5. Soft skills

Unlike technical skills, soft skills focus more on people and are harder to quantify. However, soft skills are just as valuable for employee training. 

Some examples of soft skills include:

  • Communication 
  • Leadership 
  • Conflict resolution 
  • Adaptability 
  • Teamwork  

Soft skills are important for every employee. Not only do they improve productivity, but soft skills training provides a toolkit for employees working with difficult customers or taking on a leadership role. 

For example, training employees on collaboration and communication can build a stronger team. If there’s a difficult situation with a customer, employees can use their soft skills to de-escalate the situation. 

6. Compliance and security

Some industries have compliance standards that require specific employee training courses. Your business may need to demonstrate that employees have undergone training in areas such as: 

  • Cybersecurity
  • Diversity and inclusion
  • Industry-specific compliance 
  • Sexual harassment 
  • Safety in the workplace 

An online program can help you verify which employees have taken mandatory training. Plus, online employee training can provide performance metrics. It can be especially useful if you are working in an industry with legal regulations to meet.

Try online employee training with LearnDash 

Online training courses make it easier for employees to grow skills on their own terms. And by measuring the effectiveness of the training, businesses can make better high-level decisions about where to direct their resources.

If you’re thinking about creating an online employee training program, LearnDash LMS has all the features you need. Create beautiful courses that boost employee engagement and meet your training needs with a drag and drop course builder, dynamic content delivery, integrations, and more. Explore the free demo to see what LearnDash LMS can do for you.

LearnDash Collaborator

A LearnDash specialist wrote this article to help guide new and current LearnDash members.