The HR Training Paradox
Does training always mean learning?
HR departments face one constant challenge: Keep training up to speed with evolving business needs. The demand for effective training never stops—from onboarding new hires, responding to ever-changing compliance regulations, supporting employee growth to upskilling for rapid technological advancements.
It’s a scramble to upskill and reskill employees quickly and at scale, but you’re not alone. A recent study showed that 87 % of organizations report gaps in leadership, technology, and talent development. If you’re like many HR professionals in these situations, you might resort to a quick slide deck to get the job done. But is that enough to drive real learning and retention?
The short answer is “probably not.” Outdated methods and one-off training lead to the same results. As the weeks go by, you’ll likely find that employees didn’t retain key information and procedures, which soon leads to critical issues that extend well beyond the HR department.
Read on to learn why…and what you can do about it.
Poor understanding that leads to costly compliance failures
Untrained or unprepared employees leading to unhappy customers
Employees forget protocols and land in risky safety situations
All of the above
Traditional HR training approaches often rely on the idea that employees can absorb massive amounts of training information and apply it correctly when back on the job. Unfortunately, this approach rarely works.
Don’t stay complacent until the situation forces your hand. A switch from static, “drink from the fire hose” training to a comprehensive, interactive program can help you close skills gaps quickly and boost employee performance.
Training that features interactivity, continuous feedback loops, and learning paths tailored to individual needs increases the chance that employees will retain information and apply it correctly in real-world scenarios.
In the following chapters, we’ll explore how to use online learning tools to build a learning ecosystem, minimize risks, and empower your employees with the skills they need to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing landscape.
