In a study by Wainhouse Research, 70% of trainers believe webinars are more or just as effective as self-paced training, and 57% believe the value from using webinars to train new employees is high. (Source).
Each company has different needs for training new employees depending on things like size, culture and staff turnover. Some provide onboarding training to new people as self-paced and immediate, while others may schedule training sessions once a month for a group.
Some companies only use remote workers, so getting them together would prove impossible. Whatever the case, using webinars to train new employees is an innovative idea, whether it’s self-paced, or in groups.
>See also: How to host major conferences with minimum effort
In fact, despite the fact that webinars are virtual, when set up properly, they can be more interactive and engaging than face-to- face meetings. Here are five benefits of using webinars for on-boarding:
1. Decreased costs
In the past, training new employees was a costly but necessary initiative. First, you’d need an organiser to arrange the event and all that went with it. Then you’d need to fork out money for the venue, the food and beverages, handouts, and traveling costs.
At the same time, you’d still need to be paying the participants for the days they’d be on training. But when you use webinars to train new employees, you save costs on:
● The venue and decor.
● Food and beverages.
● Handouts.
● Traveling.
● Unnecessary time used in the logistics of attending workshops.
The expenses for using webinars for on-boarding dwindle down to a) the cost of the software, and b) the time it takes to set up the webinar and present it.
>See also: Gartner’s 2017 forecasts
2. Increases productivity
Consider the cost of wasted time for traditional training methods: each employee and trainer would need to get to and from the venue. As the company, you are paying for the time it takes them to do this.
Work out the cost per hour per person, and you’ll start to see how using webinars to train new employees just makes sense.
3. Keep track
It is easier to keep track of who attends new employee training with webinars, because of the webinar process which uses email, unlike training at a venue when you are forced to rely on the old clipboard and pen method so participants can sign to indicate attendance.
The online process of assigning tasks and homework is also far easier to keep track of. With just a click, find out who attended, how many left the training, and other stats.
4. Create a good impression
For the continuation of your company’s desired culture, it’s important to set the tone right from the start: the perception of a company by the new employee determines the level of commitment and pride they’ll take with their work.
>See also: How to minimise the impact of ransomware
Using webinars to train new employees is an exceptional way to set the standard. Webinar software like ClickMeeting allows companies to brand the entire webinar interface with their logos and colours.
Added to that, the webinar process is streamlined and not much can go wrong, although you will need to make sure that you have the right hardware and software.
5. Increased engagement
You’d think that not being together in a physical location would decrease engagement levels when training, but when webinars are set up properly, they can actually increase engagement from new employees, especially those who may not be as confident as others. The whiteboard feature in a webinar.
Webinars have features which can ensure high interaction from participants:
● Prepare participants with a branded waiting room and agenda.
● Easily explain difficult concepts with a presentation, whiteboard and screen sharing.
● Use polls and surveys.
● Allow moderated Q&A chats.
>See also: Breaking down training barriers with technology
● Invite employees to meet up in “meeting mode” which allows for discussion between each other online, just as if they were in a room in a physical location.
Spice it all up by dropping in some creativity, like virtual icebreakers.
Summary
The majority of trainers consider webinars to provide high value as a training delivery method. Whatever the needs of any business, using webinars is a wise choice for on-boarding and employee training, and some of the major benefits include:
- Cost reduction because the company won’t need to pay for venue costs, food and beverages, handouts, traveling expenses, or for the time that employees are on training.
- Overall productivity is increased because not so much time gets wasted for traveling, lunches and tea breaks.
- Trainers can more easily keep track of who attends, and other important participant training data.
- The webinar process is professional and gives a good impression of the company.
- When done correctly, webinars increase employee engagement.
