From marketing to microlearning, we’re always getting requests for blogs and questions about trends and best practices in corporate learning. Luckily, we’ve also been cultivating our own library of articles, opinions, and expertise, all while keeping track of the trends. As 2016 winds to a close, we wanted to take stock of some of the most requested corporate learning blog topics for the year (and show you where to find the answers to all of your burning blog-based questions).
1. Onboarding millennials. Millennials are basically the Pokémon of L&D, with companies wanting to know how to catch them–and keep them. This post talks about the crucial layers of onboarding and how to properly structure your training so that it attracts millennial talent.
2. The gamification of corporate learning. While it might sound like child’s play, this was the year that many organizations recognized the value in creating engaging and entertaining eLearning. Utilizing gameplay elements to training is a great way to help everyone–even in a corporate atmosphere–get more out of the experience.
3. Diversity training (or lack thereof). With companies going global, a greater focus has been shifted to diversity. What does it mean for an international organization, and what’s the best way to help employees understand the importance of an inclusive, understanding, and open-minded culture? Traditional training might not cut it, but we’ve brainstormed ways to fix broken diversity training.
4. Improving company culture. Changing your company culture starts in the heart of the organization: the employees. As culture becomes more motivational for discerning employees, it’s up to managers to design interactions that help personnel get pumped. Our CEO has some ideas about how to create meetings that employees actually want to attend.
5. Coaching your sales team on soft skills. The elusive soft skill–think communication or leadership–can be tricky. Without a “to-do” list, soft skills can be ambiguous, especially for a fast-moving, quick-talking sales team. No wonder so many are requesting tips on coaching soft skills to sales teams.
6. Using multimedia to enhance your marketing and communications. More and more, L&D pros are looking for ways to make sure learners sit up and listen. Leading with multimedia is a great way to capture attention and ensure your learners stay engaged, whether it’s used with employee or customer training.
7. Talent management. L&D pros are starting to see the light: it’s not just about training for today, but building up leaders for tomorrow. Discerning employees want to know there’s a future with an organization, which is why finding the best talent often means looking within your company and nurturing leadership there.
8. Neurolearning. Neurolearning is a trending topic and one of our core competencies. Through a better understanding of how the brain works, we can design eLearning that will engage and stick with the user.
9. Microlearning. Who has the time to sit down for hours of training? Luckily, microlearning makes the process more palatable, by giving learners small, super-accessible bites of information that they can take on the go.
10. Video-based eLearning. With Cisco estimating that video content will account for 69 percent of all consumer traffic by 2017, it’s no wonder this was a most-requested topic for 2016. We talk about the value of video and why it’s so important in instructional design.
Whatever your capacity in the L&D space, the goal is the same: get learners engaged and make sure they remember what you teach. Whether it’s compliance training or teaching your sales team about a new product, staying on top of the corporate learning trends (and getting the answers to your questions) helps you keep moving forward into 2017.
