In lean times, corporate training is often the first area where budgets are trimmed. Organizations cut down on travel, lodging, and per diem costs, and often put the brakes on developing new training. And if they do see a learning need, higher ups are going to be focused on how they can get the most bang for their buck. As a learning professional, microlearning is the perfect vehicle to propose to your clients under these circumstances. Done right, it’s simple, cost effective, and – when all the micro pieces are strung together – can be the foundation for a larger-scale learning program. Here are 5 ways mircolearning can boost your corporate training ROI.
Less face time.
The traditional corporate training model isn’t cheap. You fly in your trainees, you put them up in hotels, you feed them…and oh, yeah, you still haven’t factored in your actual training costs: upfront program development, material costs (props, photocopies), facilitation… This kind of training serves a variety of purposes (networking, shared experience, learning focus), but it’s not where organizations are going to invest when budgets are tight. Microlearning can take many forms (simple infographic, text messages, short videos/animations) that can be a bit easier on the budget but will ensure that your employees are still getting the information they need to perform their jobs effectively, without breaking the bank on associated training costs.
Performance support.
This is a biggie. Do you have a smart phone? Do you know anyone who doesn’t? What if your employees get to a critical point in a procedure or equipment manipulation, and can’t quite remember how to complete the task? What if they can whip out their smart phone, open an app, find the information they need, and get on with the job? How much more time would be lost if that same employee had to stop work, do some research, track down the co-worker who might have the bit of needed knowledge, then go back to the field to complete the task? Investing in performance support that reduces downtime and rework costs is good business, and microlearning is the ideal vehicle for this type of ongoing learning need. Obsidian Learning designed this nifty [checklist for supply chain supervisors](/projects/floor-walk-checklists/ for just this type of scenario.
