Benefits of E-learning for Diversity Training
The success of any business or organization depends on its ability to accept and embrace diversity. Employee diversity offers many benefits to an organization regardless of its size or field of operation, and business leaders must actively take part in assessing the state of workplace diversity. One of the best ways an organization can enhance diversity is through training. Even as operating budgets become tighter and tighter, the mandate of each organization’s training department to bring the best diversity training to people within the organization does not change. Organizations must adapt to changing training needs and financial pressures that come with the need. E-learning can provide great diversity training while offering a perfect balance between financial requirements, quality requirements and the perception of modern workforces. There are numerous benefits to using e-learning to offer diversity training to your organization. Here are some of these benefits:
It is cost-effective
Although the initial cost of developing an online diversity training course may be high, it is more affordable when compared to traditional face to face training. If an organization has employees scattered in different geographical locations then it becomes much cheaper as the same materials can be used to train the employees in different locations and the training can also be carried out concurrently. Sometimes diversity requirements change and the organization has to retrain its staff. With e-learning it is much easier and more cost effective to update the training materials than hire someone to prepare a new course and deliver it face to face, potentially on multiple occasions and in multiple locations in order to reach all employees.
It offers increased adaptability
Organizations require a diverse workforce to have a greater variety of solutions in meeting its mandate. With a diverse workforce, the pace of learning and the availability for training may affect the outcome of the training process. When employees learn at different paces, it becomes difficult to offer face to face training. E-learning offers a solid solution to this problem by providing a learning platform that allows each employee to learn at his or her own pace. When training employees on diversity, it is important to also factor in the diversity that the employees have and how it can affect learning. Using e-learning allows employees in an organization to study and learn at their own pace, which enhances the adoption of the material being learned.
It saves time without compromising the quality of training
E-learning saves time, especially when compared to traditional face to face training. In fact, research shows that e-learning helps save up to about 35 – 40 percent of training time as opposed to the traditional face to face instruction. This means that offering diversity training via e-learning can help save a lot of time that will go into other important productive areas. Compressing the training time does mean that the quality of the training is compromised. Quite to the contrary, in fact, e-learning can enhance the training as it offers an opportunity for the trainer to simulate a real life situation using technology to enhance the learning process.
It is ideal for geographically diverse employees
For large organizations with offices in different geographic locations, offering diversity training to all employees can be cumbersome. E-learning takes place at any time and in any given place. This makes it ideal for use to offer diversity training to employees who are located in different locations. It also makes it possible to modify the training content to be adapted to the varying cultures under which employees in different geographical locations operate. Content can be easily translated into different languages so that employees who speak different languages can understand it better. Offering the same training materials to employees located in different places at the same times helps save a lot on transport and other related costs.
Offers a More Consistent way to Deliver Diversity training
Face to face training often changes each time a given topic is delivered. When training many employees over a period of time, it is likely that the material will change a little bit every time a trainer covers a given topic with a different group. However when using e-learning, the lessons do not change. When offering diversity training, especially when covering certain compliance topics, it is essential that the material is presented in a standard format without any variation in content or delivery. This ensures that everyone in the organization gets the same message.
It is More Fun
When an online course is prepared in a creative way to incorporate interactivity and gamification, it becomes more interesting. For example, when offering diversity training in an e-learning format for employees in different geographical locations it is possible to include a chat room for the participants to interact and share their experiences and cultural perspectives. This way they do not just learn from the instructor but from each other.
A diversity e-learning session requires only a computer and a reliable internet connection. This makes the use of e-learning to offer diversity training ideal for many organizations. It is economical and flexible at the same time which ensures the effectiveness of the learning process despite the reduced cost of offering the training. In addition e-learning can help you incorporate important training facets such as use of simulation and games in the training to enhance the retaining of the learned material and thus the adaptability of the learned lessons in real life situations. Does this mean that there’s no place for in-person diversity training? Of course not. But providing online diversity training can certainly be a good standalone solution when done correctly, or a great supplement to existing in-person options.
