Using big data in corporate training and engaging your employees

Regardless of the industry, big data is beginning to play a vital role for decision makers in business. Companies are investing in big data tools to help them collect more information and make better decisions.

Once data is collected, it is then analyzed in detail and patterns are recognized. This helps companies look for patterns in sales, customer service, customer behavior, and business strategy.

One area in which big data is starting to become more useful is in corporate training. Data can be used extensively in employee development and in crafting the appropriate training programs. It can also be used to engage employees, motivate them and help improve their performance.

Tracking the Right Metrics

Before developing corporate training courses for your employees, you need to gather the relevant data about your staff. With the help of big data, you can learn a lot about your employees. You can see how they are performing, patterns in decision making, and keep track of what skills need to be developed.

By setting up an employee tracking system, you can develop better relationships and empower your employees to work within the confines of your system. Developing this type of system to track employees takes a lot of time and effort in the beginning. You have to choose the right metrics and then figure out a way to track them effectively. However, once you have it setup, you can reap numerous benefits for your business. For example, you can measure employee activities, interactions with teammates, and how they interface with other departments in the company.

When choosing the metrics that you want to track, it’s important to consider what inspires your employees and what limits them. The data needs to be in line with your business goals and also something that can be tracked. What motivates your employees to do their jobs? Do you listen to their feedback and take time fixing their issues? Start out with simple metrics first and then expand from there.

Engaging and Motivating Employees

When you make it known that you’re tracking performance data and then sharing that with employees after it is collected, that creates a positive environment which can result in numerous benefits in the workplace.
Based on measurable performance metrics, you can set up a reward system for your employees. You can use data metrics to single out the top performers and recognize them for their achievements Employees like to know that their actions are not taken in vein and that they can be rewarded when they perform well. This can motivate them to be more engaged and to successfully collaborate with other employees.

Data analysis can also be used to predict important things. You can help avoid employee dissatisfaction and productivity drops. You can also identify talent by seeing who is performing the best.

Personalizing the Learning Experience

Once you have a data collection system in place, you can craft a training curriculum that is more personalized and caters to the individual. Analyzing big data makes it possible for HR managers to see the strengths and weaknesses of their staff. By identifying these areas, you can then craft a training program to help develop the necessary skills.
Taking a “one size fits all” approach when making a training course is usually not very effective. It will hit home with some people and miss the mark with others. By making the curriculum more personalized, employees will be more engaged with the training as well.

Big data also makes it possible for HR managers to see how students are doing in real-time. They can view test and quiz results to see if they’re grasping the subject material or struggling. This also allows HR managers to intervene if there is a problem present. This real-time feedback also makes it possible to tweak the course as you go for better results.

Improving Training Methods

Using data collection and analyzing it helps companies constantly improve their training courses. With these methods, you can see how employees are interacting with their course modules and how they engage. Are they just watching the first minute of a video and then clicking out of it? Are they downloading all of the PDF’s that you provide? Combining course implementation with the cloud, you can see in real-time what your employees are doing and which modules are the most and least effective at grasping their attention.

By looking at the data for your courses over a large number of users, you can start to recognize patterns and see what needs to be changed. For example, if people are skipping over long videos and still doing fine on the tests, maybe you need to shorten the video content. Ultimately it’s about getting results and not just doing training for the sake of doing it.

Final Thoughts

Overall, big data can be an extremely beneficial tool in identifying performers and training your employees. Without collecting the data, you won’t be able to make the most informed decisions. With the help of big data, you can craft the perfect training program for your employees and help them be all that they can be.