Advantages And Disadvantages of Online Training For Companies

Of course, this form of training is here to stay. Online training allows us to comfortably improve our knowledge and skills from where and when we want. If you have a business and you want to train your employees, but you need to know which modality is best for you, this article will clear up your doubts. After reading it, you will discover a new alternative to face-to-face training, which will save you time and money, among other things, and you will be able to make the best choice for your company.

Advantages of Online Training for Companies

These courses, taught online by qualified personnel (in the vast majority of cases), are made up of numerous educational supports (pre-recorded videos, live training given by videoconference, PDFs, Powerpoint Presentations, Podcasts, etc.), facilitating fast learning for the student.  

Develop the skills of company employees.

Online training is an effective means of updating workers’ skills in a given field. It also allows employees to develop new skills quickly. They can train both from their workplace and home without having to travel. This is especially relevant in these times of crisis that we are having to cope with.

Retain talent in the company.

Allowing employees to participate in a teletraining process is an important factor for their motivation and involvement, and in some cases, to decide their continuation in the company. So much so that an employee who is allowed to progress, acquire new skills, and advance within the company is a more committed employee. Offering this type of training is a good way to support employees through training aligned with their plans or professional perspectives.

Low training costs for the company

Taking courses in a virtual classroom is usually less expensive than face-to-face training. Students can follow their training from home or the office if their daily lives allow them. As there is no physical displacement, this translates into a reduction in costs in terms of time and money. The equipment necessary to correctly monitor the courses is usually minimal: a computer or tablet (which may or may not have a camera) and a notebook or some digital tool that helps them to take notes, these are usually enough elements to carry it out well. Term. 

Easily accessible training

It is enough to have a smartphone, a PC, or a tablet and, in turn, a good Internet connection to connect to the training platform. When starting the training, we are provided with a username and password to access our personal space. The virtual classroom students will be able to access the didactic resources and the different training modules and even carry out evaluations. Online training, as we said at the beginning of this article, can be done from anywhere and at any time. There are no longer valid excuses for not improving our skills or abilities.

Time-saving for the company

Online training for companies allows them to save considerable time, especially when it is carried out in asynchrony, that is, that communication that is established between people in a deferred way when there is no temporal coincidence or intervention by both parties. 

In this case, the employee is the one who sets the pace from the moment they sign up, progressing as quickly as they want. Online courses allow companies to quickly respond to an internal training need without organizing face-to-face training for employees. Less preparation, that is, the employee chooses a course and enrolls online after a few clicks. Last but not least, the courses in this type of modality are usually shorter than the face-to-face ones, which means that employees spend less time away from their jobs or that they can combine this training with the day-to-day work of the business.

Disadvantages of Online Training For Companies

Although online training has its advantages… It also has some drawbacks, which we detail below.

Training methods are not always adapted to what the company needs.

Following a complete distance course sometimes has drawbacks, depending on the subject we are dealing with. Some specific training areas may require face-to-face training to be properly assimilated. In this case, following a different approach through blended learning (online / face-to-face) may be advisable. But even considering this case, training times are drastically reduced since they would only be face-to-face sessions.

Lack of personalization in online training

Online training can sometimes be too generic or standard, and in some cases, it can be disconnected from the company’s original objectives. It is important to choose your training carefully to ensure that it is relevant to the needs of your employees. To do this, it is necessary to consult the training plan and teaching methods in detail and look at online references from other users who have already done it before. Find out if the platform that offers online training courses allows their customization or at least personal tutoring, according to the business need.

Also Read: Digital skills – How Can I Develop Them?

few interactions

Online training is certainly only for some. Either because the average age of the workers is high or because the employer himself needs to consider quality training, or because we are ashamed to interact through the platform, the truth is that few interactions are generated on it. 

Face-to-face training in a center has the advantage of forming a community where each individual interacts according to their social skills. This learning modality encourages interaction and collaborative work. In this case, online training allows some interactivity but does not encourage interaction between students or between students and teachers. Many courses offer live tutoring and training sessions, which can compensate for this slight disadvantage, giving you that more instant communication character.