Incentive Programs
Motivate Training Usage and Drive Engagement
Investing in a training program is a big deal, but the next big step is making sure your team actually uses it. Here’s how you can leverage SkillMill to see a bigger return on your investment.
WHAT MAKES THE SKILLMILL TRAINING EXPERIENCE SO INTERESTING TO LEARNERS?
1. Engaging content delivery
Our instructional designers know how to take users from point A to point B. We integrate short, digestible video lessons that hold user attention and boost memory recall, so learning doesn’t feel like a chore.
The real show-stopper is our cutting-edge, interactive, 3D training sims with VR capabilities. This format of Digital Experiential Learning (DEL) is favored by the next generation and motivates them to log in to their training more frequently.
2. It’s training that translates to the real world
Once learners experience the immediate application of their training to the real world, they feel instant gratification, confidence and the desire to want to keep learning. Deep, personal satisfaction from training initiatives will motivate your team to continue applying their newly acquired skills on the job.
3. It’s available anytime, anywhere, on all devices
Learning is user-driven, location independent, convenient and flexible. This is training on your own terms. This keeps users engaged because it’s not bound by limitations.
4. It includes elements of gameplay
Gamification of training includes point scoring, leaderboards and competition. These elements speak to the new generation of workers in a format they appreciate. Instantly rewarding completion of tasks and fostering healthy competition keeps learners coming back to their training. Learn more about the power of gamification.
5. Growing Content Library
From beginner video lessons on basic theory, all the way to advanced 3D troubleshooting procedures, there’s useful material that’s sure to pique the interest of any skilled worker, no matter their starting point.
WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT INCENTIVES?
It can be a challenge for your workers to maintain training momentum without some type of incentive. Incentives can be small, like a gift card awarded to the highest performer each month, or they can be large, like salary increases based on training success over longer-term periods.
Whatever incentives you choose, the key is to sweeten the deal so your workers feel like they’re benefiting from their training just as much as your company.
There are endless ways you can leverage the features built into the SkillMill platform to support your incentive program initiatives. Here are just a few ideas.
HOW CAN I USE SKILLMILL TO SUPPORT MY INCENTIVE PROGRAMS?
Tracking Points and Goal Setting:
Each team member can set weekly points goals for themselves from their dashboard. The more committed your workers are to their training, the more points they earn.
How Can I Incentivize with this Feature?
At the beginning of the week, have a five-minute discussion with each team member and decide how many points they should strive to earn for the week. At the end of the week, review the points. If they’ve met their goal, reward them with an extra 15-minute paid break for the following week.
Weekly Leaderboard:
Managers can choose to enable the weekly leaderboard for their team. This means that everyone who logs in can see the top point earners each week. This feature helps you see who is most committed to their training, and it also creates a healthy, competitive training environment. When users can see other team members points, they will be motivated to spend more time with their training.
How Can I Incentivize with this Feature?
Consider offering a weekly reward to the highest points earner. Take them out to lunch, or let them leave an hour early on Friday. Want to up the ante? Reward those who can stay in the lead for four consecutive weeks by granting them a paid afternoon off or giving them a $25 online gift card.
Green techs don’t impact business like your mid-career techs, and mid-level techs aren’t as profitable to you as senior-level techs. Why not use the completion of a learning path as a benchmark for “leveling” or earning a raise? With each completed course, your techs will know more and be able to do more, meaning they can continue to earn better money for your company.
When you reward your techs with raises, chances are they will train more than you anticipate since these are real, attainable goals that help to advance their careers at the same time.
The SkillMill Suite of Measurement Tools
Under the “My Organization” tab, you can gain insight for each individual user:
- Total Points Earned
- Point history showing points earned each week
- User Rating – shows their level of dedication to improving skills
- Course Progress:
- The number of courses completed
- The completion rate
- Last date of activity for each individual course
- The number of attempts for each learning activity
How Can I Incentivize with these Features?
Set goals with your employees. Get a sense of where they want to go with their career, and then outline what that would look like for them by suggesting specific courses to help get them there. Track their progress using these measurement tools and reward them with salary increases and promotions based on the work they’ve been doing to hit their goals.
Need More Reward Ideas?
- eGift cards (online retailers, restaurants, movie theatres)
- Extra paid break time
- Extra paid time off
- Salary increases
- Promotions
- Special parking spot
- Complimentary meals out
- Event tickets (sports, concerts)
- Tools
CONCLUSION
When your training program incorporates elements of both interest and incentive, your chances of motivating training usage increases. By offering a combination of big and small rewards, you can foster greater enthusiasm for learning and show your employees that they have just as much to gain from their training as your company.
At the end of the day, the business cost of rewarding your team is money well spent when you consider the ROI from better performance on the job.
