Regardless of the industry or the employee, training is a key component of employee growth. And yet, training is something so many companies struggle with. It’s rarely the case that the most experienced and knowledgeable employees are the employees with the most time to spend giving live training sessions to employees. You need them doing the work they’re so good at. One solution adopted by many companies is the utilization of prerecorded training programs.
These can even be done during a live presentation so the presenter gives the presentation once, and the recording is shared with those who weren’t available for the live presentation or who came on board after it was given—or even for those who want a refresher. Here are some considerations when deciding whether to utilize prerecorded training in place of live training.
Interaction
Perhaps the primary downside of a prerecorded training relative to a live presentation is that it doesn’t allow for the ability to have any Q&A or discussion. Someone watching the recording might have follow-up questions or need clarification but obviously can’t ask the recording. This can be mitigated by updating the presentation from time to time with a section dedicated to covering frequently asked questions.
Availability
A major benefit of prerecorded presentations for geographically dispersed organizations is that the recording can be watched by anyone around the country or the globe. There’s no need to present in person. Before you say, “What about a live webcast of the same presentation that would still allow for same-time interaction with the presenter?” consider that with global companies, staff might not be in the office at the same time. A San Francisco-based corporation with offices in London and Mumbai would have trouble arranging live training for all of its staff.
Accessibility
Recorded training programs have the benefit of being accessible any time. They can be rewound, paused, fast-forwarded, etc. They can be watched by a new employee at home after work or over a lunch break. If a crucial meeting conflicts with a potentially beneficial live training program, the training probably has to be missed. Not so when training has been recorded.
Strain on Key Staff
Some company experts really love giving live training. They enjoy meeting new employees and feel valued by sharing their knowledge, answering questions in a live setting, and seeing firsthand that their experience is being absorbed by the broader organization. At the same time, many experts and key staff also have very demanding schedules. Even if they do enjoy giving multiple live training on the same subject matter, it may not be worth it to the organization to utilize such a crucial resource’s time that way.
Prerecorded training programs are a great way to leverage the expertise of key staff without placing undue burdens on their time. While there are some limitations relative to live training with its opportunity for discussion and Q&A, the benefits of that live interaction must be weighed against the time recurring live training takes away from key employees’ regular job duties.