There are many benefits to providing various types of training to nonprofit employees. Nonprofit training topics can include leadership, customer service, and fundraising. James W. Shephard, Jr., CEO and co-founder of AchieveMission, said,
“In nonprofits, as in business, leadership development programs result in a high ROI, but in this sector, they also produce results such as more mission impact and stability.”1
Increased employee engagement is another significant outcome of nonprofit training. Engaging employees more effectively should be on every organization’s list of priorities since an engaged workforce equals higher staff productivity, lower turnover and absenteeism, improved quality of the work and health of employees, and fewer safety incidents, according to the Harvard Business Review.2
How LXP Training Increases Nonprofit Employee Engagement
“When asked what benefits were most important to nonprofit employees, the most common response was the opportunity for professional development,” wrote a contributor at Opportunity Knocks.3 By providing nonprofit workers with the training they desire, you can engage them on a deeper level.
A learning experience platform (LXP) is online learning software that nonprofits can use to curate and deliver employee training. It is designed to intuitively provide a customized learning experience to each employee, enabling organizations to better meet the educational needs of staff. Here are a few ways an LXP supports nonprofit training and boosts employee engagement:
1. An LXP exposes learners to many training resources
Do your employees have access to an abundance of nonprofit training resources? If not, you might find that they don’t participate in training as often as you would like. An LXP can help by giving workers unlimited access to many more training resources than the average online learning platform.
This is because a learning experience platform is an open system that can host resources from inside and outside an organization. Learners who use an LXP have a greater opportunity to find training material that speaks to them and that they want to dive into, which ultimately can improve their engagement with your nonprofit.
2. An LXP reduces a learner’s training burden
Although nonprofit employees want to have the opportunity to learn new skills, they don’t want to be overwhelmed with training. An LXP is a safe bet for organizations that want to keep their employees from training burnout because it allows workers to learn during the flow of their regular workday.
This can cut down on their overall training time without cutting down on the effectiveness of training. According to Opportunity Knocks, as many as 30% of nonprofit employees may be burned out, with another 20% in danger of burnout.4 An LXP could be a low-stress training option for these individuals as it minimizes their training burden and frees up time for them to do their job.
Related blog: 3 Ways to Increase the Effectiveness of Online Training Courses with an LMS
3. An LXP promotes knowledge sharing
One of the quickest ways to increase employee engagement is to implement social learning. Knowledge sharing is a powerful form of social learning that an LXP fosters. An LXP promotes a variety of types of social learning, especially knowledge sharing.
In fact, a learning experience platform enables learners to curate their own content and share it with fellow learners. This is noteworthy because, according to Forbes, nonprofits can increase employee engagement by encouraging content sharing. This also provides a nonprofit with valuable information.
“There is a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips encouraging nonprofit leadership to promote knowledge sharing among staff.5
Training Makes Your Nonprofit a “Go-To” Place to Work
Providing online employee training is one of the best ways to increase the curb appeal of your nonprofit organization to top talent. “In the nonprofit sector, investing in employees’ L&D is a best practice for making an employer a ‘go-to’ place to work," stated TrainingIndustry.com.6
By using an LXP, you can deliver quality nonprofit training that promotes worker engagement by giving learners access to many training resources, lessening an employee’s training load, and promoting knowledge sharing.
Interested in learning more about how your organization can improve worker productivity, recruitment, and retention? Read our blog “4 Quick Tips for Improving Nonprofit Training” or contact TOPYX to request a personalized LMS demo today.
References:
1.https://trainingindustry.com/articles/leadership/developing-leaders-in-a-nonprofit-organization/
2.https://hbr.org/2013/07/employee-engagement-does-more
3.https://www.gcn.org/sites/default/files/ctools/OK_Engaging_the_Nonprofit_Workforce_Report.pdf-pg. 4
4.https://www.gcn.org/sites/default/files/ctools/OK_Engaging_the_Nonprofit_Workforce_Report.pdf-pg. 8
5. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesnonprofitcouncil/2018/04/25/five-ways-nonprofits-can-increase-employee-engagement/#3f873e293b13
6.https://trainingindustry.com/articles/leadership/developing-leaders-in-a-nonprofit-organization/
