Well-executed activities can elevate your employee training. Whether it’s communication skills, leadership skills, or any other subject, training activities can help engage employees and support the absorption of key concepts and skills.
The most commonly asked question: What training activities can you use to help your employees learn?
At Comprehensive Learning Solutions, we’re no stranger to engaging, educational training activities. Over the years, we’ve tried and tested many training activities for a wide variety of training contexts.
Here are our top six in-person and virtual employee training activities to implement in your corporate training programs:
- You tell me
- Multiple-choice questions
- Treasure hunts
- Recorded videos
- Assessments
- Simulations and games
Let’s take a look.
1. You tell me
First on our list is You Tell Me.
If you need to compare two categories—like coaching and training, for example—and you think the audience already might know some of the differences, you can create a sorting activity. Instead of providing tables with the differences, you give employees the chance to consider where each item belongs.
If they get it right, they feel good. If they get it wrong, they will remember the correct answer longer. A win-win.
Best for: virtual self-study for developing an understanding of new concepts and materials.
2. Multiple-choice questions
Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are a great way to get learners thinking about the material you’ve just covered. After you teach a concept, instead of asking the learner to repeat the definition of the main points, ask scenario-based, multiple-choice questions that test whether they can apply the concepts in a situation.
For example, if teaching a new process or procedure, don’t ask for employees to repeat the protocol back to you. Instead, ask them scenario-based MCQs about what they would do in each situation.
You can even set up the wrong answer choices to reflect commonly made mistakes so that the incorrect answer teaches them why this is a wrong choice.
Best for: virtual self-study to enhance and self-assess learning.
3. Treasure hunts
If you need employees to become intimately familiar with a lengthy manual or guide, create a treasure hunt activity where they must search through the document to find key helpful information.
You provide the data point (such as a law, policy, or process step) and ask them to state the page, paragraph, or section where the answer is located. This forces them to study the manual more carefully than if you just tell them what they can find in each section of the book.
Best for: instructor-led in-person and virtual training sessions and self-study.
4. Recorded videos
Recorded videos are another useful training activity to include in your training programs, especially when combined with feedback and discussion afterward.
You can ask participants to create a video of themselves doing a task that is related to the subject of the course. They can then submit these videos for feedback—either from the trainer or from other participants.
Not only does this allow them to practice and get feedback, but it also creates a window for the trainer to see how much participants are understanding what they are learning.
Best for: virtual self-study for developing knowledge and getting feedback.
Looking to work with a training provider on your corporate training programs and activities? Here are the five red flags to avoid in prospective trainers to help you make your decision.
5. Assessments
Assessments can also be a great way to engage employees with training activities, especially when it comes to soft skills training. Set employee assessments—such as personality assessments and communication style assessments—at the beginning of training. Some examples include the Myers-Briggs personality assessment, the DISC assessment, and more.
Once they’re done, explain the meaning of the assessment and break off into group work so they can discuss results with peers. It engages employees and provides them with a starting point to develop their learning.
Best for: instructor-led in-person and virtual training sessions and self-assessment.
6. Simulations and games
Simulations and games are another fun employee training activity that engages learners around the core learning materials. They provide a unique opportunity for employees to develop their critical thinking skills around a certain topic.
For example, you could create a specialized board game based on the course content, where the board spaces require learners to answer questions or analyze information quickly to move to the next step.
Best for: instructor-led in-person and virtual training sessions and self-assessment.
What are the best practices for implementing training activities?
You’re not short of options when it comes to setting engaging training activities for employees. Regardless of the activity you choose, here are some general best practices for ensuring that training activities positively contribute toward your learning objectives.
- Align activities with your curriculum: Training activities shouldn’t just be a fun break from more intensive materials; they should give participants a chance to practice using their new skills or knowledge. Aligning activities with training objectives is key.
- Explain and debrief: Clearly explain the activity employees are about to undertake, and provide a debrief afterward. Make sure participants understand why they’re doing a certain activity.
- Make sure the training is accessible: Ensure that training materials are accessible to all employees, regardless of their location, computer skills, or any physical or mental disabilities.
- Ask for feedback on training activities: Encourage participants to share specific feedback on the activities used during training sessions as part of your training assessments. Karen, founder at CLS, suggests asking for interim feedback:
“Getting feedback at the end of each module allows for more specific feedback than if one waits until the end of the course. Plus, participants remember more about what they liked/disliked if they write as they go along, rather than if they wait until the end. The end is more influenced by (a) wanting to get out of the room quicker (b) whatever was the last experience.”
By following these tips, organizations can ensure that they are developing and implementing effective training activities for employees. The more you can get your learners to find the answers for themselves, the more they engage their brains, apply the concepts, and remember what they’ve learned.
Comprehensive Learning Solutions has years of experience developing training solutions for a wide variety of clients. Get in touch today to discuss your workplace training needs, and how CLS can help you build and implement bespoke corporate training solutions for your team.
Training activities for employees FAQs
1. How do I choose the right training activities for my employees?
The right training activities for employees depends on the objectives of the overall training program. Your training activities should support the learning experience. For example, if you’re teaching a new process, scenario-based simulations could be a great training activity to include.
2. How do I evaluate the effectiveness of training activities?
Training activities should help reinforce and build skills and knowledge in the course. If participants are not able to correctly complete the activity, that is a good indication that the trainer needs to clarify some of the key points or address confusion. You can grade end-of-course activities to confirm accomplishment of related learning objectives.
An experienced training provider like CLS can help navigate training assessments for insights into the overall effectiveness of training.
3. What are the benefits of training activities for employees?
Some of the benefits of including training activities in your training program are that they:
- Engage employees
- Help employees retain new information
- Help training professionals identify what material might need revisiting
- Provides an opportunity for participants to receive feedback on how they apply the new information
- Enables participants to practice new skills or verify their understanding in a safe environment