1. www.lynda.com/industries | enterprisesolutions@lynda.com
3 W AY S
Online Learning Boosts
Employee Engagement
By Todd Dewett, PhD

2. What is employee engagement?
Attracting and retaining the best talent isn’t all about spending money or
offering perks. These matter, but the key to building a long-term pool of amazing
talent is employee engagement. Attracting and retaining talent frequently
hinges on employee engagement. Research shows that engaged employees
believe in their work, their supervisors, and their organizations.
1 | 3 Ways Online Learning Boosts Employee Engagement | Lynda.com

3. DISENGAGED
EMPLOYEES
show up because they agreed
to a transaction. They do the work.
You provide compensation.
ENGAGED
EMPLOYEES
feel purpose. They want to
make a difference. The pay is
simply a useful benefit.
2 | 3 Ways Online Learning Boosts Employee Engagement | Lynda.com
It’s entirely possible for employees to be happy and satisfied yet
unproductive and willing to look for new opportunities. But engaged
employees are more than happy or satisfied. They are productive,
committed, and loyal.
A startling 23 percent of employees voluntarily leave their jobs due to
lack of development and training, according to the National Research
Business Institute. As the workforce skews younger in the next 20 years,
this trend will continue.
Here’s the good news: creating employee engagement isn’t as
difficult as you might think. This guide explores three ways
that investing in online learning can help you boost engagement,
cultivate positive relationships, and build productive teams.

4. 3 | 3 Ways Online Learning Boosts Employee Engagement | Lynda.com
Why is engagement important?
Disengaged employees cost an organization approximately $3,400 for every $10,000 in
annual salary—and the American economy up to $350 billion per year due to lost productivity,
according to McLean & Company research.
“Organizations with an average of 9.3 engaged employees for every actively disengaged
employee in 2010-2011 experienced 147 percent higher earnings per share (EPS) compared
with their competition in 2011-2012,” the 2013 Gallup “State of the American Workplace”
survey noted. “In contrast, those with an average of 2.6 engaged employees for every actively
disengaged employee experienced 2 percent lower EPS compared with their competition
during that same time period.”
organizations with engaged employees make more money than others, have less turnover, and experience
less absenteeism, according to gallup.

5. 4 | 3 Ways Online Learning Boosts Employee Engagement | Lynda.com
The Tell-Tale Signs of Disengagement
Keep your finger on the pulse of employee moods. Be wary of
increased absenteeism, a rise in unproductive conflict, or a new
tendency toward risk aversion.
When you see these, it’s time to take action. Through observation,
developmental conversations with your team, and formal study,
identify major impediments to healthy engagement. Then adjust
resources to address the opportunities you’ve uncovered.

6. 5 | 3 Ways Online Learning Boosts Employee Engagement | Lynda.com
3 Ways Online Learning
Boosts Engagement
Online learning available on demand is one of the greatest developments
in employee engagement in the last decade.
Online learning can deliver huge impacts in three key ways.

7. 6 | 3 Ways Online Learning Boosts Employee Engagement | Lynda.com
NO. 1
Building professional relationships
Trust, fair treatment, and recognition of contributions are pillars of professional relationships.
Providing access to online learning proactively demonstrates trust and fairness. And it enables recognition.
You trust employees to log in as needed without the oversight of a traditional instructor hovering nearby.
You demonstrate fairness because a quality tool is available to everyone. And you provide recognition
when you congratulate employees for course completions or training accomplishments.
In addition, effective online learning supports managers as well as employees who aspire to leadership
roles. It’s widely accepted that a top factor influencing employee engagement is an employee’s
relationship with their direct manager. Leading online training providers cover new manager skills,
team-based skills, and executive level topics.
trust
supports positive risk taking.
fairness
maintains a level playing field.
recognition
of work reinforces the value of work.

8. 7 | 3 Ways Online Learning Boosts Employee Engagement | Lynda.com
NO. 2
Creating strong culture
Managerial transparency, leaders who model the way, and intrinsic
employee motivation are pillars of a strong organizational
culture. In addition, a strong work culture is built on transparency.
When every employee is well informed with access to information,
trust is maintained.
To build a strong culture, share all strategic plans as well as revenue
and profit information in a timely manner. Informed employees
are more engaged. Include employees in the decision-making
process. Employees want their voices to be heard. Use surveys
or focus groups to represent an employee base.

9. 8 | 3 Ways Online Learning Boosts Employee Engagement | Lynda.com
Provide access to the leadership team. Hold town hall meetings. Take questions. And be held
accountable. Prepare managers to answer tough questions and address employee concerns.
Offering online training demonstrates support for intrinsic motivation—the tools meet
individual learner needs—and allows leaders at all levels to transparently broadcast their course
completions, which models productive behaviors. Specific course content helps practicing
managers understand culture and how to shape it in ways that support employee engagement.
transparency:
widespread knowledge of what is happening in the organization and why it is happening.

10. 9 | 3 Ways Online Learning Boosts Employee Engagement | Lynda.com
NO. 3
Enhancing career opportunities
Research shows professionals want career development instruction
and resources. One of the primary reasons employees stay
with an organization is opportunity for growth and advancement.
Employees want to understand what is available in their organization
to help them develop their career, and the best way to provide this
understanding is through formal career planning.
When employees believe you are invested in their careers,
they become more personally invested in your organization and
are more likely to embrace a long-term future there.
Effective online training helps employees develop their goals
and career paths, and it provides supervisors with the coaching
insights needed to help employees with career development.

11. 10 | 3 Ways Online Learning Boosts Employee Engagement | Lynda.com
Conclusion
Online learning originally was sold as a quality, cost-effective way to teach skills.
Today, we know it’s that plus much more. We have a greater understanding of the
deep relationship between online learning and employee engagement. Offering quality
online instruction tells employees you’re serious. Serious about learning.
Serious about their development. Serious about retaining them and their talents.
Employees are paying attention and falling in love with online learning.

12. 11 | 3 Ways Online Learning Boosts Employee Engagement | Lynda.com
When you can offer high-quality expert instruction 24/7 on any device,
tailored to specific learner interests and needs, why wouldn’t you?
That’s how your up-and-coming workforce sees it. They expect access
to online learning like they do a desk and computer.
Take a deeper dive, and see for yourself. Check out the lynda.com course,
Motivating and Engaging Employees. www.lynda.com/motivating-engaging-employees

13. 12 | 3 Ways Online Learning Boosts Employee Engagement | Lynda.com
Author
Todd Dewett, PhD
Lynda.com Author,
Professional Speaker, Coach
Todd Dewett is a popular speaker who inspires leaders and helps them build stronger teams. He is
an author, coach, consultant, and Harley Davidson nut. After beginning his career with Andersen
Consulting and Ernst & Young, Todd spent a decade as a professor of management until performing
and coaching became full-time pursuits. He advises thousands of professionals around the world
at government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, major conferences, and nonprofit organizations.
Todd is the author of the popular guide Show Your Ink: Stories About Leadership and Life.
His unique rock-star take on leadership has resulted in quotes in the New York Times, BusinessWeek,
Forbes, CNN, Investors Business Daily, Entrepreneur, MSNBC, and hundreds of other outlets.

14. 13 | 3 Ways Online Learning Boosts Employee Engagement | Lynda.com
For 20 years, Lynda.com has helped students, leaders, IT and
design pros, project managers—anyone in any role—build
software, creative, and business skills. We work with the best
instructors. Our production standards are second to none.
And with training that is quick to market, we’ve grown our
online video-based content library to include thousands
of engaging courses.
Now a LinkedIn company, Lynda.com serves more than 10,000
organizations. With offices on four continents and tutorials
in five languages, lynda.com is a global platform for success.
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