Training a team of employees requires a smart approach. For many businesses, that means turning to online training courses for employees.
Workplace training courses have changed a lot over the years. What used to require in-person meetings that lasted for hours or for days can now be done by employees individually online.
There are many advantages to this approach. It’s more efficient. It’s also more affordable. Employees can work at their own pace too. These are just a few benefits.
And while there are some pitfalls to be aware of, online training courses for employees are a great option for helping workers learn and grow.
As with any online training, it’s necessary to carefully examine the courses you’re considering.
Featured Programs
- Becoming a Successful Leader
- Best Practices for Project Management
- Identifying, Monitoring and Analyzing Risk
- Data Science for Business Leaders
Disclaimer: Some courses may include an affiliate link. Courses were chosen first based on the methodology with affiliate links only added after the ranking was complete.
For the purposes of these rankings, we developed a three-factor approach for judging each course. This includes scores for:
- Affordability
- Accessibility
- Flexibility
Why use a three-factor approach?
Selecting a course based on a single factor can lead to trouble. For example, you might find a course that’s affordable, but once you get into it, it might not offer the ease of access you want. As another example, you might prioritize courses with good flexibility, but find that some of them are also not very affordable.
This being the case, we narrowed down the field of possible courses by ensuring that each one met certain affordability, accessibility, and flexibility benchmarks.
Let’s talk more about this method.
Methodology to Determine the Best Online Courses for Training Your Business Team
This scoring system is intended to help you find the best workplace training courses. It offers you insights on three variables. It also provides a total score you can use to compare courses.
This means you can compare courses based on individual measures. This allows you to rank courses based on affordability, accessibility, or flexibility.
But you can also use the overall score for each course for comparison purposes. Having these different levels of comparisons will only help you in choosing the right course for your needs.
Let’s explore each of these factors in a little more detail.
Affordability
Though you shouldn’t skimp on workplace training courses, the bottom line is that many companies need to be aware of how much money they are spending. This being the case, the affordability of online training courses for employees is often the top factor for many businesses.
Since affordability is the top measure for our rankings, it is worth the most points. The point breakdown is as follows:
Because affordability is so important, it is worth the most points in our rankings. Here’s how we assign points:
- Free: 6 points
- Under $50: 5 points
- $51-$100: 4 points
- $101-$150: 3 points
- $151-$200: 2 points
- $200 and above: 1 point
It should be noted that just because a course is free doesn’t mean it’s the best option for your business. Conversely, just because a course has a fee doesn’t mean it’s higher quality than free courses.
This is why we use a three-factor method. Yes, affordability is crucial. But it isn’t the only factor we should explore.
Accessibility
Part of what makes for a quality learning experience for your employees is ease of access. After all, it’s hard to take part in training if you can’t get into the course materials quickly and easily.
But accessibility isn’t just about getting into the class quickly. We also consider features like mobile learning options. Can your employees engage in the course on their phone or tablet? If so, the accessibility score is higher.
Additionally, we look at enrollment dates and the times courses are available. If a course is open enrollment and available 24/7, it will have a higher score than one that begins and ends on specific dates.
This factor is scored as follows:
- High accessibility: 2 points
- Moderate accessibility: 1 points
- Low accessibility: 0 points
Flexibility
Online training courses for employees should offer a good measure of flexibility. Schedules change. Work tasks might take longer to complete. The goals or purpose of the training might change as well.
Because of this, workplace training courses should be adaptable to the learner’s needs. For example, self-paced courses offer very high flexibility. Without looming due dates, workers can instead concentrate on working through the material and learning as much as they can.
Additionally, you might have workers that need to do trainings while on the road or at home. Choosing courses that are not time-sensitive helps these workers finish their studies more easily.
This factor is scored as follows:
- Highly flexible: 2 points
- Moderate flexibility: 1 point
- Low flexibility: 0 points
Now that you have a better understanding of our methods, let’s take a look at the best online training courses for employees.
Ranking the Best Online Courses for Training Your Business Team
#10: Data Science for Business Leaders
This course from Udacity will help your team devise strategies for solving critical business problems. This includes addressing issues related to technology, management, and human capital.
There are five units in this course. It begins with an introduction to data science. This unit will help your employees understand what data science is, what it’s used for, and the possibilities it will open up for your business.
Other units include:
- Business Case for Data Science
- Human Capital of Data Science
- Data and Machine Learning Infrastructure Strategy
This top online data science course for business leaders also has a capstone project. The capstone asks students to build a 100-day data plan using the skills they’ve learned in this class.
This business course usually takes 4-8 weeks to complete. Students get technical support and mentoring services with the class.
Points: 3
Affordability: $799 (at the time of writing)
Accessibility: Moderate accessibility. This course is available 100 percent online. Easily access course materials any time of day. There are prerequisites for statistics, probability, and business experience which will limit access for some people.
Flexibility: Moderately flexible. This is a self-paced course. However, courses begin on a specific date, which limits the course’s flexibility.
#9: How to Develop Friendships and Connect Meaningfully With Work Colleagues
A business is only as good as its team members. Finding ways for the team to mesh is a great way to enhance the company’s ability to thrive and grow. Creating a friendly and respectful work environment will do the same.
This online business course from LinkedIn discusses ways to build and sustain relationships at work. This is done through lessons that develop employees’ abilities to make connections with one another.
Topics include:
- Creative inclusive groups
- Setting healthy boundaries
- Avoiding gossip
This course also addresses employer-employee relationships. Your employees will get directions on how to interact with you and other superiors in an effective way. It is an excellent option for team-building.
The relationship-building skills learned in this course can be used to foster improved relationships with clients as well.
Points: 8
Affordability: Free one-month trial (at the time of writing). There is a $25 fee to buy the course, if you wish. Scored as a paid course.
Accessibility: High accessibility. This course is available any time of day or night. The course can be viewed offline as well. Transcripts are available for even easier access.
Flexibility: Moderately flexible. This course is self-paced. However, it must be completed within a month to avoid paying a fee.
#8: Creativity, Design Thinking, and Innovation for Business
Building a better team for your business should include a commitment to creativity and innovation. Doing so will help your business reach consumers and meet their needs more easily.
In this best business course from Udemy, your team will learn design thinking principles that could lead to the creation of new products or services.
But to do so, your business culture must be:
- Friendly to creativity
- Open to an idea-response system
- Encouraging of sharing new ideas
Focusing on creativity and innovation will also help your company attract new talent. Workers will be more productive if they work in a supportive environment as well. All this helps improve your company’s bottom line.
By the course’s end, your employees will have the ability to use design thinking to create a roadmap of success for your company.
Points: 9
Affordability: $18.99 (at the time of writing)
Accessibility: High accessibility. Since this is an on-demand class, it is available any time of day or night. The course is smartphone compatible. It can be viewed on a smart TV too.
Flexibility: Highly flexible. Learn at your own pace. Lifetime access means you can revisit the course over and over again if needed.
#7: The Complete Digital Marketing Guide
This 18-class course from Udemy is ideal for employees that need to be trained in digital marketing.
Since it’s a series of 18 classes, this is a time-consuming course. However, it goes deep into digital marketing strategies that your team members can use to:
- Improve digital sales
- Drive traffic to the company website
- Harness the power of Google ads
- Improve site SEO
This online business course also touches on important topics like sales psychology, copywriting, and Facebook marketing. It is a fully-formed course that your marketing team can use to step up their game.
The course includes 84 hours of on-demand video, nearly 50 articles, and more than 80 downloadable resources.
Points: 9
Affordability: $18.99 (at the time of writing)
Accessibility: High accessibility. The course is on-demand and can be accessed 24/7. Access the course on any internet-enabled device, including TVs. There are downloadable and printable resources for offline access as well.
Flexibility: Highly flexible. The course is self-paced. Get full lifetime access to the course upon enrollment.
#6: Brand and Product Management
Brand and product management is critical for many businesses. With this course from ie Business School and Coursera, your team will acquire skills with long-term value.
Team members that take this course will learn how to develop an activity plan. This plan will define how to bring your products to life. This includes making products more appealing to customers. It also includes building excitement among your team for the products you sell.
Learners will focus on these topics as well:
- How to implement a brand strategy
- How to analyze success of the brand strategy
- How to use brand development
This business course is split into six modules. Each module is short and easy to complete in one sitting. There is a combination of lectures and interviews with industry professionals.
Points: 9
Affordability: Free to enroll. A fee (usually around $50) might be required. Other costs are involved if employees participate in a specialization (usually $39-$79 per month). Learn more about Coursera pricing. This is scored as a paid course.
Accessibility: High accessibility. Your employees can access this course day or night. Access is available immediately.
Flexibility: Highly flexible. This course can be completed in as much or as little time as needed. Deadlines can be set and reset as needed as well.
#5: Identifying, Monitoring, and Analyzing Risk and Incident Response and Recovery
Part of building a stronger business team is having the ability to identify risks. Team members also need to be able to monitor and analyze risk. Learning how to respond to incidents and help the business recover are crucial skills for employees to have.
This business course from (ISC)2 and Coursera focuses not just on the topics listed above but also on controlling business losses. Employees will learn how to:
- Collect and process information
- Assign priority levels
- Report findings to the appropriate people
These tasks are done to ensure that the business is in compliance with its policies and procedures. Giving employees a chance to explore risk management will allow the team to work better together to achieve business goals.
Additionally, employees will learn how to handle pressure. They’ll role play an incident, work through the response, and explore ways to recover from the incident. This helps the company address issues in a consistent manner.
Other learning outcomes include:
- Managing data recovery
- Ensuring data integrity
- Developing a Business Continuity Plan
- Developing a Disaster Recovery Plan
Points: 9
Affordability: Free to enroll. A fee (usually around $50) might be required. Other costs are involved if employees participate in a specialization (usually $39-$79 per month). Learn more about Coursera pricing. This is scored as a paid course.
Accessibility: High accessibility. This best course for business is 100 percent online. Employees can begin their studies immediately. The course can be accessed with smartphones, tablets, and other internet-enabled devices.
Flexibility: Highly flexible. This is a self-paced course. Deadlines can be set and reset as needed.
#4: Strategic Planning and Execution
A successful business team needs team members that understand how to move from strategic planning to strategic execution. This course from the University of Virginia and edX will do just that.
Students will learn about the problems that commonly derail strategic execution. They will also be introduced to the pillars of strategy execution. These pillars are analysis, formulation, and implementation.
Your employees can also expect to learn:
- How to use hypothesis testing to assess the validity of assumptions
- How to use the 4A Model for effective strategy execution
- Essential tips from experts for developing and executing a business strategy.
This best course for training employees was developed by the faculty of the Darden School of Buisness. Darden is one of the best business schools in the nation.
The course includes input from leaders from all over the business world. This includes entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and leaders from the nonprofit space.
Points: 9
Affordability: Free to enroll. A fee (usually around $50) might be required. Other costs are involved if employees participate in a specialization (usually $39-$79 per month). Learn more about Coursera pricing. This is scored as a paid course.
Accessibility: High accessibility. Students can quickly access course materials online. The course is available on any internet-enabled device. Access is available 24/7.
Flexibility: Highly flexible. Work at your own pace. This is a short business course, which helps students work around existing work and life commitments. Course deadlines can be adjusted as needed.
#3: Becoming a Successful Leader (Inclusive Leadership Training)
Get your team ready to lead with this course from Catalyst and edX.
This four-week course will help your employees become leaders in the 21st-century workplace. This includes a healthy dose of instruction on how to be more inclusive.
Your employees will participate in coursework that asks them to apply their learning to the real world. This includes units on:
- Empowerment
- Accountability
- Humility
Students will also learn how to be courageous in the workplace, and how that course will help them become a solid team leader.
The instructors for the course will introduce students to a number of leaders from the business world. This will help students see firsthand how these leadership principles are applied.
Additionally, there are many case studies and quizzes that will help your employees drill down to the most important topics in the class.
Points: 10
Affordability: Free (at the time of writing)
Accessibility: High accessibility. edX created this business course to be easily available online. The course can be accessed using a smartphone or any other internet-enabled device.
Flexibility: Highly flexible. This course is self-paced. Most students finish it in four weeks or less. Students get lifetime access to the course.
#2: Business Communications
Business communications might be important to your team for a variety of reasons. Employees need to understand how to communicate effectively with one another. They must also communicate effectively with you and other supervisors. Let’s not forget the importance of effective communication with customers as well.
This best course for training employees from the University of British Columbia and edX is designed for teams to elevate their ability to communicate. This is done in many ways, including:
- Improving clarity
- Focusing on impact
- Being concise
Employees in this best business course will also learn how to communicate with diverse audiences. This is helpful both within the workplace and with your clients.
Additionally, there is a unit on creating business documents. This unit focuses on clear written communication.
Points: 10
Affordability: Free (at the time of writing)
Accessibility: High accessibility. Access this course on a smartphone, tablet, or computer. Access is available as soon as students are enrolled. Video transcripts are available to enhance the ease of access.
Flexibility: Highly flexible. Students learn at their own pace. Most students finish in about six weeks. With lifetime access, students can come back to the course for a refresh over and over again.
#1: Best Practices for Project Management Success
This best online business course ranking in at number one is by the Rochester Institute of Technology and edX. It focuses on turning project management principles into practice. Your team members will learn best practices for project management. They’ll also discover new things about corporate culture. Organizational behavior is a topic of study too.
Likewise, students in this online course will:
- Discuss organizational leadership
- Identify characteristics of quality leadership
- Learn how to problem solve common project challenges
As a result of taking this course, employees will have a better understanding of what is needed to make projects a success. This is done through readings and lectures. There are multiple case studies from the business world as well.
This is one course in edX’s Project Management MicroMasters program. If you want your employees to get even more training in this area, you might consider it as a viable option.
Points: 10
Affordability: Free (at the time of writing)
Accessibility: High accessibility. edX makes this class accessible day or night. Access is granted immediately upon enrollment. There are video transcripts made available for easier access to course materials as well.
Flexibility: Highly flexible. The course is self-paced. Most students finish in about 11 weeks. However, you get lifetime access to the course materials.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there free online courses for employees?
Yes, there are many workplace training courses that employees can take online for free. In fact, some of the courses in our rankings are free. Others come with a free demo. This means you can train your team without having to shell out a bunch of money.
Beware that some “free” courses aren’t necessarily free. Some courses offer basic features for free. More robust features are additions that in some cases require you to pay a fee. In other instances, a website might lure you in with basic, free courses. But to access premium courses, you might have to pay per course or pay a monthly or yearly membership fee.
Usually, the more detailed courses are fee-based. However, as our rankings demonstrate, some free courses are very well put together.
What kinds of workplace training courses can I find online?
There is really no limit to the type of workplace training courses you can find online. In the business realm, you can explore courses related to:
- Accounting
- Finance
- Human resources
- Computer science
- Product development
Of course, this is just a partial list. The courses in our rankings are also just a partial list. The chances are good that whatever training you need for your employees, you can find it online.
In addition to business-related trainings, there are many other types of workplace trainings that can be done online.
For example, your company might want to help employees improve soft skills, such as their ability to communicate effectively. Online training is a great way to foster that kind of skill. Similarly, you might want to conduct training that boosts leadership skills or focuses on improving time-management skills. Again, an online platform is a great way to bring about those changes.
Safety training is another popular option for an online format. In many businesses, employees have to be familiar with safety practices, OSHA standards, and basic first aid. In many situations, this type of information can be effectively presented in an online format.
Of course, online training is a great option for developing technical skills as well. For example, if an employee needs to brush up on their technical analysis skills, an online training session might be just the ticket. Perhaps you have an employee that needs to learn more about social media marketing. Again, an online course on that topic could prove quite valuable.
What’s more, online trainings come in many forms. You might ask a team member to take a single course. Single courses might require a few hours of work or a few weeks of work or more. Furthermore, you might ask an employee to complete a larger course that includes multiple classes. In this case, the training might last several months from start to finish.
No matter the topic or the timeframe, online training for your employees can be a very valuable benefit to your company.
Are there online business courses with certificates?
Yes, many online business courses offer certificates once the course is completed.
In some cases, the certificate simply shows that the course was taken and completed. In other cases, the certificate might hold a little more weight. For example, many of the courses on Coursera have a completion certificate. This digital certificate is easy for employees to share, such as on their LinkedIn profile.
Coursera’s specializations also offer certificates. This allows employees to show that they have completed a series of courses.
In other cases, certificates are an add-on. For example, many edX courses offer certificates for $50 or more. In this case, employees can get a verified digital certificate to add to their resume, online profile, and so forth.
For some employees, adding this kind of certificate might be worth the added expense. For example, if they take a course from a well-known source, like Harvard, having a certificate bearing the Harvard name could be beneficial. However, if your goal for employee training is to simply help them develop additional skills, the certificate may not mean much to you.
Can team training be done effectively online?
Yes, absolutely!
Twenty years ago, online training would likely not have been a smooth process. But as the internet has evolved and technology has advanced, online training is more effective than it has ever been.
On the one hand, online training courses for employees are simpler to complete than in-person trainings. Some business topics don’t require the entire team to meet for hours on end. Instead, employees can simply log on and take their course as their schedule allows.
On the other hand, online training can make repetitive content a little easier for employees to digest. Online learning can be much more interactive, and with some courses using game-like learning environments, employees might find that their training time passes by more quickly. They will retain more information as well. They might even have more fun! If you think about it, much of our lives is online. We watch TV online. Chat with friends online. Read news online. It’s a platform that’s comfortable to many people, so it makes sense that online training would be an effective medium.
Training for your business team is also very effective online when training new hires. Much of the orientation materials for new employees lends itself to getting them up to speed on things like company policies. Compliance courses like sexual harassment training are also easy to tailor to an online learning environment.
It can also be easier to target specific skills or outcomes in an online training setting. For example, in-person training can sometimes get bogged down in the details. What’s more, over-training your employees is a distinct possibility. Put simply, you can stress out your employees by presenting them with too much information.
But in an online training setting, employees can engage in learning that is far more specific. Think of TED Talks as a great example of this. These types of presentations are often done in very short bursts. This allows viewers to really engage with what they’re learning and process their learning in a more meaningful way.
From an employer perspective, online courses for employees are often much more cost-effective. By offering online training that is laser focused, employees can finish the training faster. Additionally, as mentioned above, online training can often be more engaging. The more engaged your employees are in their training, the more benefits they will get out of it.
Another part of ensuring that training is effective is making it flexible. Online workplace training courses do just that. It gives your employees the ability to do their training when they can, rather than when you ask them to. Likewise, online training is often self-paced. There is a lot of value in being able to work through the material at a pace that you’re comfortable with.
In fact, being able to learn at your own pace helps you retain the information you’re learning. When training your employees is such an important part of your business, you certainly want them to remember what they’ve learned. Online training can help them do that.
Why is training for business teams important?
The biggest benefit of workplace training courses is that it helps people do their jobs more effectively. Whether your business is involved in sales, distribution, service, or something in between, having employees that know what they are doing will only benefit the company (and customers!).
By having a trained team in place, it is more likely that quality standards are maintained. It’s also more likely that productivity is increased. Mistakes are minimized, efficiency is maximized, and the company begins to run more smoothly.
Training also benefits employees in that they gain skills that could lead to a promotion. Building a solid business team requires that you have the best employees. Those that are well-trained are more likely to perform well and give you a reason to promote them or expand their responsibilities. In turn, employees gain a sense of accomplishment. They often find that they are more motivated to work and have higher job satisfaction as well.
What are the most common problems with online training courses for employees?
By far one of the biggest difficulties with workplace training courses online is technical difficulties. Not being able to access the course for whatever reason is an obvious roadblock to getting the training done.
It might be a slow internet connection. It could be a compatibility issue with the operating system or the device being used to access the course. Whatever the case, it can be frustrating not being able to do the training.
The solution in this case is to keep it simple. Choose courses like the ones outlined in our rankings that are easy to access online. Priority should be given to courses that don’t require special access, printing out materials, or downloading files. The simpler the course is to access, the better off you will be.
Another common problem with online training courses for employees is that the people taking the course have questions or problems that require assistance. Many workplace training courses do not have teachers working directly with students. Instead, learners must navigate the course on their own.
To help overcome this problem, it’s important that you and your company offer support to workers in training. This might involve checking in on their progress periodically. This might also mean giving them access to the company’s tech support in case an issue arises. Just do your best to make employees feel supported and provide them with the resources they need to complete their training.
It is important to avoid boring classes as well. This isn’t to say that all training has to be fun and games. However, as noted in an earlier question and answer, the more interactive a course is, the more likely it is that employees will complete it. Not only that, more interactive coursework helps students engage with the information. This, in turn, helps them retain what they’ve learned to a greater degree.
There is also an issue of course quality. In some cases, company’s select online training courses that might look good on the surface, but end up being poorly developed. This is where our rankings come in.
Online workplace training courses can’t be selected by considering only how they “look” or “feel.” Nor should they be selected solely based on their price. Instead, using multiple factors to examine online training courses will ensure that your employees are taking part in courses that offer them a valuable learning experience.
What should be considered when choosing online training courses for my business team?
There are several things to think about when choosing a workplace training course.
First, you have to consider the time that’s available. If employees don’t have much time, you need training that is both quick and convenient.
Second, you need to consider the budget. Free courses are great. However, the type of training you need to offer might not be provided for free. Do your due diligence to find training that is budget-appropriate.
Third, the nature of the employee’s job is important. For example, if they travel a lot, it probably can’t be expected of them to complete a training as quickly as an employee that’s based in one location. The added time spent traveling will restrict how much time a worker can sit down for online training.
Lastly, think of the purpose of the training. Though many types of trainings are well-suited for an online environment, some are not. For example, if you want to build team rapport, an in-person training is likely a better option than having each member of the team do training independently online.
Furthermore, if you want employees to develop new skills, interactive training might be a good way to get that done. If it’s simple workplace training like going over company policies, a short online presentation developed by your company could be a good bet. As another example, if you want to train an employee for a totally new position, having them take a series of online courses is a solid option.
Whatever the case, it’s necessary to be thorough when vetting potential workplace training courses for your employees. The more time you dedicate to selecting the best options, the better the results will be.
OCR Staff
November 2020
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