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Running head: Online Learning, Training and Career Development in the Workplace

Best Practices to Improve Employee Retention at XY University through the use of Online
Learning, Training and Career Development Opportunities.
Sherma Lawrie
University of Maryland University

Online Learning, Training and Career Development in the Workplace

Abstract
The purpose of this research is to explore how successful and existing online learning;
training and career development support programs can help retain employees in the distance
education (DE) sector and how these strategies can help support employee retention at my place
of employment, XY University. The goal is to examine, analyze and conduct a case study at XY
University within the Student Recruitment Department; and to also decipher some of the best
practices needed to improve employee retention and the successful concepts and strategies that
are necessary to help enhance the practice and performance in DE and training at XY University.

Online Learning, Training and Career Development in the Workplace

Introduction
High employee turnover is a major issue employers face on a daily basis. It is quite
expensive to recruit, interview and train new employees not to mention that these employees
may be less adept at their jobs than the experienced workers they are replacing (Gomez, 2014,
para. 1). With the constant growth of the economy, globalization and increase in the job market
and career opportunities, employees are open to more options and employee retention is
becoming more challenging. However, organizations today, must examine new methods to help
with people management though the use of career development programs to help address these
concerns and to help reduce employee turnover especially within the DE sector. Online learning,
training and career development in the workplace is very important in any DE institution and it
helps with achieving business missions, goals and objectives and adds value to employee and
organizational performance (Rosenberg, 2006). According to Kennett (2013), the three training
and development that had positive consequences towards employee turnover were labeled as
individual, team and organizational development.
XY Universitys mission is to help improve the lives of adult learners while serving as a
recognized leader in career relevant education and accepting change and innovation, yet has a
human resource (HR) business model which lack these similar benefits for its staff and
administrative employees in specific areas related to online learning, training and career
development within the organization at large. However for the sole purpose of this research, only
the Student Recruitment (SR) department will be examined. Today, the SR department which
includes its leaders and upper management, are focusing on a HR model initiate and new
business model that will impact the lives and career growth of the admissions counselors, lead

Online Learning, Training and Career Development in the Workplace

admissions counselors, admissions processors, advisors, assistant directors, directors, assistant


vice president and vice president.
During this new initiative areas such as HR performance management, employee
engagement, recognition and reward and training and development are the primary focus. This
initiative proves that XY University and its leaders in the SR department realize there is need to
help improve people management. However, as part of the departments short-term and long
term goals, employee input, HR policies and the qualitative and quantitative data and findings
from this research will help align the new model with benchmarking HR practices at Best in
Class Organizations vs. XY University. This paper however, will cover a review of literature and
recommendations to improve online learning, training and career development at XY University.
Needs at XY University within the Student Recruitment Department
Management

Leadership development
Supervisory development
Professional development
Career development

Staff

Career development
Professional development
Review of Literature
According to Wentworth (2014), Senior Learning Analyst, and Mollie Lombardi, VP,

Workforce Management Practice, Brandon Hall Group, organizations that fail to adjust their
learning management practices and solutions will struggle with growth and productivity.
Key Findings
Based on the findings from Brandon Hall Group (2014), L&D Benchmarking Study:

Online Learning, Training and Career Development in the Workplace

One-third of companies are increasing their budgets to improve learning and

development.
10 percent of companies are leveraging mobile learning solutions.
59 percent of companies are leveraging social learning activities.
41 percent of companies describe their culture as Controlling.
Components of a Successful Employee Learning Experience

According to a HR toolkit illustrated by the Community Foundation of Canada (2016) these


components are necessary for a successful employee learning experience:

The training goals and objectives must be clear.


Involvement from employees in the decision making when determining abilities,

knowledge and skills to be learned.


Practical and problem solving approach.
New material is connected to employees previous work experience.
Employees have an opportunity to use what they learn in the classroom and reinforce in

their everyday duties.


Employee respect and the promotion of positive self-esteem.
Cost Effective Methods

On the job training and experience via committees, conferences and forum, critical
incident notes, field trips, job aids, job expansion, job rotation, job shadowing, learning
alerts, peer assisting learning, stretch assignments and special projects (Community
Foundation of Canada, 2016).

Relationship and Feedback


Coaching, mentoring, networking, performance appraisal (Community Foundation of
Canada, 2016).
Classroom Training

Courses, seminars, workshops


Off the job training- courses offered at colleges and universities, professional
associations, reading groups and self-study (Community Foundation of Canada, 2016).

Relevant Definitions

Online Learning, Training and Career Development in the Workplace


Online Learning: Acquiring knowledge or skills though experience, study or by being taught;
controlled by or connected to a computer, network, Internet or World Wide Web (Oxford
University Press, 2016a,b).
Training: The action of teaching a person a new skill (Oxford University Press, 2016c).
Career Development: Career development pertains to a lifelong learning and is a self-initiated
process with the support from, and resources provided by supervisors, managers and the
organization and helps employees transition and move toward a personally determined and
evolving preferred future (About careers, 2016; Berkeley University, 2016).
Effective online learning, training and career development provides the following:

Adds individual and organizational value by eliminating issues such as globalization,

consistency, employee weaknesses, skills and performance.


Continuous learning via e-learning methods, professional development and skill

enhancement for employees.


Develop and promote a global community for collaboration and enterprise learning.
Employee engagement and promotion, motivation, empowerment.
Retain and utilize employees and to minimize short-run turnover.
Promote performance coaching and mentoring.
History, Background & New Era
Universities have a primary function to deliver undergraduate and post-graduate

programs and a role to generate new knowledge through research and to also serve as a
workplace for academic staff and other employees who function within this environment
(Jamieson, 2004). Historically, universities, in their role as employer, have a poor record in
providing professional development programs for their employees and, especially academics,
many of whom have no formal qualification in education (Jamieson, 2004, p.21). With the
massive shift and competitive changes in education, DE institutions are becoming more relevant
and are one of the preferred teaching and learning methods because of its convenience and

Online Learning, Training and Career Development in the Workplace

flexibility (Cleveland-Innes & Garrison, 2010). Despite the many benefits of DE institutions,
these organizations must constantly lead through effective and constant changes, increasing
support and communication, learning and teaching theories and online technologies to be
successful and to also survive (Kotter, 2012).
As part of the twenty-first century approach, according to Harasim (2012) many DE
institutions are relying on a number of learning theories, such as the connectivism,
constructivism, community of inquiry, career development and other teaching and learning
methods and practices such as asynchronous and synchronous, competency model, competency
based learning approach, community driven approach, community of practices, formal and
informal learning and stages of learning and development capability/ maturity, which these
systemic approaches and strategies are needed to help evolve life long learning opportunities for
twenty-first century success. Each of these areas of social science therefore will help to bridge
the gap of online learning, training and career development in the workplace, especially distance
education institutions and universities.
Retaining and Utilizing Skilled Employees
The influences of rapid technological change, globalization and having to find new
production methods within the late twentieth to the twenty first century, have led to constant
changes and demands that employers must provide the necessary tools for workers to revise and
reshape their skills and to become lifelong learners (Bain & Bond, 2000; Russell, Menassa, &
McCloskey, 2014). According to Smith, Oczkowski & Smith (2008), not being able to hire
individuals with the appropriate skills is an obvious impediment to both productivity and
prosperity to any organization and more importantly to a country and the global economy.
Another important concern employers face is how to manage and to keep skilled employees and

Online Learning, Training and Career Development in the Workplace

to use their skills effectively. While this study analyzed the retention of staff and utilization, its
focus on the role of HR management practices such as training and high work performances
work systems philosophies used in enabling employers to retain and utilize the skills of their
staff. The report finds that the presence of an active learning orientation in an organization can
help maximize utilization of skills and long- term retention and reducing short-run turnover
(Smith, Oczkowski & Smith, 2008).
People tend to remain with an organization if they feel they are learning and progressing in
their careers. The retention or utilization of skilled employees are not necessarily improved
through strategies such as increasing wages, adopting family-friendly working policies, and the
use of non-monetary rewards (Smith, Oczkowski & Smith, 2008). These things help make
people feel satisfied, but they are not sufficient to retain skilled people in a competitive job
market. What does facilitate the retention of employees is the application of high-performance
work practices such as a commitment to learning, open-mindedness and shared vision and the
prioritization of human resource development to enable a competitive advantage and effort that
attract, develop and retain talent via recruitment and selection opportunities (Smith, Oczkowski
& Smith, 2008; Holland, Sheehan, & De Cieri, 2007). More widespread adoption of these
practices would benefit employers and workers alike. Training as part of an
overall learning culture, particularly nationally recognized training, is also important in retaining
skilled people and making better use of their skills. This also offers opportunities for
registered training organizations to work with employers to improve retention and utilization
strategies for employees.
Learning and Career Development
MOOCs, Competency-Based learning Approach & Social Media

Online Learning, Training and Career Development in the Workplace

Professional development helps people with increasing their skills and competence.
According to Olsson (2016), open courses such as massive open online courses (MOOCS) can
serve as a professional development and because of the openness it does bring individuals
together from various organizations and it promotes collaboration, flexibility and networking.
However, as part of career development with e-learning teaching and learning strategy, there is a
need for a competency based learning approach whenever the goal is to train these individuals in
relation to the careers (Bastiaens & Stijnen, 2008). Whatever is learned has to be transferred to
the future workplace; therefore learners must be tested and graded to obtain industry
certifications.
In addition, through the use of an ethnography-based approach and after examining five
continuous professional development pilot training and learning occurred at the workplace
through the use of wikis, blogs, forums, chats and voice conferencing (Leino, Tanhua-Piiroinen
& Sommers- Piiroinen, 2012), the article stated that learners benefited from interaction, peer
support, abundant and instant feedback offered by synchronous communication (Leino, TanhuaPiiroinen & Sommers- Piiroinen, 2012). Nonetheless, asynchronous features became as chores
and the interactive learning culture failed to grow. While the social media approach is important,
the teacher-centered learning and conventional learning culture was the preferred method in
leading and teaching leaners (Leino, Tanhua-Piiroinen & Sommers- Piiroinen, 2012).
Career Motivation
Van Rijn, Yang & Sanders (2013) suggests that for employee career motivation and their
self- construal on their engagement to occur, three informal workplace learning activities must be
in effect which include: keeping up-to-date, asking supervisors for feedback and knowledge
sharing opportunities.

Online Learning, Training and Career Development in the Workplace

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Course Development
Booth, Carroll, Papaioannaou, Sutton, & Wong (2009), in their findings and results from
a systemic review of twenty nine references believed that peer communication, flexibility,
support, knowledge validation and course presentation and design are key for a DE and online
learning course to be successful. These authors also discussed other valuable frameworks needed
for ongoing course development.
Community of Practice (COP)
Land, Draper, Ma Z, Hsieh, Smith & Jordan (2009), in their article stated that current
approaches to workplace learning, emphasizes the importance of designing a knowledge-based
COP to achieve both formal and informal learning and knowledge acquisition. The online
community showed evidence of both individual and collective knowledge building within areas
such as interaction and improvement of ideas, connectivity towards workplace knowledge and
practices and adopting and building on ideas from peers. There was also a significant growth in
scores and assessment of workplace customer service of those individuals who participated in the
online community of practice (Land, Draper, Ma Z, Hsieh, Smith & Jordan, 2009).
Constructivism and Constructionism
Based on an educational research and employer survey the results revealed that the skills
gap in the United States spans across the areas such as academic foundation, industry
qualifications, technological competencies higher-order cognitive skills, and behavioral skills
and values (Mays, 2015). Constructivist and constructionist learning theory often strengthen a
learners analytic skills, creativity, perseverance, ethics, and behavioral workplace competencies
and to accomplish this goal, the whole person, knowledge structures, strategically prepared

Online Learning, Training and Career Development in the Workplace

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learning environments, the L&D instructor or facilitator serves as the expert and provides
experiential learning, social interaction, collaborative learning and reflection (Mays, 2015).
Interpersonal Interaction and Social Presence
Based on a qualitative case study performed to examine how an interpersonal interaction
may or may not have benefited its participants in an online development course, the findings
promoted that the participants:

Valued sharing specific case-based knowledge and professional socialization with others

in similar fields
Learners seek online courses for the purpose of intellectual conversations/safety
Facilitators must model social presence in the classroom
Existing Universities that Offer L&D Opportunities

According to my findings, there are several universities that offer career and development
opportunities to its employees:
Harvard University- http://hr.harvard.edu/learning-development
UMass Lowell- http://www.uml.edu/hr/wld/
Northwestern University- http://www.northwestern.edu/hr/workplace-learning/
Cornell University- https://www.hr.cornell.edu/life/career/professional_development.html
Australian Human Resource Institute- https://www.ahri.com.au/assist/learning-and-development
American University- http://www.american.edu/training/Profdev/
University of Georgia- http://www.hr.uga.edu/training
Duke University- https://www.hr.duke.edu/training/workshops/
After examining each of these institutions and the types of L&D opportunities offered to
their employees, the University of Georgia, Harvard University, Cordell University and Duke
University were more appealing and website was relatively easy to navigate and promoted career
knowledge and enhancement for their employees. However, the University of Georgias training

Online Learning, Training and Career Development in the Workplace

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and development is the type of online learning programs XY University needs. It offers
leadership development, certificate programs, e-learning opportunities and much more.
Organizational development, new employee onboarding, performance excellence, business
processes, flexible work, compensation and other listed on the other sites are ideas XY
University should consider when constructing their own website.
Challenges, Issues & Methodology
Many theories support L&D, however the major challenge and issue for this research
paper is creating a training and career development plan which will meet the employees needs at
XY University and an appropriate budget that the stakeholders will agree upon. Learning designs
and class structures has a major impact on the success of the program and learner interaction. In
addition, class or groups sizes must be moderate and differing skill sets of learners must be
evened out and how to design elearning enhanced with social media and how to avoid potential
pitfalls (Leino, Tanhua-Piiroinen & Sommers- Piiroinen, 2012). As a result, data gathering and
feedback will need to be obtained from employee, employers and stakeholders for this case study
to be of relevance to the field of DE and e learning. The importance here is to effectively
understand the needs and how best these needs can be satisfied.
Learner Support
Authors and theorists such as Smith & Drago (2004); MacDonald, Bullen, & Kozak
(2010); Joo, Lim, & Park (2011) discusses the importance of learner support for distance
education learners and conclude these findings through qualitative research project, online
surveys and research.
Recommendations, Trends and Key Takeaways

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1) The literature suggests there is a need for the implementation of digital training
materials, training designs and there is also a need for more case studies of the use of social
media, its actual experiences and not just the hype (Bastiaens & Stijnen, 2008; Leino, TanhuaPiiroinen & Sommers- Piiroinen, 2012).
Digital training materials offer (Bastiaens & Stijnen, 2008):

Makes training flexible, interactively multi-media and personal


Must be attractive, motivating and efficient
Learners must be able to learn actively and trainers be able to use these materials to

decrease workload and to meet learner needs


Training materials must be able to be used on various learning management systems and

be made easy to update


Tools which support the ADDIE model (analysis, design, development or production,
implementation and evaluation is highly recommended for future development

2) Professional training and development may be relevant to employees needs for career
development and life-long learning but the findings suggest that these programs will fail if the
organization does not tackle specific problems to help improve the their learners needs (Dirani,
2004). One should not use generic ideas into a specific workplace setting or environment (Dirani,
2004).
3) The paper written by Lynch & James (2012) outlines the success of online learning in the
workplace and the importance of corporate partners through Open Universities Australia. Their
findings and experimentation can help XY University construct some best practices of online
workplace learning by human resource initiatives partnering with a corporate program to help
employees develop their skills or to pursue relevant interests through tertiary studies.

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4) Wentworth (2014) in his article suggests that organizations must consider going mobile,
consider adaptive learning, use of social media tools, and align with business objectives and to
measure effectiveness.
5) Companies must select the right provider, collaborate with the business and put the
individual first (Wentworth, 2014).

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