Enterprises are facing unprecedented challenges today, from labor shortages to technological changes like AI that are sparking an upskilling revolution. AI, for instance, is already part of 75% of office workers' daily tasks, making it critical for employers to provide training, upskilling, and reskilling opportunities to stay ahead.
According to the World Economic Forum, AI will influence 23% of jobs, creating an estimated 69 million new roles. But this isn’t just about technology—it's about meeting employee expectations.
A staggering 80% of employees say that access to upskilling, training, and coaching significantly boosts their job satisfaction. And with six in ten workers expected to need training by 2027, organizations that invest in robust learning programs will lead the charge in attracting and retaining top talent.
Traditional training, however, has its limits.
Studies show that learners retain just 5% of what they hear in lectures and 10% of what they read, underscoring the need for more engaging and diverse employee training programs. By offering various effective employee training methods during onboarding and throughout all workplace training, organizations can increase knowledge retention, improve performance, and better prepare employees for the future of work.
This article will explore:
- Why diverse employee training methods are crucial,
- 10 effective employee training methods, and
- How modern learning platforms support various and impactful learning experiences.
Let’s dive in!
Why various learning options improve L&D outcomes
Whether you're crafting an exceptional onboarding program or providing resources to help employees excel in their current roles, variety matters. It's an essential part of developing training programs that enable employees to engage with the content and retain knowledge they can use effectively in the workplace.
There isn't a single approach to learning that works best for all people, however. As individuals, employees learn in different ways. Learning falls into four basic categories that engage employees based on their learning preferences:
- Visual: Some learners engage better with visual content than with lectures or printed materials. Visual learning materials often include graphs, infographics, how-to videos, and diagrams.
- Auditory: Learners who gain the most from listening to training materials are classified as auditory or aural learners. These employees will likely gain more value from lecture-type resources like podcasts, webinars, audiobooks, and interactive debates or discussions.
- Kinesthetic: Taking action is the best way for some learners to retain knowledge. Kinesthetic training refers to methods that enable employees to perform tasks that put learning into practice. This includes partner training, interactive activities, online exercises, and on-the-job training.
- Reading and writing: Printed content is a great way to provide employees with references they can revisit as needed. Materials like text-based online courses, PDFs, documents, and ebooks are ideal for learners who engage best with reading and writing.
By implementing employee training methods that incorporate the core basic types of learning in your training programs, you can improve learner engagement and knowledge retention to get the best ROI from your L&D efforts.
Read below for 8 different ways to deliver multimodal learning, the teaching method that combines different modes of learning.
10 Types of employee training methods
With multimodal learning, you can craft training programs that fit your budget and provide a wide range of employees with the autonomy to learn at their own pace and get the best results.
Don’t just deliver training. Deliver the right training.
Read below to know more about the best employee training methods or training techniques that target multiple learning styles to enable you to make the most of your training programs.
1. Instructor-led learning
Classroom training environments don't appeal to all learners. But there are many valuable assets found in traditional learning methods. Instructor-led training doesn't have to be conducted in an academic-like classroom environment.
Whether presented online or in person, instructor-led training (ILT) is ideal for some topics. ILT is any type of training led by an instructor and delivered in real time. It can include lectures, hands-on training, and visual resources.
These training formats are ideal for developing relationships with trainers and enabling learners to ask questions about materials they don't fully understand.
2. Coaching
Sometimes referred to as mentoring or job shadowing, coaching is one of the types of training methods that allows an experienced professional (like a supervisor, experienced employee, or subject matter expert) to share knowledge with new employees or those learning new skills.
This method can be used in both in-person and virtual environments and provides a unique one-on-one learning experience. While it can be considered a type of on-the-job training, mentorships have the distinct advantage of cultivating work relationships and improving communication.
The one-on-one relationship can also encourage employees to ask questions they wouldn't feel comfortable asking in front of a group. Organizations that use alternative training models like social learning have higher course completion rates, employee engagement, productivity, and collaboration.
3. Gamification
By rewarding learners for their efforts, gamification is interactive training that makes learning fun and can improve employee performance. Gamification incorporates elements like points, badges, and rewards into training courses.
It offers instant feedback and makes employees want to achieve required learning objectives. By offering a source of motivation and friendly competition, gamification is excellent for training that requires employees to take on repetitive tasks.
4. Microlearning
Workplace training typically requires employees to consume vast amounts of information in a relatively short period. Unfortunately, this time-consuming approach can backfire by reducing employee engagement and knowledge retention.
When learners try to consume too much information at one time, they become overloaded and fail to retain everything they've learned. Information overload can lead employees to become confused, inefficient, anxious, and delay making decisions.
Microlearning is an employee training method that breaks down complex topics into small digestible chunks to provide learners with the information they need when they need it.
These small chunks of learning can come in short videos, infographics, quizzes, games, blogs, or demos. Microlearning is ideal for integrating learning into employees' busy schedules and making important points memorable.
5. E-learning
Remote training has become substantially more commonplace in the post-pandemic world where employers have maintained the use of digital tools for more effective results.
E-learning, also known as digital learning, online training, or remote learning, covers a wide range of digital training methods that take place virtually.
Since it's so versatile, e-learning can include synchronous training that takes place in real time and can be accessed from mobile devices.
These can be online learning courses that are accessible at any time for self-paced learning, how-to videos, and content that includes complementary training materials like lessons and reading materials.
E-learning is ideal for a variety of training requirements, including:
- Onboarding new hires,
- Ongoing development,
- Compliance training, and
- Optional learning opportunities employees can complete at home.
6. Peer-to-peer learning
Another type of social learning, peer-to-peer learning, encourages learners to work through new concepts and ideas together for innovative problem-solving. Collaborative learning can occur in a traditional classroom or workplace setting with face-to-face or virtual instruction.
These sessions put participants learning the same material together to share ideas that enhance learning. Some learning platforms even include communities that foster collaborative learning and knowledge sharing.
As team members discuss perspectives, individuals can combine what they've learned for a more well-rounded understanding of the subject matter.
Examples of peer-to-peer learning include:
- Study sessions,
- Discussion seminars following an event like a lecture,
- Online communities and forums,
- Collaborative projects, and
- Peer tutoring programs.
7. Video training
Training videos engage learners in various ways to make different concepts easy to understand. Videos are ideal for both visual and auditory learners.
Short segments accommodate bite-sized learning objectives and combine with additional learning materials to enhance knowledge retention. When stored in your learning management system (LMS) or learning platform, videos can be revisited as needed to access the included information.
Video training can include how-to videos, story-based animations, case studies, and more! The world is your oyster! In any situation, it's a highly engaging option that promotes increased retention for accurate recall.
8. Blended learning
Sometimes called hybrid learning, blended learning combines traditional in-person classroom instruction with online training. This combination enables learners to study in the environment that best matches their learning preferences.
Online learning can take place alongside traditional coursework or be presented at a separate time. With modern e-learning software, such as a learning management system or AI-driven learning platform, instruction can be accompanied by hands-on exercises, quizzes, and other materials to enhance the learning experience.
Blended learning environments are ideal for workplaces with in-office and remote workers. Advantages for learners include autonomy and self-paced learning.
Since blended learning offers the opportunity to use a variety of tools, it can also increase engagement. Examples of blended learning include:
- Face-to-face instructor-led sessions supplemented by technology,
- Online sessions that mirror face-to-face sessions that allow learners to choose the environment best for them,
- Gamification,
- Online learning combined with hands-on labs or training modules, and
- Self-blended learning, where learners pick and choose the learning types that meet their needs at any given time.
9. Role-playing
Role-playing can be a key training method in sales, where success often hinges on interpersonal skills and the ability to navigate diverse customer interactions.
By recreating real-life sales scenarios, sales reps can simulate cold calls and many other situations where they can use their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. For example, a sales trainee might act as a representative pitching a product to a skeptical client, while the trainer plays the role of the customer raising objections or asking probing questions. With AI, role playing can be done with an avatar.
Through role-playing exercises, sales reps can practice building rapport, responding to objections, and refining their negotiation strategies in a safe, controlled environment that captures real-life situations.
The best part? Role-playing enhances confidence and adaptability by equipping learners with real-world, practical skills needed to handle high-stakes situations effectively.
10. Simulators
Simulation-based training is a transformative tool for industries like healthcare, aviation, and manufacturing, where decision-making, precision and expertise are critical. By using advanced immersive learning technologies such as immersive reality and virtual reality (VR), employees can practice complex tasks in lifelike, controlled environments without real-world risks.
For instance, VR allows surgeons to perform simulated procedures on virtual patients that mimic human anatomy, while pilots use flight simulators to navigate extreme weather or technical malfunctions.
These work scenarios enable trainees to refine critical skills, improve decision-making under pressure, and build confidence through repeated practice. Beyond skill acquisition, simulation-based training enhances problem-solving, critical thinking, and role-specific expertise.
With customizable simulations tailored to specific roles and equipment, this approach reduces costly workplace errors while ensuring employees are prepared for real-world challenges—all while leveraging cutting-edge technology to create more engaging and effective learning experiences.
How to best implement multimodal learning: Finding the right platform for your employee training needs
To bring multimodal training that serves all types of learners to your work environment, you need a dependable learning platform that can support your various training materials and employee training methods and can act as a central hub for your training content.
A modern LMS or learning platform can tie every aspect of your learning programs together and enable employees to access training materials easily.
This is exactly what semiconductor manufacturer Brooks Automation was after when they chose to migrate to Docebo’s AI-driven learning platform from their old legacy LMS.
With Docebo, Brooks Automation has enhanced learning experiences across their internal and external ecosystem of learners through various learning formats that include both in-person and virtual ILT, e-learning and blended learning.
Since adopting Docebo, Brooks Automation increased course completion rates for field service engineers by 40%, reduced training time on new equipment by 30%, and cut training costs by 20% through streamlined processes and blended learning.
Take a tour to learn more about the Docebo learning platform, and request a demo to learn why 3,800 companies worldwide like Brooks Automation trust Docebo with their learning needs.