ON24 Survey: Training, HR Execs Reveal Trends in Virtual Learning
More than 90% plan to increase use of virtual training in 2013
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – December 18, 2012 – ON24, Inc., the global leader in webcasting and virtual event solutions, today announced the findings of its survey of over 3,000 registrants of the Virtual Learning Edge, the first ever virtual conference dedicated to virtual learning. ON24 conducts research evaluating virtual training perceptions and adoption on an ongoing basis, and this most recent survey revealed what HR and training professionals think about virtual training, as well as their use of it in 2012 and plans for the future.
The survey found that fully 9 in 10 (91%) HR and training professionals plan to increase the use of virtual training at their companies in 2013, and 1 in 3 (33%) even said they would be increasing use by more than 25%. ON24’s market research also indicates that 74% of learning professionals are considering virtual learning environments in the next 6 to12 months and that 72% are considering training webinars.
The survey also found that 64% believe that customer/product training is the application best suited for a virtual environment, followed by:
- New Hire Onboarding – 62%
- Administrative Topics – 57%
- Sales Training – 48%
- IT Training – 41%
The primary virtual training benefits noted were reduced travel time (83%), more convenient (83%), more cost effective (79%), easier to involve company experts (52%), higher participation rates (43%) and more consistent training (38%).
“Our market research shows that the biggest training challenge facing learning professionals is training an increasingly dispersed workforce,” explained Tom Masotto, ON24 Vice President of Product Management. “Our research also indicates that over 82% of learning professionals want to offer more engaging training materials. The need to train global workforces and desire for more engaging training are driving interest in virtual learning environments.”
When asked which characteristics matter most in a virtual trainer, the respondents’ top answer was effective user of quizzes, polls and social media (88%), followed by:
- Facilitation skills – 83%
- Voice inflection – 74%
- Good with technology – 69%
- Topic matter expertise – 60%
- Funny – 50%
“These results show the incredible potential of virtual learning in a broad range of industries,” said Masotto. “ON24’s virtual learning environments are redefining how corporate training is being delivered, allowing companies to provide exceptional end user experiences, enhancing retention and improving learning outcomes.”
Last month’s Virtual Learning Edge attracted more than 1,100 attendees, including HR and training professionals from enterprises such as Boeing, HSBC Bank, UPS, AT&T, Bank of America, Hewlett Packard, Morgan Stanley and Accenture. With webcast views totaling 2,066, participants stayed an average of over two hours, downloaded 3,396 documents and participated in 333 1-to-1 chats. Virtual Learning Edge participants learned about online training solutions and technologies which enable companies to re-engage with their employees through social, mobile and personalized learning solutions.
The survey was fielded among a broad range of industries, including Banking/Finance/Insurance (19%), Technology (17%) and Healthcare, Government and Education (each approximately 10%). Respondents represented companies of all sizes, with slightly more than half (62%) coming from companies with more than 1,000 employees.
About ON24, Inc.
ON24, the virtual communications platform for the global enterprise, provides interactive, impactful cloud-based solutions that drive outstanding results. ON24 offers a broad and innovative product portfolio, including webcasting, virtual events and virtual environments, accessible from any device and supported by robust reporting and analytics. Applications for the ON24 platform include demand generation, partner enablement, training, product launches, company town hall meetings and user conferences. More than 700 organizations, including IBM, CA Technologies, Merck, Unilever, JPMorgan Chase, Deloitte, Credit Suisse, Amazon and New York Life, rely on ON24. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices throughout the world. For more information, visit https://www.ON24.com.