How to Get Leadership Buy-In for an Employee E-Learning Program

Here are eight tips for making the case:

1. Be conscious of timing
2. Prove an ROI
3. Connect it to company goals
4. Overcome pain points
5. Share how it attracts top performers
6. Get others on board
7. Ask questions and listen to feedback
8. Create a clear implementation strategy

Let’s explore how to get leadership buy-in for an employee e-learning program with these tips!

Be conscious of timing

If your organization is going through budget cuts or layoffs, it might not be a good time to bring up a new corporate expenditure (even if you believe it will pay for itself)! Make sure you understand and consider the bigger picture before approaching management.

Prove an ROI

When it comes to something like e-learning, proving ROI isn’t as simple as “invest $X amount of dollars and receive $X in 5 years.” However, you can make a case using different ROI metrics to gauge e-learning success! Share e-learning statistics on how many other organizations use e-learning, showing how it will make your firm competitive in the market. You can also research how companies that implemented e-learning have increased their productivity and revenue.

Connect it to company goals

Every organization has its own unique mission and goals, so your next task is to understand what those are and how e-learning can help move the needle closer to accomplishing them. Is it to grow the company? E-learning can help train new employees and enable current ones to build their skills for internal promotions. Do they want to create a great company culture? Supporting staff learning and development is critical.

Overcome pain points

Think about what pain points exist in your company’s current day-to-day operations. They could be things like:

• Employees have trouble finding quick, informative answers to their questions and problems, impacting productivity.
• There’s high turnover because there aren’t opportunities to grow within the company.
• Project results aren’t consistent because employees aren’t getting the same training.

Again, every organization is different, so think about conducting surveys to find out what some operational pain points are at yours!

Share how it attracts top performers

High-achieving employees are attracted to companies that offer them opportunities and support their goals. Being able to point to your L&D initiatives can make a big difference during recruiting! A great e-learning system with reporting features also allows you to identify your top performers who are already within your organization.

Get others on board

If you’re just one person on a crusade for e-learning implementation, but no one else is enthusiastic about it, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle. An employee survey is another great option here, so you can show a results graph demonstrating how much interest there is company-wide.

Ask questions and listen to feedback

What’s even more important than talking? Listening! Company leaders are in those roles for a reason, and their input is valuable. Make sure to ask for their advice and feedback and keep yourself open to negotiating changes during the process.

Create a clear implementation strategy

Finally, make sure leadership knows your plans don’t end once they purchase an e-learning subscription. Make a plan for actually rolling out the program and getting people to use it. (If you use Pinnacle Series, we have a team who can help you strategize the implementation!)

One final tip on how to get leadership buy-in for an employee e-learning program? Choose Pinnacle Series! We’re not just an e-learning system, but a full-featured knowledge management platform built for AEC and manufacturing organizations. Schedule a demo or pilot to share with your corporate higher-ups today!