The survey "Staff Training during an Economic Downturn - Opportunities and Threats" polled 150 UK HR professionals on their training needs, practices, and expectations during an economic slowdown.

Commenting on the research, Dr Dirk Thissen, managing director, IMC (UK) Learning Ltd, says: "Despite the acknowledgement that in-house training provides flexibility and cost effectiveness, which are needed during these tough times, only half of HR professionals have invested in learning management systems or rapid authoring tools."


"HR leaders should see the economic downturn as a prime opportunity to re-evaluate their training programmes and explore some of the more flexible and cost-efficient training tools on the market such as podcasts, virtual classrooms, or web-based training."

The research found a surprisingly low number of organisations regularly use training instruments such as online assessments/testing (53%), audio/video content (48%), and web-based training (48%). Only a quarter (25%) of respondents frequently use online communities, with even lower numbers using virtual classrooms (20%) and podcasts (11%).

Thissen continues: "With new graduates having grown up in the digital world, organisations looking for a competitive edge in attracting and retaining talent need to tailor their training techniques to best address today's web-based and virtual learning environments."


"Tools and portable devices such as podcasts, iPods, and PlayStation Portables, as well as the Internet, are already a set fixture in the education system. Organisations keen to get the most out of their training should take this into account when trying to find ways to engage and motivate their employees through training programmes."