Objections to online learning: for recruiters

Continuing our series on the most common objections to online learning, we’re digging deeper into the perspectives of recruiters themselves.

When it comes to effective learning and development, nothing’s more important than your recruiters. They’re the people you’re providing training for—the ones who’ll benefit first from new skills and ideas. If they’re not on board, no amount of great content can help you.

As with new ways of working, technology, or process changes, adoption is everything. But encouraging adoption doesn’t mean burying your head in the sand about the assumptions and objections your recruiters bring to the table. If anything, the best results come from facing those objections head-on with clear, focused answers.

1. 1. We don’t have time to learn

   Ask your typical busy recruiter whether they want to block off some time to train and you’re likely to be hit with blank stares. We all have enough to do already – why add yet another task to a seemingly endless to-do list?

   In part, this objection comes from misconceptions about learning and development. For many recruiters, an image comes to mind of hours wasted in a workshop that could be better spent working hard and hitting targets. But online learning is purpose-built to fit into busy schedules—and a modern platform makes useful content as bitesized as social media.

   At the same time, it’s important to stress the benefits of constant learning—not to your business, but to recruiters themselves. Targeted content can help recruiters do what they do faster, spend less time guessing, and make informed, impactful choices. According to LinkedIn, 94% of learners have seen career benefits after taking more time to learn. The bottom line is that training isn’t just rewarding—it helps recruiters grow and earn more money.

   2. Online learning is antisocial

   For those recruiters who understand the importance of learning and development, there are still barriers to online learning. One common objection is that face-to-face learning is better because it’s more social and encourages people to work together.

   We agree: social learning is an important attribute of any recruiter training platform. We only learn 10% of our skills in formal sessions. The rest comes from peer-to-peer conversation and first-hand experiences. That’s why we developed Juice to strike a balance between self-guided, independent learning that lets recruiters move at their own pace, and fun ways to share the learning experience.

   From gamification and leaderboards to group training courses, Juice is designed to bring people together to share skills and ideas. And with more flexibility than face-to-face training, everybody can get involved, no matter when exactly they’re available.

   3. Online learning is boring and unengaging

   With so many bad memories of early eLearning solutions that felt like watching paint dry, it’s natural for recruiters to be wary. But it’s content, not format, that ultimately determines how interesting something will be. There’s a reason we’ll skim thousands of words on a social media feed quite happily, but probably wouldn’t read a Wikipedia article of the same length.

   Gamification and social learning can both help make online learning more enjoyable, but content is king. Rather than just moving your traditional content online, it’s important to find fun, colourful content that brings ideas to life and keeps your recruiters engaged.

   Relevance can also be an important factor in how engaging your training is. Getting people excited about a health and safety course they’ll never use is tough; getting them interested in content that helps them work smarter and earn more is an easy sell.

   See why your recruiters will love online learning with Juice