To establish a culture of engagement at your company, step one is training your managers and employees to foster this culture.
This list is the ideal place to start. We have reviewed dozens of online employee engagement training courses to shortlist the best ones for you. Specifically, we looked at:
- The institute offering the course
- The duration of the course
- Cost of the credential
- Feedback from delegates
- Stand-out benefits
Let’s have a look at our findings.
What are Employee Engagement Training Courses & Certifications?
According to Fundamentals of Management by Danny Samson et al, having engaged employees means that people:
- Enjoy their jobs
- Are satisfied with their work conditions
- Contribute enthusiastically to meeting team and organizational goals
- Take initiatives
- Feel a sense of belonging and commitment to the organization
Research shows companies with highly engaged employees are 23% more profitable than their competitors, but engagement is not a given.
Employee engagement training - delivered as a standalone course or integrated into your organization's employee engagement tool - give your managers the tools and strategies they need to enable employee engagement across the organization. The skills provided by these courses are a framework managers can use to build trust and improve employee commitment.
Various institutions provide employee engagement training at different price points. However, their true value lies in their relevance to your organization’s specific needs.
The 6 Best Employee Engagement Training Courses & Certifications
Here’s a list of the employee engagement training courses and certifications we recommend.
Management Skills - Build Employee Engagement & Performance
This course teaches eight practical management and leadership skills to develop higher employee engagement. It teaches delegates how to close the gap between current and desired performance levels, boost employee motivation, and align an employee’s personal and organizational goals.
The course comes with a 30-page ebook containing all the course content, assignments, and more.
Institute: Sign up at Udemy
Duration of the Course: Two hours
Cost: $119.99
What Delegates Think:
“Good course! I liked the presentation style of the instructor as well as the content. It was easy to follow and stay focused on the course. Time well spent.” - Razvan N.
“This was great! The instructor was so engaging and down-to-earth. Great resources. Can't wait to take more of his courses.” - Dale M.
Why We Love This Course: The course covers key concepts in only two hours. Buying the course gives you lifetime access to the content, so you can revisit it for a refresher whenever you like.
You can access the course through your mobile device or smart TV. Notable brands offering this course to their employees include Eventbrite, Box, and Volkswagen.
Alison’s Free Employee Engagement Course
With over a thousand students currently enrolled, this employee engagement course is the most popular free online course on our list.
The course teaches management techniques for boosting motivation and productivity. It is especially suitable for small business owners and aspiring managers.
Institute: Alison
Duration of the Course: 3-4 hours
Cost: Free
Why We Love This Course: The most obvious thing to love about the course is that it’s free. Furthermore, the course is CPD accredited. Participants have the option to order a certificate upon the completion of the course. The costs of certificates range from $4 for a digital certificate to $42.48 for a framed copy.
The Employee Engagement Online Certificate Program
This online certificate course is designed for business professionals in HR and the C-suite. It turns delegates into employee engagement experts. The course is prepared by Bob Kelleher, a renowned thought leader on employee engagement.
Among the many skills the program teaches are millennial-friendly remote team management, recruiting and onboarding engaged employees, and establishing a rewards program that works.
Institute: The Employee Engagement Group
Duration of the Course: 13 weeks
Cost: $1195
What Delegates Think:
"Highly motivating. I have a new view of myself as the catalyst for change in my organization."
- Chief Administrative Officer
"Every leader and their team should go through this program."
- Chief People Officer
Why We Love This Course: The course is approved for recertification credits through the HRCI and SHRM. It teaches how to determine your organization’s base engagement levels, so you can build an improved culture of engagement with a measurable goal in mind.
Pro-tip: Have a look at our detailed guide on how to measure employee engagement for some context on the value of improving engagement within your organization.
Strategic Engagement
Strategic Engagement is part of Cornell’s Strategic Human Resource Leadership Certificate Program which includes 5 other courses. All of these are included in the cost mentioned below.
The Strategic Engagement course has been designed to help business leaders understand the difference between a generic engagement strategy and one that truly drives superior performance based on your organization’s unique operating environment.
Institute: Sign up at Cornell University
Duration of the Course: Two weeks
Cost: $3750
Why We Love This Course: The program is offered by the world-renowned Cornell University which adds real value to your resume. It has a special focus on improving engagement surveys and related practices. The course also trains participants to track engagement metrics and identify observable signs of low employee engagement.
Leadership for Employee Engagement
This program has been designed for managers in corporations, governments, and nonprofits. Earning the certificate provides you with the skills to identify employee disengagement, and opportunities to strengthen your team.
The program offers a cohort-based learning experience. Attending allows you to redefine your company culture with a focus on high employee engagement, culture and belonging, and team effectiveness.
Institute: Sign up at the University of Pennsylvania
Duration of the Course: Six months
Cost: $10,750. An early bird discount is usually available.
Why We Love This Course: A credential from the University of Pennsylvania is a career-advancing accolade. The program is self-paced and includes live virtual sessions as well as asynchronous work.
Employee Engagement: Increasing Motivation and Commitment
This course from the University of New Hampshire teaches the importance of providing growth, learning, and professional development opportunities to your employees to boost employee retention. It gives you frameworks that allow you to establish an environment of trust, helping old and new employees confidently align with business outcomes.
Institute: Sign up at the University of New Hampshire
Duration of the Course: Six hours
Cost: $269. The potential discounts available are:
- USNH Tuition Benefit Discount
- PDT - 10% Alumni Discount
- Cooperative Extension Discount
- Guild Discount
- Military Discount
- CBA Student Discount
- CBA Business Discount
Why We Love This Course: The credential is offered by the well-known University of Hampshire and is pre-approved for SHRM Professional Development Credits (PDCs). The course can be completed at your own pace thanks to a flexible e-learning environment.
Pro-tip: If you’re interested in learning more about employee engagement strategies, here’s a detailed free guide on the topic.
Engagement Training is Just The Start
Whether you’re looking to train your new hires or provide leadership training to higher management, there are plenty of certification options available today. But to build long-term engagement, we need to go beyond this.
In addition to certifications, engagement software can supercharge your efforts to build a culture of engagement.
For a maintained culture of engagement, it is important to recognize your high-performing team members. Refer to our list of over 100 recognition wordings for employees to make sure they feel appreciated.
Finally, employee benefits go a long way toward building employee engagement, boosting your offer acceptance rate, and reducing employee turnover. Here’s our list of must-have employee perks and benefits so you can attract and retain top talent.
