How to Overcome Resistance to Training in the Workplace

If you’ve ever rolled out a new training initiative only to be met with crossed arms and skeptical stares, you’re not alone. Resistance to training is a common challenge in corporate learning, even when the training is high quality and well-intentioned.

But here’s the good news: resistance is not a dead end. It’s a signal—an opportunity to rethink how we present, deliver, and support learning. Whether your workforce is burned out, change-fatigued, or just skeptical, there are strategies you can use to bring them on board.

Let’s dig into some practical ways to help your learners (and their managers) embrace training instead of resisting it.

1. Get Leadership on Board (And Be Vocal About It)

Before employees will take training seriously, they need to know that leadership does. If leaders aren’t actively encouraging it—or worse, they’re skipping it themselves—it sends a clear message that training is optional at best.

What to do:

Ask leaders to introduce the training during a team meeting or via a video message.
Share how this training supports business goals, not just L&D goals.
Encourage managers to follow up with their teams afterward to discuss takeaways.

A top-down endorsement can change the tone from “this is a checkbox” to “this is worth your time.”

2. Always Answer: “What’s In It for Me?”

We can’t assume people see the value of training just because we do. Learners need to understand WIIFM – exactly how it benefits them—their role, their team, and even their career growth.

Make it clear:

Will it save them time on tedious tasks?
Will it help them meet KPIs or get closer to a promotion?
Will it reduce stress or make their day-to-day life easier?

Frame your training through their lens, not yours. Use real-world examples and avoid generic language like “improve collaboration” unless you explain how.

3. Make It Fun, Not a Chore

No one wants to sit through boring training, even if the content is important. Making training enjoyable increases engagement—and retention.

Ideas to boost engagement:

Use storytelling, animation, or humor to keep things light.
Incorporate mini-games, quizzes, or even friendly team competitions.
Offer choices in how learners consume the content (video, infographic, interactive module, etc.).

Even the driest topics can be delivered in a way that feels more like Netflix and less like a tax form.

4. Set Aside Time for Learning

One of the biggest reasons employees resist training? They don’t have time. And if training isn’t prioritized during the workday, it’ll never climb above the daily grind.

Solutions that work:

Block time on calendars specifically for training.
Encourage managers to treat training time as non-negotiable.
Break content into microlearning chunks (5–10 minutes) that fit more easily into busy schedules.

Respecting people’s time shows you respect their workload—and it makes training feel more manageable.

5. Involve Them Early (and Often)

People are more likely to support something they helped shape. Instead of designing training in a vacuum, bring learners into the process.

How to involve them:

Run a short needs assessment survey or hold focus groups.
Ask high-performers to pilot modules and give feedback.
Let employees vote on training topics or formats where appropriate.

When employees feel like their input matters, resistance often fades.

6. Celebrate Progress and Success

Training shouldn’t feel like a never-ending checklist. Help people see that they’re making progress—and that it matters.

What this can look like:

Gamify the experience with badges, leaderboards, or milestones.
Celebrate team achievements publicly (Slack shoutouts, internal newsletters, etc.).
Show how the training is leading to real improvements, whether that’s better sales numbers, faster onboarding, or fewer customer complaints.

When employees can see the results, they’re much more likely to stick with the process.

Overcoming resistance to training doesn’t mean convincing people to “just do it.” It means building a learning culture where people want to do it—because they see the value, have time to engage, and feel supported from the top down.

Let’s make training something your team actually looks forward to!

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