How to boost your eLearning completion rates

If you spend any time in the L&D space, you’ll know that eLearning completion rates are one of the biggest challenges facing teams today. In fact, research shows the average completion rate for online courses sits at just 20–30% industry-wide.

This figure is far below what most organisations expect, especially when mandatory training or compliance courses are involved. It reflects a wider issue: reminder emails and one-off launches simply aren’t enough to overcome the common factors affecting eLearning completion.

So, how can L&D teams boost completions, improve digital learning retention rates, and achieve stronger learner outcomes? Let’s look at the strategies that work in practice.

Why completion rates stall

There are several factors affecting eLearning completion:

• Over-reliance on email reminders, which easily get lost in crowded inboxes
• A lack of accountability at team level, leaving L&D shouldering the burden alone
• Training positioned as a one-off task, rather than an ongoing learning journey
• Limited visibility of progress, meaning learners and managers don’t see the bigger picture

This together often results in high eLearning dropout rates, patchy engagement, and wasted effort for L&D teams.

What we see working in practice

Across our clients, we’ve seen a number of approaches that consistently improve digital learning retention rates and reduce dropout:

1. Manager accountability and visibility

Shifting responsibility from L&D to line managers is a game-changer. Digest updates and real-time dashboards empower managers to track completions and support their teams. Platforms like Docebo and bespoke dashboards make this easy.

2. Smarter nudges in the flow of work

Short reminders delivered in tools like Microsoft Teams or Slack often outperform traditional emails. Meeting learners where they already are boosts response and reduces friction. Tools such as Reach 360 make this seamless.

3. Clear, accessible reporting

Instead of chasing spreadsheets, dashboards provide instant clarity on progress and highlight bottlenecks. This makes it easier to set realistic completion benchmarks in eLearning and track improvements over time.

4. Motivation beyond compliance

Gamification, recognition, and escalation policies each play a role. Blending these strategies improves learner engagement in digital learning and helps organisations strike the right balance between encouragement and accountability. Tools like Vyond make it possible to design content that’s more engaging from the outset.

Real-world results

Our clients prove that change is possible with the right approach:

• Charlotte Tilbury: By rethinking their completion rates strategy, they increased global completion rates from 22% to 83%, while saving £144K annually through smarter design and onboarding.
• Aztec Group: Compliance training went from a tick-box exercise to an engaging programme with 100% completion, reducing admin by 20% and saving £8,000 per year.

From one-off courses to campaign-led learning

A common issue in low completion rates in eLearning is that training is launched as a standalone course. Learners tick the box and move on.

Our Launch Packs tackle this head-on by turning learning into a campaign. Each pack includes tailored communications, creative campaign assets, and interactive elements designed to spark attention and sustain momentum. They are built by learning designers, graphic specialists, and marketing experts working together with one goal: improving online learning outcomes.

Crucially, Launch Packs also emphasise the ‘why’. By making the purpose behind training clear, learners are more likely to commit, complete, and apply what they’ve learned, a proven strategy for tackling eLearning retention challenges.

There’s no single answer for increasing eLearning completion rates. But when organisations combine smarter nudges, manager accountability, better visibility, motivational design, and campaign-led engagement, results follow.

At Omniplex Learning, we’ve seen completion rates rise dramatically when L&D teams adopt this approach. From tools like Articulate 360 and Vyond, to bespoke design services and Launch Packs, we help transform completions into lasting learning success.

Ready to rethink your completion rates strategy? Get in touch today.