Employee training and development has become a must-have for global businesses to develop a skilled workforce that can compete in today’s constantly changing business environment. As the focus on employee upskilling and reskilling increases, it is more important than ever for organizations to shift to adapt to a knowledge-based economy that thrives on the digital revolution and caters to a vibrant workforce.
Today’s employees need their employers to provide them with constant opportunities for learning in order to be productive and to achieve their professional and personal goals. A LinkedIn Learning report found that 45% of recent job changers “said they left their old jobs over concerns about a lack of advancement opportunity” and pointed to Towers Watson research that found that “56% of organizations struggle to keep high-potential and top performing employees.” Meanwhile, organizations with strong employee training programs experience 53% less attrition, according to a report by LinkedIn Talent Solutions.
In other words, offering learning and development opportunities to employees must be one of the top priorities for organizations today. Without those opportunities, they may find it difficult to attract, onboard and retain talented and skilled employees. After all, an IBM report states that “employees who do not feel they can achieve their career goals in their current organization are 12 times more likely to consider leaving it.”
In this dynamic business ecosystem, one of the biggest challenges for learning and development (L&D) teams is to develop, maintain and deploy learning solutions and content that are relevant, accessible and engaging. These employee-centric learning processes will encourage a continuous learning culture across the organization.
Choosing the right tools and solutions is an important consideration for L&D teams given the variety of factors involved, including budget, workforce demographics, timing, geographic locations and business goals. With a plethora of training delivery options available, it can be a daunting task to pick the right one.
The Benefits of Leveraging Learning Technology
The learning management system’s (LMS’) effectiveness in supporting training and development initiatives is established. However, for modern learners, it is not enough. L&D teams need to evaluate multiple technologies and solutions with the aim of providing the right mix of features and capabilities for the organization’s learning objectives. Such solutions can offer employees ready access to new ideas and innovations by encouraging smart learning. After all, modern employees expect constant support to bridge skills gaps and buttress their performance.
There are several digital tools and platforms that are making it possible to create a much more immersive learning experience. L&D teams can use options like video-based learning, social learning and on-demand courses to help employees meet their professional and personal goals. Training professionals can use features like artificial intelligence (AI)-based recommendation engines, multilingual support, discussion forums, social media and content authoring tools to engage learners more effectively. For instance, gamification is a consistent performer when it comes to boosting learning engagement, improving retention and encouraging healthy competition among learners.
AI has also emerged as an essential technology when it comes to offering personalized training. At a time when employees are increasingly demanding a personalized approach to learning, AI-powered LMSs offer information about learners’ interests and their preferred learning style while replying to their queries and providing instant personalized feedback. AI has made LMSs responsive to learners’ needs, enabling them to take control of their own learning.
Elements like mobile learning and microlearning also put learners in the driver’s seat, increasing the flexibility and robustness of the content and creating a seamless experience. Offline mobile learning enables learners to download learning content and view it at their convenience. Additionally, by adapting or curating content for mobile devices, L&D teams can encourage social learning through knowledge-sharing, collaboration and networking — which, in turn, improve learning effectiveness.
Deploying Ready-to-use Courses and Videos
There is a host of ready-to-use online learning courses and videos on the market that deliver training on diverse topics. Much of this content is mobile-compatible, bite-sized, and easily be deployed on any SCORM (shareable content object reference model)-compliant learning platform or LMS. Although generic in nature, this eLearning content is designed with the help of subject matter experts (SMEs) from diverse industries and covers a vast array of topics. Off-the-shelf courses are cost-effective, tried and tested solutions that help L&D ramp up their training and development initiatives.
Advances in learning technologies have opened up many new possibilities in learning and development for flexible, agile and adaptable experiences. They have ensured that an organization’s approach to training empowers employees and enables them to use technology to work and learn more freely. By connecting employees to new learning technologies, organizations can help them boost their value proposition and reach their full potential.
