In trying to be a learning organization, you may be wondering if employee training software will be a useful addition to your department. Deloitte research indicates the organization is transforming, with a focus on continual learning and overall learning culture. Evolving work skills and a demand for more advanced skills are driving the education revolution.
At the same time, we are a culture that has information at our fingertips 24/7. According to the 2019 LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report, Millennials (43%) and Gen Z (42%) employees want entirely self-directed learning experiences. Many learners are turning to knowledge-based communities, either found internally or in niche groups.
How we are learning is changing too. Companies are utilizing new immersive learning experiences (virtual reality) to put employees into simulated real-world situations to keep them safe as they hone their skills. Micro-learning brief sections helps employees digest information better. Another exciting development in how people like to learn today is the idea of user-directed analytics, whereby course participants track their progress.
How Employee Training Software Supports Departmental Goals
Software tools vastly improve training. Employee training software allows for continuous, seamless learning experiences across devices, making learning more accessible and interesting, and it enables administrators to monitor learner progress. To best work for your business strategy, employee training must align with the company mission and values. That means a company must know what its training objectives are and have a system for achieving this.
Training software can aid human resources in identifying any departmental skill gaps, now and in the future by way of assessments. As employees complete training, they can be assessed again to see what gaps have been closed. Management can support learning by communicating and engaging with employees during the training experience, using internal messaging and emails. Since online training is measurable, it can be used to improve the performance of any department.
Departmental Barriers to Participating in Employee Training
There can be some common departmental barriers to employees completing their training. The biggest one is time, which can be limited in departments that are already understaffed or experience high turnover rates. Instructors often complain of a lack of resources for training sessions. A Gallup poll indicated that “today’s workplaces evolve too rapidly and are too complex to offer nothing more than how-to learning experiences.” Shifting the mindset to one of continual learning is the goal of trainers today, and online employee training software supports this goal.
Other barriers to employees participating in employee training include negative attitudes about training, which can be demotivating for employees. Many employees see training as mandatory and of no benefit to their daily tasks. Training may be delivered in a dull and uninspiring way, which only adds to this negativity. Lastly, one of the most significant barriers to employee training participation is training not being accessible to all employees. Training must be easy to access from any location, for all employees to get excited about it.
Employee Training Software Advancements
Fortunately, technology has become a tool for facilitating training and encouraging employees to participate. New features like interactivity and completion badges prompt learners to finish what they’ve started. At the same time, training has become more cost-effective and efficient due to being pushed to the cloud. Video and other learning assets can quickly blend in with live training which gives organizations a major advantage.
Modern learning software that is delivered via the internet has solved accessibility issues across multiple devices and around the world. Employee training software helps to track learner progress, and even learners themselves can keep on top of their own status —a very motivating factor. Internal communication resources like AI chatbots, email, and automatic messaging help to personalize the learner experience within your department.
Selecting the Right Employee Training Software for Your Department
Of course, none of this is possible until your organization has chosen the right employee training software for your departments. The first step is to determine each department’s training goals. This can vary by department, so a flexible training platform is a must. Then it’s time to evaluate what productivity tools are available to help engage with employees so that they will participate in the training. This can be email or chat based, and administrators can be communicating with learners along the way.
When selecting an employee training product for your department, be sure to ask if the training is customizable or if it requires internal development. It is good to be able to use existing training that is updated. Find out what kind of data analytical tools are available to measure the success of your training. Are reports standard or can custom reports be run and shared on a departmental level?
Selecting the right learning platform for your workplace also requires accessibility of training modules on all formats to increase participation and inclusion. Cloud-based employee training platforms tend to be easier and faster to implement, and there is little worry that they will sync with other programs. Lastly, learn what the cost and time factors of the training software are, which can slow down and make implementation more costly.
WestNet Learning is an all-in-one LMS solution to easily train employees, increase employee productivity, and address safety needs. Customizable eCourse builders, analytics, reporting, certification, and re-certification tracking will help you manage your staff and stay on top of what matters most.
To learn more about how to engage and train your employees with efficiency to increase your training course completion rates, feel free to schedule a 1-on-1 strategy session.
