Not long ago, the concept of technology in training meant rolling out the TV cart for new employees to watch videos about your company policies. However, employee training has changed drastically in recent years. So put away those VHS tapes, and consider these five options for using technology in training.
- LMS: eLearning has come into the forefront of technology in training in recent years, and there are many benefits to online learning with a Learning Management System. An LMS can provide the ability to assign and track a learner’s progress through their training as well as the ability to build reports to analyze data. Depending on the LMS, there is also scalability; as you grow, you can adapt how you use the LMS, taking advantage of different features being offered. One of the greatest aspects of an LMS is that, in many cases, it can pull in all the areas of technology below to create an engaging learning experience.
- Electronic Signatures: Advances in training now allow you to integrate signature requirements into your LMS with built-in electronic signature functionality. Implementing digital signatures for your business comes with a lot of benefits. Documents requiring employees’ signatures can be stored within the LMS along with all training documentation, reducing need for physical filing and storage while improving organization by housing everything in one location.
- On-demand Resources: Employees need access to information all the time, not just when they’re in the middle of a training course. Using your LMS as a portal to store up-to-date information about policies, marketing campaigns, and compliance guidelines creates a resource hub, and employees will always know where to go to find the information they need.
- Podcasting: If there’s a subject you want to learn about or train your employees on, you can probably find a podcast about it. Podcasts are an especially great option for auditory learners who can easily absorb what they’re listening to. Business and leadership podcasts are excellent training tools for managers and potential managers.
- Social Learning: Not quite the same as simply using social media, social learning takes advantage of chat rooms and forums to allow learners to share ideas and experiences while learning from each other and answering each other’s questions. This can also be achieved through the use of messaging apps such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Chat which can be multi-functional when it comes to virtual team communication.
Blended Learning
While taking advantage of technology in training can be efficient and beneficial, nothing can beat hands-on experience. On-the-job training is still a valuable part of the training process and should not be overlooked. When paired with technology in training, on-the-job training allows employees to apply what they’ve learned in a real-world setting. This blended learning experience is an important way of reinforcing their learning, and increases their knowledge retention.
