As more companies transition to permanently hybrid or remote work models, learning management systems will be a key tool for employee training and development. In fact, LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report showed that 57% of learning and development departments plan to invest more time and money in online learning.
Online learning is built from learning management systems, which can create and share training tools for workers to use anywhere and anytime. This increases efficiency, especially because many employees are more likely now to work remotely rather than in the office.
As the modern work landscape evolves to embrace online learning, companies need to do more than just create online courses or send updates through email or video conferencing. An LMS platform can help business leaders inform and train all employees regardless of time or location.
Read on to learn how LMS can be used to positively impact employee experience.
What is a Learning Management System?
A learning management system, often shortened to LMS, is software that handles all parts of the learning process, from creating to managing to distributing all online learning content. A LMS can also be called a training management system or learning experience platform. Businesses will often invest in LMS to help human resources train and develop employees to meet corporate goals.
However, it’s important to note that a LMS is different from a LCMS — a learning content management system. The main difference is that LCMS software allows the owner to author and design learning content. The two tools can be used together, but they’re not the same type of system.
LMS is able to do many things, including:
- Identify and evaluate employee learning goals.
- Collect learning process data.
- Track individual and team progress.
- Handle onboarding and compliance.
- Provide knowledge and skills gap analysis.
LMS doesn’t just streamline online learning for companies — they can also help build the foundation for a successful business model. This software is an effective tool to engage with and train employees in the modern, digitized workspace.
How Can a Learning Management System Improve Employee Experience?
LMS helps to share information and train employees basically on-demand, and it also improves how employers affect the company culture and experience. LMS systems can be customized to fit the unique needs of a particular company or industry.
Owners, managers and HR leaders should be able to adapt to the digitization of training without compromising employee engagement — and that’s where LMS can help. Below are four employee experience benefits to incorporating LMS into your learning and development strategy:
Improved Onboarding
Onboarding sets the tone for how your company will engage with employees through their work life cycle. The onboarding stage is one of the final steps that changes a potential candidate to a dedicated employee, so it’s crucial that employers make a good impression.
LMS systems are able to adapt current onboarding practices, especially for companies that are transitioning to remote or hybrid work models. Additionally, the Society for Human Resource Management reported that a comprehensive onboarding process makes employees 69% more likely to remain with their job for three years or more.
By optimizing its onboarding process with LMS, companies can strategize how to give employees an improved experience without traditional face-to-face processes.
Team Building Opportunities
Online learning can feel like an isolating experience for employees, especially when compared to the traditional training processes of a fully onsite workplace. However, LMS can be used to create a collaborative learning experience regardless of location.
Specifically, HR teams can use LMS to assess both team and individual training needs to build unique courses. These courses can then be shared instantly with interactive features and feedback options. Then, based on the results, the company can customize future business processes to accommodate supervisor and employee feedback.
Accessible Workplace Safety, Harassment and Diversity Training
Standard compliance training mitigates company liability and risk, but it’s important that companies evolve their training to reflect the issues of the 2021 workplace. LMS can allow HR leaders to adjust their online courses to assess and reduce any knowledge gaps or unconscious bias that may be affecting their workplace.
In addition, an LMS can help HR teams and trainers to stay consistent with all the related resources such as infographics, recorded presentations, and guides – as everyone will have the access to the same content. This enables teams to deliver the same impactful training across all employees regardless of level or location.
By investing in LMS software that gives employees current support and resources to address workplace safety, harassment and diversity concerns, businesses can help create a more productive and loyal work environment.
Increased Employee Retention
LMS software allows employers to invest in their employees’ future skills and knowledge development. By doing this, employees are more likely to show career development while remaining with their employer.
This is crucial for employee retention because 94% of employees said that they would stay with a company longer if it invested in their career, according to LinkedIn.
Using LMS to show a commitment to employee experience can benefit companies in the long term.
LMS is the Foundation of Future Online Learning
LMS software provides employers with a consistent way to plan, share and track employee learning and development processes in a remote or hybrid work environment. It’s also a critical tool for organizations to use to adapt to the increasing changes in the future work landscape.
As the COVID-19 pandemic quickly forced employers to transition to online learning, most HR professionals had to make the most out of their resources, which had been created for onsite work models. This led to business strategies that relied on traditional digital communications, such as email and video conferencing, to reach remote employees.
However, it’s imperative that companies are able to consistently inform and train employees whether they’re in-office, remote or hybrid. LMS provides a solution to email or video meeting formats that can affect employees negatively, likely increasing isolation and/or “Zoom fatigue.”
With the proper LMS system, companies can improve employee engagement and work with them to optimize their learning and development processes. Regardless of how the future work landscape changes, LMS can be adapted and customized to fit employer and employee needs.