Training both new and existing employees is both expensive and labor intensive. The time spent by both trainee and trainer is costly, not to mention the lost productivity before and after meetings or training events. There is a better solution.
To curb these costs and make training more efficient, many companies have implemented learning management systems. Essentially this is software that delivers education to employees or new hires, tracks the progress and results, and reports that progress to management and human resources.
This software-based education system allows employees to work at their own pace and in the place of their choosing. This is a huge advantage when it comes to mobile workforces and remote workers in a variety of positions. A good learning management system (LMS) can save a company thousands of dollars in man hours and material costs.
Where can these systems be used? There are applications company wide and all across the spectrum of employees. Here are five ways to use a learning management system for business training.
New Hires
One of the greatest costs and inconveniences is training new hires. They often have many questions, especially if they are new to your industry, and the time a trainer takes away from their duties to help them is costly as well. One answer is to have a thorough training program that is software and internet based.
The new employee can proceed through the material at their own pace, in the place and at the time of their choosing. This means their brain will be the most active and receptive to learning, and if they come up with questions beyond what the material covers, they can contact an assigned trainer to help them.
This is especially useful for those companies with a remote workforce. A new employee does not have to come to a certain location to receive training and can work when practical in their own time zone. The cost savings from infrastructure and transportation alone makes an LMS worthwhile.
Employee Education
In the world of rapidly changing industries, training existing employees on new developments and technology is challenging. They need to take time away from their regular daily tasks to do so, and this can be costly to operations. However, not gaining the more knowledge can be costlier in the long run.
It is important for employers to understand that good training does take time, however, and to lift some of the employee’s daily duties so they are given time to study. While the program can be flexible, employees should not be required to do them on their own time.
Promotions
The other time when training is essential is when an employee is moving from a standard position to one in management. While the individual may have specialized knowledge about their position, they may need additional training on people management or other aspects of the new position.
Often this transition can be a challenge, and just a little bit of additional knowledge can make the process smoother. Leadership courses and other relevant information can be delivered well ahead of time, giving the employee a chance to learn about the new environment and additional expectations.
The learning management system can help this transition be less stressful for both the employee and supervisors, and can even inform both about weaknesses that need work and strengths that can be relied upon.
Lateral Movement
Besides promotions, even lateral movement often requires that an employee learns a new set of skills, the policies of a different department, and processes that may be unfamiliar. A customized program that consists of educational courses and other training materials will help make this kind of transition much easier.
Often a lateral movement is much like getting an entirely different job. No matter how prepared, often stress and anxiety come with change. The use of a learning management system will ease these issues. A lateral move is one of the most important ways to use an LMS for business training.
Company Growth
Want your company to grow? This often means changing the way you are doing things. If you are not growing with current policies and methods, it is probably time for a change. With this change comes the need to learn new information and spread that information company-wide.
The very nature of a learning management system makes this possible because information can be changed and shared with ease. New training programs can be created quickly and combined with existing educational courses.
Company growth is also challenging, but with change comes opportunity as well, and an LMS makes implementing new ideas a much simpler process.
One of the most challenging aspects of business is training. If it were possible to impart all of your knowledge to an employee instantly, training programs wouldn’t be necessary. But they are, and using a learning management system makes your business more agile and viable. Start with these five ways and see where an LMS can take you.
