WHY DIGITAL LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT IS BETTER FOR BUSINESS
As business leaders embrace hybrid working, they’re re-thinking L&D strategy too. Here’s why taking training online could boost engagement, productivity and your bottom line.
As business leaders embrace hybrid working, they’re re-thinking L&D strategy too. Here’s why taking training online could boost engagement, productivity and your bottom line.
Covid-19 has had far-reaching effects on the way businesses operate. As many adopt a hybrid model of working in the wake of the pandemic, its effects on the way we learn and develop professionally are being felt, too.
The hybrid approach empowers employees to work from wherever they’re most effective - and it typically means combining time at home, time spent at the company HQ and time spent at a location near home, such as a nearby flexible workspace.
The shift means firms will make big changes to their real-estate and talent strategies, but it’s also affecting the delivery of training and career development programmes. Firms as diverse as BP, Google and Standard Chartered bank are committing to hybrid working for the long-term, the latter partnering with IWG to provide employees with access to flexible workspaces near home.
For savvy business leaders, taking learning and development online is non-negotiable in a hybrid world. If staff aren’t all at the office, all the time, digitisation democratises access to learning materials and experiences. It means that all staff have equal access to training opportunities, wherever they’re based.
Within the past year, organisations including IBM and Google have fully digitised their learning and development (L&D) offerings. Meanwhile, IWG has launched the IWG Academy - a new platform that will enable its 12,000+ employees to upskill remotely.
Addressing the skills gap
According to PwC’s 22nd CEO Survey, 79% of CEOs around the world are concerned that a lack of essential skills in their workforce could threaten the future growth of their business.
Meanwhile, 46% of CEOs said upskilling was the most important way their organisation could help to close its skills gap.
A study conducted by Training Industry magazine showed that 62% of businesses affected by Covid-19 are spending more on training in 2021, and revealed a 24% spike in virtual learning.
For businesses, there are numerous benefits to moving L&D online. It saves time by removing the need for employees to travel to and from training centres, reduces programme running costs and allows for quick, easy tweaks or additions to learning materials - particularly important in industries where change happens fast.
For small firms who can’t afford to create bespoke digital platforms, a reputable third party provider could provide content that would benefit the business. Marketing Week’s Mini MBA, for example, is an online course that enthusiastic marketeers can complete in their own time, from wherever suits them best.
Asynchronous experiences and live online learning
“Creating meaningful and effective online education is by no means an easy task,” says online learning designer and education expert Brandon Jordan. While there are numerous ways of conducting online training, most fall into two categories: asynchronous learning, where sessions come pre-recorded and allow employees to work at their own pace, and synchronous learning or ‘live online’ sessions. These are more like traditional in-person lessons, but are held virtually.
The beauty of using either is the wide scope they offer. Courses can incorporate video presentations and interactive content, as well as tasks that employees are asked to complete independently. This variety helps to keep people engaged with training, while augmenting programmes with one-to-one online mentoring can ensure that employees still feel that authentic human connection.
“One core principle is that people matter,” Jordan explains. “While technology has enabled so many remarkable things, behind even the best tech is still a person.”
Where to invest in L&D
It’s worth noting that, according to research by Dr Brent Peterson, the effectiveness of training courses is largely down to three main factors – 25% from the learning event itself, 25% from how prepared the individual is for a session and 50% from the follow-up activities.
Unfortunately, Peterson’s study also showed that many companies are only investing 10% of their budgets in pre-learning engagement and are spending just 5% on post-training activities.
By failing to plan L&D programmes with Peterson’s findings in mind, firms are placing too heavy a burden on employees’ engagement with the events or experiences as they happen.
Designing training courses that aren’t so reliant on individuals’ engagement with specific talks, videos or tasks is therefore a critical part of creating a modern L&D strategy. Teeing up training sessions via preparatory tasks and designing follow-up sessions that allow staff to put their learning into practice are vital for business leaders seeking maximum ROI.
Savings made on real estate can also be parlayed into improving L&D programmes: an investment in people that could hone skills, boost confidence and increase productivity.
Hybrid learning in a hybrid world
While the pandemic has accelerated the popularity of online training, there’s still a place for face-to-face learning.
Remote L&D can have its challenges, from wobbly WiFi connections to low levels of interaction with training staff. And while some individuals may prefer online learning, others find the self-directed nature of some digital courses difficult, struggling to motivate themselves.
Furthermore, it’s vital to remember that digitised training experiences must be made truly inclusive: materials must be accessible for those with disabilities and additional needs. If your firm’s aim is to broaden participation in L&D, putting resources on the internet will only achieve so much.
Arguably the ideal learning and development solution mirrors the hybrid approach many companies are now taking when it comes to where their employees are based. A mixture of interactive or face-to-face training experiences and self-directed learning offers people the best of both worlds, and could be the way forward in the new world of work.