Learning and development programs will change, or at least they should… that’s the reality. Your workforce isn’t the same it was 10 years ago, so why keep the same learning and development programs? It’s not safe to assume that workforce generations work and learn in the same way. To get the best performance from your employees and your L&D initiatives, you will need to adjust your program to meet the new learning and development needs.

Aged learning and development programs don’t have the capability to adapt to and communicate with other systems in the company. Specifically, they can’t share information with big data aggregators that can determine organizational efficiency. However, adept L&D programs can take information from tools like gamified training and share those numbers with data aggregators. So how exactly should your learning and development program change? 

Adaptive Learning

Every individual has a different style of learning, so the standard classroom setting and testing informational knowledge doesn’t suit everyone. One size doesn’t fit all. Allowing your team to train through an adaptive learning system creates a comfortable and efficient atmosphere for each individual. This makes it more likely that each employee will retain more information.

David Wentworth (@DavidMWentworth) and Mollie Lombardi (@mollielombardi), Senior Learning Analyst and Vice President of Workforce Management Practice at Brandon Hall Group (respectively), said: 

“Employees can be monitored individually and in real time to determine what learning approach will best suit their needs. It has advantages for younger generations entering the workforce that have expectations around flexibility and interaction. Adaptive learning can be effective at improving efficiency, as well as employee engagement and retention since it allows employees to build confidence and overall expertise. Companies may want to consider breaking traditional learning methods by introducing aspects of adaptive learning.”

Mobile isn’t Just a Trend

It may seem like a fad with all of the smartphone options and apps for these phones, but it’s not merely a trend. Unfortunately, 27% of companies say there is no integration between their mobile capabilities and their learning and development programs. That means, new hires and employees in specialized training programs can’t educate themselves easily on their own time. They have to be at work, at their desk or on their computer. However, with a mobile enabled L&D program, employees have the ability to learn on their own time, wherever they feel most comfortable. 

Gamification Radiates

Your managers need to be able to easily track how and when your employees train. Gamification functions on data, that data is then sent to managers so they can see the progress of their team. It’s a growing trend, even among some of the major employers. The Entertainment Software Association estimates that 70% of these major employers use interactive software and games for training - and it will only grow. The gamification market is expected to grow 68.4% by 2018. So, even if you’re not as interested in the benefits for your employee engagement, use gamification as a way to train the team will emit company innovation.

Brevity is Key

Today’s world is so inundated with technology and visual stimulation, that keeping employees focused during training programs can be troublesome. Employees typically don’t have the time to watch - really watch - a training video longer than 4 minutes. The modern worker only has about 1% of available time in the office to dedicate to learning and development. That means out of the entire 8-hour workday, and when you do the math, that averages just under 5 minutes a day anyway.

Your current antiquated system doesn’t fit your modern employees, nor does it fit your business needs. A more robust and communicative learning and development program allows business leaders to make more educated decision through talent analytics found in the L&D software. Through adaptive learning, mobile learning and development access, gamification, and keeping things short, your L&D program will become not only more effective, but more attractive to candidates and current employees. 

Bio: Sean Pomeroy

While selling other companies software solutions, Sean worked with Michael Warden to design over a dozen applications for different organizations and industries over the years. Sean now focuses on the vision for the company, business development, and continues involvement in the software design of Cyber Recruiter, applicant tracking system and Cyber Train, learning management system. Want to see what Visibility Software has to offer? Take a demo now.

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