Organizations worldwide are estimated to be spending almost $360 billion on Learning and Development (L&D). Although this number came down slightly during the pandemic, it is set to soar in the face of the Great Resignation. If you are planning to invest in Learning and Development by adopting an integrated learning solution, you need to weigh your choices, it is after all a long-term investment. You have to consider the diverse needs of your entire organization, while keeping in mind that your employees have to achieve meaningful business outcomes. Given below are some things you should keep in mind while choosing the right learning solution for your organization.
Look for a learning solution that meets the needs of all teams across the organization. It should be adapted to be delivered in multiple formats. Also check if the platform is flexible and customized to the learning needs of the employees. Go for employee training and development solutions which are application based, and includes gamification learning and blended learning. Consider how well the platform measures learner effectiveness while checking for key technical integrations.
Consider taking the multi-modal approach
If you’re taking a common, integrated approach to Learning and Development, having a solution that works for everyone across the organization makes sense. To meet the organization’s needs across teams and departments, consider learning solutions that that are delivered in multiple formats – on-demand courses, hands-on practice lessons, blended learning. They can offer multiple skills for every role, making learning more holistic and rounded.
Look for flexible, customized learner-focused content
Learning isn’t the same for everyone. Employees may prefer to learn in a particular language or format of their choice. They need flexibility in their learning with up-to-date, high-quality content to get the best possible learning outcomes. In order for the learning to have maximum impact, the content has to be learner-focused while being flexible and customized to the given role and team.
Go for application-based learning
Learners have to pick up the technical skills quickly while balancing their roles and responsibilities. Having learning solutions where the learning is more application-based and practical is more impactful. This way the skills are easily transferable from the training to real-life scenarios. Moreover, if learners practice in an environment similar to how it would be in real life with the help of say, a virtual sandbox, it accelerates learning effectiveness.
Check for tools that measure learner effectiveness
To know if your learners have picked up technical skills through the training, you need tools that can measure it. These tools can be regular assessments which measures learner impact. You should have access to a dashboard which can record and display learner statistics. So look for a system that has in-depth reporting capabilities with impactful analytics and reporting.
Look for key technical integrations and security features
The learning platform will be useful only if it has the capacity to integrate with other systems. It is important to be able to securely access content through features like API integration and single sign-on. This is as important as promoting learner engagement and user adoption.
Check if platform fully meets learning requirement
It costs a lot to set up Learning and Development in an organization. So before you commit to one online learning platform, you have to map out and see if the solution meets the learning objectives of the organization. Check for accreditation of the platform and relevancy of content. Check if the learning journey can be customized and adapted to match your organization’s training objectives.
Costing
Check if there are any hidden learning costs as those will be quite heavy if not taken into account before. A particular LXP may be cheap to buy but the integration and running cost may be expensive. Invest in a solution that is affordable while being the best fit for the organization.
Check if the learning content is regularly updated
Technical knowledge and skills need to be regularly updated as there are new versions every so often and the learning solution needs to reflect this change. When signing up for new learning platform, check if they regularly update the content to keep up with the changes in the industry.
It’s a crowded market in Learning and Development. Organizations should take all factors into consideration before figuring out which of them are the best online learning platforms for them. The factors listed above can be of great help in this regard.
