Digital Transformation of Employee Training and Development

Employee training must now be less time-consuming, offered preferably on-the-job and in tiny chunks, and stay efficient and relevant to a specific employee's present job obligations.

As a result, employees can broaden their knowledge and abilities without jeopardizing the custom software development firm's continuity or lowering productivity. The answer to these current needs is the digital transformation of employee training and development.

Methods for Bringing Training and Development into the Digital Age

For digital transformation of employee T&D, a variety of tools can be helpful:

Learning management systems (LMS)

A learning management system (LMS) is the foundation of digitalized staff training. LMSs assist in creating and delivering learning materials to trainees, the organization of collaboration and communication between trainers and trainees, the assessment of training results, and the tracking of progress, among other things. They're most commonly utilized in online training, but they're also appropriate for hybrid learning, which mixes traditional classroom instruction with e-learning. Modern LMSs focus on learners and effective dissemination of learning content, whereas early LMSs focused on course management.

Mobile Applications

Mobile applications supplement digitalized training by extending the capabilities of learning management systems (LMSs). Mobile devices can access training materials 24 hours a day, seven days a week, using m-learning. As a result, even individuals operating in remote areas can benefit from learning. You can also utilize mobile app development to refresh employees' abilities after they have completed their training. Audio simulation programs, for example, can help employees practice communicating with consumers by simulating real-life discussions.

Extended Reality Technologies

Extended reality (XR) technologies are more advanced kinds of digital transformation of employee training and development that can make learning more immersive. Despite the significant price and time commitment required to create and distribute 3D e-learning content in XR environments, these technologies are becoming more widely adopted. Virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) technologies are all included in XR. They provide advanced learning opportunities for employees, particularly in areas with a strong focus on practice, such as manufacturing and healthcare.

Digital Transformation of Training and Development in Practice

Let's take a look at how digital transformation technologies are affecting different forms of staff training. Using the example of a custom software development company LMS supported by additional tools, we will examine LMS-driven digital transformation (mobile apps, XR).

Employee Orientation & Onboarding

All corporate records, including HR-related documents like hiring forms and onboarding training materials, were distributed among several departments before digital transformation. There were old and new versions of documents and paper and electronic copies simultaneously, resulting in chaos. Orientation and onboarding are becoming more accessible, faster, and more convenient due to digital transformation and complete small business HR solutions. It allows for the creation of a centralized repository for all corporate papers. 

LMS: LMSs can assist new employees in acclimating to the firm. In a software development company's intranet, the FortySeven47 LMS allows for the creation of employee profiles. They can also obtain a start guide on administrative processes (computer logins, extensions, email setups, and so on) and an introductory movie with information about the company's mission, values, corporate culture, policies, and benefits, among other things, through the LMS. To make the onboarding process even more accessible, the LMS can use ready-made templates saved in the libraries of custom software development companies to make filling out new-hire forms a breeze.

Mobile apps: Employee apps, like LMSs, can store e-learning content and useful information (interactive manuals, corporate policies, a contact list, etc.). They can use interactive maps to assist new staff in finding their way about the office. Gamification is frequently used in mobile apps to enhance employee engagement and motivation. For example, in a vast organization, new recruits may be rewarded for finding specific places. Employee handbooks, job description management, orientation training management, and other onboarding functions are supported by some programs.

XR: MR can boost custom software developer or staff training and onboarding, too. It lets users view and interact with 3D information in real-time and visualize and manipulate data.

Self-learning, Continuous Learning & Microlearning

Trainees can access all accessible learning resources at any time, rather than being limited to a single book or course, thanks to digital transformation. Trainees can acquire and refresh their knowledge by having books, classes, and assessment tests on their PCs or mobile devices. Microlearning — the ability to study in small bits via mobile devices – has emerged due to digital transformation.

LMS: Employees can have unrestricted access to learning content through LMSs, which provides a fresh impetus for self-learning. It's simple to search, download, and track updates to learning content using the FortySeven IT LMS and to continue learning as needed. Microlearning is a fantastic fit for a custom software agency's LMS because it simplifies and delivers short lessons that condense the crucial aspects of staff training.

Mobile apps: Mobile applications are helpful for on-the-go learning and self-assessment. They can include extra e-learning information (videos, photos, charts, graphs, and so on) to supplement more extensive training resources, allowing learners to better prepare for classroom or workshop sessions. The Skill Pill app, for example, will enable you to provide short training films on areas like customer service, management, sales and marketing, and more. 

XR: Due to their high cost and restricted availability for individual learners, these technologies are impractical for self-learning. However, because they provide immersive and engaging content, they can add value to microlearning in the workplace.

Instructor-led Training

Due to the use of various digital communication and collaboration tools, digital transformation makes instructor-led training available anywhere, anytime, and for any number of trainees, as opposed to traditional classroom training. Furthermore, new technologies such as XR enable staff training through simulations, which is just as effective as hands-on learning but without the hazards, which is especially important for medical training.

LMS: LMSs can assist with scheduling in-house and external instructor-led training, delivering a variety of learning content to trainees, and arranging knowledge assessments, among other things. Employees can be automatically enrolled in training using software development companies LMS workflows, and training, workshops, exams, and other events can be scheduled. It allows you to create and transmit many types of training information (documents, photos, audio, and video) and incorporate multimedia (such as recorded webinars) from other websites.

Related: AI in education

Mobile apps: Instructor-led instruction can be supplemented using mobile apps. After studying a new topic, trainees can read e-books and take quizzes on their mobile devices. When trainees have concerns regarding the course, assignments, exams, or other issues, m-learning allows them to engage with other trainees or an instructor rapidly. Scoreboards, certificates, and badges are common features in mobile apps that reward trainees for finishing a topic, a course, or passing an exam, among other things.  

XR: Employees can benefit from virtual reality training. Walmart, for example, uses virtual reality simulations in instructor-led training. Employees wearing virtual reality headsets were put through their paces in real-world scenarios, such as a Black Friday sale. As a result, they were taught how to interact with customers, resolve problems, and so on quickly and professionally. Custom software development companies can help with practical training for employees. An employee, for example, may have a valuable lesson on fixing an aircraft engine under the supervision of an instructor after attending a lecture on aviation engine maintenance and repair. The student scans a real airplane engine that has to be repaired using a tablet with custom software installed. The tablet then superimposes digital representations of engine parts and repair instructions on top of the actual engine. In this situation, you can utilize software development to make 3D holograms of the machine, allowing the instructor to describe the engine's structure in more depth visually.

Conclusion

It's impossible to picture the development of FortySeven software professionals and training without the use of technology. Employee retention is aided by digital transformation, which allows for effective and rapid cultivation and updating of employees' skills and knowledge. Furthermore, digital transformation solutions span all primary training functions, from onboarding to self-learning, and can be utilized independently (LMSs) or as essential additions to employee training that can enhance learners' experience (mobile and XR technologies).

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