The past two decades have seen an explosion of new technological concepts. The technology industry is just as dynamic and highly competitive, and staying up to date with new developments (or one step ahead of the competition) is necessary to survive. Your success in the tech industry hinges on several factors, including employees’ talents and skills. Any tech company’s most valuable asset is its employees, as they are responsible for driving innovation and managing the products. Therefore, it is important to invest in employees through online training, in order to challenge and enhance their skills. Here is an overview of the importance and benefits of eLearning in the technology sector, including a guide on how tech firms can leverage these benefits via effective eLearning solutions.

The Importance & Benefits of eLearning in the Technology Sector

The greatest importance of eLearning is keeping your employees’ skills and talents fresh and up to date. This is crucial for your firm’s competitiveness and can mean the difference between becoming irrelevant or a pace-setter. Online learning also has many other benefits for tech companies, including: 

Easy & Customizable Learning 

Different people have different learning styles and preferences. Some learn better alone, and others prefer a classroom setting. ELearning is highly flexible and versatile, with Instructor Led Training (ILT), blended learning, just-in-time training, asynchronous training, and microlearning. By choosing a type of learning that fits its end-users, training feels much less like an obligation, and more of a gift to benefit employees

Long-Term Retention of Information 

The Research Institute of America reports that eLearning increases information retention by up to 60%. This is because employees can learn at their own pace, and revisit the learning materials whenever necessary. This will maximize the benefits of your eLearning program and the employees’ growth. By leveraging the science of knowledge retention, your organization can channel efficient learning into your online training. 

Saves Time & Money 

Online learning programs run on Learning Management software. The software doesn’t charge per hour, like a human trainer. Additionally, employees can access the software from anywhere, at any time without the need for travel. This saves massive amounts of time and money, while simultaneously increasing employees’ value and the company’s ROI.

Constructive Feedback 

Training software solutions are designed to monitor learners’ progress and gather feedback based on their performance. This constructive feedback will enable you to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities, consequently enabling you to nurture employees’ skills and talents in the best way possible. 

Privacy 

The theft of data and technology IP is rife in the tech industry. Working with outside trainers can increase the risk of data loss or theft. 

Worldwide spending on information security products and services exceeded $114 billion in 2018, an increase of 12.4% from the year before, according to Gartner, Inc. By 2022, they forecast the market to grow to $170.4 billion. 

However, an in-house eLearning system accessible only by employees and authorized people greatly improves privacy and reduces security risks.

How to Create the Ideal Online Training Program For Technology Companies

The quality of your employees’ online learning experience will depend on the quality of your training system. Your LMS should be personalized to your company’s needs and preferences. Including the following components will increase your eLearning system’s efficiency: 

Demos & Simulators 

Technology is partly theoretical and partly practical. Learning the theoretical part helps lay the groundwork. However, doing it in practice helps cement skills and inspire innovation. As such, it is highly advisable to use demos and simulators in the eLearning system. Demos and simulators will enable your employees to try all of their ideas without the fear of failing. This is especially helpful for employees developing apps, programs, and related devices. 

Real-Life Examples 

The goal of nurturing your employees’ talent and skills is to spark innovation and inspire confidence. As such, your courses should transfer knowledge and ideas into real-life, applicable solutions. You can gauge learner ability to do that by using real-life examples, which have the happy coincidence of making learning more engaging. 

Varying Instructional Approaches 

Different people have varying learning styles and preferences, as mentioned. For example, some employees prefer learning from an instructor, while others prefer digging out the information themselves. It is recommendable to include different instructional approaches, including videos, audio, tutorials, instructors, demos, and real-world scenarios. 

Necessary eLearning Tools & Resources 

Besides a Learning Management System, eLearning also requires a range of other tools and resources, such as devices to access the training. Employees also need time (and incentive) to study, on top of their work schedule. To ensure the best results, prioritize providing all of the necessary tools and resources to your learners before launching their training program. Find out which role you play before, during, and after launch in order to best support the process. 

Developing an Ideal Support System 

Your employees may have questions or concerns about the eLearning system and the different courses offered, alongside suggestions on how to improve the system. They will need a support system to relay these questions and concerns, in a channel that they know about. A robust support system should include FAQs, videos, articles, demos/tutorials, and social media groups where employees can collaborate. It should also offer human support from employers or technicians behind the system and courses.

Tips to Implement Your eLearning Program

Getting your employees on board with the eLearning system will require an efficient implementation plan. Here are four tips to get you started: 

1. Set SMART Goals

Some of the common goals of eLearning are improving employees’ productivity and boosting the company’s growth. Identify and highlight these goals so that employees will be more motivated to work towards achieving them.

2. Develop a Team Mentorship Program

Working and learning as a team motivates employees to excel. Additionally, developing team mentorship programs eases the management’s work in implementing the program. 

3. Choose Your Ideal LMS

The ideal LMS should meet all of your requirements, including any personalized needs and preferences. The employees’ learning experience will depend on the quality of the training platform.

4. Track & Measure Progress

Training doesn’t mean much, unless you can identify Key Progress Indicators (KPIs) and establish meaningful ways to analyze training data. Is the training program efficient? How close are the employees to achieving the set goals, and what can be done to improve their performance? Tracking and measuring employees’ progress will provide answers to these and other important questions. 

Knowledge Anywhere – Your Online Training Solution

Your eLearning program’s success depends on the quality of your Learning Management System, as well as the courses within it. Knowledge Anywhere offers robust LMS platforms that are easily manageable to suit your needs and preferences. Schedule a free meeting today with an eLearning expert to learn more and try our free demo.

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