For too many organizations, a gap exists between leaders’ desire to develop their workforces and the time and ability needed to implement a practical development strategy. In fact, 60% of respondents in a recent TalentCulture survey said they want to focus more on learning and development — and would, if only they had the time.
Cutting-edge HR technology provides the most logical and effective way to address that dilemma.
The present and future of learning
You can tell a lot about where we’re going by taking stock of where we are now.
The last several months have reinforced the importance of HR technology that meets the employee where they are now, and learning is certainly no exception. Organizations equipped with the right tech were — and are — in a much better position to deliver learning opportunities to fully or partially dispersed workforces, minimizing disruptions in employee development.
The trend toward distance learning and e-learning can be expected to stay with us beyond 2020. But this makes the human side of learning even more important. Organizations should strive to balance technology with empathy. Employees need to feel understood and appreciated to reach their full potential as learners and as people.
As the world of work continues to evolve, the concepts of upskilling, reskilling and retraining will put many companies’ learning cultures to the test. It will be more important than ever for organizations to align their business goals with their training strategies. This means identifying the skills and capabilities needed to compete in the marketplace and delivering value to customers as well as making sure those are directly correlated with employee learning.
The value of a single database
Employee learning and development initiatives should be simple. This means the processes by which learning is delivered to employees should be easy — as easy, in fact, as the digital technology they’re accustomed to using in their everyday lives, from ordering a cup of coffee in the morning to selecting a TV show to watch at night.
From a technology standpoint, a great way to ensure ease of use is through the adoption of a single platform to handle all HR-related needs. While this might sound intuitive, it isn’t necessarily the reality for many organizations. According to TalentCulture, more than 25% of organizations use four to eight payroll or HCM systems for things like recruiting, onboarding, scheduling, paying, training and communicating with employees.
One application facilitates the flow of data, which enhances the employee experience. Employees’ learning and development needs can be met through narrowly tailored content accessible anywhere, anytime on the same system they use for their other digital needs within the workplace.
This isn’t just a matter of the employee knowing the platform — the platform knows the employee. It serves as a centralized hub for learning content, including courses and tests that have already been completed, all of which can be easily reviewed to ensure continued absorption of knowledge.