They say learning opportunities never really stop while you’re alive. And nothing holds truer in adulthood—especially in the workplace. Whether you’re working 9 to 5 or running a business, training is integral to growth. But why use a learning management system to expand knowledge? Isn’t it better to learn through experience?
The truth is that online learning provides more opportunities for upskilling; it’s perfect for companies that offer hybrid and remote working arrangements. The UK, for instance, is Europe’s ‘work-from-home capital’—with team members working 1.5 days weekly versus the global average of 0.9 days.
Ensuring you have capable teams in these scenarios is crucial—making a learning management system indispensable for companies with remote workers. Learn why in this article.
Better Accessibility and Learning On-The-Go
If your team members work in different time zones and geographical locations, organizing on-site training can be time-consuming and costly. You’d need to schedule based on your team members’ availability and pay for travel and accommodation costs, which could consume a huge portion of your business budget.
Let’s say you’re a London-based digital marketing agency with a marketing team in the US, preparing to launch a new product line. To make your team more effective in pitching your services, they need to learn how your new offer works. Instead of disrupting work schedules, you can provide access to cloud-based platforms like Totara LMS so they can use it anytime, anywhere. Because these tools are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, your staff could easily complete their training modules during lunch breaks or long periods. This accessibility offers convenience in a cost-effective package.
LMS Empowers and Engages Your Staff
While in-house upskilling is necessary for career development, some workers may feel ‘forced’ to take e-learning courses. Sometimes, non-mandatory online training will result in low course completion rates, as your staff may not be as engaged and motivated as they should be. This holds especially true if you’re a fast-paced organization where every minute counts and results are paramount.
A learning management system addresses these by providing flexibility. Participants can learn at their own pace and time, allowing them to choose personalized learning paths. Another good thing about LMS systems is that they allow you to create comprehensive and specialized content that aligns with the topic you want to pursue. For example, your sales and digital marketing team can choose online courses and other knowledge tools to boost skills and give your conversion rates a nudge:
- Email marketing
- Social media marketing
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Sales enablement
- Operate business tools and software (i.e., content management system)
A learning management software can also accommodate mandatory training materials for industry-specific standards. For instance, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) training for financial and health institutions in the UK and US, respectively. In short, targeted training materials allow you to cater to your team’s needs, whether onboarding new hires or upskilling existing talents.
It Caters to Diverse Learning Styles
Not everyone learns the same way. Experts have a name for it—the VARK system—an acronym for a person’s preferred learning modes. These include:
- Visual
- Auditory
- Reading
- Kinesthetic or tactile
Unlike traditional learning methods, which focus only on one or two of these, the best learning management systems combine all of these elements in one platform. As such, they foster better knowledge absorption and processing.
For instance, visual and auditory learners could benefit from interactive quizzes or video tutorials, while readers can find in-depth ebooks more helpful. You can test a kinesthetic learner’s knowledge by letting them solve real-life problems.
Besides offering an enhanced learning experience, LMS encourages better learning retention. Research suggests that only about a tenth of the training information will stick on average. A digital learning experience platform addresses this challenge, as trainees can revisit training content anytime or as they see fit. All available learning content is searchable and organized neatly, thanks to artificial intelligence.
LMS Provides Centralized and High-Quality Training
Continuous learning can only be achieved with consistency, more so if you have a remote workforce. Unlike traditional training methods, which may be organized in different folders in the database, a learning management system acts as a central repository of your content. Everything can be found under one roof.
Beyond acting as a comprehensive learning hub, the best learning management system ensures everyone receives the same high-quality training, regardless of location and time zone. For example, training content for data security can be uploaded and updated anytime to explain emerging threats and the latest company policies to address them.
You can also ask participants for feedback immediately to craft more informative and engaging content that resonates with your diverse remote workforce.
You Can Track Progress and Measure Results
A centralized training approach streamlines the process, making it easier for administrators to monitor learner progress, identify areas for improvement, and update content as needed. Compared to traditional training methods, an LMS has built-in tracking and reporting features, which can help measure the effectiveness of training programs.
These metrics provide valuable insights into your staff’s engagement with the training material:
- Completion rates
- Quiz scores
- Participation levels
- Time spent on training
LMS also prompts timely intervention as needed. For example, if an employee takes too long to complete a module, the administrator can provide supplementary information to clarify challenging concepts.
Executives can also determine whether their training system is driving the desired outcomes, further personalize the training experience, and constantly fine-tune the training system or content to maximize impact.
It Promotes a Collaborative Learning Culture
Remote team members can sometimes feel isolated. But online learning doesn’t have to be. An LMS can help bridge this gap by fostering a sense of community and collaborative learning through features such as:
- Discussion forums and other communication tools
- Peer-to-peer mentoring
- Group projects
These channels connect your team members with their colleagues, ask questions, share insights and best practices, and learn from each other by sharing their knowledge and experiences. Collaborative assignments and team-based challenges encourage teamwork and foster a culture of continuous learning within the organization, too.
Imagine a team of remote customer service representatives brainstorming solutions for complex customer queries on an LMS discussion forum. This fosters community and shared learning, leading to a more knowledgeable and engaged workforce.
Essentially. an LMS enhances the overall training experience by facilitating knowledge sharing and collaboration. The result? Increased team member engagement, completion rates, and satisfaction and retention.
The Key to Engaged and Skilled Talents
In this dynamic workforce where remote systems continue becoming the norm, keeping a pool of motivated, engaged, and skilled teams can make or break your business. Enter learning management system. Whether you are a small business or an industry giant, LMS revolutionizes how you train your team. By offering flexible and high-quality e-learning sessions, you can empower your team, providing personalized learning experiences to maximize potential and strengthen weaknesses.
Ultimately, LMS drives staff engagement, productivity, and organizational success.
