How to Successfully Onboard New Employees Even During Shutdown

This article articulates the importance of incorporating a robust Learning Management System (LMS) for onboarding new employees amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Using an LMS for onboarding purposes, can maximize efficiency in introducing new recruits to your corporate culture, accelerate job satisfaction, productivity and inoculate against turnover.

With forced quarantine being deployed by governments around the world to control the Coronavirus pandemic, companies have implemented work from home strategy to ensure welfare of its employees. However, a decrease in productivity, employee engagement, and a constant effort to bridge the communication gap, is a genuine concern of working remotely. One of the key concerns is – how to ensure successful onboarding process of new employees, while the workforce operates from home. Since onboarding is a reception phase of an employee who joins the organization, it becomes crucial for any organization to ensure and retain employee loyalty, maximize productive, and minimize turnover rate. For this reason alone, organizations are now deploying modern Learning Management Systems to bolster positive employee experience via virtual onboarding process. 

Understanding Virtual Onboarding

Brookshire’s Grocery Company, which has been awarded, “America’s Best-In-State Employer for Texas, 2019”, by Forbes, achieved 100% acceptance rate by more than 9,000 employees who underwent virtual onboarding and training, using a robust learning management system. Work from home based scenario shouldn’t and mustn’t inhibit employers from providing the best onboarding experience to new employees. Using a learning management system (LMS) for onboarding purpose can maximize efficiency in introducing new recruits to your corporate culture, accelerate job satisfaction, productivity, and inoculate against turnover. 

                              Source: Onboarding New Employees: Maximizing Success, Talya N. Bauer,2010

Benefits of Using a Robust LMS for Onboarding of New Employees Amid the Pandemic

1. Create a productive corporate culture with amalgamated learning material - With LMS, your HR team has strong control over the message that the organization would like to deliver to the recruits, during an introductory virtual orientation. Whether it is a mandatory compliance training, company’s value-mission-culture learning session, or a general view of its products and services courses, LMS helps in instilling an organization’s core values and goals among new employees, even as they work from home. In a nutshell, LMS helps an employer by converting manual process into a digital format and automate routines, saving money and man-hours.

2. Track and evaluate the learning curve of each employee - LMS can help employers to track the onboarding progress of each employee, with auto-generated reports and advanced analytics, without having to prepare, manage and transcribe to paper forms. By analyzing the assessments, employers can take corrective measures to help new recruits to retain knowledge, by aligning the right onboarding course with their learning needs; all while working from home.

3. Cost-effective technique -A Learning Management System meticulously organizes the onboarding information in an interactive and engaging way, so that it is successfully acquired and retained by the employees. Since its online, it saves the cost of organizing the training session (physical set-up), content creation, and, most important, the logistics of it. In short, you save big, as you onboard and welcome new recruits, while working from home.

4. Ease of use – LMS is an interactive device-based and web-based application that is compatible with an array of mobile devices, tablets, laptops, etc., most suitable for ‘on-the-go’ learners. This essentially means that content or learning modules are presented visually and can be accessed from anywhere and at any time, making it high on accessibility rate. The content for training can be delivered virtually, but in real-time, as per the needs of the organization. Learners also have easy access to notification dashboards. The best part is – user can access the learning material on their smartphones, in both online and offline mode.

GCube Learning Management System

GCube LMS is the proprietary learning management system that supports powerful authoring tools to create interactive content and deliver the relevant knowledge to achieve organizational success. The system’s unique approach to GUI brings information to the fore that helps employees utilize the system faster, and provides measurable ROI through stringent analytics. It is SCORM and Tin Can complain, with customizable and multi-lingual support to cater to the learning needs of your diverse ethnic workforce. To know more, you can write to info@gc-solutions.net.

Why do Organizations Need the Best Mobile LMS for Workforce Training?

With the advent of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, the scope for mobile Learning Management Systems is improving. So, owing to the mobile nature of the new-age workforce, it is essential to deploy the best mobile LMS for smartphones, laptops, and tablets. The robust mobile LMS platforms align training to varied job roles such as sales employees, pharmaceutical executives, and field workers.

Benefits of Mobile LMS

The mobile-first Learning Management Systems aid organizations to meet the diverse training objectives and performance goals. Significant benefits of mobile LMS include-

• Intuitive interface

Organizations deploy Learning Management System mobile apps that are simple to access and visually-appealing. If the screen is cluttered, then the learners may find the content boring and navigate somewhere else. So, it is essential to add clear instructions as to how to navigate through the system. An intuitively-designed mobile app and seamless navigation ensure better accessibility and easy adoption for an engaging experience.

• Continuous learning

Mobile LMS platforms also send timely updates and reminders to individuals. As a result, employees are aware of the upcoming training, overall progress, mandatory training, and others. As learning becomes more personalized and continuous, employees can effectively work on improving their skills, finish the courses assigned to them, and perform better.

• Offline access

Learners can download custom mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, as well as Android devices to access relevant training content, even offline. They can also launch the courses from the download list in the mobile app without any need for Internet access. Once the net connection is back, the system automatically syncs training updates.

• Comprehensive training tools

The best mobile LMS platforms offer comprehensive tools to deliver an enhanced learning experience. These tools support features such as online whiteboard access, multilingual interface, polls, and raise-hand to drive collaboration, In-built media player, and screen sharing option for improved accessibility.

• Better compliance

With a custom mobile LMS, employees can undergo mandatory compliance training at the point of need. For instance, an employee is performing a task and does not know how to proceed without breaking the regulations. He/she can log in to the LMS via their mobile device and watch a short demo video. Sales employees can also access Augmented Reality-based videos on their smartphones to seek updated product knowledge. Consequently, they can bridge skills-gaps, improve customer relations, boost performance, and drive overall sales.

In addition to the above, mobile LMS platforms also support features such as video conferencing, geolocation for attendance tracking, texting, and others. Features including bite-sized content delivery, rapid authoring, and gamification ensure a better learning experience for all. Organizations are investing in the best mobile LMS platforms to enable administrators, trainers, and learners to focus on the top priority content, anytime and anywhere. The custom mobile apps provide added functionality to meet the bespoke training goals of the globally dispersed audiences. Mobile LMSs deliver continuous training, measure results, and drive growth, thereby amplifying every step of your training program. 

How does SCORM Compliant LMS Save Time and Mitigate Training Cost by 80%?

SCORM (Shareable Content Object Reference Model)- a global standard for online learning platforms. It serves as a platform that supports communication between online training content and learning management systems. New-age SCORM compliant LMS enables organizations to develop tailored e-learning content for laptops, smartphones, and tablets. It also supports easy uploading and updating of relevant training courses as per the pertinent needs of a globally dispersed workforce
Today, companies from diverse industries realize the potential of SCORM compliant LMS that caters to bespoke learning objectives. Several benefits of SCORM LMS include the following:

• As SCORM is the de facto e-learning standard, it enables the seamless delivery of training courses across multiple mobile devices (both Android and iOS).
• The global standard helps to create as well as repurpose existing content, thereby mitigating overall training costs by 80% and saving effort.
• Content created and delivered through SCORM LMS is adaptable. So, you can easily create and provide tailored content to employees working in-house or at remote locations. Consequently, this supports learning on the go by allowing employees to undergo training at their own pace of time and convenience.
• SCORM compliant LMS supports interoperability features between different software products. You can develop tailored e-learning courses using robust authoring tools, including Lectora, Captivate, Composica, and others.
• Modern LMSs that are SCORM compliant also support automated performance tracking and reporting features. The platform can easily track courses completed, time spent on each course, evaluate individual scores, test results, and so on.

Other benefits of corporate training platforms that are SCORM compliant include the following:

• Accessibility- SCORM content is packaged in a way that you can access relevant training material across smartphones and tablets, ensuring learning anytime, anywhere, and even on the go. SCORM content can be quickly delivered to various locations without any need for installation or reconfigurations.

• Adaptability- SCORM compliant training content perfectly fits the ever-evolving learning needs and performance goals. It is adaptable with multiple mobile devices and for different training groups with varied job roles and preferences.

• Reusability- To move away from classroom-based training, corporate trainers and managers develop SCORM content, which can be repurposed to cater to diversified needs. For instance, an automobile company wants to train its salesforce about the latest products and services. So, the trainer can create short video nuggets or podcasts, which are easier to access and quick to digest. The same content can be reused whenever there is any product launch or upgrade.

Overall, the above-discussed features help to improve employee engagement, bridge skills-gaps, boost workforce performance, and increase business revenues. With digitization, companies from varied industry verticals deploy SCORM compliant LMS to align the right kind of learning for targeted audiences. Modern learning management systems utilize authoring tools to create personalized training content for a globally dispersed workforce. Consequently, SCORM LMSs help to mitigate overall training cost, time, and effort, while allowing to create and reuse the same content within a few clicks. From pharmaceutical and automobile to retail, finance, and others, the implementation of SCORM LMS platforms is evolving at a fast pace. If you want to develop training content to track employee performance, reuse existing content, or want to integrate the system with other vendors, then SCORM LMS can serve as the best fit for your organization.

Fostering Continuous Learning Culture: Shifting Focus towards Implementing New-age Corporate LMS

In today’s fast-paced environment, companies are utilizing corporate LMS platforms to embrace continuous learning culture and remain competitive. For individuals, continuous learning is all related to browsing the web to watch webinars, read posts, or enrolling in a certification program. For workplace culture, continuous learning is about improving employee engagement, knowledge retention, and accelerating organizational performance. Online corporate learning programs cater to the pertinent needs of globally dispersed audiences by enhancing their skills and creating new growth opportunities.

Organizations adopt a continuous learning culture to keep their employees abreast of the latest LMS technology. So, modern LMS for corporate training plays a significant role in creating a learning culture through a plentiful of ways. These include-

• Content accessibility- Anytime and anywhere

To embrace continuous learning, modern LMSs support the availability of personalized training content across different mobile devices- laptops and smartphones. Mobile learning has gained huge traction in the past few years, with the rise of tablets in the corporate world.  Using a mobile LMS, learners can access relevant training material at their own pace of time, while at home, in office, or while on the go.

• Performance tracking- Real-time feedback

The leading corporate LMS providers deliver e-learning solutions to bridge skills-gaps, boost workforce performance, and enhance business productivity. Modern LMS integrates with other enterprise systems such as HRMS, CRM, and others to fetch employee data and create Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Based on the KPI scores, the LMS automatically aligns personalized training for diverse training goals- compliance, sales training, onboarding, and so on. Also, corporate managers can provide real-time feedback to their employees rather than waiting for annual appraisal cycles. As a result, employees can efficiently work on their weak areas continually, thereby saving costs and boosting overall productivity.

• Game-based learning- It can be fun

When training becomes dull and boring, it is essential to introduce engaging gaming elements with e-learning courses. Modern LMS supports the gamification feature by including interactive elements such as scores, leaderboards, and badges. Consequently, organizations embrace a fun-filled learning culture by encouraging employees through rewards, driving peer-to-peer collaboration, and gaining a competitive edge.

• Measuring success- Overall training impact

One of the significant benefits of modern LMSs is to bridge skills-gaps, boost engagement, and measure training effectiveness. By measuring different parameters such as skills metrics, training completion rates, test scores, and more, organizations can measure the overall impact of training on employees. So, this continuous measurement of training success ensures that learning caters to the bespoke needs of all.
A workplace learning culture is not a one-time done practice. With evolving training needs, the learning culture also needs to be continuous as well as personalized. Undoubtedly, continuous learning is reshaping the modern training landscape. New-age best corporate LMS adopts a game-based, mobile-aided, and performance-driven learning approach to provide a dynamic experience that hooks every learner. The traditional training model is falling away, and companies are shifting their focus to deliver training that is on-demand, personalized, and technology-aided. So, a continuous learning culture not only boosts your employee growth and retention but also aids businesses to grow and succeed.

Choosing E learning Over Traditional Training

Whether you manage a warehouse or an online retail store, e learning leaves a significant impact on knowledge retention, customer satisfaction, and business productivity. The new-age employees want to access information that is personalized, just-in-time, and accessible. Therefore, most of the retail organizations are shifting towards increasing productivity and business ROIs through technology-driven learning. Most organizations adopt e learning as a significant aspect of training & development processes.

Why is Traditional Training Not Effective Enough?

With changing market dynamics, retail companies are shifting their focus towards improving optimal quality products and flawless customer experience. A viable way to achieve this is through e learning. Several reasons why traditional classroom-based approach could not go well for retail workforce training include:

• Continuous change

There is a constant update on the products and services delivered by retail organizations. The traditional method to train the workforce on product inventory and features is a time-consuming process, especially whenever there is any seasonal update. Consequently, employees fail to engage and retain for long, thereby affecting the overall business sales.

• High attrition

The retail sector faces a higher level of attrition as compared to other industries. Therefore, companies conduct employee onboarding programs at regular intervals that involve recurring costs, time, and effort.

How does E-learning help to Train Retail Workforce?

Today, e-learning is dominating the retail industry by evading challenges of classroom-based training- be it cost, accessibility, or convenience. Keeping the workforce abreast of new consumer products, services, and policies is key to organizational success. Enterprise e learning enables employees to undergo training on-demand, bridge skills-gaps, and improve sales. Several effective e learning solutions that cater to the retail sector training needs include the following:

• Mobile-aided learning

The delivery of personalized training content on bespoke mobile devices enable learners to learn anytime, anywhere, and on the go. Several retail companies create e-courses on specific products and services which employees can access to hone their skills and meet customer expectations.

• Video-based learning

Companies also create and deliver short video nuggets that are easy to access and quick to digest. Consequently, employees learn more, engage better, retain for long, and stay productive at the workplace.

• Simulations

Considering the need to train the salesforce in an immersive environment effectively, companies adopt a simulation-based approach. As a result, sales employees can access 360-degree videos and simulations to learn about new product features and benefits, thereby fostering customer relations, driving sales, and overall business productivity.

• Compliance training

For retail enterprises, there are several risks involved, such as risk management, workplace safety, safety hazards, and others. So, online training on regulatory compliance aids companies to comply with changing policies and enhance their brand presence in the market.

With technological advancements, retailers adopt e learning approach, which is flexible enough to cater to the pertinent training needs- be it onboarding, compliance, sales enablement, leadership training, and more.

Intuitive LMS Design, Easy Navigation, and Seamless User Experience

Key Features that Remain a Priority for Corporate E-learning Platforms

In today’s digital age, technology is paving its way for learning to occur anytime, anywhere, and on any mobile device. As the scope of corporate training is evolving, and interactive LMS design and personalized user experience (UX) are no more merely ‘nice-to-have’ features of enterprise learning management platforms. Effective corporate learning strategies need innovative solutions that go beyond the functionalities of traditional tools. A robust training platform empowers L&D teams to boost workforce engagement and productivity, and a vital pillar of this solution is the enterprise LMS.

Why do Good LMS Design and Personalized Experience Matter?

Corporate LMSs support formal, informal, and social learning tailored to the needs of the globally spread workforce. These align learning to pertinent training goals that include compliance, onboarding, sales enablement, and more. Measuring training success depends on how well users navigate through the LMS portal, engage, and perform. The LMS UI signifies how well learners interact with the system by clicking on icons, menus, buttons, and other interactivities. Therefore, e-learning platforms need to be accessible, intuitive, and straightforward. The intuitiveness of LMS design and aesthetics leads to better UI.

• For instance, if the Like button looks like the one on Facebook, then users would be familiar with the functionality of the button.

• Similarly, an interactive UI enables learners to easily navigate between pages, thereby making the learner-system interaction simpler and more convenient.

• Also, the attractive design, themes, and graphics captivate the user's interest.

• Another crucial aspect of modern LMS is its responsive design. Consequently, users can access different e-learning courses on their personalized mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. The mobile screens include scrolling, clicking, intuitive search, and expandable sections to ensure easy navigation and flawless user experience.

Today, factors such as attractive LMS design and exceptional UX are considered as the top priorities for organizations before deciding on what to implement. A bad UX also results in reduced engagement, which can be daunting to turn around. Choosing a robust LMS portal with a good UI/UX ensures that learners come back and use the system time and again. Visual appeal and information availability signify better UI, while the call to action such as clicking on an icon leads to a better UX. With technological advancements, online LMSs are shifting focus towards delivery technology-aided solutions such as microlearning, gamified learning, video-based learning, assessments, so on. These features help modern corporates to boost workforce performance, knowledge retention, bridge skills-gaps, increase ROIs, and drive overall growth.

Deploying Gamified Corporate E Learning Platform for Retail Sector

Empowering Workforce and Engaging Customers

With the changing economy and ever-evolving consumer needs, the retail industry needs to have a competent workforce to thrive in today’s market. As retail is a more people-centric domain, it must keep the focus on the diversified workforce, which include channel partners, distributors, franchisees, and others. Therefore, the implementation of a corporate e learning platform becomes significant to drive employee engagement, business productivity, and overall customer satisfaction. Retail companies face challenges while performing day-to-day operations, so it is crucial to train employees about the latest products and processes. They deploy the new-age and customizable gamified corporate LMS to engage maximum learners, boost collaboration, and overall knowledge retention.

With technological advancement, retail organizations are shifting towards delivering game-based corporate e learning solutions. Modern LMS for retail workforce training caters to diverse training goals which include:

• Onboarding- To train recruits on industry's policies and norms, thereby reducing employee attrition rates and improving business productivity.
  
• Compliance training- To keep employees updated with regulatory compliances and workplace safety, thereby improving retention levels.
  
• Product training- To train sales employees on the latest products and services, thereby improving overall sales and customer satisfaction.

Why Choose Gamified Corporate E Learning Platform? 

Modern LMS delivers gamified corporate eLearning solutions to meet pertinent training goals such as sales enablement, compliance training, onboarding, and others. Games engage and encourage retail workforce by providing the following benefits:

• New hire training

The retail industry deploys game-based corporate learning platforms for an effective onboarding experience. Modern LMS incorporates the gamification feature to engage and update new hires with the company's policies, products, customer handling, and other processes. Short quizzes, video nuggets, and interactive scenarios are introduced in the game to aid employees in addressing complex situations for successful onboarding of new hires.

• Compliance training

The delivery of game-based compliance training motivates employees to undergo mandatory training sessions and remain updated. Consequently, it helps the retail sector to address significant challenges such as health & safety, money handling, regulations, and so on. Unlike boring classroom training, the game-based e-learning environment creates a fun-filled experience for all, thereby improving overall engagement, knowledge retention, and driving business growth.

• Sales training

It is a significant concern for retail companies to deliver a personalized training experience for customers. So, it becomes crucial to adequately train the sales workforce on the latest products and services, even on the go. Corporate e learning platforms support gamification features (badges and levels) to familiarize sales employees about new products and foster customer relationships.

With the continuous development of the retail industry, it is essential to have a modern corporate e learning platform at the place. Ultimately, the delivery of gamified LMS solutions helps to reduce employee attrition, boost sales, drive workforce performance, and increase ROIs.