No company or startup can sustain growth, beat competition, and boost operational efficiency without training, reskilling, and upskilling employees. Most enterprises these days help employees acquire and hone skills by running various learning and development (L&D) programs – onboarding, orientation, team building, compliance, quality assurance, technology, and language.
At present, 82% of companies create, deliver, manage, and monitor employee training programs using learning management systems (LMSs). Enterprise or corporate LMS systems streamline the L&D programs by automating training content delivery, learner progress monitoring, and learning experience personalization. Also, leading corporate LMSs optimize employee training initiatives using intelligence technologies.
The steady growth of the global LMS market creates opportunities for you to choose from many on-premise and cloud-based learning management software. A cloud-based LMS is easier to implement, customize, integrate, and maintain than an on-premise LMS. Also, you can reduce infrastructural and staffing overheads by implementing a cloud-based LMS for employee training. However, you must select the best corporate LMS system by evaluating the eLearning tools using multiple parameters.
11 Things You Must Consider to Select the Right LMS for Employee Training
UI and UX
Most employees access eLearning content after working hours. Hence, they find it convenient to access the LMS on mobile devices. You must support self-paced learning by ensuring that the LMS delivers optimal user experience (UX) across desktops, laptops, smartphones, and tablets. At the same time, you must check if the software features a user interface (UI) that each employee can use without requiring training or assistance.
Digital Library
Multi-format eLearning content is an important prerequisite for running multiple L&D programs. It becomes easier for your business to curtain content creation time when the LMS comes with a digital library. However, you should ensure that the library enables employees to access content in multiple formats – eBooks, audio, videos, simulations, and quizzes. Additionally, the L&D manager must be able to map content to individual training programs in a short amount of time.
Curated Content
While reskilling and upskilling employees, you must make them familiar with industry and technology trends. Your employees can understand and adopt important trends by accessing research papers, articles, and blogs. New-age LMS systems provide up-to-date information to employees by sharing curated content. Also, they use artificial intelligence (AI) technology to curate high-quality content from internal and external sources.
Content Authoring Tools
While creating employee training programs, trainers will create fresh content and repurpose existing content. You must make it easier for them to create and repurpose content by opting for an LMS with built-in content authoring tools. However, you should evaluate the content authoring tools in real-time to ensure that trainers can create eLearning content in multiple formats without putting in extra time and effort.
Learner Engagement
Your business must engage and motivate employees to make them acquire and hone skills after working hours. Hence, you must prioritize LMS that boost learner engagement by providing collaboration and gamification features. You should check if the eLearning tool creates opportunities for employees to collaborate in the virtual learning environment by featuring discussion forums, query corners, leaderboards, and chat. Likewise, you should check if the LMS boosts learner engagement by providing badges, coins, scorecards, and similar gamification features.
Dashboard
Your L&D strategy must enable trainers and learners to access relevant information on demand. For instance, you need to ensure that managers can monitor training programs and learner progress based on real-time data. Likewise, you must create opportunities for employees to track progress and measure performance. That is why; your business needs an LMS that features an intuitive dashboard. In addition to delivering real-time information to trainers and learners, the LMS dashboard will enable you to evaluate L&D initiatives by generating custom reports based on real-time eLearning data.
Learning Analytics
Learning analytics helps you make informed decisions by making sense of raw L&D data. The learning analytics tools share actionable insights gained through the analysis of real-time L&D data. You can leverage the data-driven insights to boost the L&D process by understanding what is working and what is not. At the same time, you can refine L&D initiatives by adopting emerging trends. Hence, you must opt for an LMS for employee training that features built-in data analytics solutions.
Integration Opportunities
Your company or startup needs a slew of eLearning tools to meet its L&D needs fully. Hence, your strategy must focus on building an integrated or unified learning platform by combining the LMS with eLearning tools like online classroom software and learning experience management tools. New-age LMS systems can be integrated with third-party eLearning tools using application programming interfaces (APIs). However, you must ensure that the LMS comes with APIs that make it exchange data with other tech tools seamlessly.
24/7 Tech Support
You should remember that cloud-based LMS will be managed and maintained by the provider. The provider’s in-house tech support team will resolve various issues faced by your team. Hence, you need to ensure that the vendor provides 24/7 tech support. Additionally, you must prioritize vendors that support omni-channel customer support. The omnichannel customer support will enable your team to get issues resolved by sending emails, making phone calls, or using chatting tools.
Customer Reviews
Review sites and online forums create opportunities for entrepreneurs and decision-makers to review various eLearning tools. You will find many online forums where decision-makers review and evaluate leading LMS systems. You must spend some time reading the reviews and testimonials posted by people who have used the LMS. The reviews will help you evaluate the pros and cons of an LMS for employee training based on real-time information.
Awards and Recognition
ELearning excellence awards showcase enterprise or corporate LMS systems that stand out from the crowd by optimizing user experiences and leveraging cutting-edge technologies. While shortlisting LMSs for employee training, you must check if the software or provider has won any prestigious eLearning awards. Additionally, you should consider the recognition received by the company providing the LMS for employee training.
Conclusion
While selecting an LMS for employee training, you must focus on developing an integrated or unified learning platform for your business. That is why; you should check if the corporate LMS system can be integrated seamlessly with existing eLearning tools. Also, you must prioritize LMS that streamlines the employee training process by featuring complimentary eLearning tools like online classroom software and digital library software.
About Mintbook
Mintbook helps your organization’s L&D needs by making the LMS a part of a unified learning platform. In addition to leveraging an intuitive and customizable LMS, your company can avail of essential eLearning solutions like online classroom software and digital library software while implementing the integrated learning platform.
