Technology is changing the face of every aspect of business, and training is no exception. Today and tomorrow we present an article by David Gingell, chief marketing officer at TeamViewer, on how corporate learning is capitalizing on new innovations.
Professional development of employees remains a key focus area for HR professionals, no matter what industry they support. Today, HR professionals have the benefit of having more technology than ever before to enhance the professional development process and experience.
As such, there has been a shift away from traditional, instructor-led, classroom-style learning to online training, also widely called “e-learning.” In fact, according to a report by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, 77% of U.S. companies currently offer online corporate training—20 years ago, that number was only 4%.
Online training is especially beneficial for businesses that have employees dispersed throughout numerous geographical locations or a portion of employees that work from home. E-learning enables HR professionals to develop a corporate learning strategy that is accessible to all employees, ultimately making the professional development experience more convenient and enjoyable.
Before deploying an online training program, HR professionals need to consider both the end user/trainee and the IT team supporting the initiative. Moreover (and not surprisingly), budget is always a major consideration. Two useful technologies in these areas that play a pivotal role in corporate e-learning are videoconferencing tools and remote-access software.
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Accessibility and Collaboration with One Click
Videoconferencing is picking up steam as a popular means of communication, both personally and professionally. When it comes to businesses specifically, a key advantage of videoconferencing tools is the training opportunities they provide to employees at a considerably low cost for the company.
Videoconferencing enables HR professionals to have the opportunity to address the training needs of many employees in many different locations at any given time. And because employees are able to access training opportunities with one click rather than with a plane or car ride, productivity time is not lost. As a result, there is a reduction in training costs in travel fees and unbillable hours that is typically a result of traditional corporate learning programs.
Additionally, with the face-to-face experience videoconferencing provides, employees can collaborate with each other as if they are attending an in-person corporate seminar. Some videoconferencing tools include a wide selection of features to make these sessions more interactive, such as whiteboard, file sharing, and screenshots.
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Arguably the most significant feature is screen sharing, as it allows employees to work with one another on shared documents for a course without leaving their respective locations. Since they will all see the same items, misunderstandings can be avoided and collaboration can foster a sense of teamwork and lead to better ideas.
Thanks to the collaboration enabled by videoconferencing, corporate learning is rendered more effective and can strengthen relationships among employees—ultimately making for a stronger and more satisfied workforce.
A recent Google study revealed that 88% of senior staff and C-level executives who strongly agree to a corporate culture of knowledge-sharing and collaboration also strongly agreed that this results in high employee morale and job satisfaction. With cost savings and increased morale, videoconferencing for corporate learning offers a high return on investment.
In tomorrow’s Advisor, more from Gingell on technology’s role in improving corporate learning.