Back in the “old days,” (before advancements in technology) new employee onboarding used to be a one-size-fits-all affair. Over the past few years, organizations have begun to realize the importance of a holistic approach wielding cutting-edge, technology-based eLearning materials to ease the orientation process and set up new team members for later success.
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The result of this collective epiphany is an evolution away from listless introductions and dry reading materials and toward personalized learning paths based on new hires’ knowledge gaps and individual goals.
Today’s onboarding process is all about imparting information in small doses through microlearning rather than barraging new hires with procedural manuals and hoping some of the info sticks. Tools such as video-based learning and gamification improve knowledge retention and employee engagement. This digital learning translates directly to higher competence and confidence in the office starting on day 1.
Optimize Onboarding with eLearning
Learning technologies are the new training tool of choice for onboarding new employees, with the global eLearning market expected to reach $325 billion by 2025. Virtual training software delivers material to all new hires regardless of physical location or other constraints, such as supervisor availability.
New employee turnover is a tough pill for management and HR to swallow, but strengthening your onboarding process could help increase your retention rates. A Bamboo HR study found that nearly one-third of new hires leave a job within 6 months, and of those, 21% blamed ineffective training. Tools such as learning management systems (LMSs) can help you build out a structured, nuanced onboarding process that will benefit both you and your new employee.
An LMS adds a layer of personalization to the training process that allows recent hires to absorb information on their own terms and even interact with peers as they go. This kind of front-end support gives new employees a foundation for productivity, connection, and confidence in the office that will encourage them to stick around for the long haul.
LMS tools help streamline the new hire onboarding process for employers, too. Built-in reporting lets you monitor individuals’ progress and ensure that trainees are on track. You can offer supplemental training resources or adjust your online training strategy to fill in the knowledge gaps. Employee onboarding software provides bigger and better data so you can create concrete changes to improve onboarding return on investment (ROI) and employee satisfaction.
Find the Right Software Features
Reaping such benefits hinges on having an effective LMS and a solid implementation strategy. A training-needs analysis can help determine how learning technologies fit into the grand scheme of things. Once you’ve accomplished such steps as setting your budget and determining who will be responsible for setting up the LMS software, start the search for the best LMS tool for your training process.
In tomorrow’s post, we’ll uncover six key features your LMS software should have in order to effectively onboard your new hires.
| Christopher Pappas is the founder of eLearning Industry, the largest online community of eLearning professionals in the world. Pappas established the company as a safe online community for eLearning professionals and instructional designers to connect and share their knowledge. Pappas holds an MBA and a Master of Education from Bowling Green State University. Connect with him on Twitter. |