To say that online learning is important in the workplace is an understatement. Due to COVID-19’s devastating impact on businesses globally, eLearning has become indispensable to organizations that want to deliver quality employee training, no matter what.
“Online education has been on the rise for the last decade, and the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated its widespread use in unprecedented ways, particularly for professional career advancement,” stated Forbes.1
Without online learning, many companies would have been unable to provide ongoing training to their dispersed workforces throughout the pandemic. Many of these same companies will be using remote training well into the future, even in the latter stages of COVID-19.
Download our free eBook: “Remote Training and eLearning in the Age of Coronavirus”
Remote Work and Online Training Are Here to Stay...Here’s Why
Remote work and remote training increased during the pandemic. However, now things are returning to normal. Does this mean remote work and training will end and employees return to physical workplaces? Not necessarily. Ropers Majeski stated,
“...what does the ‘normal’ workplace look like now? For many companies, it will be normal for employees to continue working remotely – at least some days of the week. Some companies have boldly proclaimed they’ll permit employees to permanently work remotely, while others have started to consider hybrid models as a middle ground and means of phased reintegration.”2
The bottom line is that remote work is here to stay in some capacity for most organizations. Thus, the need for remote online learning will remain.
Companies implement remote work and training first and foremost out of necessity. But, remote work and training have a variety of benefits that go beyond simply making ongoing employee training and work possible. Review 423 listed a few of the benefits of remote work, and they are impressive:
- Companies can save around $11,000 annually for each employee that works remotely, half the time
- Eighteen percent of all employees telecommute on a full-time basis
- Seventy-seven percent of telecommuters claim to be more productive
- Thirty percent of telecommuters save about $5,000 a year
- On average, people who work remotely earn $4,000 more than those who don’t
- Ninety-nine percent of remote workers want to keep telecommuting in the future
- Ninety percent of remote workers say they would recommend working remotely to a friend
Stats like this make it easy to understand why remote work isn’t going anywhere. And, wherever remote work is happening, online learning is happening. The two go hand-in-hand.
Related Reading: “Make Remote Training Sessions More Engaging for Learners”
3 Reasons Why Online Learning is Important in the Workplace
The understanding that online learning is important in the workplace because it enables companies to deliver training to a remote workforce is widespread. But, as stated above, there are other reasons why online learning is valuable. For example, IBM saved $200 million after switching to eLearning, and online learning is said to boost retention rates by 25-60 percent, per TechJury.4
Here are a few other reasons why online learning is important in today’s workplace:
- Online learning keeps employees engaged with training - Forbes said that in 2018, over $87.6 billion was spent on corporate training in the U.S. alone.5 Obviously, training is a costly investment. When company leaders spend this kind of money on training, they rightly expect a good return on investment (ROI).
Organizational leaders that desire a good ROI for their training investment should know that training delivered via LMS software tends to be better-received by and more engaging to learners. There are several reasons for this.
First, LMS-software-based training is more interactive than traditional training. It often includes games, simulations, and knowledge checks. Online learning is also self-paced, tailored to suit individual learning styles, and accessible on any mobile device through LMS mobile learning.
When learners are able to access training on their mobile devices, they are more likely to participate in training. When training is interactive and self-paced, its ability to engage learners increases further. Organizational leaders can use LMS software and eLearning to keep learners engaged with training, regardless of if they are learning remotely.
- Online training facilitates “now” learning - Something company leaders often value about online learning/remote training is that employees have immediate, constant access to it. Unlike classroom-style learning models, online training, offered through LMS software, facilitates “now” learning. Andy Lancaster, Head of Learning and Development, CIPD, wrote:
“Many organisations and individuals are now looking for learning that is just in time and not delayed. With a face-to-face model, you may have to wait weeks or even months to be able to go on a course. With online learning, we are able to interface through live classrooms and through a range of innovative and exciting resources which you can access when you want.”6
Lancaster added this creates an environment where individuals can learn how and when they want to. They can train at work or home, or even on their commute to work.
Having immediate access to training can be critical to an employee’s success. This is especially true if they are working from home and need quick information. By using LMS software, organizational leaders can ensure workers receive training right at the point of need, every time they need it.
- Online learning promotes collaboration - Collaboration is key to employee success. Whoever said “two heads are better than one” was right. If two people collaborating is better than one person brainstorming or learning alone, imagine how much better one hundred or two hundred or two thousand people collaborating are.
When an entire workforce, not just a few people, are given the tools they need to collaborate effectively, amazing things happen. For example, employees become more innovative. They begin to understand that their contributions matter. Their creativity is stirred. They are more likely to build work relationships and feel a sense of belonging at their organization, which could lower rates of turnover. They share knowledge with their peers, which fosters a culture of knowledge sharing.
Online learning offered through LMS software promotes collaboration in the workplace. A few collaborative learning tools that LMS software provides include:
- Forums
- Shared calendars
- Web conferencing
- Online communities
- Customized schedules and alerts
These tools work together to unite coworkers, even if a workforce is dispersed. “... a connected workforce leads to a 17% increase in productivity, a 21% increase in profitability, and a 40% reduction in employee turnover,” explained Linezero blog.7 Therefore, LMS software that features collaborative learning tools and promotes online learning is helpful to organizations across all sectors.
Keep Learning: “How to Support Remote Training as Working from Home Becomes the New Normal”
Look for These Features in LMS Software
Many company decision-makers implemented remote training during the pandemic using LMS software. They are now reaping the rewards of a more stable bottom line. Without online learning/remote training, it’s possible these businesses wouldn’t have survived the crisis.
Online learning enables companies to keep their remote employees trained, skilled, and compliant. Also, online learning, especially when delivered using TOPYX LMS software, will:
- Keep employees engaged in training
- Provide workers with information at their point of need
- Promote company-wide collaboration and knowledge sharing
These benefits hold true for any type of workforce, even one that is dispersed. All of these benefits combine to produce a healthier, stronger organization that can thrive in difficult economic times.
If you are searching for the right LMS for your company, the first thing you should look for is a flat-rate pricing model. Many LMSs charge per-user fees, and these can quickly add up. The more users the LMS hosts, the higher the fees climb. This can hurt a company’s bottom line. Leaders who want their organizations to thrive should avoid LMS software that features this pricing model and instead opt for an eLearning system that is free of per-user fees, like TOPYX.
In addition to a flat-rate pricing model, seek LMS software features like social and collaborative learning tools, language localization, integrations, and mobile learning. Launching full-featured LMS software is the first step in delivering better and more accessible training to your employees.
Remote training is vital to the success of every type of organization in the age of COVID-19. Whether you run an association, business, corporation, multinational, or nonprofit, your workplace can benefit from online learning.
Get a free LMS demo of TOPYX LMS software today.
References:
- Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/03/26/five-reasons-online-learning-is-the-future-of-professional-development/?sh=696d00f5fc70.
- Ropers Majeski. https://www.ropers.com/news-insights/covid-19-and-employer-liability-new-concerns-for-a-dispersed-worforce.
- Review 42. https://review42.com/resources/remote-work-statistics/.
- TechJury. https://techjury.net/blog/elearning-statistics/#gref.
- Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/danpontefract/2019/09/15/the-wasted-dollars-of-corporate-training-programs/?sh=42cd2a9f71f9.
- CIPD. https://www.cipd.co.uk/Community/blogs/b/learning-insights/posts/6-reasons-why-online-learning-is-so-important?CommentId=2f5223ea-fb23-4074-bfa7-b2725d55def2#gref.
- Linezero blog. https://www.linezero.com/blog/6-pillars-of-connected-workplace-how-connected-workplace-compels-digital-transformation.
