Does Digital Training Work?

110 million workers in the US do not sit behind a desk to do their jobs. These workers represent ~70% of all employees.

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Taking the leap and bringing your training into the digital age can be intimidating. It can feel like a "project" or something that requires too much buy in to worry about. But, the upsides outweigh the fear of moving forward. As minimum wage continues to rise in the U.S. and as competition increases, retaining quality employees and investing in efficient training is essential.

Classroom training is costly

With employees spread across the city or even throughout training has become ineffective. That’s why the LMS market is expected to go from $9.2 billion to $22 billion by 2023So it makes sense to consider getting rid of classroom training altogether if there are so many all-in-one online options - and if classroom training isn’t working anymore for your company. For businesses using a combination of classroom and digital training (also known as "blended learning"), it's important to understand the right blend of in-person and online. Finding a digital solution that tracks in-person training (coaching) while automating lessons that are specific to each employee's job and journey is what you should look for in a digital training platform.

Automation saves time

83% of US businesses use a traditional Learning Management System (LMS). While this has been the norm since the early 1980's, these systems are hard to manage from the top down as well as the bottom up, especially when you employ a deskless workforce. In fact, in our own research we have found that of those businesses using an LMS, 9 out of 10 are only using it for one type of employee - managers. The key is to determine if the training platform is stealthy enough to cover all your goals for learning and development. Will it be able to train everyone from the busboys to the managers? Can you set it and forget it while checking in and adjusting as needed?

Digital Training supports spaced learning

Spaced learning was invented more than a century ago. It’s still used today. Also known as "adaptive training", this is a method where a course is taught over time with breaks between sessions. Spaced learning defies the laws of remembering and forgetting by allowing employees to learn in 5-10 minute spurts throughout the work week. It helps frontline employees train faster. At the same time, it helps managers oversee their team and coach them while ensuring that the technology is reminding employees of deadlines, lessons, and overdue certifications. There is no method more aligned with digital training platforms than spaced learning.

Unify your training 

Never worry about "versions" again. By digitizing training, you makes it easier for employees to remember what to do. When a manager has to wonder what version of a manual they are training from, your paper approach may be outdated. Consider digital as a means to ensure consistent information is distributed across all departments and locations.  Training technology combines all aspects of training into one system. It ensures materials, distribution, accountability, tracking and insights are in one place.

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If it's mobile, it's modern

While traditional Learning Management Systems (LMS) have done a good job of keeping all information in one place for employees. The challenge is access. For every 1 employee with email, 2.5 have a cell phone. Traditional training platforms use email logins, passwords, and require a computer or tablet is used in order to access lessons. Mobile-first technology ensures you are meeting your people where they are. Just make sure you search for solutions that support "gating" - this means that employees can only train after they confirm they are clocked in.

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Digitizing training shows ROI

While paper-based training and videos have been the norm for two decades, these are costly to maintain. If not updated regularly, businesses can bare the cost of admin and manager time to keep these materials modern. The average US company spent $1,111 per employee on training in 2020, according to a recent report from Training magazine. This figure includes set-up costs, assessments, online learning tools, training administration costs, translation costs and more. So, what's the return on investment? By digitizing training, employers save up a minimum of 12 hours in labor per employee per year. That means a company with 200 employees paying them $12/hour will earn back over $25,000 in labor.