The Top 5 Considerations When Buying a Learning Solution
Spending on corporate training initiatives is estimated to be nearing $360 billion globally. And this number is likely to continue to grow in the face of talent shortages caused by the Great Resignation. If you’re planning to invest your learning and development (L&D) budget in an integrated learning solution, you may be wondering how to evaluate different options. How do you ensure you meet the diverse needs of your entire organization while helping your workforce achieve meaningful business outcomes? Here are five areas to keep in mind when evaluating learning solutions.
1. Address many needs with multi-modal learning
Look for a multi-modal approach to meet your organization’s needs across teams and departments. When learning is delivered in multiple formats — such as on-demand courses, and hands-on practice lessons — and offers a diversity of skills for every role or function, a single solution can effectively meet the requirements of every group and the company as a whole.
2. Flexible, customized learner-focused content
Learning can look different for everyone. For example, you may have employees who prefer to engage with learning in different languages or formats. Providing flexibility for your workforce while ensuring that you deliver the highest quality, most up-to-date content will give them the best possible learning outcomes. Learning needs to be personalized and customizable to the requirements of a given role, team, or organization in order to deliver the greatest value.
3. Applied technical skills learning and practice methods
When it comes to fast-evolving technical skills, there are particular features that make learning more effective. Putting new concepts into practice as learners develop new skills helps increase comprehension and the ability to effectively apply these skills in the workplace. When learners acquire and practice technical skills in an environment similar to the one where they will be applied in the real world, such as in a virtual sandbox, it accelerates learning effectiveness.
4. Tools for measuring the effectiveness of your learning programs
To understand the impact of your learning system and measure the ROI of the programs you build around it, it’s critical to be able to regularly access and evaluate program data. Look for a system with in-depth data reporting capabilities and dashboards for efficient, impactful analytics and reporting.
5. Key technical integrations and security features
Like any technology, a learning platform is only as effective as its integrations with your other systems. The ability to easily and securely access learning content through features like API integrations and single sign-on is important for promoting employee engagement and adoption. As with any integrated technology, security and data privacy are vital.
Choose the learning solution that’s right for your business
In a crowded market of workplace learning tools, leaders must take the time to understand how a learning provider’s solution fits with their organization’s unique employee development goals. Which features help deliver the right learning experience to the right employee in the right format?
If you’re looking for guidance as you take this next step, A Buyer’s Checklist: Integrated Learning Solutions can help you evaluate different options consistently.
