5 Steps to a Digital Learning Strategy That Boosts Engagement, Retention, and Compliance

Finding the right tech tool is the first step in developing an effective digital learning strategy. Implementing that tool alongside an employee training and development strategy is the next step. Every company needs a combination of the right technology and the right strategy to optimize employee training, learning, and development. One of the biggest challenges companies are facing in the world of training at this time is, quite obviously, where and how employees work. For many companies, the balance of remote, in-office, and hybrid working has made it challenging to implement workplace strategies that yield the results needed in a time of disjointed communication. Companies are just now, as we near the end of 2021, adjusting their tech stacks and re-strategizing to make sure that employees’ needs are met. This is why it is the perfect time to implement a digital learning platform and construct a digital learning strategy that keeps employees engaged, helps them work toward future career goals, and sets teams up for efficiency and success. A recent McKinsey report highlighted the importance of investing in employees and company culture, with HR departments given the greatest responsibility for meeting these goals. The report highlighted that, after drawing from the expertise and experiences of 350 HR leaders, there is a necessary shift in focus toward building strong, sustainable organizations. This means that companies should invest, especially from an HR perspective, in building a foundation for employees. A solid learning and development strategy will help companies future-proof their organizations by investing in employee success, cultivating company culture, and streamlining communication and workflows to achieve the greatest degree of productivity.

What is a Digital Learning Strategy?

A digital learning strategy is a plan of action designed to create and deliver enhanced, technology-enabled learning experiences. It outlines how an organization will support changes in technology needed to accommodate a more digitally-driven approach and should include activities such as building technology-supported instruction, developing and curating content that can be distributed via multiple media types, and expanding the use of data-driven insights to improve performance.

Why is it Important to Have a Digital Learning Strategy?

It is important to have a digital learning strategy because it helps organizations keep up with the ever-evolving technology landscape. Learning through digital platforms offers opportunities for leveraging the latest technologies to facilitate learning and collaboration across the entire organization. Organizations can take advantage of these platforms to create engaging learning experiences, promote interactive exchange and personalized instruction, access resources that are not available in traditional teaching methodologies, facilitate large-scale data collection and analysis, and measure success more accurately. Digital learning strategies provide organizations with a comprehensive set of tools for creating effective and productive learning environments.

Five Steps to Strengthen Your Digital Learning Strategy

1. Engineer learning pathways

The first step in developing a corporate learning and development strategy is to take a step back and determine which learning pathways you want to make available to your employees and customers. This will help determine which courses to include and offer, and which tech tools will best suit your needs. A learning pathway is not just a set of courses that you want to require of new hires or in the onboarding process. Engineering a comprehensive learning pathway requires that leaders look from the beginning to the end of the learner’s journey. In the modern working world, engineering a learning pathway also means that companies should account for the different types of learning employees need and want to take. Learning and development are not limited to technical training anymore; it can cover comprehensive workplace strategies, personal development, and even leadership objectives. First, identify the end goal of employee training and how you will use it to enhance the employee experience and cultivate workplace community. Collect all of the ideas you have for training courses—from onboarding to upskilling, to personal development—and identify missing pieces where you could add content. Identify which employees you anticipate will take which courses and whether or not some teams are lacking in course content.

2. Find a platform that meets your needs

Once you have identified the core learning objectives and journeys you intend to craft for your team members, the next step is to identify an LMS software that will suit the needs of your learners. For companies looking to invest in new eLearning software, this is the perfect moment to identify technology that can bring the most innovative digital learning strategies to your organization. The primary factors you should consider when choosing a platform are engagement, accessibility, and its ability to integrate with other apps. Look for learning management systems that offer interactive elements within the platform so that, when courses are created, they are designed in a way that keeps employees engaged. The ExpertusONE LMS offers interactive elements like quizzes, video content, conferencing, and a digital content player. The key to determining the best interactive LMS tool is to choose one with embedded digital capabilities. That way, learners can engage with the content without having to click a link, open a new tab to watch a YouTube video or download a document to fill out the quiz. This makes engaged learning easier for the student and increases the rate of compliance.

Related post:Why a Digital LMS Creates Better Employee Experiences

3. Create collaborative content

A significant portion of employee engagement rests on collaboration. Without engagement, a corporate learning and development strategy will fall flat. Companies can facilitate collaboration among employees by incorporating it within the content, both from a technical standpoint (the platform you use) and a conceptual standpoint (which courses you choose to offer). On the technical side, companies should invest in tools that are engaging—like we mentioned before. Choose platforms that offer engaging elements and also ones that encourage learners to communicate about what they’re learning in the moment or after the fact. ExpertusONE makes it possible for learners to communicate through LMS video conferencing while they are taking a course. And for managers who oversee course completion, can touch base with team members directly from the app so communication is more accessible. Another element of the technical side of collaboration is finding a platform that integrates with existing workplace tools. ExpertusONE works with apps like Salesforce, Slack, and Microsoft Teams to provide a comprehensive learning experience within the applications employees already use regularly. This way, employees can complete courses within the Slack LMS app and communicate with team members from the same platform. This makes the experience collaborative and can facilitate a positive workplace experience centered around learning.

4. Let employees learn on their own time, in their preferred way

The biggest qualm employees have with corporate learning is usually that the process is cumbersome, impedes the completion of their normal work tasks, and requires them to devote extra hours staring at their computer screen. A successful digital learning strategy is a flexible digital learning strategy. Companies should prioritize adaptability in the way they structure their training initiatives. Use digital LMS platforms that make it possible for learners to complete courses in the office, at home, online, offline, on a computer, or a mobile device. Long gone are the days of hours-long courses completed from a desk from start to finish in one fell swoop. Learners have unique needs. They may need to start a course, pause it to complete another task, and come back. Hybrid workers may begin a course in the office on their work computer and need to complete it after they pick up their kids and are working from home in the evening. The ExpertusONE enterprise LMS platform offers this flexibility by making courses available from desktop or mobile devices, accessible through apps like Slack, Salesforce, and Microsoft Teams, and operating fully online or offline. This is an invaluable tool for every type of worker—the ones who commute an hour on a train each day and the ones who work from their home offices—and allows them the freedom to experience employee training wherever they are.

Related post: Essential Elements to Determine the Best LMS Platform for Your Company

5. Take note of learner success and celebrate it

The final step in implementing an effective digital learning strategy is to monitor completion, keep track of milestones, and celebrate the success of your learners. This can be part of the tech system you choose to use. For example, ExpertusONE’s learning management system offers LMS gamification that shows off which learners have completed which courses and who is in the lead for course completion. This is a practical way to celebrate learner success automatically, without adding any extra manpower to the process. Company leaders must look at the whole picture in order to develop a successful employee training and development strategy. Corporate learning can offer employees the chance to engage with their managers and peers and can help companies facilitate positive experiences that boost satisfaction and retention among their team members. In this new world of work—with so many types of work styles available—it is time to optimize technology and find a digital LMS system that supports modern training goals.