How eLearning Can Help Drive Business Success: Creating Learning Content That Drives Business Outcomes

Monday, 30 October 2023, 9:00 pm
Press Release: Sphere PR

By Tony Maguire, regional director for Australia & New Zealand at D2L

For businesses in any sector, one of the keys to staying competitive is for leaders and employees to embrace and engage in continuous learning and development. Businesses that prioritise this tend to have a more skilled and engaged workforce, which can help drive business growth and success.

Whether it’s due to financial pressures, a lack of resources or simply a lack of time, unfortunately, many companies struggle to nurture and sustain a culture of continuous learning and development in their workplaces. This said, businesses that have chosen to embrace eLearning as a strategic tool for employee training and development are finding themselves better positioned to retain talented team members and leverage competitive advantage.

The adoption of eLearning solutions has accelerated over the past decade, driven by technological advancements and the need for cost-effective, scalable training methods. Traditional face-to-face training has its place, but eLearning offers several distinct advantages that can be instrumental in achieving better business outcomes.

Importance of scalability and consistency

One of the primary benefits of eLearning is its scalability. Whether you have a small team or a global workforce, eLearning can help you deliver consistent training experiences to each employee irrespective of time, place or circumstance. This helps ensure that every team member receives the same high-quality information and skills, levelling the playing field and reducing knowledge gaps.

By creating a standardised eLearning program, businesses can ensure that every sales representative, regardless of location, receives identical product knowledge and sales techniques. According to a 2019 survey by eLearning Industry, 72 per cent of participating organisations believed this consistent approach increased their competitive advantage by quickly plugging knowledge gaps, new materials or working practices.

Accessing cost-effective learning

Traditional training methods often come with substantial costs for materials, trainers and travel. eLearning helps to eliminate many of these expenses. Additionally, it allows employees to access training materials at their convenience, reducing the time and productivity lost due to travel and time away from work.

Alignment of training content with business objectives

Every business has unique training needs and eLearning platforms offer the flexibility to tailor training content to meet specific organisational goals and individual employee requirements. Customisation utilising automation and AI can ensure that the training aligns with the individual skills and competency needs of each employee and accelerate business success.

Enhancing employee productivity

eLearning allows businesses to provide ongoing training, enabling employees to acquire new skills, learn new technologies and stay up to date with industry regulations. This decreases risk, increases efficiency and creates a workforce that can adapt to evolving business needs.

Increasing employee retention

Employee turnover can be a significant drain on resources. High turnover rates not only lead to recruitment and training costs but also disrupt business continuity and growth. eLearning can play a pivotal role in employee retention by offering valuable opportunities for career development and growth within the organisation.

Companies that face a high employee turnover due to limited career advancement opportunities and a high-stress environment, such as distribution, retail, hospitality or call centres are focused on improving employee retention. They can introduce eLearning modules that will enable their employees to acquire new skills and move up the career ladder. This will in turn result in a reduction in employee turnover, saving organisations substantial recruitment and training expenses.

Improving compliance and risk management

In industries with strict regulations and compliance requirements, eLearning can ensure that employees are well-versed in the necessary rules and procedures. This reduces the risk of legal issues and penalties, ultimately protecting the organisation's reputation and bottom line.

Speeding up time–to market

Ultimately getting products and services to market quickly is critical. By utilising eLearning, businesses can train their employees much quicker enabling them to gain a competitive edge in the market.

Enabling employee data-driven decision-making

eLearning platforms often come equipped with robust analytics tools that provide valuable insights into employee performance and training effectiveness. By harnessing these data-driven insights, businesses can make informed decisions about their training programs, optimising them for better business outcomes.

For example, businesses can analyse their eLearning data to identify areas where their customer service teams need additional training. By addressing these specific gaps in knowledge and skills, they can reduce customer complaints, leading to higher customer retention and increased sales.

The takeaway

eLearning is not just a convenient way to deliver training; it's a tool that can drive competitive advantage and business success. Its scalability, cost-effectiveness and customisation options make it a strategic asset for organisations looking to enhance employee productivity, reduce staff turnover, ensure compliance, accelerate time –to market and make data-driven decisions.

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