Many buzzwords pertaining to modern learning circulate these days. It can be difficult to cut through the noise and find strategies and practices that achieve results.
Workforce Success is inspired by the unique challenges presented by the modern way of working, and it is the goal of Workforce Success to help you succeed in your efforts to train, engage, and communicate with your employees.
Three seismic changes in the workplace have set us on our mission, which are:
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50% of the global workforce will be mobile by 2020;
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75% of the workforce will be made up of millennials by 2025;
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The way we consume information and communicate has fundamentally changed with the advent of the smartphone
With all of this in mind, we propose the following practices for creating learning experiences that meet the needs of today’s workforce, and ensure their success:
1 - Design with Mobility in Mind
Today’s employees arrive on the job with devices in hand, whether these are personal mobile devices or ones allocated by their employer. Sophisticated training tools such as eduMe are not just “mobile-friendly,” but were built to create content that immerses and engages mobile users.
Think how easy it is for mobile learners to access knowledge from anywhere and at any time.
2 - Training Must Be Accessible in Learners’ Moments of Need
The ubiquity of search engines has taught us that any information we seek can be available in seconds. If you don’t provide employees with quick and easy ways to get the information they need, they will look elsewhere, or simply not bother.
Your content must be easy to access and allow learners to browse, skim, and skip to the exact information they need. Ensure your mobile learning or eLearning platform is able to meet learners’ expectations of having content available at their fingertips.
3 - Use Microlearning to Present Content Learners Can Consume On-the-Go
A mobile workforce means employees now consume training content while commuting, in public spaces, and even at home. Whether they use their own devices or ones provided by their employers, learners rely on technology to help them connect to their workplace everywhere they go.
Completing training in non-traditional environments means learners may face auditory and visual distractions during training, so designers must consider formats and presentation styles that engage mobile learners.
Short passages of text, engaging pictures and videos, infographics, and brief knowledge checks are all common microlearning practices that help learners absorb content quickly while on-the-go.
4 - Create Content-Rich Learning Experiences
Long passages of text simply don’t create good user experiences in mobile learning. Learners who have to scroll endlessly and squint to read on small devices may become frustrated and abandon the content, no matter how valuable the information is.
Take advantage of fast processing speeds of mobile devices and high-speed internet connections by creating multimedia content that truly engages modern learners.
Videos and images hold learners’ attention, audio narration with subtitles enables learners in non-traditional and possibly distracting spaces to capture every word, and even games can be incorporated to create meaningful ways for learners to gain knowledge and complete assessments.
5 - Engage Employees Through Communication and Messaging
People who work remotely and in non-traditional settings face the challenge of how to best communicate with their colleagues. Similarly, organisations must use reliable and effective means of communication to reach every employee, no matter where they are located or what type of device they use to access this communication.
Communication is a critical workplace function, as it disseminates information, builds trust, strengthens relationships, and helps teams work towards shared goals and visions.
Mobile devices allow for instantaneous communication, so make sure you have a platform that allows employees to engage with their organisations by completing training and receiving messaging all in one place.
Imagine pushing out notifications and messages to your entire workforce at the click of a button; what sorts of engagement opportunities could this lead to? Daily reminders and updates, progress reports, tracking goals and challenges are all meaningful messages that will keep your mobile workforce actively engaged.
Learn more about making your workforce successful.
