Achieving Digital Transformation of Learning and Development

Over the last decade, digital technology has been transforming workplaces and the Learning and Development (L&D) department at a rapid pace. The sudden advent of COVID-19 and the accompanying quarantine forcing employees to work and learn remotely has accelerated the adoption of digital transformation in L&D even more.

There are multiple aspects for this outlook towards digital transformation. For companies to execute mission-critical growth strategies, it is imperative that the L&D function is constantly advancing and highly aligned to the business goals. With technological innovations making its mark in different business functions, HR tech and L&D transformation too needs to leverage technology to expand and train the dispersed workforce more efficiently and effectively. Lastly, to keep pace with enhanced technology such as the likes of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation, employees may soon need to upskill or reskill their technological knowledge and capabilities.

Successful L&D leaders do not think of digital transformation as an afterthought. They realize that adopting newer technologies to elevate workplace learning is the first step forward towards gaining competitive advantage. Here are four ways that can aid the digital transformation of your L&D initiatives.

Aligning to the Business Goals and Employee Competency
Merely choosing a learning platform is not enough. Your L&D initiatives and programs need to be aligned to the digital transformation goals of your company. You must first chalk out clear goals for your training programs and make sure they are aligned to the business goals. Post that, you must draw up a framework to measure the impact of your training programs. Most importantly, you need to take into account how competent your employees' technology-related skills are for them to implement and manage the modern tools to perform their tasks and be productive.

Focusing on Agility
The agile trend has brought in newer and efficient ways of working that rely on people, culture, and tactics. The rate of change is an important factor that needs to be taken into consideration while building any business strategy. A classic example is of 2020, where it got along an unexpected health crisis and with it remote ways of working. You cannot predict what the future holds. Hence, while creating a blueprint of the digital transformation of your corporate training, make sure to implement an agile solution. One of the key benefits of having an agile strategy is that you can quickly make any course corrections in less time. Identify and take the necessary actions when your strategy needs overhauling. Chart out a roadmap of how you can go about it through constantly implementing, testing, and learning.

Creating a Digital Learning Culture
Gaining the confidence of your C-Suite is the first step towards realizing your efforts of digitally transforming your workplace training. Ensure your CEOs and other key leadership folks are aware of the digital transformation strategy that you are working on and get them on to contribute their expertise and knowledge to make it a success. On the employee front, you may face pushback towards the adoption of digital ways of working. To mitigate these challenges, invest in change management initiatives for trainers, learners, and subject matter experts (SMEs). Through driving awareness campaigns, you can showcase the clear benefits of adopting digital transformation for the employees and the organization.

Investing in Innovative Solutions
Taking into consideration the current situation of remote working and changed ways of working, it’s important to take in account certain aspects while creating your digital transformation blueprint. Consider mobile learning solutions, especially offline mobile learning so that your dispersed workforce can continue learning even with patchy internet connectivity. Leverage microlearning in the form of bite-sized, easy-to digest videos for effective transfer of knowledge. Consider immersive learning solutions such as personalized learning paths, gamification, scenario-based learning to keep learners engaged, and wanting to learn more. Incorporate these solutions across your blended learning, virtual instructor-led training (VILT), and eLearning programs. Leverage social learning for employees to learn from each other through social media and knowledge collaboration tools. Convert high-impactful classroom training to VILT, keeping in mind that the session does not exceed 30 to 45 minutes in order to retain remote learners’ attention. Invest in learning paths that provide just-in-time training aids and opportunities for practice.

In Conclusion:

Digital transformation of workplace learning is only worth it if it brings about the desired changes in the behaviour of employees and aids in achieving the business goals. To help L&D navigate swiftly through the digital transformation waters, UpsideLMS and Plethora have released a playbook titled ‘L&D Playbook for Digital Transformation’. Grab your copy today to successfully achieve digital transformation of your L&D function.