As an experienced marketing and business consultant I support sectors ranging from engineering and manufacturing to food and beverages, to private equity and much more. One thing that these sectors have in common is a deep understanding of the importance of an effective onboarding strategy. However, in the digital age with its wide range of e-learning tools, are companies really maximising the potential of their onboarding process?
In this article, I’ll explain how businesses can effectively utilise learning management systems to design a successful onboarding process that fits their budget and streamlines workplace productivity, with e-learning as the core foundation. By exploring key tech trends such as online access and gamification, I’ll discuss why e-learning has become an essential part of any successful company’s operations.
What is E-Learning?
According to True Education Partnerships, E-learning, or electronic learning, is “a type of learning conducted digitally via electronic media, typically involving the internet.” It can be accessed via most electronic devices, including a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone, creating a versatile way for learners to access education wherever they are.
The term itself has been in existence since 1999 when the word was first used at a tech seminar. It was then, throughout the tech renaissance of the late 1990s, that the age-old idea of distance learning began to gather momentum.
The global pandemic has forced businesses and academic institutions to turn to e-learning platforms to cater to students and trainees. However, this has resulted in significant unforeseen benefits, including improved time efficiency, cost savings, and increased engagement. E-learning has the potential to revolutionise the way we learn, allowing us to acquire knowledge and skills effortlessly.
Understanding How E-Learning Can Streamline Your Onboarding Process
For commercial enterprises, e-learning is an effective way to onboard employees and provide them with the necessary training they need to succeed. So, what are some of the specific ways that e-learning can streamline your onboarding process?
Reduced Costs
For businesses, e-learning is an effective way to onboard employees and provide them with the necessary training they need to succeed. Understanding how to use e-learning for employee onboarding can save significant costs in a number of key areas.
For example, organising travel and accommodation for learners and educators, as well as providing venue rental and meal costs for those taking part. It’s also worth noting that any external educators can incur significant rates, while internal employees redirected to conduct training sessions may struggle to balance this with their existing workload.
Increased Flexibility
E-learning platforms also provide the flexibility to tailor training to meet the specific needs of learners. Those taking part in the class can access the content anywhere and, depending on the nature of the session, at any time. Prospective talent may be put off applying or unable to take their application further if they’re unable to attend training sessions due to inaccessible locations or scheduling. This means that one of the most significant benefits of the increased flexibility of e-learning is access to a broader pool of applicants.
More Effective Assessment and Support
Easy access to results and rapid assessment is another way that e-earning can streamline your onboarding process. While traditional education settings might require a lengthy and complicated physical marking process, e-learning programmes can often organise results into easy-to-access packages. This gives managers and assessors a head-start in monitoring the progress of recently onboarded staff, allowing them to ensure necessary support is provided.
What are the benefits of switching to sustainable food production?
Marketing
Not only is it good for the planet, but there are also ways that sustainable food production can benefit your business financially. Sustainable food production appeals to the environmentally conscious consumer, helping you to stand out from competitors. Being transparent about your commitment to reducing environmental impact provides excellent opportunities to appeal to a worldwide customer base that is passionate about their waste consumption and wants to purchase from more ethical brands.
With a recent survey finding that 53% of people said they would consider changing their spending habits to reduce the negative impact on the planet, the scope for new customer growth is now greater than ever.
Channelling sustainability into your branding and marketing is key to letting your consumers know that you are aware of the current need for change and are doing everything you can to support a modern business’s social and environmental expectations.
Social
The social benefits of sustainable food production are the most personal as they impact a consumer’s everyday life. One of the biggest challenges when improving ethical and sustainable food production is meeting the increasing worldwide demand for food production.
Producing healthier, non-toxic, nutritionally dense food gives an abundance of healthier choices that benefit the individual and society as a collective.
Organic food has seen a massive increase in recent years, so with people wanting to consume pesticide-and fertiliser-free products, the opportunity for growth is there from the get-go. By encouraging expansion into environmentally friendly practices, businesses can experience the benefits of sustainable food production in unadulterated market growth.
Financial
The financial future for sustainable food production looks bright, with a study estimating that by 2030, sustainable food production could yield up to 2.3 trillion dollars worldwide. Through re-evaluating agricultural practices, incredibly promising growth could help strengthen the economy.
Although investing in new technologies can be daunting, the long-term benefits far outweigh the initial cost. By eliminating the need for non-renewable energy sources, the long-term effects of sustainable food production can be expected to see significant economic growth for any business looking to achieve a higher ROI in years to come.
Greater Knowledge Retention
Perhaps the most glaring reason for businesses to utilise e-learning is that it actually increases knowledge retention. By aligning content with learning outcomes, businesses that understand and implement e-learning effectively can carry out skills gaps analysis, perform thorough training needs assessments and appreciate their audience requirements.
This, in turn, allows business owners and managers to streamline the information their learners are faced with. By reducing the amount of extraneous or irrelevant content new starters are faced with, employers can increase the chances of staff retaining and utilising the more necessary skills and knowledge.
Using Gamification to Create an Engaging Learning System
Partially due to its accessibility, flexibility and streamlined nature, e-learning provided a much more engaging way for new starters to take part in their training. Another important factor to consider, though, is gamification.
This is the idea of adding game-like elements to a non-game environment, such as leaderboards, point systems, different levels and award structures. The logic behind gamification is to make something more appealing by encouraging users to add an element of fun to the learning process. Evidence shows that, when executed effectively, gamification can have a significant positive impact on user engagement.
Support with Implementing your E-Learning Process
Having operated for over 25 years as an interim marketing director and business consultant, I have extensive experience across numerous sectors, especially when it comes to implementing new technologies.
My time in the technology consultancy business has given me an in-depth understanding of how innovation can be utilised to maximise efficiency and output, as well as staff and customer satisfaction. This knowledge extends into the onboarding process, as well as talent attraction and retention.
Find out more about my services here, or get in touch for more detailed information.
