The Most Impactful Learning Content Comes From Data

Gradually, as a company hits a certainsize, HR processes begin to fail to scale. There’s no longer enough time forone-on-one meetings, you’re drowning in paper, and you simply can’t keep trackof everything. It gets hard to assess where happiness and engagement standwithin your workforce. One of the major areas that suffers the most is yourlearning program.

For learning to succeed, it has to bedynamic. Employees need the ability to give feedback about the program and itscourses, and the organization needs to incorporate that feedback in order toensure that it is providing talent with information that is timely, relevant,and cutting edge. When organizations grow in size, they often outgrow thefeedback process they have in place. The result is a learning program—and a business—thatdoesn’t adapt. Employees can feel unchallenged and set up to fail. Businessescan fall behind real market trends and lose much-needed talent.

The best way to meet the need for adynamic, relevant learning program is to leverage data.

The importance of real-time data

Collecting and analyzing data empowersorganizations to understand what resources the entire staff needs movingforward, including special considerations for different departments, tenure,and geographies. Armed with data, HR departments can roll out relevant contentthat is specifically relevant to the individual or the team—the learningprogram for a new hire should be different than that of a seasoned companyveteran.

For example, many organizations collectand use real-time data by surveying employees to see where happiness andengagement levels stand. Let’s say the results indicated that employees don’tfeel that the leaders within the organization support them enough; HR can thenturn to their training programs and update the content for leaders, such as integratinginformation about being a more effective manager.

Here are a few tips for using real-timedata to create effective learning content:

• Poll employees in the moment, during the training and learning processes, not after.
• Target questions to specific groups in an effort to determine the root of the problem. Otherwise, you may think that this is a systemic organizational problem when it’s really just limited to one group.
• Create exams within your system to evaluate employee competency; set minimum passing scores and maximum exam attempts. This is exceptionally helpful when introducing new products or initiatives.
• Further ensure content accuracy by proactively and frequently tracking what employees are doing, and how they’re faring. What’s causing reduced sales? Are all of your employees failing one question in particular on an exam? Are your employees happy?
• Find gaps—or sore spots—within the organization by examining turnover numbers and the time it takes to get new hires up to speed.

Learning management system (LMS)—worth the spend

The most innovative companies startgathering data and setting metrics early. One effective step to developing alearning program built on data is implementing talent management software. Infact, according to Bersin & Associates,the market for this technology grew around 20 percent in 2012. With an expected$1.8 – 1.9 billion to be spent globally on learning management systems in 2013,companies are seeing the benefits. When it comes to training, development,compliance management, or all three—every organization can benefit from an LMS.

Utilizing an LMS not only streamlinesprocesses and helps companies remain compliant and organized, it also seamlesslygathers useful employee and organizational data. In order to invigorate andmaintain a happy workforce, HR leaders must use this data to strategicallyimplement relevant learning content. If done accurately, HR can create unique,impactful learning programs that inspire employees, increase morale, and maintainengagement. It also enables HR to understand what sort of learning metrics toput into place, and how to use data-gathering mechanisms to show those metricsup front.

If your department isn’t investing now, yourlearning program is already behind.