The High Impact of Digital Technologies on Employee Training

By Gerald Jackson - Published on January 17, 2018
The Impact of Technology on Employee Training

Modern training requires a new approach to learning and employee engagement.

How emerging digital technologies, such as social networks and virtual platforms, can serve your modern human resource management (HRM) training and development strategy.

Employee training and development remains a vital function of any HR department. Depending on the size and mission of a company, training can become a major concern as well. Questions regarding the training process, training and development methods, and material delivery become paramount in large corporations with hundreds of employees.

This article will cover how technology impacts your training and development processes, no matter what your company size. Whether its innovation in delivery, expanding continuing learning initiatives, or effectively providing training at high volumes, you must have a solid grasp on the use of technology in training and development.

The Use of Technology in Training and Development

Technological training methods continue to evolve. Even basic entry-level jobs have video packages and tests employees can take to learn the basics and demonstrate their knowledge. But what about large companies with complex or evolving job requirements and protocols? This is where modern technology shines.

For example, you might be familiar with online training modules and videos. These have become a standard part of many training methods in HRM for distance learning. Did you know that some companies are looking to go back to the days of in-class teaching? Classroom training is sometimes the best approach for learning complex information. New advances in training and development programs allow large companies to implement virtual classrooms that allow such training across multiple remote sites without loss in quality.

Another effective training and development strategy is simulation training, where employees work on seemingly real-life problems through virtual interfaces. With advancements in technology, training processes in HRM can incorporate simulation training remotely, sometimes on site (for example, through a computer at a point of sale in a retail environment) to give employees concrete, hands-on experience.

How Technology Changes Training in the Workplace

One big change to HR training and development in the workplace is that job education becomes more engaging and relevant for employees. With virtual training, access to classroom teaching, and more options for simulation or role-playing, employees can take advantage of a variety of learning methods that potentially match their learning styles.

For example, new advances in e-learning have emphasized “gamification,” or using gameplay concepts to encourage learning. And new advances in virtual and augmented reality are providing HRM specialists with new ways to present information and training materials to users, including classroom lectures and tests.

New technologies provide a positive impact on employment and development by providing a larger variety of options to reach employees. Young employees especially expect training that engages them in ways that help them learn more, and new technologies provide the training development environment that can match their learning style perfectly.

Improving Employee Engagement Through Technology

Your employee engagement is simply a way to ensure that your employees are emotionally invested in your company. Engagement not only helps to keep employees happy but helps them stay productive as well. The manner in which employees are trained plays a big part in the engagement process. Do they feel supported? Are they receiving the information they need to do their jobs? Are training processes interesting, interactive, and fun?

Modern technology can facilitate engagement in multiple ways. First, it provides the mix of approaches and learning styles that can keep an employee engaged and interested. A solid training and development program, using mixed learning styles and media, connects with employees in multiple ways so they get the most out of it.

Second, it improves the potential types of engagement you have with your employees by providing multiple, flexible feedback channels. Surveys, questionnaires, and performance data are all available through modern training technologies to help you better assess the needs of your employees. Furthermore, with the increasingly social nature of technology, you can communicate with employees during their training to help them retain and act on the information they receive.

Third, new technologies provide multiple ways to incorporate training into a group or workgroup style of organization. So, instead of simply providing basic training completed by an individual employee, you can also build team exercises that tie together remote participants, or leverage simulations to get trainees thinking and working through more collaborative means.

Training and development is not a one-stop shop for employee learning. With emerging social media technologies, VR and augmented reality platforms, and new responsive online interfaces, you can better engage your employees through cutting-edge training methods. This kind of training can improve employee engagement upon hiring or on an everyday basis. With staff training and development methods that engage different learning styles and media—and keeps things fun—your company will have a staff that is productive, well-educated, and invested in the future of your business.

Gerald Jackson | Gerald Jackson is a communications specialist with advanced degrees in Communication and Writing. He specializes in professional communication and business writing, collaborative writing with subject matter experts, and developing writing in a growing world of pervasive technology and marketing. He also works as a professional copywriter, creating content for the web and through traditional media.

Gerald Jackson | Gerald Jackson is a communications specialist with advanced degrees in Communication and Writing. He specializes in professional communication and ...

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