A learning management system is a must-have in 2023
Any new job we had in our lives usually began with a succession of various training sessions to help with our integration in our new company and prepare us to shoulder our new responsibilities.
If we go back ten years ago, most of those training sessions were held in person with an experienced colleague who shared their vast knowledge with the newly recruited employees.
The last few years have seen the job market dynamics dramatically change around the world. Most companies now have to fight fiercely to attract new employees (and retain existing ones) due to a hypercompetitive market and a labor shortage.
A recent survey (ed.: only available in French) commissioned by the Conseil du patronat du Québec found that, in addition to remuneration and flexible working hours, the existence of training and mentoring programs is one of the most decisive factors in staff retention and loyalty.
Investing in employee training is therefore absolutely essential to promote sustained company growth and ensure that expertise is not lost to competitors.
Training new and existing employees is not without its challenges, particularly in the hybrid work environments that have become the norm in all industries where they could be implemented.
Over the past decade, and particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, learning management systems (LMS) have become an indispensable tool for employee training.
What is a learning management system?
The Learning Management System, or LMS, is a software solution that allows a company to create a library of multimedia resources for employee training. Content can be sourced from an external supplier or, as is often the case at Crakmedia, created by Raphaël, our in-house training specialist.
This system is generally made up of a multitude of interconnected tools that enable, among other things, the maintenance of a database of resources, the creation of interactive training courses, their distribution, the tracking of user activities, and the management of certifications obtained by users.
The LMS makes it possible to structure and centralize all training activities on a single platform, which offers numerous advantages.
The advantages of a learning management system
1. More flexibility
One of the main advantages is undoubtedly the increased accessibility and flexibility of this type of platform. As this solution is generally hosted in the cloud, employees can access training tools wherever they are in the world and at the time that suits them best.
This is an undeniable advantage for a company like Crakmedia, which has employees, consultants, partners, and customers spread across numerous time zones.
2. Customized learning path
The LMS also makes it possible to better personalize an employee’s learning path according to their position, interests, professional objectives, and skill level. This allows us to include only the most relevant training for each individual, making the learning experience more effective.
An experienced employee probably doesn’t need an introductory course and can skip directly to company-specific advanced training, which is far more interesting and motivating.
3. Precise progress tracking and evaluation
The learning monitoring and evaluation tools included in a LMS help to ensure that all employees take the required training courses correctly and reap all the expected benefits.
They also make it possible to identify future needs in terms of developing new training courses or improving existing ones.
4. Training cost reduction
Training, especially for a new hire, can prove very costly for a company in terms of salaries, travel expenses, lost productivity, and professional fees.
With an LMS platform, you can make a one-time investment in the creation or purchase of training courses, which will then be accessible to all with no additional costs other than those inherent to the platform and its management.
It also prevents the trainer, often an indispensable resource for the company’s activities, from being tied up for dozens of hours a year giving the same exact training to all new employees.
5. Information availability
It’s rare for an employee to retain the full content of a training course. Many of these training courses focus on tasks or tools they will use only a few times a year, too infrequently for the knowledge to be permanently imprinted in their memory.
The LMS allows training courses to live permanently on the platform. This means that anyone can revisit any training course if they need a refresher.
Learning management systems challenges
1. Initial cost
Even if the long-term savings in training costs are significant, the initial investment to set up the LMS is non-negligible. In addition to purchasing the platform itself, you’ll need to either create the training courses or buy them from an external supplier.
There will also be a certain amount of development and testing time to ensure that the platform is well integrated into the company’s IT ecosystem.
At Crakmedia, the implementation of the learning management system required the creation of a full-time team dedicated to training course development!
2. Tool adoption
The transition to an almost 100% online training environment can be difficult for some people in the company who are less accustomed to it or whose learning style is less compatible with this format.
You’ll need to ensure that employees are properly supported in the transition and taught how to use the tool successfully.
An effective communication plan is needed to ensure that staff instinctively turn to the platform, and to do this, we need to keep them informed about available content, both old and new.
3. Tool maintenance
For the LMS to remain a relevant tool, we can’t just set it up and expect it to live on its own. Training courses need to be updated constantly and new content added regularly to keep the platform’s users interested and engaged.
A digital solution for a digital company
Since Crakmedia operates in the field of digital marketing, it was only natural for the company to look for a digital training solution. Employees work in a hybrid environment in a field that is 100% online, with collaborators all over Quebec and the world, which makes face-to-face training somewhat complicated.
For Raphaël Gagné, Head of Training at Crakmedia, the Litmos solution was the perfect answer to the company’s growing needs. Founded in 2007, Litmos (now owned by Francisco Partners) provides a powerful, turnkey learning management system to over 20 million users worldwide. Its customers include such renowned companies and organizations as HP, Ford, Lions Clubs International, and the Alzheimer’s Society.
Integrating new recruits efficiently
Digital performance marketing, Crakmedia’s specialty, is a field that changes at lightning speed and is not well taught in schools. A new recruit, despite all their experience, will need to be quickly introduced to the complex activities carried out by Crakmedia.
The learning management system is the preferred tool for ensuring that new employees follow a standardized integration path that is identical for everyone, introducing them not only to the company’s activities but also to its culture and values.
Crakmedia’s sustained growth calls for a flexible approach to integrating employees (sometimes almost every week), with as little impact as possible on the company’s operations.
The LMS allows for this flexibility, as well as case-by-case customization of training paths to maximize learner autonomy. Of course, there is still some face-to-face training, but this consists mainly of observation and semi-informal meetings, aimed more at familiarizing the recruit with their colleagues and main collaborators.
Ensuring employee and company growth
As with any company operating in the technology and digital sectors, Crakmedia must ensure that its employees remain up-to-date in their knowledge and are able to develop new skills to keep up with innovations. The very growth of the company depends on the ability of its employees to adapt to a constantly changing and highly competitive industry.
The learning management system helps to keep this competitive edge by promoting ongoing employee training. Furthermore, it has been shown that fostering professional development has a positive effect on motivation and well-being at work.
Happy and motivated employees are more creative, more efficient, and better able to find innovative solutions to the problems they encounter.
For Crakmedia, this creativity and sense of innovation are undeniably at the root of the company’s position as one of the most successful in digital marketing. Crakmedia encourages the professional development of its employees, who in turn help the company grow. It’s a win-win situation for everyone!
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Interested in the Crakmedia experience with an employer who cares about your personal and professional development? Explore our job offers or submit a spontaneous application: crakmedia.com/carreer
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