HR and learning and development (L&D) teams are facing a unique blend of challenges in today’s talent market:
- A growing skills gap that’s estimated to impact six in ten employees in the next two years
- A 31% employee engagement rate, the lowest since 2014
- High demand for development and training programs from employees and job seekers, with 90% of Millennials calling it a top priority
Though they’re losing fewer employees than during the Great Resignation, the skills gap means many companies are having trouble hiring workers with the expertise they need. Meanwhile, employees may not be quitting, but they’re not engaged at work, either. One of the major contributing factors there is the lack of career development support — just 30% of employees say that someone at work encourages their growth.
But it’s not all bad news. The situation presents a huge opportunity for HR and L&D to reap the benefits of a learning management system (LMS). Your team can close skills gaps, boost engagement, retain growth-minded employees, and attract the same with a solid L&D strategy powered by an LMS.
Let’s take a look at what LMS software does and the benefits of investing in an LMS.
What Is an LMS and Why Does It Matter?
Wondering what an LMS is? Learning management systems are software tools used to create, manage, and deliver development and training courses to employees. They make it easy to quickly launch essential learning initiatives, like mandatory training for new hires, that are accessible and engaging. The best LMS solutions give you the ability to create your own learning materials and create personalized learning experiences for your employees.
A learning platform is now a must-have software solution — and that’s not only due to the rapidly rising need for employee development and skill-building. With an LMS, you can:
- Keep training consistent across roles, departments, and locations
- Provide on-demand online training your employees can access anywhere and anytime
- Automate course assignments, learner progress tracking, and report generation, saving HR and L&D teams tons of time
- Engage employees with learning opportunities that actually help improve their productivity and help them grow
Training new hires, reskilling employees, or staying compliant — no matter what your org needs for better L&D, simplify and strengthen learning processes with an LMS.
The Need for L&D
Growth opportunities are a must to attract, engage, and retain great employees and remain competitive in your industry:
- 86% of employees would consider switching jobs for one with more chances to learn new skills.
- 84% of employees agree that learning adds purpose to their work.
- 100% of companies that prioritize career development are achieving positive business results, like increased internal mobility and new skills acquisition.
6 Benefits of an LMS
Advocating for an LMS investment or trying to increase team buy-in? Understand some of the biggest learning management system benefits to shore up your case.
1. Centralized & Scalable L&D
One of the biggest benefits of an LMS is its ability to consolidate training materials and online courses in a single cloud-based system. It helps your team stay organized and saves tons of time when you’re updating learning materials or tracking them down for a new hire. An LMS makes it easy to maintain consistency in your training processes and provide the same high-quality programs to every single employee. As your company grows, an LMS also simplifies L&D scalability.
2. Save Time & Money
Traditional training methods can be expensive and time-consuming. With an LMS, you have access to faster, more cost-effective strategies. Replacing some on-site, instructor-led training sessions with online learning and eliminating the need for printed materials leads to lower costs and more opportunities for employees to learn.
On top of that, LMS automation features mean your HR and L&D teams no longer need to manually assign courses, track employee training progress, or generate reports. With more time, lower costs, and deeper insights, you have lots of resources you can invest back into enhancing learning experiences.
3. Bolster Employee Engagement & Retention
Disengagement is a dangerous trend that puts your business at risk of falling behind. Disengaged employees don’t just stall productivity — they can cause it to plummet. Engaged employees, on the other hand, are more creative and productive at work.
Engage employees with learning opportunities that are both valuable and interesting. With an LMS, you can offer interactive courses, gamification, and personalized learning paths that keep employees invested in their growth. Plus, your investment in learning technology and better L&D strategies shows employees their development matters to the organization, inspiring loyalty and long-term retention.
4. Better Compliance & Certification Tracking
In many industries and roles, educational compliance is paramount. Whether employees need regular continuing education, certification renewal, or other regular mandatory training, an LMS is an unmatched record-keeping assistant. Your teams can easily track compliance and send automatic reminders when renewal deadlines are approaching. Rest assured that your workforce is always operating within the required guidelines when you use an LMS.
5. Real-Time Progress Tracking & Analytics
The benefits of an LMS aren’t just its ability to deliver personalized, accessible training programs. The powerful technology also allows you to measure the success of your efforts. Built-in HR analytics tools benefit your team by allowing them to keep track of course completion rates and individual progress and identify areas where content needs improvements or adjustments. You can’t get these insights from disconnected L&D initiatives, but with an LMS, you can optimize your strategy and show proof of ROI.
6. Seamless Onboarding & Upskilling
Did you know that 80% of employees who didn’t receive adequate training during onboarding say they plan to quit? With L&D at the top of the list for job seekers and employees alike, you’ll struggle to hire top talent in the first place if upskilling is not a prominent part of your employer value proposition (EVP).
With an LMS, you can create onboarding training programs that build confident new employees. You can also support continuous learning with upskilling initiatives that ensure you retain your most ambitious people and keep your organization at the top of its game.
What Makes a Great LMS? Must-Have Features
Whether you’re on a mission to improve employee learning and development programs or creating a brand-new one, be sure your LMS has features that can keep up with your company’s needs now and in the future.
Here are just a few key LMS features to look for:
- A user-friendly interface so your employees and admins can use it without frustration
- Customizable learning paths that match employees’ roles and career goals and fill your company’s skills gaps
- AI-driven recommendations to guide your people to best-fit learning opportunities
- Content authoring tools so you can create in-house training materials, keeping L&D relevant and aligned with business goals
- Mobile accessibility that ensures employees can access L&D opportunities from any device, anywhere they’re located
- Quizzes, badges, and leaderboards that make learning fun and encourage participation
- Integrated reporting and analytics to simplify metrics tracking and get the most value from your LMS
Future-Proof Your Workforce With Smarter Learning
HR and L&D teams are leading the charge in addressing the skills gaps, engagement challenges, and employee expectations shaping today’s workforce. The stakes are high, but so is the opportunity to transform how your teams learn and grow.
A learning management system simplifies and amplifies every aspect of your L&D strategy. It clears the path for employees to build meaningful skills while furthering company goals. With a centralized, streamlined L&D strategy, you’re increasing business resiliency and cultivating a culture where continuous learning and improvement are core values. That’s the foundation for lasting success.
Start pouring that foundation with the ClearCompany Learning Management System.
Connect with ClearCompany to see how our LMS solutions can help your team grow and thrive.
