In the last century, companies didn’t have the privilege of leveraging modern technologies to upskill and reskill their employees. However, the advancements in learning technology give current L&D professionals the opportunity to take on-the-job learning to the next level.
Most companies still cling to traditional LMS for providing on-the-job learning. LMS has been an effective training tool for decades. However, is it an effective tool for on-the-job learning, or is it time to welcome its successor, the AI-powered learning experience platform (LXP)?
Why is it important to improve your on-the-job learning technology?
On-the-job learning is a practical L&D approach that focuses on disseminating knowledge and skills to employees at the workplace in real-time. It provides hands-on experiences in the situations that employees face regularly. It gives employees the opportunities to expand their skill sets while focusing on their work. It is one of the best ways to make learning and skill-building a part of employees’ daily routine.
4 benefits of an enhanced on-the-job learning program?
1. Save time and create a culture of continuous learning
The obsolete conventional in-person training is time-consuming and a lengthy process for both L&D professionals and learners. Providing learning opportunities online while working helps save time and keeps employees actively involved through continuous learning.
On-the-job learning provides instant access to valuable resources. Employees can conveniently dig into personal interests through online learning and improve their job skills.
2. Retain the best talent amidst the great reshuffle
Due to the wild wave of “The Great Resignation,” several industries saw a higher than normal quit rate last year. This year the harsh reality has received a subtle name – The Great Reshuffle. Instead of just quitting jobs, employees claim to move ahead in their careers for better flexibility, opportunities and perks.
Through effective on-the-job digital learning initiatives, it is possible to prevent employee turnover. When a company prioritises workforce development, employees feel valued and reciprocate with optimum performance.
3. Overcome the forgetting curve with the instant application
Information is decayed in a human mind over time. For instance, you invited a sales expert on Friday evening to provide training to your sales representatives on “How to follow up after a sales presentation and close deals successfully”. By the time the employee reaches the office on Monday, most of them will forget half of the information as, on average, a human has 6,200 thoughts in a day.
If the same information was shared on a learning platform, the employees could easily refer to the tips before writing a follow-up email and increase their chances of getting a positive response. Hence through on-the-job learning, employees can easily apply what they’ve learned and break the forgetting curve.
4. Unlock the full potential of the existing talent
Skilled employees are a valuable asset for any organisation. So it is crucial to create an environment where employees’ full potential is recognised and nurtured.
An advanced learning and development system at work can help identify skill gaps and develop competencies to perform various tasks efficiently. By taking proactive steps toward employee skilling and aligning it with the company’s goals, it is possible to achieve desired outcomes that can positively impact the business’s bottom line.
What on-the-job learning challenges can an LXP solve?
On-the-job learning is a propulsion fuel to drive a business to higher orbits of overall excellence. However, a few wrong turns can block the path to success. Here are a few on-the-job challenges that make the process ineffective.
1. Ineffective training approaches that don’t scale
OJT is resource-heavy. It is important to ensure every team member gets the right information at the right time. A lean L&D team can ensure this for a handful of people. But accomplishing this at scale by providing the same consistent experience throughout the organization is a cumbersome task. It is important to have a scalable LXP powered by automation that provides updated information in real-time.
2. Lack of employee engagement due to irrelevant L&D
Today it’s imperative to tap into the interest of employees and understand what they want to learn.
Relevant L&D is crucial for driving engagement. Employees want to learn skills that impact their daily work routine and help them do their job better. The training sessions should have real-world applications and use cases that the employee can relate to and apply to their work. The employees’ learning requirements and expectations are changing; hence it is pivotal to develop an agile learning environment that adapts to changing needs.
3. Balancing OJT experience in a hybrid work atmosphere
Companies across the globe are adopting the hybrid work model, combining in-office and remote work, to offer more flexibility. However, these companies are facing a challenge in balancing the on-the-job learning experience with a hybrid work model.
A cutting-edge LXP provides an effective OJT experience regardless of where the employees are working. It enables L&D professionals to effortlessly create and assign the courses to ensure real-time learning, even in a hybrid work environment.
How an LXP provides engaging on-the-job learning experiences
Today smart technologies are revolutionizing our lives. When it comes to learning and development, why cling to traditional methods when an AI-powered LXP provides advanced functionalities to take the on-the-job learning to the next level?
Most forward-thinking companies are jumping on the LXP bandwagon and leaving traditional methods behind.
Here are a few reasons to use an LXP over traditional learning technologies:
1. More flexibility – Switch between interest-based and push-based as per the requirement
In the L&D space, push-based learning seems compulsive, but it has its perks that cannot be overlooked. However, creating a personalised and on-demand learning culture is equally important where employees can explore the subject that interests them or access important learning materials when they get stuck during work.
An LXP provides the best of both worlds. The trainer can create a learning/onboarding journey for the employees and expect them to complete it within a stipulated time frame. While through interest-based learning, employees can take ownership of their learning and development. They can enrol in desired courses to acquire the skills they need for fulfilling their professional goals.
2. Latest skill-based content – Get the latest relevant content fetched by AI
The top publications of the industry like Mckinsey, TED and Forbes keep publishing insightful articles/videos regularly for different job roles, use cases and industries. They provide tips and strategies to address various pain points. Why not leverage the knowledge to address several hurdles employees face while working.
With an LXP, the L&D professionals don’t even need to do the hard work of searching and sharing relevant content. Based on the skills defined in the LXP, the AI directly fetches the latest information from various resources and recommends it to the learners.
3. In-depth analytics – Beyond completion, measure learning progress and engagement
LXP focuses on the learner; hence it amasses data that can help understand what the learner wants, and accordingly, the L&D leader can tweak the learning programs. It provides necessary metrics that help identify early indicators of success or failure to take real-time actions.
4 key features an LXP must have to drive impactful on-the-job learning
An LXP is loaded with rich features that play a pivotal role in creating a positive learning ecosystem.
Here are the key features of an LXP:
1. Skill driven learning
During on-the-job learning, it is critical to focus on overall skill development as employees need to have the right skill to do their job better. An LXP helps in end-to-end skilling, from skill identification ( role-based skilling) to skill assessment and skill-building.
Skill identification focuses on identifying and benchmarking skills for each role(hence it is called role-based skilling). For instance, a sales manager needs to have budgeting, negotiation, networking, communication, active listening skills, etc. While a customer success manager needs to have account management, customer orientation, stakeholder management, and conflict resolution skills. Similarly, based on the business objectives and designation, a catalogue of skills is created for different roles in the company.
Once the skills are defined, the proficiency level box is ticked within each team. Through manager assessment or self-assessment, the employees are rated to find out their proficiency level for each skill. Upskilling through an LXP helps employees understand what their current proficiency level is and what skills they need to develop to move to the next level.
2. AI-based personalized learning
To make the on-the-job learning successful, it is crucial to add a pinch of personalization. Employees will be motivated to self-enroll in a course when they find it relevant. LXP can help in offering personalized learning experiences to employees.
“AI-based personalization” is one of the most powerful features of an LXP that has captured the attention of various industry leaders across the globe.
Personalized learning helps support each employee’s learning goals, making it effective, efficient and engaging. Based on the employee’s interest and skill scores, AI recommends relevant content to the learners and helps personalise the workplace learning experience.
3. Deep skilling analytics
Is your on-the-job learning program successful? Well, you can measure the effectiveness of the learning programs through LXP’s analytics feature. It provides insights into what’s working and what needs to be changed to get desired results. An LXP provides a unified view of all the important metrics that matter for on-the-job learning through a visually appealing analytics dashboard.
LXP provide critical data on digital learning, including:
- How a specific user is using the platform
- What is the login frequency
- How many courses is a learner completing in a week
- Which programs are getting the highest clicks
- How many employees are taking the assessments
- Which courses have midway dropouts
- What type of content do you learners complete quickly(what are they most interested in)
- How long does it take for a learner to complete the onboarding process
- What are the role scores
- How well-versed your employees are with respect to the skills they need to do their job better
- What do managers/peers feel about the employee’s on-the-job performance (360-degree assessment)
- Managers’ score on employees’ learning progress
Most advanced LXP gives you the freedom to customize. So you can see the data in the format you want, like a pie chart, graphs or diagrams.
4. Blended learning pathways (70 20 10 learning model)
Using an LXP, it is possible to enhance the 70 20 10 learning model and make it more effective by giving the most relevant information when needed on the job. Here is how:
- Unwavering determination is pivotal for experiential learning to happen, as 70 % is self-directed learning. The learner needs to take the initiative, interact with the right personnel and enroll in relevant learning programs to address challenges and improve performance.
- 20% of learning happens through social learning. The best LXP offers a social wall where employees can collaborate and learn from their peers. Employees can share relevant resources and documents that can be helpful in skill-building.
- 10% of learning happens through structured learning aligned with business objectives. Here the trainer assigns the courses, and the learners need to complete them in a stipulated time frame, take assessments and improve their skill set to contribute toward the company’s common goals.
Build an effective on-the-job learning program with the right technology
On-the-job learning is a smart approach to providing training with real experiences. Whether it’s a new hire or an experienced professional, a well-planned OJT program can help enhance skills, boost professional development, and improve retention.
Disprz is a complete skilling suite that L&D professionals can leverage to make any on-the-job learning initiative successful. This powerful AI-based platform provides personalized and intelligent learning recommendations based on roles, interests, and the employees’ learning preferences.
Help your employees take the big leap with an LXP that takes learning to the next level. Request a demo now
