In today’s time, digital transformation is driving significant changes in the way organizations operate. It is influencing every facet of an organization. But what does digital transformation mean? In simpler words, digital transformation is an innovative use of technology to reshape the traditional processes in an organization. For example, earlier, the process of taxation used to be paper-based. It took a lot of time and effort to make them error-free. Digital transformation has taken that pain away. Now paper-based processes like this have been replaced by digital techniques. It saves a lot of time and energy.
Along with this, there are changes in the nature of work as well. Business is no longer limited to geography. Work is no longer limited to a cubicle. People have been working from home for months now. Remote working and telecommuting are slowly changing the very definition of work.
Digital transformation is revamping work models in India. With this, a more significant challenge is rising at an equal pace: organizational training and learning. With the transformation of work culture, organizations also need to change their perception and approach towards employee training. Organizations must embrace this change and train their employees according to the changing paradigms of learning to sustain the current scenario.
Usually, employees have an opposing perspective toward training programs because they feel they take too much time. Training programs have been viewed as additional work on top of their everyday work. It is a challenge for organizations to make learning and development (L&D) program more engaging and less time-consuming. With the evolution of technology, L&D programs must evolve and give a better alternative to the traditional L&D.
Here are some of the ways to approach digital transformation in learning and development:
Learning is a journey, not a destination:
First of all, we need to change the way we perceive L&D. It is not something we can achieve once and never think of it again. It is an ongoing process. The goals and objectives have to be defined so that they don’t feel stringent or limit someone. They have to evolve as per the ever-changing world. A digital training program can be broken down into smaller elements, and the information it provides can be simplified, so it is easier to digest. This can encourage employees to learn and make use of the material whenever they are available.
The programs can also have elements that measure the things learned, like quizzes and puzzles. It is a way to track progress. Many programs use gamification to help engage the employees better. It offers levels that an employee must clear to get to the next level in the program. This adds some level of competitiveness among employees when they get certain badges or clear some levels.
Welcome Feedback:
Learners will be more active if they are encouraged to give feedback. Employees should be able to select the material they want to learn. They should be providing feedback continuously while learning so the HR employees can continually improve the programs and the experience. When the learners and the providers engage actively in the learning approach, the program improves massively as they can develop and curate new content and restructure the program.
Try till succeeded:
Learners tend to put off the topics they don’t like. They also avoid topics that they find uninteresting. The topics seem tedious because they have little knowledge about them and come under their weak areas. An organization should make the programs interactive by including gamification elements where the employees get points and badges. They get to the next level when they finish the current one. If they want to get ahead of their colleagues, they have to complete the topics they don’t like, thus overcoming their weaknesses. The learning material must allow them to retake tests so they can improve their position in the program. An organization shouldn’t shun people for not knowing things. It should embrace the failures and make the employees learn what they don’t know. This way, they convert the failures into successes.
Have flexibility:
Being flexible is one of the key elements of an organization to be successful. Your organization needs to adopt digital tools if it wants to survive in the digital age. You need to be prepared to change your learning process approach if the desired results are not achieved. A digital strategy means you can create L&D programs as per the need of the employees and cater to them as per their goals and expectations. When the employees get their customized programs, they tend to interact more with it. They feel more connected and engage.
Time to be Social:
A digital training program can also have social elements to it to create a community-driven atmosphere. This community itself will serve as an excellent training program. This can have people within your organization who can be mentors to other people and share their knowledge. The community can also have social learning experiences like educational games. Employees engage more with these social learning experiences. The community adds a sense of belonging to the employees, and they feel connected to the organization and their colleagues.
Digital transformation isn’t something that you do all at once. It doesn’t happen overnight. The company culture doesn’t just change like that. It is a process, and it requires patience. Your training programs must be designed in a way that eases people into it. The programs must reflect the core values of the organization as well. It is up to the organization to develop strategies for it.
Digital transformation would be efficient only if appropriately used to update the skillset and knowledge of the employees. It serves as a valuable tool to make the learning experience more engaging and exciting. Give your employees an interactive learning experience with digital learning solutions. Contact us for an effective eLearning solution and learning management system now.
