Exploring Essential LMS Features for Corporate Training

Learning opportunities offer value for employees and employers alike. Leading to growth in production and improved adaptability to industry developments, businesses that promote employee learning are more likely to reach their goals. 

According to data from Gallup, companies that invest in developing their employees experience 11 percent higher profitability [1]. For employees, being part of a workplace that provides learning experiences helps them to find more fulfillment in their work, resulting in higher levels of job satisfaction and making your staff less likely to seek positions at other companies. 

One of the tools available to help implement learning opportunities and corporate training within the workplace is a learning management system (LMS), a software-based solution using coursework and training to make it possible to track employee progress and promote learning new skills. 

Are you interested in using an LMS within your organization? Discover LMS features, their functionality, and how they are essential for efficient corporate training.

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Understanding the core functionality of learning management systems

Organizations and companies across nearly every industry use learning management systems, ranging from higher education to businesses. These systems focus on knowledge management while gathering and organizing knowledge about an organization’s understanding of resources and people skills, allowing companies to share and analyze results. 

However, organizations' use of learning management systems can vary depending on the company’s objectives. Learning management systems make it possible to provide standardized training in a flexible learning environment where learners can take classes remotely and move through the material at their own pace. Your company can also tailor the learning journey to provide relevant courses to reach desired outcomes. For example, you can utilize learning management systems for specific objectives, such as sales training, employee onboarding and training, and growing product knowledge. 

By tracking performance through quizzes and coursework and offering a space for direct feedback from employees and management, you can continuously improve your learning programs and employee growth through an LMS. 

Read more: Building an Ideal Learning Environment for Corporate Success

10 essential LMS features for efficient corporate training

Although the exact features an LMS provides can vary from system to system, including additional features that come at an extra cost, they each tend to incorporate similar, standard features to provide value to your organization. Below are 10 LMS features that help create accessible, productive, and growing learning and development environments for your employees.

1. Automation

With automation, learners can move through the material at their own pace in an LMS without the supervision of a human monitor since the system can automatically provide modules, tests, and other training material according to their level of knowledge and performance in the subject matter. Plus, an LMS can automatically create certifications for employees who’ve completed training and authorize access to new tasks or training materials once they finish baseline courses.  

2. Personalized content

Within your LMS, you can adjust the material to fit the company’s needs and continue to add and update material. You also have further control over who has access to what courses and when, so your employees must finish specific modules before moving on.

3. Data management

With the data collected through an LMS, you can gain numerous insights after seeing employees’ completed courses and training. For example, the data can tell you how well people perform and whether or not your staff is actively working through the modules and engaging with the learning material. With this data, you can give feedback and adjust your team or training methods to meet learning objectives better.

4. Gamification

One way a learning management system works to improve engagement is through gamification, where your employees can earn badges or compete against others through leaderboards. This feature leads to a more enjoyable learning experience while also improving retention.

5. Mobile learning

Mobile learning adds flexibility to your LMS, enabling employees to continue training without location restraints. It also makes learning accessible on various devices, including computers, smartphones, and tablets.

6. Certification support and management

You can use your LMS for compliance training, allowing employees to complete required training and earn certifications. Additionally, within the LMS, you can keep track of skill-based certifications to monitor the certifications and skills obtained by your staff.

7. Software integration

You can select an LMS capable of integrating with the other software systems utilized in your workplace. This integration is valuable for efficient employee training and other human resources-related tasks as it enables you to organize and automate the assignment of training tasks based on employees' positions.

8. User experience

An easy-to-use interface is a crucial LMS feature for successful training. A simple-to-navigate LMS ensures your employees spend more time learning and less time trying to figure out how to use the software. 

9. Support services

If you run into problems operating your LMS, having a learning management system with quality support services is helpful. In addition to resolving issues, support services are valuable for training employees on using the LMS and its various features.

10. Security

Security features like two-factor authentication, firewalls, and routine data backup are essential for ensuring the security of data stored in your LMS. Learning management systems often hold personal employee information and other sensitive information that requires adequate safeguarding. 

Deploying a learning management system

Learning management systems can be implemented in several different ways. Desktop and mobile LMS applications offer the flexibility of accessing the material on various devices and in different locations. Cloud-based learning management systems also provide a flexible learning environment, allowing users to log in from anywhere. 

Additionally, your organization can host the LMS software, which offers increased control and added maintenance responsibilities. Alternatively, a third party can host the LMS from the cloud or a data center.

Getting started with Coursera

When incorporating an LMS into your workforce, it’s important to consider the features that work best for your organization. Features such as a user-friendly interface, mobile learning, and certification management help you get the most out of your LMS for your employee training needs.

For example, Coursera offers many highly-rated courses where employees can learn in-demand skills and earn certificates to demonstrate their proficiency. For example, the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate covers fundamental analytical skills, including data cleaning, data visualization, and more. Another option is the IBM Full Stack Software Developer Professional Certificate. This course introduces learners to cloud computing and web development languages such as HTML and CSS and how to utilize Python for data science and artificial intelligence applications.

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