E-learning and LMS blog articles

As most L&D professionals will know, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to employee training. To achieve the best results, training opportunities should be created with this in mind. Variables such as subject matter, audience, training needs, and the time frame in which training needs to be completed can all play a significant role in developing the most suitable training activities and opportunities. This is particularly true when it comes to skills training as not all skills can be successfully taught using the same training method. In this blog, we’ll explore some of the most in-demand skills for the next decade according to Forbes and the best methods of training that should be applied to achieve the best results.

Digital literacy

Number one on Forbes’ list of the top ten most in-demand skills for the next ten years is digital literacy. This refers to an employee’s proficiency in using digital technology such as software or apps. When an employee has developed strong digital literacy skills, they can apply new technology daily to help them perform job-related tasks efficiently and safely. Digital literacy skills development can also help employees understand related compliances and safety regulations such as cybersecurity and GDPR.

As the working world increasingly welcomes the use of more and more digital technology, such as AI tools, it’s important for employees to feel confident in their digital literacy skills. When employees are highly skilled in this area, they can rapidly adopt new technology, allowing companies to remain agile whilst keeping up with competitors who are also taking advantage of the latest technology.

So, what is the most effective type of training and methods of training for developing digital literacy skills? With a diverse range of digital platforms and software to take advantage of, the most direct approach to developing digital literacy skills is a demonstration of how to use each piece of tech. Employers may wish to invite a third-party specialist or in-house expert to lead a session featuring live demonstrations on how to use the software. These lecture-style training sessions can be carried out in a face-to-face setting or using virtual classroom technology, the latter being the most suitable option for larger companies wanting to offer training sessions to large groups of employees. And with this technology employees can revisit recordings of the sessions to support further practice and development.

Critical thinking

A crucial skill that all employees will require at some point during their career, critical thinking refers to the evaluation and analysis of facts and information to inform a judgement or decision. Those with advanced critical thinking skills are self-aware and can be relied upon to make decisions based on logic, rather than biases and external or personal opinions. Forbes notes that in an ‘era of fake news, social media bubbles, and information overload, critical thinking is at the top of the list for the most vital skills to cultivate for success’. But this soft skill isn’t always easy to develop and requires a specific training method.

Training professionals need to create a situation in which employees are required to play an active role in the training process, allowing them to engage their critical thinking skills to complete training. Branching scenarios using an e-learning platform fits this approach perfectly.

This type of online training uses a real-life situation and places it in a virtual teaching environment in which learners work their way through a problem by making decisions or answering questions. Their choices will determine the content they see next, allowing them to understand the outcome of their decisions and exemplifying the importance of analysing all the information they are presented with. With this training activity, employees can gather information and test out their ‘what if’ theories in an environment that nurtures their critical thinking and tests their logic.

Collaboration

While collaborative skills can be developed during teamwork activities within a typical working day, this isn’t the ideal time for employees to develop these skills. Employees should be applying their already-honed skills to their workplace activities rather than relying on ‘on-the-job’ skills training. To support the development of collaborative skills, employers can use a learning experience platform (LXP) to create teamwork training exercises in a virtual learning environment.

With an LXP, employees can come together, whether working remotely or in the office, and collaborate in workspaces, live chats and through group assignments. Working together in real-time in an online environment, admins can oversee ongoing activities, allowing training teams to assess and monitor the collaborative skills development and application of each employee based on their contributions to group work and team training activities.

Leadership skills

Leadership skills development practices are not only essential for current business leaders but also for nurturing future leaders in the business. To deliver thorough leadership skills training that will ensure business leaders feel truly supported and well-equipped, a comprehensive training course is ideal. For businesses looking to nurture current employees who aspire to move into a leadership role while supporting those already in a leadership position, an e-learning platform such as an LMS will deliver the best results.

With an LMS, employees can be assigned leadership skills training courses and complete them autonomously, in a manner that allows them to carry out their role-based tasks at the same time. When using an LMS, admins can monitor progress, taking key insights from areas such as course assessment results and then using this information to identify those who are showing strong leadership skills development. These insights are hugely beneficial for informing HR teams and those in charge of internal hiring procedures, ensuring potential leadership talent doesn’t go unnoticed.

Time management

An essential skill for managing productivity and, as Forbes notes, creating a better work/life balance, time management is hugely important for any employee. However, this core skill can be difficult to teach so training teams need to get creative when helping their employees with development.

Taking a light-hearted approach to this skill’s development is the best option here with an example such as gamification-style lessons and activities producing the best results. With this style of training, employees can carry out timed activities that test their time management skills whilst producing high levels of engagement and motivation.

Curiosity and continuous learning

‘If I were to pick one skill that I think everyone must cultivate, it would be curiosity’. Number ten on Forbes’ list is curiosity and continuous learning. This essential skill serves as a driving force for ongoing L&D activities that help cultivate a culture of continuous development in a workplace.

There are a number of ways to encourage curiosity and continuous learning but perhaps the most impactful is by having an e-learning platform that offers a vast library of diverse learning opportunities. Employees can practice continuous learning by enrolling themselves on courses that have piqued their curiosity. With LMS reports, admins will have full insights into the employees who are practising self-led continuous learning and can use this information to inform performance management practices further down the line.

Upskill your employees with a powerful solution from Hubken

An e-learning platform from Hubken offers you flexibility and diverse functionality that allows you to effectively pair specific skills training and methods of training for the best results. Find out why our Moodle and Totara solutions can produce the best outcomes when it comes to training your employees by visiting our product pages or getting in touch with one of our e-learning experts today.