The good news is there are so many tools out there to help you improve employee training.
The bad news is there are so many tools out there that picking the right one can feel overwhelming.
Perhaps you want to organize and deliver a robust L&D training program for the first time, and you don’t know where to get started. Or, you have a limited training budget and need to make sure you choose the most essential tools instead of some nice-to-have ones.
Whatever the case, we’ll help you explore and decide on the top employee training tools that will help your teams effectively grow and develop.
8 training tools for employee development
There is a vast variety of tools available for employee training. The industry is growing, and it’s certain that you can find the right training tools that fit your people’s needs. However, you shouldn’t be dazzled by fancy tools that don’t hit the mark for your strategy.
Let’s see below some of the essential employee training tools you need to get started.
1. Learning Management System (LMS)
Starting from the very basics, an LMS is necessary for hosting your training. This platform enables you to streamline, develop, deliver, and track all your learning courses. Overall, you can organize all your assets on one platform.
LMSs are virtual spaces, some are cloud-hosted, where authorized users (learners, instructors, and admins) can log in to the system and access the training content. A plethora of LMSs have built-in tools and integrations that let you develop and deliver your online training material.
Your LMS should have the following features:
- User-friendly interface
- Integration with authoring tools
- Content management functionality
- Reporting and tracking tools
- Video conferencing integrations
- Gamification features
- Discussion boards
- Ready-made courses library
- Mobile app
Before selecting the LMS that fits your needs, you should consider factors like pricing, features for specific training needs, and customer support.
2. Content authoring tools
As you need to adapt to the learning needs of your teams, it is essential that you use the right content authoring tools in order to deliver eLearning content without spending too much time or effort. Without the assistance of authoring tools, you would need the help of a developer or Instructional Designer to manually create a course by using coding. On the contrary, it is easy to upload and edit your eLearning content on the platform of your choice by using authoring tools without having prior experience with course design.
By all means, there are authoring tools with advanced features that offer limitless possibilities when it comes to eLearning course creation. What you need to explore first is the learning needs of your teams, your platform integrations, and the expertise on handling course design.
3. Videoconferencing tools
Videos have become one of the most essential tools for employee training. With remote and hybrid work being very popular today, training must be conducted in a way that learners don’t feel isolated. Videoconferencing allows learners to keep in touch in real-time wherever they are, but also keeps them engaged and focused.
With videos being a cost-effective method to provide online training or remote mentorship to employees working onsite or remotely, you should consider incorporating videoconferencing tools into your training essentials.
But you need to make sure to effectively connect learners with Subject Matter Experts through a videoconferencing platform that allows video, audio, and screen sharing, the option to “raise hands” to ask questions, and recording. Don’t forget that this employee training tool should be compatible with your learning platform.
4. Microlearning tools
If you need just-in-time content for employee onboarding or bite-sized training, you should consider including microlearning authoring tools in your employee training. With these, you can easily create engaging content that caters to learners’ particular needs.
Content delivered through microlearning sessions is easy to develop under a tight budget and timeline, but it can also be accessed by learners anytime, anywhere.
5. Communication tools
The success of any project greatly depends on effective communication. Employee training is an L&D project where you should make sure efforts are being coordinated properly.
It’s not always easy to plan daily check-in meetings in person or remotely. This is why finding ways for people to communicate online and offline is much needed. To ensure seamless communication and continuous collaboration, you must invest in the proper communication tools.
Communication tools are particularly useful in training as people can interact with each other and with their instructors and engage in social learning activities.
For instance, emails, messaging apps, task management software, forums, and social media groups are keys to ensuring effective communication but also taking advantage of social learning. With such employee training tools, learners can interact with peers and instructors, clarify doubts, and exchange knowledge.
6. Mobile training platforms
The vast availability of smartphones and the need for online opportunities in the world of remote or hybrid work, have made the use of mobile training platforms necessary.
People consume content through their mobile devices, and, as a result, more and more organizations have created employee training programs that can be delivered through mobile devices. Mobile learning offers just-in-time learning by offering content relevant to learners at the time they need it. In fact, it is perfectly tailored to the needs of the learners, and on top of that they can access their training material on the go, while commuting, online or offline.
Thus, it’s essential that your training content is compatible with mobile devices, or find a training platform that comes with a native mobile app.
7. Content development tools
If you wish for successful training, then quality content should be one of your priorities. Finding the right employee training tools to develop your content makes it easy to deliver material that speaks to learners’ needs. As training content can be delivered in various formats, you should opt for content development tools that match your specific requirements, such as:
- Course creation tools: convert content into training courses in the form of quizzes, assignments, and more
- Video editing software: make high-quality videos as a great way to engage learners and grab their attention
- Graphic design tools: create infographics and graphics that match your brand’s identity
- Presentation authoring tools: create slides and presentations to cover your course material
Bear in mind that authoring tools can be confused with content delivery tools, but in reality, you need both. For instance, Flash or PowerPoint are mistakenly considered to be authoring tools. However, only programs as SCORM or AICC can support both functions.
8. Project management tools
Your teams and people must be all aligned in order for training creation, delivery, and evaluation to be effective and successful. To streamline such processes between administration, instructors, and learners, a project management tool is a great choice.
By leveraging such employee training tools, you can make sure that communication is seamless and processes become automated. Go for a platform that’s easy to use so that nothing falls behind.
Going shopping: What you need to know before choosing the right tool
A good employee training strategy is your ally in attracting and retaining your employees. But in order to achieve that, you need the right employee training tools. Now that we’ve gone through the most essential picks, it’s time to examine all the hows before sealing the deal.
Understand the use case
Don’t rush off your training software purchase. Your training is your key investment. This is why you should carefully figure out your expectations and priorities first before buying software. For this to happen, consider the following:
- Audience: Think of your end-users. How many users will need access to the tool, how tech-savvy are they, what kind of training are they used to, and which are some learning styles you have pinpointed?
- Training material: Do you have ready-made content for your training, or do you need to create it from scratch? Will you need to import content or use third-party content and integrate it into a platform?
- Grading and tracking: You need to test your learners’ understanding of the material delivered. Find if the training tools you will be using provide such integrations.
- IT capabilities: Will you be using self-hosted or cloud-based software? It all depends on your IT resources.
Define your budget
Training is an important investment. But it might cost you money and time if you don’t pay attention to details. And details could be the employee training tools you’re selecting. The cost of training tools can vary depending on different factors like the functions, the number of users, and the software itself.
You don’t always “get what you pay for.” You may opt for expensive software with multiple features but end up using only a few of them. Or, instead, you might find an employee training tool that’s less costly but covers all your must-have functionality. In any case, have a clear list in mind of what you need, then compare prices, and select a value-for-money training solution.
Browse for options
Once you’ve defined the use case and budget, and you know exactly what you’re looking for, it’s time for window-shopping for employee training tools. You should browse through the options available on the market and narrow down your picks until you reach your final decision.
So, a great idea is to skim through software and employee training tools directories which list all the features, integrations, and prices available, as well as user feedback, reviews, and score. In that way, you can have a better idea of what you’re choosing based on actual opinions and objectivity.
Pro tip: Keep your eyes open for employee training tools that offer a demo version or a free trial, so you can see in practice if it’s worth paying for a subscription beforehand.
Going to the finishing line like a winner
There’s no one perfect tool.
But there are ideal solutions for your unique, specific needs. In any case, the best employee training tool is the one that you “forget” is there… the one that does what it promises to do so you can do your job uninterrupted.
