Dive Brief:

• Despite the hurdles that come with training deskless employees, companies in food service and hospitality are embracing learning technology. From new chains to global giants, digital training is reaching all levels of employees in the service sector, recent reports show.
• Mobile access to training is changing the way employees upskill, allowing them to do it on their own terms, trade publication Fast Casual reports. The cost savings in travel time alone has made the effort worthwhile, and learners are now able to access information as needed, boosting knowledge retention and learning engagement.
• In the hospitality industry, hoteliers are finding the same success with digital, on-demand learning, according to Hotel Business. Gamification, especially, is improving employee interest in training. When learning is incentivized with competitions, leaderboards, badges and more, upskilling and productivity are improved, according to the report.

Dive Insight:

Technology has been relatively slow to address the training needs of deskless workers but as it becomes more mobile and accessible, employers are increasingly buying in.

With the proliferation of smartphones, training can be offered on demand, instead of in a classroom setting. And that's great for knowledge retention: "Just in time training" provides knowledge when employees need it, and when they can immediately apply it, experts previously told HR Dive. The real-world scenario provides context, solidifying memory of the information.

Employers in the service industry seem to have realized this, too. Some restaurants have even gone ultra-high tech, implementing virtual and augmented reality training for staff that encompasses a wide range of protocols, from safe food handling to equipment cleaning.