Dive Brief:
- According to a report from Inkling and Forrester, 90% of the surveyed employers agreed that it is beneficial to switch from paper-based training to mobile-based training. The data also revealed that nearly half of businesses continue to use paper-based training materials — even though only 19% said they believe paper-based training is extremely effective.
- Almost all of the respondents are moving introduce or have already implemented mobile devices and software or apps specifically designed to train customer-facing employees. More than 85% of respondents reported that these employees are better able to meet customer expectations after learning to use such tools.
- For food service and retail employees, despite regular menu and floor changes, the typical customer-facing employee receives only three hours of ongoing training per quarter, the report found.
Dive Insight:
The popularity of technology in the L&D space calls for more access to learning on the employee's terms. Whether deskless or not, employees prefer on-demand, as-needed learning to help them though their work day. When they are able to quickly access learning that is directly applicable to the work they perform, understanding and knowledge retention are bolstered.
L&D's digital transformation touches myriad industries. In the service industry, access to mobile devices — even those that are not owned by the business — provides inroads to employee training once rarely offered. Companies like Walmart are even going beyond mobile and incorporating virtual reality into training to help employees prepare for their daily duties. Restaurants have used the tech to train employees in food safety and equipment usage to help reduce accidents and injuries.
