3 Ways to Fast-Track Induction & Training in Retail

It’s safe to say mobile learning is not a new thing; however, several factors are driving renewed interest in its efficiency. Most workers nowadays own a mobile device (usually a smartphone or tablet) so it’s a more cost-effective solution to use the employee’s device as the delivery mechanism for onboarding, compliance training, and induction.

It can be a particularly useful strategy in the retail sector which needs to engage in annual recruitment drives for seasonal staff.

Having recognised its value in today’s connected retail environment, and the efficiencies that it brings, many boards of management are now committed to funding mobility drives and mobile e-learning initiatives and training programs.

The challenge for these organisations was figuring out how best to incorporate mobile training into their overall e-Learning & Development strategy and how best to deliver it.

Learning management systems have long provided large multi-location outlets with the capabilities to deliver retail onboarding, training, induction, and compliance anytime, anywhere, on any platform, on-demand and most of all, when it’s required.

A cloud-based learning management system was the key element in implementing this strategy, as it delivers, tracks, supports, optimizes and manages the mobile training initiative from end to end.

1. Why Learning Mobility?

Almost everyone today has a smartphone or tablet, and this includes most of your workforce. Today’s mobile-driven environment means that people and employees are always connected to the workplace. This phenomenon is only expected to grow as smart watches, smart glasses, or other wearable tech become more universal.

This is great news for Learning and Development managers, as reports have stated that between 67% – 81% of people prefer to use mobile devices for learning.

Many of today’s learning management systems like SeamsCloud support always-on, agile learning and by using their mobile device, an employee can gain easy access to company content, courses, and notifications.

Learning mobility allows these employees to access training material without being tied to the home office. It also allows employees to manage the time they choose to devote to training more effectively. Using their mobile devices, staff who are on the move can squeeze in learning while commuting or waiting in line at the bank.

2. Automated email notifications for e-learners

Most large retail outlets have branches in multiple locations or countries. Regardless of their work location, all employees should have equal access to the status of their training courses, compliance deadlines, and certification expiration.

An LMS can be programmed to send email notifications keeping all learners informed of their training progress whether they are on the retail sales floor, out on a delivery or even at the beach on holiday.

Here are some things to remember when incorporating email notifications into a mobile strategy:

• Make sure emails are targeted at relevant users who require notification and not automatically sent to everyone.
• Use email notifications sparingly. Otherwise, they become part of the noise and will be ignored.
• On average, learners lose 70% of the information they learn within 24 hours of a learning experience.
• Email can be a powerful microlearning reinforcement tool. Use them to help workers overcome the forgetting curve by delivering small pieces of learning on a regular schedule.
• It’s frustrating for trainers when employees fail to show up for learning they have been registered for. Send an email on the day before an event to have employees confirm their attendance.

3. Why is mobile training adoption on the rise?

Although technology is changing continuously, it looks like mobile is here to stay.

Retail managers can confidently incorporate the power of the smartphone into their business strategy and training initiatives, by encouraging staff to get involved to take advantage of all the benefits that mobile learning and online training has to offer a business.

Using an LMS to deliver training is extremely cost-effective for multi-branch retail operations. Retail workers can easily interact with their training content anytime, anywhere and it’s easy for managers to assign users to course material while tracking, monitoring and capturing every individual employee result in real-time in a database of audit-ready training records.

In conclusion…

Think about it this way, you already have two pieces of the puzzle needed to implement a cost-effective mobile training strategy.

You have the training content required to keep your business compliant with industry standards and your employees have the technology to take the training in their pocket.

Now all you need is the learning management system to make implementing your mobile training strategy a huge success.