Onboarding
| 7 minutes reading

Here’s Why You Need the Best LMS For a Successful Onboarding

By Allan Alveyra

Research shows that one in three companies don’t have a structured onboarding process. In a study from Allied Workforce Mobility Survey says that one of the reasons why new employees leave a company is due to a poor onboarding experience.  

A successful onboarding program therefore requires not only traditional orientation practices, but also an innovative learning and development technology such as a Learning Management System or LMS. In this light, let’s talk about why you need the best LMS for a successful onboarding program. 

Gives Structure to Your Onboarding System 

An onboarding program requires a proper structure. It is said that employees who participate in a structured onboarding program are 69 % more likely to stick around in a company for at least three years.  

What happens in the first few days or weeks of your onboarding is crucial to your employee’s long-term plans in the company. Therefore, it’s best to leave a good impression. Forcing employees to accomplish many tasks without a proper process might cause fatigue and confusion.

According to the Human Capital Institute (HCI), HR managers say that one of the biggest challenges they face is inconsistency in delivering onboarding.

Good thing, an LMS solution provides a single system which serves as an access point for new hires and instructors. By integrating different digitized materials like videos, survey materials, and other assessment tools to your LMS,  information can be imparted in the best possible way.  

As regards online courses, using pre-made templates gives you a high level of confidence and certainty when it comes to the flow and accuracy of your content. Most LMS platforms have a “drag and drop” functionality which makes it easy for course administrators and designers add or edit content. Since assets and other media are contained in a single repository, they can be accessed and repurposed anytime. 

Promotes Faster and More Efficient Onboarding Experience 

Shortening onboarding time and reducing administrative workload are commodities in any enterprise. Cutting corners though is not the best way to do it. Resources such as welcoming videos, culture overviews, and company policies are must-haves, thus, should not be disregarded.  

Since most LMS have their own integrated architecture, it follows a simple process of creating digital courses or e-learning materials. It makes everything simpler because content can be personalized depending on the company’s objectives and the learners’ specific needs. Simplifying and personalizing learning tools and contents promote a faster and more efficient onboarding experience. 

Personalization, however, is more than just individualization or differentiation. It’s about giving the new employee a straightforward instruction when and how it is learned. 

Here’s how personalization is done using an LMS: 

  • Providing different learning resources options like bite-sized videos, downloadable documents, brief but interactive online courses. 
  • Allowing users have individual accounts to log into. 
  • Applying advanced data tracking features and analytics to monitor progress.
  • Making learning contents responsive, (e.g., everything can operate on any device: desktop, tablet, or smartphone)
  • Ensuring users can access learning content or training materials, wherever they are and whenever they want.  

Fosters Better Employee Engagement 

According to Urbanbound70 % of employees say that a friend at work is the most crucial element to a happy working life. Another survey made by the Human Capital Institute tells that 87 % of organizations that assign a buddy program during the onboarding process say that it’s an effective way to enhance new hire proficiency. 

An LMS has the perfect elements and tools to foster employee engagement. This is because contents are more accessible. It links new employees to subject matter experts which nurtures healthy interaction. This in return establish rapport in your company.

Automates the Onboarding Process 

Collecting data, sending notifications, and checking assessments are integral to any onboarding program. Using a powerful platform like an LMS can optimize this processes. Integrating this automated and integrated mechanism can lead to:

With an LMS to automate your onboarding program, your company can handle the whole process with greater control and productivity. Onboarding no longer needs to exhaust a large portion of your administrative workforce because an LMS provides you a repertoire of solutions to support your needs.

Helps You Adapt to a Growing Onboarding Operation 

Being able to have a solid HR infrastructure gives your company an undeniable edge when the need to scale manpower comes. One way or another, CEOs and managers alike will need to adapt to the growing workforce. 

If time comes that your company decides to add more pieces to your personnel, it is good that you’re more than prepared.

While your onboarding process might not change, its flow will because it needs to adjust to the increasing number of your employees. 

To deal with a growing number of new candidates means to cater to different personalities and learning styles. That is why, integrating an LMS to your onboarding program will be the best decision you’ll ever make. Here’s why: 

There are three main learning styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic

  1. The visual learner prefers visualization of information through organized diagrams, animations, or video demonstrations. For them, they need to visualize data to easily absorb concepts.  
  1. Auditory learners like to listen more to lectures and engage into Socratic dialogue. They make sense out of an information by speaking them aloud and discussing it with peers. 
  1. Kinesthetic learners learn through hands-on-practice and through discovering. Much of their efforts to absorb ideas are devoted to engaging themselves in physical tasks. 

Ideally, Learning Management Systems are designed to accommodate to different learning styles. It can incorporate different elements to appeal to different students with various learning needs. Through an LMS, you can do the following: 

  • Embed videos, add graphs and charts into your onboarding process to reinforce retention for visual learners. 
  • Create digital rooms or online sessions perfect for auditory learners, 
  • Include gamification features and activities into your training materials for kinesthetic learners.  

Find the Best LMS Provider for Your Onboarding Needs 

Improving the face of your onboarding program hints the type of learning you want for your employees and the kind of culture you want for your company. There’s no denying that incorporating an LMS in your onboarding strategies presents the biggest upside. It is now a matter of finding the best LMS provider for your onboarding needs. 

Given that there are numerous LMS providers in the market that you can choose from, picking the best one may not be an easy task. However, it will be easy if you’d keep these things in mind:

Keep in Mind Technical Considerations and Limitations 

You might already have listed at least three candidates for your LMS provider. When choosing the best one, you need to evaluate first how each of their products will be integrated with your current technology or software. Ask them if their platform supports the one that you are using and if there are any compatibility issues. 

Think of the Core Features and Functions You Need 

Identifying the core features or functions that you really need for your onboarding solution is one way to secure a good investment. It is good to ask whether features like gamification, social learning, and micro-learning are necessary for your specific project.  

Ask about Key Support Services They Offer 

Ask the company if they offer round the clock support and if they will be able to assist you with your troubleshooting problems. Make sure that to clarify the exact technical assistance you’ll be receiving as soon as you choose their product. 

Get a Demo of Their Product 

LMS vendors will offer you a live demonstration of what their products can offer. Sometimes they even provide a trial period where you can utilize their LMS. It will be an advantage for you to witness their LMS in action and have a first-hand experience of its special features and functions. 

If you are looking for the most responsive and powerful LMS for your onboarding program, we got it for you! Here at Cursum, we provide the most advanced solutions that can be tailored to your needs. We can help you build a platform smart enough to provide your employees a new and awesome onboarding experience.