Building a virtuous cycle of training for emerging tech

It’s well established that when eLearning is done well, it can support employee retention. An employee is not retained for two reasons: the company’s benefit to them is insufficient (as in quitting) or their value to the company is inadequate (as in layoffs or firing). Successful training enhances value from both these directions, leading to greater retention.

Employees see quality training as a benefit of employment and evidence of the organization’s investment in them. Good training can also give employees the skills, confidence, and paths for learning and advancement to develop their careers within an organization. In short, training can build goodwill, loyalty, and mutual benefit for employers and employees.

From this perspective, a critical metric for the quality of an organization’s training strategy is its success in increasing retention. In this article, we’ll discuss how to assess training success from the retention perspective. We’ll also show how building a virtuous cycle between digital fluency and effective training techniques is key to ensuring successful training in the era of AI and automation.

Training and analytics

Measuring the success of training can be tricky, particularly establishing a causal link between training and an outcome like increased retention. Digital transformation for training can make accurate analysis more accessible by bringing more training into the virtual sphere and integrating that virtual training with analytics tools like Power BI. Some Learning Management Systems (LMSs) have built-in analytics tools, but factoring analytics features into an LMS selection process can lead to unacceptable compromises in other areas like control of training techniques, the training environment, and the availability of advanced features like AI and gamification.

The chicken-and-egg of digital transformation

While digital transformation can enable successful training, digital transformation and technology adoption throughout the organization are themselves dependent on training. When an organization starts its digital transformation initiatives in the area of training, it builds a platform for accelerating future digital transformation initiatives in other areas.

Digitally transformed training allows a firm to dynamically upskill and reskill employees to work effectively with new technologies and digital processes. Without a training platform as agile as the pace of technological change itself, employees are at greater risk of attrition as their skill sets fail to keep up with the technology firms must adopt to stay competitive.

As we transition from the plateau of the fifth wave of innovation into the rapid change at the start of the sixth wave (which includes AI, IoT, and robotics), effective training will benefit from a virtuous cycle with digital fluency: As employees’ knowledge and skills around new technologies grow, the more new training tools will be accessible to them.

Achieving the virtuous cycle

A virtuous cycle between employee knowledge of emerging technologies like AI, IoT, and robotics, and the advanced features of e-learning platforms can serve as a catalyst for digital transformation across the entire organization. As employees become more fluent in these transformative technologies through upskilling and reskilling programs, more immersive and personalized e-learning experiences driven by AI, AR, and VR, become more accessible and effective.

This not only enhances the learning journey for employees, but also creates a feedback loop that accelerates the adoption of advanced technologies in other areas of the business. When employees are empowered with deep digital fluency, they can more effectively facilitate the implementation of AI, IoT, and robotics solutions throughout the organization.

The advanced features of modern e-learning platforms, such as virtual and augmented reality, play a crucial role in this virtuous cycle by providing employees with realistic, hands-on experiences with emerging technologies. VR and AR can transport learners into simulated environments where they can experiment with AI-powered chatbots, IoT-connected devices, and robotic systems in a risk-free setting. Meanwhile, the integration of AI into the learning experience allows for real-time personalization, where the platform can adapt the content and delivery to the individual’s learning style and pace. As employees become more comfortable and proficient with these technologies through e-learning, they can then more effectively champion their adoption and integration across the organization, further accelerating the overall digital transformation journey.

The virtuous cycle between employee knowledge and e-learning platform features is not confined to the training ecosystem alone. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation, organizations can empower their workforce to be active participants in the digital transformation process, encouraging them to experiment, provide feedback, and help shape the future of the company’s technology adoption.

This collaborative environment ensures that employees remain at the forefront of emerging technologies, while the e-learning platforms they use continue to evolve and deliver more effective, immersive, and personalized learning experiences congruent with the technologies they are training. In turn, this helps to drive digital transformation holistically, as the organization’s technology capabilities and workforce skills advance in tandem.

Related: Advancing with AI: How employers can maintain a competitive workforce

The virtuous cycle + analytics

By empowering employees with deep digital fluency through immersive, personalized training, organizations can not only enhance the learning experience, but also accelerate the adoption of transformative technologies throughout the business.

The integration of analytics into these e-learning platforms is a critical enabler, allowing organizations to measure the tangible impact of training on key metrics like employee retention. When training is demonstrably effective at upskilling the workforce and increasing their value to the company, it fosters greater employee engagement, loyalty, and a mutual sense of investment between the organization and its people.

This positive feedback loop, where digital fluency and training analytics combine to drive better training outcomes and higher retention, is the foundation for sustainable digital transformation. As employees remain at the cutting edge of new technologies through continuous learning, they can help drive the organization’s broader technology adoption efforts. Meanwhile, the e-learning platforms evolve alongside the organization’s needs, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of digital capabilities and a future-ready workforce. Ultimately, this virtuous cycle empowers organizations to develop a training strategy that mutually benefits employees and their goals for professional and skills development and the innovation goals of the business.

Rob Porter is head of market and business development for CoSo’s e-learning solutions.