The 2022 LinkedIn Workplace Learning report stated L&D learning “measurement methods are stagnant.” The top measurements used by L&D teams in 2021 and 2022 are:

• Qualitative feedback from employees using online courses
• Satisfaction of employees using online courses
• Employee engagement survey scores
• Manager feedback

However, these methods don’t address one critical issue: can workers perform their jobs correctly? To find out, learning and performance must go hand in hand. Unfortunately, L&D teams often lack tools to measure the effectiveness of training and ensure employees can confidently perform their jobs. 

While virtual instruction delivers many advantages, it doesn’t work for everything. For training to be truly effective, managers often need to physically show employees how to perform certain tasks, then observe employees on the job to be sure they can perform them properly. Some companies refer to this as “observational checklists” or “live trainee evaluations.” Schoox calls it “on-the-job training” (OJT.) It combines learning with practical skills demonstrations and observation. 

Businesses often rely on paper scorecards and manual methods to track OJT training compliance. But these are cumbersome to maintain, make it difficult to share data with other systems, and nearly impossible to analyze at scale through reports. What’s needed is enough flexibility to design training in a way that’s efficient and ideal for a digital workplace. 

Schoox’s On-the-Job Training Tools Go Beyond Observational Checklists

Schoox goes beyond mere observation checklists to encourage effective learning. Schoox offers managers the option to create course-connected OJT tasks as part of a larger course or curriculum, or standalone OJT tasks that are independent from other ongoing training programs, for example: 

• Course or curriculum-connected OJT tasks could be used to observe employees preparing foods after they watched digital content teaching them about a new menu item.

• Standalone OJT tasks can be used as supplemental or ad-hoc training whenever required, for example, to observe an employee preparing a new menu item not covered in the original course. 

Once learners have completed their assigned OJT tasks, training managers can access an at-a-glance view of progress. They can use these insights to determine who is excelling, who needs more support, and what kind of additional supervision might be needed for individual team members. 

Schoox delivers the tools and flexibility that equip organizations to set up their preferred OJT measurement process on four levels:  

1. Track training compliance among workers
2. Confirm knowledge retention among learners
3. Ensure learners can perform the required physical job tasks
4. Evaluate employee performance in real-time via mobile devices

Organizations may also choose to adopt a blended approach to deliver coursework, OJT performance assessments, and additional remediation. Schoox delivers multiple options for various training, task, and assessment styles through a single mobile-friendly and integrated platform. 

Sonesta Hotels Upgrades Customer Experience Training

A perfect real-world example of measuring employees’ OJT performance is Sonesta Hotels. Schoox enables the 7,500+ property hotel chain to connect three major pillars of its business—employees, guest feedback, and training—to measurable goals and business impact. When the hotel receives online reviews, for example, it can easily map complaints to areas where training might be weak and then implement a solution. This helps Sonesta Hotels resolve problems on a case-by-case basis, and when appropriate, roll out standardized process improvements company wide.

According to Derek Fournier, Senior Director of Training, “If reviews for a particular hotel or service are negative, we first check to see if employees have completed the associated training courses for their role. If they haven’t, we address that. If they have, it presents an opportunity for us as leadership to improve the training, because it isn’t translating into a great customer experience.”

Learn more about Sonesta’s success and the power of Schoox to measure employee skills and evaluate performance impact for front-line workers in our new report, Real-world Learning for Frontline Workers: Top 5 Learning & Development Must-haves for Employees Working on the Go.

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These days, mobile connectivity seems to be a prime necessity for most people. We use our mobile phones to do everything—order dinner, watch our favorite movies, manage finances, and keep in touch with friends. Training should be no exception.

As of 2021, the number of unique mobile internet users stood at 4.32 billion; in other words, over 90% of the global population of internet users utilizes a mobile device to get online. And that’s not all—these numbers are expected to increase significantly as tech-native generations enter the workforce.

According to research from The Center of Generational Kinetics, there are already more millennials currently working than any other generation, while Gen Z is the fastest growing generation in the workforce all around the world. These generations not only prefer mobile options, they’d rather have entirely mobile experiences. With these digitally savvy employees joining the mix, businesses can no longer afford to put off mobile-first strategies across operations, especially learning and development programs.

What Makes a Great Mobile Learning Experience?

In such a digitally connected world, mobile workers arguably have an even greater need for reliable technology for everything they do—especially training. Here are some hallmarks of a strong mobile learning experience:

• Intuitive User Experience: A mobile app is only as good as the experience it provides. For training, businesses should ensure they’re choosing a platform that offers an equally smooth experience via mobile.
• Accessibility: Learners should have training available at their fingertips in moments of need no matter where they perform their jobs. Within a few taps on their phones, they should be able to access content to help them perform their jobs better right as questions present themselves. They should also have access to important information about their progress, user profiles, course completions, and more when out in the field or on the go.
• Microlearning Opportunities: Since people already spend so much time consuming media on their phones, learning through small, bite-sized pieces of content on their smartphones often feels more natural to learners than sitting through hours upon hours of training in-person or on a computer. If training content is delivered in a way that resonates with employees, they’re more likely to engage with it—and most importantly, they’re more likely to recall the information when it’s time to perform their skills in real-time

What Makes the Schoox Mobile App Different?

Not all learning management systems are equal. Some don’t offer a mobile app at all, while others charge a premium for it. Here’s how Schoox is different:

On-the-Job Training

A major benefit of Schoox is the ability to manage and track all kinds of learning within a single platform, including on-the-job training (sometimes called in-person instruction or observational learning). This enables L&D teams to create hybrid learning programs which incorporate both virtual elements, such as videos or online seminars, as well as in-person training and assessments to ensure knowledge retention. The Schoox mobile app is particularly useful for businesses which need to teach their employees physical skills where work actually happens—whether that’s in a kitchen, out at a construction site, or inside a hotel room at a sprawling resort.

Social Collaboration and Gamification Tools

Learners can chat with colleagues, share knowledge with one another, collaborate on group tasks, join private group discussions, and post on the company newsfeed all via the Schoox app. Gamification features like badges, rewards, and leaderboards help foster healthy competition between individuals or teams and encourage continued engagement with learning content. These kinds of features can help foster a greater sense of community and belonging, especially among remote or distributed teams who may not get the chance to connect with colleagues in-person.

Training Program Management

Trainees aren’t the only employees on the frontlines—there are plenty of managers there, too. The Schoox mobile app allows managers to manage training, assign coursework and assessments, track in-person instruction, and more—empowering them with everything they need to stay on top of their employees’ training in the palm of their hands.

A Powerful Mobile App at No Additional Cost

Regardless of age or technology proficiency levels, the bottom line is that most people prefer using mobile devices over desktop computers. That’s why we include the Schoox mobile app at no additional cost, helping businesses ensure all learners have access to training content whenever they need it, through a device they already know how to use.

How Mobile Learning Helped Phillips 66 Lubricants Transform Field Training

For an example of mobile learning in action, consider Phillips 66 Lubricants. As one of the largest finished lubricants suppliers in the U.S., it needed a better way to ensure field marketing and sales representatives have the information they need to sell both its new and existing product lines when out in the field. A team of one at the time, Bill Brown, former Director of Marketing Operations, was looking for an LMS that could help him deliver training materials from corporate to a network of more than 430 distributors in 76 countries, where assigned unit managers can manage training within their own businesses. Most importantly, he had to find a solution that was mobile-ready.

Schoox transformed learning and development at Phillips 66, empowering each part of the company to leverage the LMS to work toward common goals. What was once incomprehensible, password-protected product information in text-heavy powerpoint slides is now a robust library of engaging, bite-sized microlearning opportunities complete with hundreds of courses and content assets—all accessible through whichever mobile device field operators already have on hand.

Want to learn more about how Phillips 66 was able to achieve this stellar mobile learning experience? Check out this case study and others in our report: Real-world Learning for Frontline Workers. 

The post Mobile Learning for Frontline Workforces: Why it Matters and How to Get it Right appeared first on Schoox - A Learning Management System.

Therefore, now is the perfect time for hotel staff members to participate in sexual harassment prevention training. Training can go a long way to ensure guests and employees have a safe, welcoming experience.

Why now is the right time for hotel staff training

The latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to lift mask and distancing requirements for vaccinated individuals has companies accelerating their business travel plans.

Many hotel operators are already experiencing stronger corporate travel bookings in markets where the pandemic situation has improved. Likewise, there is an increase in business meeting, conference, and convention planning.

GoldSpring Consulting, a business travel and meetings consulting firm, recently released the results from its Business Traveler Sentiment Survey. The survey found that 63% of business travelers want to travel by Oct. 1, putting the industry on track for 70% of travelers saying “yes” to travel by the end of 2021. It also found that 89% of business travelers preferred to stay in hotels over shared lodging, such as Airbnb.

The return of business travelers is great news for hoteliers. As business people begin traveling for meetings and events again, hotels need to ramp up their re-staffing plans. They need to move quickly to bring furloughed employees and new hires on board without skipping important steps like training.

Having spent more than a year in isolation due to the pandemic, guests and employees are likely return to the hospitality industry with pent-up energy. Therefore, it will be important to maintain a respectful hotel environment, free of discrimination and harassment.

Sexual harassment prevention training requirements and recommendations

Seven states currently require sexual harassment training for employees: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, New York, and Washington.

The following 10 states recommend voluntary training: Vermont, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Utah.

We’ve got your training needs covered

We’ve partnered with Traliant, the industry leader in compliance training, to provide you with the Hotel Edition of its award-winning training course, Preventing Discrimination and Harassment.

The course is presented in a modern and interactive format. It is designed for the way busy hotel staff learn—with bite-sized episodes, broadcast quality videos depicting real-world situations, and knowledge checks to drive retention.

The course is available in English, Spanish and other languages. You can access the mobile-optimized course 24/7 on laptops, smartphones, and tablets.

To see this and other related courses, check out our Course Marketplace.

The post Sexual Harassment Prevention Training: Ideal Time Is Now for Hotel Staff appeared first on Schoox - A Learning Management System.

If so, you’re not alone. Let’s face it, compliance training often carries with it a stigma of being “boring” or “dry.” Regardless, it is still an important and necessary aspect of business—one that can come with significant consequences if you fall out of compliance.

Naturally, it begs the question: If employees view compliance training as boring, and HR and L&D teams see it as a one-time, annual event, how can employees retain what they learn? Likewise, how can their behaviors change if the information isn’t enforced? And how can businesses continue to avoid risk?

Organizations can address all of these issues with a shift in mindset about how they create and deliver their compliance programs. How? By treating compliance training the same way they treat continuous learning.

What is continuous compliance training?

Continuous compliance training is about building a culture and strategy within your organization through learning to continuously manage and address risk more effectively. It ensures that you meet regulatory requirements while upholding the safety of your employees, customers, and systems.

While people often link continuous compliance training solely to data security, it can cover all areas of compliance risk, from cyberattacks and workplace safety, to sexual harassment and discrimination. 

It is also important to note that being able to continuously evaluate and manage your level of compliance does not mean running a report or viewing a dashboard to monitor course completions. Completion rates are not evidence of the effectiveness of your compliance.

Qualitative information, on the other hand, is helpful in determining the effectiveness of your compliance programs. For example, post-course exams, evaluation surveys, and conversations to determine the level of information the employee retained from the course. Role playing or on-the-job observation could also be helpful to determine an employees’ ability to demonstrate what they’ve learned.

Why does it matter?

Continuous compliance training matters more than ever. Companies are functioning in a much riskier environment as compared to even just a few years ago. The COVID-19 pandemic and remote work adjustments have made certain data risks more pronounced. 

And as mentioned previously, not just data risks. The George Floyd incident and Black Lives Matter movement put a glaring spotlight on employee behavior risk. And social responsibility risk, too. This prompted organizations across the country to develop or improve their diversity, equity, inclusion programs. It also revealed the need to implement or revamp their corporate social responsibility initiatives to regain public trust.

Additionally, the #MeToo movement caused employers to rethink their sexual harassment prevention strategy. Several states have passed laws to expand their sexual harassment compliance training. Some states even call for the training to be more meaningful and relatable.

Thus, it might be easier to consider what could happen when companies think continuous compliance training doesn’t matter. By underestimating the need to implement these programs, organizations could be faced with:

• Disengaged and complacent employees
• Harsh fines and penalties from auditors and regulators
• Increased susceptibility to discrimination lawsuits or security attacks
• Exposing their systems, employees, and customers (and their data) to risk

How can my organization make the shift to continuous compliance training?

Transitioning from your one-time annual approach to compliance training to a fully-fledged continuous strategy will take some planning. Here are ideas to consider before you start:

• It might go without saying these days, but for optimal results, you’ll need a trusted learning management system (LMS). You’ll also need online learning courses, whether you buy them, design your own, or both.
• Select a trusted content vendor that regularly updates their compliance courses to meet changing industry, state, and federal requirements.
• Speaking of content, it must be engaging and relevant to remain top of mind for your employees. Select content that includes scenario-based learning. Include checkpoints throughout the course to assess knowledge retention, or add an interactive “choose your own adventure” type of course.
• Incorporate points, badges, or leaderboards to boost friendly competition among individual employees, teams, or departments.
• Training doesn’t only have to be online. It could be on-the-job training or other in-person activities that you can still track in the LMS. 
• Find an LMS that makes it easy for you to track and report on your compliance training.
• Align your continuous compliance training strategy with your company’s overall risk management strategy.
• Finally, measure the true effectiveness—not completion rates—of your program.

For more information on how Schoox simplifies compliance training, download our free eBook: Take the Complicated out of Compliance.

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