Following the economic events and strategies of 2011, the theme of 2012 will be doing more with less. When it comes to learning management, cost cutting and time cutting have always been initiatives that seemed difficult to incorporate while still delivering learning effectively. But technology has progressed, and learning management solutions can be integrated and centralized, delivered on-the-go with formal or informal learning, created for consumption by a variety of audiences, and updated and innovated with behind-the-scenes smoothness.
It is these technologies and motivations that are influencing the five trends in today’s learning management space: the continued convergence around integrated solutions, the emergence of using social media for effective informal learning, the adoption of mobile learning, the importance of progressive SaaS model, and the evolution of a global understanding in learning content. Though not all novel, the more familiar trends tend to focus on increasing the reach and potential of existing solutions so companies can leverage their existing systems instead of replacing them. Recognizing the relevance of these trends is the first step in maximizing them for your organization in the next year and the years to come.
Integrated Solutions
No matter the size or industry of a company, one of the main keys to success is efficiency: Don’t do unnecessary work, don’t repeat steps and make sure that all areas of the company follow the company vision and targets. An emerging tool in business process and analysis efficiency is an integrated learning management and talent management solution. According to Bersin & Associates research reported in “Pillars for Performance: Integrating Learning and Talent Management,” organizations with effective integration of learning and talent systems are three times as likely to have strong employee results and 100 percent more likely to have strong business results.
While this trend has been emerging over the last several years, it will be better recognized in 2012 than in years before. Previously businesses were hesitant to leave their full-functionality single solutions for an integrated system where they would be required to compromise, the same research said. However, this year, businesses are three times more likely to say they would switch to a solution providing talent management and learning management integration. This is partially because of the adoption of best-of-breed products into the core solution by human capital management software providers and partially because the utility of functional integration in consolidating the products employees need to learn, the number of IT projects to create and vendors to manage.
To find out how to be "on trend" in your learning and talent management processes for 2012, read the whitepaper here >>
