The learning and development (L&D) landscape is undergoing significant transformation in response to tech advancements and changing workforce needs. Organizations are now investing in employee training platforms to deliver flexible, online training that can be accessed anytime, anywhere.

In 2022, total training expenditures in the US reached over $100 billion. But as a business owner or manager, how can you take full advantage of these tools? Let's explore some use cases.

Onboarding New Hires

One of the best things about an employee training platform is how it pulls everything you need for onboarding into one easy-to-access place. New hires can quickly find everything from company history and mission statements to organizational charts and policy details—all in one spot.

It makes the whole process smoother, ensuring everyone gets the same info and can go back to review it whenever they need to.

But a truly effective onboarding experience goes even further, incorporating interactive elements, adaptive learning technologies, and social integration:

Interactive Elements

Surely, you'd agree that interactive elements are now a crucial component of modern onboarding. These might include virtual tours of office spaces, interactive org charts that provide information about key personnel, or simulations that allow new hires to practice using company-specific software or systems.

Such features are offered by most online training platforms. They help new employees feel connected to the organization, even if they're working remotely.

Personalized Learning Content

Online employee training platforms also often incorporate personalized learning, tailoring the onboarding experience to each individual's role and department. For example, a new marketing hire might receive content focused on brand guidelines and marketing tools, while a new developer might get more technical onboarding materials.

Social Integration

Social integration is a key part of modern training tools. Features like discussion forums and social media-style profiles help new hires connect with colleagues and mentors, making it easier for them to feel part of the team.

Importantly, employee training platforms provide analytics, tracking, and reporting capabilities. This means that HR teams can monitor a new hire's learning progress and identify areas where they might need additional support or training.

Upskilling and Reskilling

Employee training software isn't just about onboarding—it's also a key tool for helping your team grow through upskilling and reskilling programs.

Upskilling is all about helping employees learn new skills that enhance their current roles. Reskilling, meanwhile, prepares them for new roles by training them entirely on different skill sets. Both are essential for keeping your team engaged and future-ready.

Many corporate training platforms incorporate AI-driven skills gap analysis tools as well. These can assess an employee's current skill set against the requirements of their current or desired role, identify areas for improvement, and suggest training resources.

Finally, progress-tracking features allow both employees and managers to monitor skill development over time. This data can inform performance reviews, succession planning, and internal mobility decisions.

Compliance Training

Compliance training is essential for organizations to ensure that employees understand and follow legal requirements, industry regulations, and company policies.

These platforms allow organizations to create and distribute compliance courses across the entire workforce. It ensures that all employees receive consistent information about regulatory requirements, ethical standards, and company policies.

Another key advantage of using these platforms for compliance training is the ability to automatically track completion rates and performance. This feature is crucial for organizations that need to demonstrate compliance to regulators or during audits.

Leadership Development

According to a 2024 report, 44% of CEOs believe that their most important HR issue is leadership development. Employee training platforms can help in this area. They offer a structured, scalable approach to leadership development that can reach employees at various levels, from emerging leaders to seasoned executives.

What's more, platforms with ready-made courses generally offer all sorts of content related to leadership, such as strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, decision-making, team management, and communication skills. The content usually combines theoretical knowledge with its practical application, thus helping staff translate the concepts of leadership into real-life scenarios.

Many of them even provide mentoring or coaching modules as part of their leadership development programs. These can facilitate connections between junior employees and more experienced leaders, providing opportunities for guidance, feedback, and career advice.

Conclusion

Employee training platforms have come a long way from just delivering courses. In 2024, they’re dynamic ecosystems that support learning and development in powerful ways.

As technology keeps advancing, these platforms are set to offer even more personalized and effective training experiences, helping your team stay ahead in the future.