As L&D budgets increase and the nature of work changes, online training is a significant focus area for thousands of L&D professionals around the world. So, which are the tools that demand your attention and investments in 2020? In this article, we discuss why online training is the go-to in 2020 and beyond, and 10 online employee training tools to consider to train your workforce.
Training employees regularly is critical to workforce development and a company’s overall success. Its importance has become more evident recently, as skills gaps emerge, and employees have been expected to pivot owing to radical changes in the business landscape.
Online employee training is now a popular alternative training method to the traditional, on-premise learning management systems (LMS)Opens a new window for several reasons. To begin with, you don’t need to develop and host bulky software on physical servers/data warehouses. Also, learners can access online employee training tools from any device while also maintaining security.
It’s no surprise, therefore, that a significant part of learning and development (L&D)Opens a new window investments is being channeled into online employee training. In 2020, L&D professionals expect an uptick in budgets for the third consecutive year. And 57% expect increased spends in online learning, according to LinkedIn’s survey of 6,600+ respondentsOpens a new window .
If you’re looking for the right online employee training tool for your company, here’s our top-10 roundup for 2020 (arranged in alphabetical order). It lists some of the leading online training tools available in the market today, highlighting their standout features that could give your company a competitive edge this year.
10 Online Employee Training Tools that Could Transform Your L&D Practice
Typically, an LMS involves pre-authored content hosted on an on-premise or cloud-based system. Employees can access the material and obtain training certifications/other forms of credit.
Online employee training offers the additional flexibility of anytime, anywhere access. You can even integrate these tools with other HR systems (employee records stored in the HRISOpens a new window , homegrown analytics models, employee recognition, etc.) via the software’s API library. So, what are these online employee training tools that deserve your attention in 2020?
Learn More: Top 8 Best Practices for Employee Cross-TrainingOpens a new window
1. AbsorbOpens a new window
Absorb is a cloud-based LMS that comes chock-full of features, meant for mid to large-sized enterprises. The company has a variety of features to address a wide range of online employee training needs, from compliance to training new employeesOpens a new window at the time of onboarding.
Absorb appears to be among the most comprehensive tools for online learning, with capabilities for enhancing learner engagement and even turning your training courses into an online catalog.
L&D professionals can use Absorb’s smart administration capabilities to integrate the software with existing HRIS and CRM data. You can easily recognize employee progress from within the app, leveraging the power of automation to reduce admin workloads.
Absorb goes beyond core employee training to facilitate the training of third-party/external partners as well. It can be integrated with Zoom, enabling remote learning easily. This is critical in today’s gig economy, where you need to upskill your vendors and partners as per your company’s learning culture.
Some of the world’s leading companies like Sony, Airbnb, Johnson & Johnson, and GAP have selected Absorb as the online employee training tool of choice. To view its pricing, you can submit a request for a custom quote.
Absorb is rated 4.4 out 5Opens a new window on Capterra.
2. Adobe Captivate PrimeOpens a new window
Adobe is known for its cutting-edge business solutions, and the company’s Captivate Prime is a compelling offering in the online employee training segment. It is designed as a next-gen LMS, giving your employees an enriching and enjoyable learning experience.
Adobe Captivate Prime’s artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms power social learning. Learners can share their expertise with peers on a social media-like web interface. Its feature, Adobe Sensei (a proprietary AI intelligence engine), automates learning content curation. Some of the core employee training areas available include skill development, sales enablement, customer education, and compliance.
The USP of this software is its vast built-in content catalog. While some online employee training tools require companies to author their own content, Adobe’s vast business solutioning experience informs its content catalog. You can train employees on creative skills, marketing, wellness, leadershipOpens a new window , software development, and more, without having to author a single course.
Adobe Captivate Prime starts at $4 per month per registered learner and $16 per course per learner per year for its off-the-shelf content catalog.
Capterra gives Adobe Captivate Prime a 4.2 out 5Opens a new window .
3. Auzmor LearnOpens a new window
Auzmor Learn’s minimalist user interface delivers a simple learning experience. You can create new courses, invite team members, add third-party learning materials, and track the progress of an entire team.
Interestingly, Auzmor has a full suite of HR products – spanning recruitmentOpens a new window , performance managementOpens a new window , and total rewards. All these products can be fully integrated if you’re looking for an end-to-end connected ecosystem.
Auzmor is a useful tool for small to mid-sized organizations looking to upskill their teams rapidly. You can monitor training course completion, identify which courses have the lowest engagement, and provide online employee training on-the-go. You can ask for the demo to obtain a custom quote.
Auzmor’s customer roster currently includes Boston Government Services and Titan Solar Power, among others.
Auzmor Learn has a 5 out 5Opens a new window rating on Capterra.
4. MindflashOpens a new window
Owing to its virtual classroom feature, Mindflash is suitable for companies with large remote teams. It creates a cloud-based online classroom, accessible from any device, compliant with SCORM e-learning standards.
Mindflash lets you build online employee training courses, generate quizzes and assessments, monitor progress, and view historical reports.
The quiz functionality is particularly useful for remote teams, who might access the course from a mobile platformOpens a new window . You can edit Mindflash’s pre-built templates to design multiple-choice, true/false, picture labeling, and sequencing quizzes – essential for sectors such as healthcare, retail, and manufacturing, which rely on hands-on skills.
All in all, this is a useful tool for companies of every size, especially if your skill requirements are specific and domain-related. Mindflash is available in three versions, all of which come with custom pricing.
Mindflash has a rating of 4.3 out of 5Opens a new window on Capterra.
5. SAP LitmosOpens a new window
In the last few years, SAP has become a giant in the HR tech world. The company further cemented its footprint with the 2018 acquisition of CallidusCloud, the provider of the Litmos platform. Today, SAP Litmos is used in a breadth of industries, spanning companies such as ADP, HPE, Norwegian Airlines, Aussie Broadband, and others.
SAP Litmos is built on the premise of scalability and flexibility. The platform can be accessed on any device and can be integrated using 50+ off-the-shelf connectors or a REST API.
Coming to the features of this online employee training tool, you can expect the basics such as content creation, cataloging, reporting, and automation of admin tasks. Litmos is also capable of learning personalization, where you can string together multiple courses as per employee needs.
For companies without in-house authoring expertise, Litmos has a robust library of pre-built content covering both hard and soft skills. Industry-specific certifications such as care certificates and FCA compliance are also available.
Litmos is a popular choice for companies with a sprawling training landscape, as its integration capabilities are wide-ranging. You can check out its app marketplace that features top online tools such as Dropbox, PayPal, Webex, Namely, and lots more.
To use Litmos, you need a minimum of 150 users. Pricing starts at $4 per user per month.
Capterra gives SAP Litmos 4.2 out of 5Opens a new window .
6. SkyPrepOpens a new window
SkyPrep is used by over 500 large and small organizations to simplify online employee training. It is a 360-degree cloud-based LMS, covering all the essentials – course management, customization, analytics, and integration. SkyPrep supports a range of training course formats, from essential MS Office files to online videos.
You can onboard new learners in bulk, set reminders for course completion/training expiration, and automatically distribute certificates after training. Like most online employee training tools on this list, SkyPrep can be integrated with a broad range of business systems out there, including Open Sesame, PayPal, ADP, and Google.
SkyPrep’s USP is probably its additional BoostHQ platform (independent of LMS). BoostHQ is a centralized repository of all your organization’s knowledge, classifying it neatly into searchable segments. Based on this, you can build an online learning community where employees discuss their training, ask questions, and learn from each other.
BoostHQ+SkyPrep LMS appears to be a suitable combination for building, storing, and developing employee competencies.
SkyPrep’s online employee training solution starts at $349 per month. If you add BoostHQ, you can get 50% off on BoostHQ’s pricing.
On Capterra, SkyPrep carries a rating of 4.8 out of 5Opens a new window .
7. TalentCardsOpens a new window
TalentCards is another suitable online employee training tool for companies with a sizeable deskless workforce. The platform lets you deliver all content via mobile platforms so that your mobile workforceOpens a new window can quickly access it on the move. The tool’s USP is its card-based microlearning format. Each card contains a bite-sized training course, complete with abundant media elements.
TalentCards is meant to be a purely online employee training platform, where you design the learning material on the web and distribute it via smartphones. It automatically detects gaps in employee knowledge, highlighting the most relevant cards for each learner. This saves your employees a lot of time, as they can focus on specific skills and materials without wasting time.
TalentCards has gamificationOpens a new window features like points for completing a card set, and a leaderboard showcasing top learners. It also has a progress-monitoring dashboard for managers and HR.
TalentCards is free for up to five users. Paid versions start from $49 per month for small businesses to $279 per month for 500 users. Enterprise-grade custom pricing is also available.
TalentCards has a rating of 4.6 out of 5Opens a new window on Capterra.
8. TalentLMSOpens a new window
TalentLMS is a full-featured tool for online employee training, covering course management, learning delivery, and enterprise readiness. You can create your own courses, or source materials from an astonishing range of platforms – including the likes of YouTube, Vimeo, Scribd, and WordPress. Delivery can happen on any device, and cloud-based apps for iPhone and iPad are also available.
TalentLMS comes with a built-in survey engine so that you can collect employee feedback right from within the application. Like most online employee training tools, TalentLMS is compliant with the latest SCORM standards.
Its diverse delivery capabilities make this tool an interesting choice for online employee training. For instance, you can design your own training certification, setting recertification requirements in place for assured training compliance. TalentLMS has native video conferencing, enabling instructor-led (or “blendedâ€) learning scenarios. And, like most enterprise-grade tools, there is a cataloging feature to help monetize your training courses.
Pricing for TalentLMS starts at $59 per month. It also offers the Plus plan for $249 per month, which includes its rich automation and reporting capabilities. Its Premium plan also includes live chat support if that is something you believe you may need for your teams.
TalentLMS has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 Opens a new window on Capterra.
9. uQualioOpens a new window
uQualio focuses on a specific part of online employee training – the impact of video. Video has become an increasingly popular content format, particularly among Gen Z workers. That’s why uQualio offers a training solution centered around video-based learning, strengthening knowledge absorption and retentionOpens a new window .
You can upload video learning content from a smartphone/computer/workstation or select it from YouTube, Vimeo, and similar online sources. This is linked to your uQualio account, creating the foundation of your online employee training solution.
Next, you can add pictures, documents, and quizzes configuring the course as per your employee’s training needs. Once the course is published, you can regularly track progress and communicate with learners, right from the uQualio platform.
uQualio starts at $54 per month and goes up to $1079 per month for the Enterprise version.
It is rated 4.7 out of 5Opens a new window on Capterra.
10. V360E Opens a new window
If you’re looking for an online employee training solution for tomorrow’s workforce, V360E could be the one for you. It is among the few platforms that power virtual reality (VR) training experiences, making it easily accessible across learning systems.
Creating immersive content on V360E is quite simple. You add a 360-degree image and create a sequential learning experience. You can plan actions and place instructions anywhere on the image, adding extra video and audio elements to enhance learning.
VR training content is available on V360E’s mobile and desktop applications. Alternatively, you can integrate it with an existing LMS to train employees via the channels already in place.
V360E isn’t just an e-learning authoring toolOpens a new window for the XR eraOpens a new window . You can monitor learner progress and track completion through built-in analytics. Currently, the solution is targeted to the aviation sector, but we expect VR-based online employee training to become a staple for every industry that’s labor-intensive and requires manual skills.
You can visit the website for a free trial or contact VR360E’s sales team for a quote of its Enterprise version.
V360E is a new and disruptive entrant in the online employee training space, yet to be rated by Capterra. However, in many ways, it is a contender for the future, having received a $545,000 grant from the European Commission and given its exciting roster of features.
Learn More: A Career in Learning and Development: 10 Must-Have Skills to Make It Big in 2020Opens a new window
Online Employee Training Tools Will Sustain the Workforce of the Future
Web-based learning and development is a fast-growing space. Expectedly, enterprises are eager to take advantage of this technology when training their employees. Using these tools, you can streamline employee training in 2020, going beyond the constraints of a traditional on-premise system. As skill requirements become more dynamic, these cloud-based systems will form the backbone of an agile business.
Some of the key features we listed – course cataloging, external content, and API-based integrations – are a must-have for any tool you select. Another feature to keep in mind while purchasing these tools is white labeling. White labeling allows purchasers of a product or service to use their own branding on the product instead of the vendor’s branding. All the tools we listed above support white labeling (also called custom branding).
When companies build their own brands into the employee learning tool, it can provide an enriching learning experience, making employees feel connected to the company’s culture and business direction. This way, not only can you deliver an exceptional learning experience, you can also build your internal employer brand.
Which tool would you recommend for online employee training? And, why? Tell us on FacebookOpens a new window , LinkedInOpens a new window , or TwitterOpens a new window . We are eager to learn from your experience!