4 ways to increase employee engagement with LMS software 

HR pros are committed to offering learning and development programs to their employees. But are employees motivated to use them? 

Fifty-two percent of organizations currently have learning management systems (LMS) software, according to our HRMorning survey. And yet only 27% of our HR pros find that the software helped improve employee engagement. Ensuring employees stay motivated with their learning can be challenging. One key reason: employees may be too busy and not have enough time to complete a learning task or course. 

So, how do HR pros help their employees stay engaged with learning platforms?  

4 key features 

We’ve found four key features of LMS software to help improve engagement and retention: 

1) Rewards for completing courses 

More than 70% of HR pros we surveyed said that incentives could be a factor in improving their employees’ motivation in their learning efforts. Many LMS software solutions provide gamification features that allow employees to have fun while still learning. They can participate in friendly competitions and earn points or badges that can be displayed on a leaderboard.  

In addition, some LMS solutions have built-in (or are integrated with) a rewards program, so that employees can receive a reward (e.g., a gift card) if they complete a series of courses. For example, Docebo’s gamification feature connects with its Rewards Marketplace app, so employees can earn coins to purchase a reward of their choice from a Marketplace. Companies can add specific rewards to the Marketplace. 

2) Content targeted for employee’s role 

According to 68% of HR pros, giving employees targeted content to their current or future role could help increase engagement in their learning. Most LMS solutions come with personalized learning paths, which are a series of courses with prerequisites (meaning the employee needs to complete a specific course before going on to the next one).  

Software vendors also offer personalized LMS solutions targeted at specific job roles or content libraries on specific topics that companies can purchase. One example is Seismic, a learning and coaching platform aimed at training sales reps on product launches, developing sales techniques and more. 

3) Short courses 

Short courses are another factor in keeping employees engaged in their learning, according to 62% of our survey respondents. Employees may not have the time (or even the motivation) to keep up with a long session, so provide microlearning content.  

Microlearning refers to bite-sized learning sessions that can be completed in less than 10 minutes. It uses a variety of media like videos, flashcards or short quizzes. Some LMS software vendors that provide microlearning content include: 

• 7taps, a microlearning platform that allows creators to set up a mini course in seconds (one example is an multiple-choice quiz aimed at safety professionals) 
• OttoLearn has gamification features in short sessions, such as Mastery Moments that consist of two-minute sessions taken daily 
• 5Mins, a microlearning software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to recommend relevant daily lessons that can be completed in less than five minutes (one of its solutions is an HR Academy, a library of short videos on HR topics, such as change management, dealing with team conflicts and DEI) 

4) Interactive content 

HR pros want their employees to stay motivated with their learning, and interactive content can help (39% of them point out that interactive content is a factor in improving engagement). LMS software provides different ways for employees to interact with the material. 

One way is gamification as mentioned above. Adding gaming elements can make learning enjoyable for employees and help them retain the material.  

Another type of interactive content is multimedia. Along with just text-based learning, LMS software supports content formats, such as videos, images and podcasts. And another type of interactive content is scenario-based learning, where employees can participate in examples of real-life situations and use strategies they’ve learned (e.g., practicing how to approach a difficult customer to help improve communications skills). 

Regardless of the type of interactive content they’d like to add, users can take advantage of built-in (or integrated) content authoring tools included in LMS software. 

If you would like to learn more about our survey results, click here.