Upskill Your Employees with these 6 Awesome Learning and Development Tools

Hey there! Continuous learning is so crucial for employees in our rapidly changing work landscape. But with many options out there, how do you even pick the right learning & development (L&D) tools for your organization?

Well, you‘ve come to the right place my friend!

As a long-time HR technology geek, I‘ve evaluated dozens of L&D solutions. I‘m thrilled to share my top recommendations to help you upskill your team. Investing in the best tools not only develops your people, but also boosts their engagement, productivity and retention.

Let‘s quickly look at some key stats first:

Companies that offer comprehensive training have 218% higher income per employee than those with no formal training (ATR International)
57% of employees say lack of training and development is the top reason for leaving a company (Achievers)
75% of learning happens on the job, so tools must fit into daily workflows (ATD Research)

Clearly, you want to get this right! Here are the key factors I would consider when selecting an L&D platform:

Key Selection Criteria for L&D Tools

Easy Content Authoring

You want intuitive course builders to create your own training content without complex production.

Personalization

The system should serve personalized recommendations based on interests and goals. One-size-fits-all doesn‘t work!

Analytics

Insights on participation and skill gaps allow you to refine programs for maximum impact.

User Experience

The interface must be engaging and mobile-friendly to drive adoption across dispersed teams.

Scalable Pricing

Solutions tailored for your workforce size and budget ensures value.

With these parameters in mind, let me share my top recommendations on modern L&D systems I‘m super excited about!

Best L&D Tools to Invest In

1. Cornerstone OnDemand

Cornerstone is a long-time leader used by over 75 million learners globally. I like how the Skills Graph gives visibility into workforce competencies. You can deliver very personalized development journeys for each employee with their robust analytics.

It‘s a full-featured corporate learning ecosystem for large enterprises ready to invest in their people. Starting price is customizable based on users.

2. Qstream

For sales teams, Qstream‘s science-based spaced reinforcement methodology is brilliant for engagement and retention. By integrating microlearning with CRM data, it provides reps highly relevant training.

I especially love how they leverage memory science and gamification for a modern take on sales enablement. Pricing starts at $65 per month for mid-market teams.

3. EdApp

EdApp makes operating at scale easier with their customizable microlearning courses. With over 1200 courses covering all business functions, you get high quality content to repurpose.

It‘s perfect for distributed teams like retail associates, service technicians, plant operators who need bite-sized training. Starts at just $2 per user a month!

4. Grovo

Grovo contains a video library with over 4000 microlearning clips on essential workforce skills. If you need to rapidly upskill employees on new tools or processes, their consumable content pieces deliver.

I‘m impressed with the real-time analytics dashboard to pinpoint knowledge gaps. For SMBs, pricing begins at $7 per user monthly.

5. Axonify

For frontline workers, Axonify incorporates microlearning into daily tasks, which is brilliant. The adaptive questioning and gamification ensures high engagement for typically high-turnover deskless workers.

I love the focus on reinforcing critical knowledge in short bursts. Pricing is $20 per frontline user per month.

6. EdCast

EdCast offers a personalized learning experience called myGuide. Powered by AI, it tailors content and activities to each learner‘s strengths, goals and preferences.

For large, global workforces, EdCast delivers hyper-personalization at scale. Pricing starts at $5 per user monthly.

These are my top recommendations based on experience and research into the solutions driving the best business results through L&D.

Now let‘s get into the fun part – how to drive adoption and impact!

Best Practices for Implementing L&D Initiatives

Here are 5 tips to maximize the impact of your learning programs:

Get leadership buy-in – Have executives visibly endorse and promote training.
Incentivize participation – Offer rewards, recognition for completing programs.
Integrate into workflow – Make learning part of daily routines.
Solicit feedback – Collect user input to continuously refine approach.
Measure effectiveness – Track quantitative and qualitative data to showcase ROI.

Investing in your people is the best investment you can make my friend. With the right tools and strategies, you can develop a highly skilled, engaged workforce ready to drive results in a disruptive era.

If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out! I‘m always happy to help organizations leverage L&D technologies to propel business growth.

Wishing you success!