Best Practices For Training Employees On A New LMS

So You’re the LMS Admin. Congrats, You’re Now Running a Skills Engine. LMS admins have been holding down the learning fort for years. Assigning courses. Managing compliance. Fighting off rogue uploads and duplicate SCORM files. Respect. But here’s the thing: the world changed. Learning isn’t just about assigning “Excel for Beginners” anymore. Now it’s about skills, growth, and actually helping people do better at their jobs. And if your organization’s using Workday Learning (or another modern LMS), you’ve got way more tools at your fingertips than you probably realize. So here’s a friendly, step-by-step guide to take your LMS game from “functional” to “strategic weapon.” Step 1: Map Roles to Skills Don’t start with the course catalog. Start with the job. What do people actually need to do well? Tag courses to real skills, not just titles. Instead of “Excel 101,” go with “data analysis” or “reporting.” Feels more useful already, right? Step 2: Build a Skills Taxonomy Without Losing Your Mind This sounds fancier than it is. Think of it like a smarter label system. Tag your learning content based on actual capabilities people need, not just vendor fluff. Most LMSs (Workday included) can help you automate some of this using skill clouds or tags. Keep it tight. Use plain language. No one wants to learn “Interdepartmental Synergistic Synergy.” Step 3: Design Campaigns, Not Just Assignments Remember cohorts? Like when you onboarded a bunch of new hires together and ran them through the same courses? Now you can run learning campaigns that hit specific audiences based on role, timing, or need. Queue up a playlist with real-world skills they’ll use next week, not five years from now. Step 4: Actually Use the Data Modern LMSs can show you what’s working, who’s learning, and where people are getting stuck. Look at what skills people are building (or not), how long they’re engaging, and which campaigns are actually landing. Then tweak. Think of yourself as part analyst, part learning DJ. Read the room. Adjust the set. Step 5: Support Real Development, Not Just Compliance Learning doesn’t stop after onboarding. Connect your LMS to IDPs (Individual Development Plans). Let learners explore paths that align with where they want to go. Partner with managers to make it stick. You’re not assigning training anymore. You’re guiding careers. Step 6: Keep It Alive LMSs aren’t slow cookers. You can’t just set it and forget it. Refresh content. Revisit skills. Ask people what’s working. One Last Thought: You already know how to organize chaos, launch content, and keep systems humming. Now you get to help shape the skills and strategy of your entire organization. This is your shot! 💬 Got a favorite LMS feature or a question about building a skills-based learning approach? Drop it in the comments. Let’s trade notes. #LMSAdmin #LearningTech #WorkdayLearning #SkillsNotCourses #EmployeeGrowth #LearningCampaigns #ModernLMS #TalentDevelopment

Two of the biggest problems I hear about in leadership development: 1/ “Learning doesn’t stick.” 2/ “We don’t have a culture of learning.” BOTH of these problems can be solved. The key is to create a “learning ecosystem.” I’m not saying it’s easy...It’s certainly not something you can do overnight. But, these 7 tactics can go a long way: 1/ Hold a monthly community of practice Get your audience together each month (on Zoom). Use the call to: - reinforce key learnings - forge peer connections - give everyone a chance to ask Qs & share challenges - facilitate practice 2/ Create a Resource Vault Store learning resources in one live folder. Keep your docs updated in real time: - Insert new examples - Take & apply real-time feedback from learners - Create new resources based on what learners need The goal here is to make the vault a place your learners return to often. 3/ Send Weekly Behavioral Nudges Weekly behavioral nudges: - are a simple way to double or triple the value of an existing assessment or training program - can take a one-and-done program/assessment and add a year-long tail of exercises and key insights Nudges = STICKY learning 4/ Give Every Learner Access to a REAL Coach Use message-based coaching to: - expand the number of employees you can offer coaching to - meet employees at the exact moment that they need help 5/ Create a Peer Learning Network Peer learning tech enables collaboration in new ways. (And in ways that in-person can’t) Example: One leadership development team at a big tech company used a simple Google doc where learners shared questions, insights, and examples from over a dozen locations. As their doc grew… - themes emerged - ideas intersected - they had a running record of key info 6/ Deliver Microlearning in the Flow of Work Micro-learning: - makes learning available on-demand (open book test) - helps increase repetition to build habits - brings learning into the flow of work 7/ Trigger Organic Conversations You might: - use conversational guides (between peers or between learners & managers). - use prompts in your peer learning network - hold breakouts in your community of practice The idea is that over time, your learners will naturally use the language and ideas from your learning in their daily conversations. ____ Apply these 7 tactics (or even just a few) and you'll be well on your way to creating a learning ecosystem. One that will: 1/ take in new topics and spit out behavior change 2/ generate more feedback than you can collect 3/ solidify a culture of learning What other components do you include in your programs? #leadershipdevelopment

Learners engage better when they’re not just passive recipients of information. 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲: 🔴 Learners will quickly tune out and forget key concepts. 🔴 There’s no connection between the content and how learners will actually use it. Instead, make your training 𝘥𝘺𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴-𝘰𝘯. 1️⃣ Scenario-based learning Create real-world scenarios that challenge learners to think critically and make decisions. Example: 𝘈𝘴𝘬 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘣. 2️⃣ Hands-on practice Give learners the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned through practice exercises and tasks. Example: 𝘜𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘻𝘻𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘴. 3️⃣ Group discussions Foster collaboration and deeper learning by encouraging group conversations. Let learners share their experiences and insights in a structured way. Example: 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 4️⃣ Branching scenarios Let learners make choices and see the consequences of their decisions. This helps them see the impact of their actions in a safe, controlled environment. 5️⃣ Reflection questions Encourage personal connection by asking learners to reflect on how the content applies to their own experiences. Example: "𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦?" 6️⃣ Simulations Replicate real-world tasks so learners can practice in a risk-free environment. Simulations allow learners to learn by doing without the consequences of mistakes. 7️⃣ Role play Get learners actively involved by having them step into different roles and practice their responses. Example: 𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘱𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳. 8️⃣ Practice exercises Reinforce knowledge through repetition. Provide exercises that help learners practice and retain what they’ve learned. 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒅 𝒐𝒇? ----------------------- 👋 Hi! I'm Elizabeth! ♻️ Repost and share if you found this post helpful. 👆 Follow me for more tips! 🤝 Reach out if you're looking for a high-quality learning solution designed to change the behavior of the learner to meet the needs of your organization. #InstructionalDesign #LearningAndDevelopment #TrainingTips #InteractiveLearning #BehaviorChange

Meeting with enterprise customers and learning about their experiences with our products and services is always enlightening. I want everyone to benefit from our products and features, from roll-out and adoption to realizing business impact. A recurring theme I've heard from customers is their concern about the change management required to achieve successful adoption. To help alleviate that concern, I've summarized some proven tactics from early Copilot adopters who have successfully increased user adoption, excitement, satisfaction, and productivity. -Select a subset of teams to test-pilot the licenses through an early-access program -Host training sessions to get users up to speed quickly -Conduct an education campaign with employee opportunities to show and tell best practices -Set up feedback channels (i.e. Teams, Viva Engage) for user-reporting and knowledge sharing -After users are finding value, begin new test-pilots by moving licenses to other teams -Create an employee Ambassador program to help onboard new users Create your own AI adoption playbook with these tactics and more in our Copilot Success Kit. #Microsoft365Copilot https://lnkd.in/g7UhxPTg