Top 7 Insights About Mobile Engagement Technology

How do managers engage with their workforce directly — even when they’re on the go — without access to a desk, computer or even an email address? Companies that provide mobile training offer numerous advantages over traditional in-class learning sessions. Your employees save time and can remain on task with their primary duties. Using mobile training, they’re also able to better retain the information they learn, and build a stronger relationship with your company.  

Here are seven more considerations as you roll out mobile training to your workforce.

1. Your employees prefer mobile websites to downloadable apps.

When people rely on personal or company-owned phones, text messaging is more popular than you can imagine. The easiest, most effective communication that smartphones allow is text messaging (SMS). Additionally, many employees have privacy concerns and are worried that their bosses will spy on them if they download an app.

2. Employees will learn what you want them to learn as long as it doesn’t take much effort and time. 

Microlearning, or “boost” learning is key to mobile training. Deliver lessons in five-minute bursts for longer information retention and without distracting employees from their primary duties. You may need to constantly prod employees to remind them to engage and read your emails, but you will know every time a text message is delivered.

3. Device neutrality is essential.

Your employees may prefer to use their phone, iPad, work computer, or wait to read your content until they get home and power on their computers, and that’s OK as long as they see the content. Let them learn on their terms and your mobile training program engagement will improve.

4. Phones help employees build a stronger relationship with your company.

Email is impersonal, but phones are intimate. People wake up and go to bed next to their phones. Nearly 95 percent of all text messages are read by recipients within a few minutes, but email open rates hover no higher than 20 percent, on average.

5. You don’t have to create new content.

To train and teach your employees via their phones, all you do have to repackage your existing content into bite-sized bursts. Break up your lesson plans into simple-to-understand tasks. You never have to start from scratch!

6. Interactions build retention. 

Don’t ask employees to simply click and read your content. Have them voice opinions, leave comments and take part in surveys or polls. The more invested they are in your mobile training program, the more engaged they become. The more feedback you collect, the more opportunity you have to iteratively improve instruction.

7. Add transparency.

If you make training and development transparent, employees will see when everyone is involved and engaged. This will often create friendly competition, especially when you reward employees for their participation in your mobile training program.