Tech vs Touch: SME employees prefer human intervention in training, development

The ideal approach is a blend — technology used to augment human intervention. SME leaders must ensure that they do not invest heavily in LMS tools without taking stock of employee preferences

Looks like the corporate learning management system (LMS) has finally come of age — the market is poised to triple by 2027 to $30 billion. The pandemic years saw an astronomical rise in the use of LMSs, which was till then more or less stagnant in most enterprises. However, we, at Medici Institute, in a study among a cross-section of senior managers, found that many employees prefer human intervention in training and development, despite the potential benefits of AI-driven adaptive LMS. This is more pronounced among SME employees.

When employees have to acquire a skill that would immediately bring them some benefits, they don’t care how they acquire the same –  automated, virtual, or in-person. For everything else, they prefer human-led instruction.

Human trainers and mentors provide personalised guidance and adapt content to an individual's unique learning style and preferences. This is one of the primary reasons human intervention is indispensable in learning and development initiatives. Employees have diverse experiences which can be challenging to address solely through automated systems.

A medium-sized IT firm that implemented an AI-driven coding tutorial platform found that while it provided valuable content, employees had specific questions and challenges related to their projects. Human trainers were subsequently brought in to offer one-on-one mentoring, resulting in more targeted support and accelerated skill development.

Some SME owners feel that customisation is needed to ensure that employees receive the right level of support at the right time — which means better engagement, faster skill acquisition, and improved job performance. They need to be able to relate to real-life issues and contextual examples.

Employees need emotional support and motivation to learn. An AI-based LMS cannot offer encouragement, address concerns, and help one stay engaged throughout the journey — at least for now.

Human trainers play a vital role in motivating and holding employees accountable for their progress. They can set clear expectations, track performance, and provide encouragement — all the right ingredients for taking responsibility for one’s development.

A medium-sized client initially relied on an LMS platform for tutorials on digital marketing, but noticed that many employees skipped modules or did not complete courses. After introducing a human mentor to track progress and provide regular feedback, the completion rate was much better.

Employees complain that their questions on complex topics are not well addressed by automated systems. They believe that only human trainers can address such issues well.

Learning soft skills such as communication, leadership and teamwork, which are essential in the workplace, is another challenge.These skills are difficult to teach and assess through automated systems, as they involve complex human interactions.

A leading engineering consultancy firm attempted to implement AI-driven interpersonal skills training, but the numerous engineers there found it awkward to apply the theory in real-world client interactions.The issue was solved by using human coaches who rolled out role-playing, feedback, and coaching, resulting in more effective soft skills development.

Most organisations have their unique challenges not just because of the type of industry they are in but also because of company culture and other reasons and an automated LMS will not fully understand those nuances and address the same. Without experienced human trainers conversant with the organisation’s culture, industry, and such, learning and development programmes cannot be tailored to align with specific requirements.

The manufacturing arm of a large conglomerate was mandated to use existing off-the-shelf automated safety-training programmes, but it did not  align with their specific safety protocols and equipment. Senior trainers were brought in to customise the training under the supervision of experts, per their unique safety requirements.

Here are some more reasons why employees find learning better with human intervention:

>> In industries or roles that involve intricate problem solving, human trainers will guide employees through complex scenarios and help develop critical thinking and decision-making skills.

>> For topics related to empathy, diversity, equity, and inclusion, human trainers are essential.

>> Only human trainers can serve as mentors, offering career guidance, setting goals, and helping employees develop a long-term perspective on their professional growth.

>> An LMS cannot assess the effectiveness of training programmes and make real-time adjustments based on learner feedback and performance. This iterative process is required  for continuous improvement in training quality.

>> Human trainers build trust with employees, and that’s invaluable when it comes to sensitive topics like ethics, compliance, or confidential matters.

The ideal approach might be a blended one, where technology is used to augment human intervention. SME leaders must ensure that they do not invest heavily in LMS tools without taking stock of employee preferences, abilities, and the availability of customised modules.