The idea of being a digital nomad is that you can travel anywhere, work from anywhere, yet still make a living. As more companies than ever hire remote workers and you can do many positions from wherever you have a reliable internet connection, this lifestyle has become both more popular and more viable.
The result is that there are more training options available now than there ever have been. Online and distance eLearning programs called learning management systems (LMS) have become more powerful and popular than ever before. What do these systems, designed to organize, deliver, and track educational courses and training programs, mean to digital nomads? Here are some ideas and advantages they provide.
Location Free Learning
The very idea of being a digital nomad is that you are not geographically tied to any company or position. This is why location free learning matters so much. You don’t need to travel to a certain city or even a certain company to learn a new job or even just brush up on your current knowledge.
Education, even company specific training, can be delivered to you anywhere in the world. For those hundreds of companies who have entirely remote workforces, this is not only good news, it is essential. Flying either trainees or trainers around the world would make the concept itself unviable. Instead, remote work has become much more of a norm, good news to those who want to explore the world while they work.
Remote Skill Development
This does not have to just apply to online learning of facts and other written materials. Video allows for even more thorough sharing of concepts, but even hands on skills can be taught from a distance. How does this work?
With virtual and augmented reality apps integrated into an LMS along with machine learning protocols, even hands on skills can be taught, developed, and even tested at a distance. No matter where you are, as long as your internet connection is good enough, you can work with others around the globe in developing these aptitudes.
This opens amazing possibilities for the medical field and other hands on applications. The possibilities keep expanding for digital nomads.
Uniform Training Materials
Often in the past the issue with distance learning was that not all of the training materials were uniform. Sometimes different languages, different locations, and other obstacles meant training was not uniform across a company.
What this meant to digital nomads was that they often felt disconnected, and there were often unexplained expectations that were not related to training the employee received. The advent of online, software powered learning systems is that these issues are no longer present to the degree they have been before. Materials are presented uniformly around the world and can be changed easily as needed.
Company Connections
That feeling of isolation felt by digital nomads was not only related to training materials and expectations, but to the simple factor of distance. A meeting on Tuesday would reach their email inbox on Wednesday. Policy changes would feel arbitrary and distant. A learning management system enables training to roll out to everyone all over the world at the same time, regardless of location and time zone.
The digital nomad often feels more connected to the company through this uniform training, timely delivery and the feeling of value and accomplishment that comes with the completion of training, and the acknowledgement of accomplishment.
This is an advantage to digital nomads because what often feels like a solitary pursuit does not have to be one. A sense of camaraderie and friendship can be established and grown through these programs, but it also offers distinct advantages to employers as well. This means an LMS must be structured to reach and empower digital nomads.
Remote Retention
One of the biggest benefits of a Learning management system to digital nomads and the businesses that employ them is remote retention. An employee who feels connected, valued, and engaged is more likely to stay with a company, and that is just good business. The cost of employee replacement and training is significant, and anything that promotes that retention is worthwhile.
On the side of the employee or the digital nomad, changing jobs can be stressful, and is not easy to do from a distance. Job hunting as a digital nomad has unique challenges and finding a good company to work for is a huge benefit. An LMS not only makes you feel valued and empowered, but it brings you on the same page as the rest of the company.
No one said that being a digital nomad was easy, and managing remote workers and a remote company is challenging from time to time, but a learning management system can make it easier, at least when it comes to training. Training does have a far-reaching impact though, and it matters to retention and other key metrics that affect employee satisfaction. When it comes to being a digital nomad or employing them, an LMS is almost a necessity.
