Mobile talent training a 'game-changer' in learning

Because winning the talent war has become a factor in determining which companies stand out in the marketplace, smart corporate trainers are moving from traditional classrooms to mobile devices.

"The move to technology-enabled learning, such as mobile learning and social learning, is a trend," said Tony Bingham, president and chief executive officer of American Society for Training and Development.

"It speeds the learning process and the efficiency, the effectiveness of learning," he added. "And it shifts the model from the professional trainer being the only one who can train in an organization to one where everyone is considered a trainer. That changes the game."

The shift comes as technology and the increasing penetration rate of smartphones in China act as enablers for the corporate training industry.

According to industry insiders, as of the third quarter of 2013, China accounted for nearly 40 percent of the global smartphone market.

United States-based consultancy International Data Corp has forecast that China's smartphone shipments will exceed 450 million this year, spurred by information and communication technologies including cloud computing, big data and fourth-generation networks.

China recently awarded high-speed 4G licenses to the country's top three telecom carriers: China Telecom Corp Ltd, China Mobile Communications Corp and China United Network Communications Group Co.

"There are 7.1 billion people in the world, and there's 7 billion-plus mobile activations," said Bingham. "And that's a huge opportunity for the entire (training) field and for organizations as a whole."

Chinese companies are striving to create an effective learning environment in a bid to attract and retain domestic and foreign talent.

China has experienced a consistent talent outflow in recent years. The Global Talent Competitiveness Index ranked China 47 among 103 countries, which collectively represent 86.3 percent of the world's population and 96.7 percent of the world's GDP.

"People may think that we have to use money to attract and retain talent. However, if they find that there is no chance of development, they will quit their job," said Mindy Yeh, managing director of global talent management company DDI Greater China.

"Salaries are not necessarily the number one thing," Bingham said.

"If you want to be an employer of choice, the right thing to do, both for the company and for the individual, is to develop them."

Said Yeh: "When it comes to corporate training, a lot of companies are going mobile and using social media as a networking tool, where everybody can share their insights or how they apply skills."

The ASTD 2013 China Summit was held in Beijing on Dec 3. The event, started by ASTD in partnership with HRoot, an online talent management company in China, introduced the latest industry trends and internationally recognized learning practices to Chinese businesses.

Training and development practices for Chinese businesses have gained recognition worldwide over the past few years. This year, Chinese winners of the ASTD BEST and Excellence in Practice Award include Quanta Computer, China Telecom and Hong Kong-based Mass Transit Railway Corp.

"Training has elevated its value within organizations over the past five to 10 years. And China specifically is making huge investments in people," said Bingham.

"As companies continue to figure out how to get their leaders ready faster, more efficiently and more consistently, mobile learning is one of the hottest trends," he added.

However, he said, it doesn't mean traditional classroom training is obsolete, because mobile or social learning doesn't replace the need for deep learning.

"If the purpose of training is to change behavior, then traditional classroom training still has its value," said Yeh.

"In classroom training, participants have more real experience interacting with the facilitators, and practicing and getting feedback from their classmates and the facilitator."

According to ASTD, about 55 percent of training is still conducted in the classroom.

"As learning professionals, you have to learn to pick and choose where mobile or social learning makes sense - and where it doesn't," said Bingham.