e-Learning can boost company and employee performance

Dr Jeremy B. Williams, Associate Professor in eLearning and Director, Pedagogy and Assessment highlighted the issue, which has a striking relevance to the Arab region, in his paper on 'Talent Development and Talent Retention through eLearning', which he presented at the Middle East HR Summit 2005 today.

His presentation emphasized that the secret to making a company the destination of choice for bright, innovative thought leaders, was to make them feel valued enough for the company to invest in them.

Low employee turnover in the Arab region, more often than not, was a result of legalities that prevented frequent job changes, according to Dr. Williams. To counter this, Human Resource Management (HRM) should look into methods to overcome this forced allegiance to a company, and instill a true sense of motivation and loyalty by investing in employees, which will translate into better performance for the company as well, he argued.

"With HRM rapidly becoming the most important function in this sector of the economy, eLearning presents HR managers with an effective tool not only for talent retention/talent development, but also to boost employee morale and loyalty," Dr. Williams said.

"When eLearning is an integral part of corporate strategy, there is a mutually beneficial system in play, ensuring the company benefits from the employee's increased knowledge and skill in real time, while employees feel they are valued by the company," he continued.

"As the Arab region rapidly makes the transition from an industrial economy to a knowledge based one, education can assist in smoothing the transformation process, helping to secure the 'head and heart' of the employee and instilling a shared sense of mission," Dr. Williams went on to say.