5 Signs That It’s Time To Hire An LMS Administrator For Your Online Training Program

Why You Should Hire An LMS Administrator For Your Online Training Program

It’s a common mistake, thinking your L&D team can manage your LMS themselves. You found the time to implement the system, but now that the project is over, it’s just a bit of reporting, right? Wrong. The LMS administrator role deals with technical issues, communications, training and stakeholder management. Your LMS doesn’t run itself, and you’ve probably started to encounter reporting problems due to poor data integrity, or users don’t have the right access levels. This is likely impacting on your online training targets. So, it’s time to hire an LMS administrator who ensures you get the most out of your LMS investment.

LMS Administration: The Myth Vs The Reality

We’ve covered the first myth: install an LMS and forget about it. Unfortunately, the Learning Management System (and your online training program) don’t run themselves. In fact, it takes regular maintenance to ensure accurate data and reporting. You also need to update online training content, manage issues, and provide adequate L&D support. Simply put, the list of duties to manage an LMS is long and essential! Yet another myth is that the L&D team can find the time to cover these tasks themselves. However, this particular expectation may be coming from those that hold the budget, and your job is to convince leadership that hiring an LMS administrator can wait no longer. This article will guide you through several issues you’ll face without one to help you build your business case.

5 Common Issues You’ll Encounter Without An LMS Administrator

1. Poor Uptake

Delayed or ignored support queries are just one symptom you’ll encounter with the absence of an effective LMS admin. Simple login issues can be handled easily through an established and efficient support resolution system. An LMS administrator will deal with these on a daily basis. Here are some other signs of poor uptake to look out for:

• No communication with corporate learners- If your corporate learners aren’t informed as a matter of course, they will not understand the online training expectations. A new online training course may not be assigned to the correct employees. Regular communication channels and appropriate, automated emails will keep corporate learners involved.
• Outdated online training content or eLearning course design- Not only do LMS administrators handle access and reporting, they are responsible for the process of keeping content up to date. In most cases, they work with managers or Subject Matter Experts to ensure online training is relevant and timely.
• Lack of customization- If you hire an LMS administrator he or she will make sure any updates regarding integration to other corporate systems is managed carefully. Any branding changes will be reflected in the customization of the LMS design. Without an LMS administrator, the look and feel of your LMS may not reflect your current corporate aesthetic.

2. L&D Team Overstretched, With No Time For LMS Admin Tasks

You may be finding it harder and harder to meet your online training targets. For instance, the development of new online training material is taking far too long. Or maybe you have a staff vacancy that you simply cannot fill. Then again, the burden of maintaining your LMS may be leading to stress and burnout on the L&D team. If you don’t have someone to handle the day-to-day running of the system, you cannot get the best out of your eLearning team. Furthermore, you might end up losing your top L&D talent because they simply feel overworked and undervalued. They’re stretched too thin – and you can avoid all this by hiring an LMS administrator for your online training program.

3. Technical Issues

There are numerous technical issues that could occur due to the lack of proper maintenance. For instance, you hire an LMS administrator to handle user roles, create and maintain online training content, provide customization and collect eLearning feedback. These prevent access or user errors. An LMS administrator also receives training and knows how to troubleshoot common issues. For example, they can help you overcome the common obstacles when switching to a new platform. Or give your L&D team the tools it needs to resolve more rudimentary tech issues when they arise.

4. Collaboration Issues

Every new online training course is a mini-project. Once you hire an LMS administrator they will act as the eLearning Project Manager, in a sense, bringing stakeholders together to create and roll out new online training. Without this central point of contact, teams will find it difficult to raise and resolve issues together. You may miss new opportunities for collaboration. On top of that, stakeholders might complain that the LMS is not fit for purpose if they’re not able to see their organizational goals in action.

5. Staff Training Issues

It may look as if there are technical errors with LMS reports or the eLearning course design. However, it’s more likely that the online training has not been rolled out alongside the correct training. When you hire an LMS administrator, you hand in the responsibility for providing and creating communications and dealing with any queries. They set the example and provide your team with ongoing support so that everyone can use the LMS effectively and maximize functionality.

Conclusion

An LMS administrator helps get the most out of your LMS investment. Without proper maintenance, stakeholder support and training, your LMS will not live up to expectations. An experienced and well-trained administrator will improve the efficiency of L&D within your entire organization. Therefore, the next time you’re building a business case for a new LMS, ensure you incorporate the cost of an LMS administrator. Don’t make the same mistake, thinking you can do everything within the L&D team! Is it your role to lead and manage the technical maintenance of eLearning software? Doubtful. Your commitment is to deliver online training across all levels of the organization. With an LMS administrator in place, your system will run efficiently, and you can concentrate on your L&D strategy.

Do you need to hire an LMS administrator for your online training program? Post your job to attract qualified administrators and manage your applicants online. You can also search the resume database to see if any eLearning professionals meet your requirements.

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