Frontline workers provide public-facing services which are essential for all kinds of businesses to function. They’re easily as important as any office-based or remote employee. You need to make sure they have adequate support, which includes finding the right software for frontline employee training.
It’s true that a lot of policies and content around workplace L&D tend to focus heavily on office-based staff, which reflects the fact that key decision-makers (senior leaders and HR) are generally office-based themselves. So, it might shock you to realize just how much of a bias this really is.
According to Beekeeper’s 2024 Frontline Pulse Report, 80% of employees globally count as frontline workers, as they’re utilized to varying degrees by approximately 90% of the world’s businesses.
Training a frontline workforce presents a few unique challenges compared to other types of employee. For one thing, their deskless nature means they usually lack the easy computer access of office-based staff.
There’s also often a high degree of turnover in frontline work. According to McKinsey, in May 2024, there were 2.5 million more frontline retail roles available in the US than there were job seekers in that industry. This shows how much stress and dissatisfaction there can be in frontline work.
That’s why proper training for frontline employees is absolutely essential. They need the right skills to work effectively, and to stay resilient. Now, let’s look at the must-have features for your frontline training LMS.
Key features for frontline training platforms
If you want to find out how to manage frontline workers with an LMS, the best place to start is with essential features and functions. These include things you might not consider if you’ve only managed L&D for office-based teams.
Mobile accessibility
Mobile access is arguably the most obvious inclusion in an LMS for frontline staff. If a learning management system can only be accessed through a computer-based app or direct network connection, it’ll disproportionately favor your office-based employees.
Thankfully, we live in an age where most people have immediate access to a smartphone or tablet. That’s why most frontline training platforms offer apps with at least some level of mobile support. When evaluating a mobile app for frontline training, consider the following:
- Missing features compared its main platform
- Phone and tablet-friendly UI adjustments
- Ease of setup and permissions requirements
Microlearning and bite-sized content
Frontline work can often be hectic and fast-paced. Just ask anyone who’s ever worked on a bar or waiting tables on a Friday night. In environments like this, it can be hard to find the time for extended courses and seminars, virtual or otherwise. On top of that, the way people consume modern media tends to favor more concise formats.
Bite-sized content and microlearning deliver key info in a brief way. If there’s any jargon, it’s handily explained in layman’s terms. Similarly, training exercises should be quick even if they’re designed to be challenging.
This style of L&D lets people work through training when they have time on the job, and allows ambitious employees to practice self-learning more readily.
Compliance and certification tracking
Different industries and sectors all have various regulations they must abide by to operate legally. As any HR professional knows, this applies to training standards as much as anything.
Take a hospital, for example. Nurses, orderlies and other staff need safety and hazard training for the sake of public wellbeing, while customer-facing admin staff need data-handling certification to ensure compliance.
This is why any good LMS (frontline or otherwise) needs a compliance training system for tracking course progress milestones and certification rates. It’s a metaphorical paper trail showing that HR and management have done their due diligence in overseeing frontline training.
Data and analytics
As a tool meant to support your employees, you need to be sure that your chosen software for frontline workforce training is doing its job. This is where data and analytics come in. A good frontline LMS will allow you to collect certain kinds of information autonomously, such as:
- Enrollments
- Completion times and failure rates
- Content engagement statistics
- Platform access preferences (likely mobile app for frontline staff)
On top of that, you can gather additional insights by conducting learner feedback using any survey tools at your disposal. With the right software, you can also conduct AI-driven analysis to find actionable insights at lightning speed.
Multilingual support
Large businesses especially may have frontline workers in all manner of places. For instance, a US-based multinational corporation may well have frontline workers in countries with first languages other than English.
Software for frontline workplace training needs multilingual support to be accessible to employees in different places. Thankfully, this is a feature common to many modern learning management systems.
1. Zensai’s Learn365
Learn365 is part of Zensai’s broader Human Success Platform. Our customers include learning institutions like Aston University and Wirral University, as well as the law firm Nelson Mullins and the global IT services company Insentra.
As the name suggests, it’s a module focusing on employee learning and development. With an emphasis on ease-of-use and accessibility, our system is a great LMS for frontline staff.
Core features of this frontline workforce training software
With it arguably being the Human Success Platform’s flagship module, Learn365 comes with an array of features designed for agile learning management that make it the ideal software for frontline workforce training. It’s fully integrated with Microsoft Teams and other apps in the 365 catalog.
- Full support for mobile access: While our LMS may run through Teams, its entire range of features are available through the Learn365 mobile app, including offline course access. We also offer Flow365, a solution designed specifically for frontline workers with no Microsoft license required for end-users.
- Enables microlearning: With Content365, you can access and customize vast content libraries to suit your needs. That includes finding bite-sized knowledge resources and manageable exercise materials for employees on-the-go.
- Skills framework and workforce planning: With the Learn365 skills framework, you can easily evaluate skills gaps in your frontline workforce and plan suitable course options accordingly.
- Tracking dashboards with custom reporting: Our tracking dashboards automate the collection of data like enrollments and completions for real-time insights and compliance monitoring. Dashboard reporting can easily be tweaked to suit organizational needs.
Main selling points
Beyond basic features, Learn365 and the rest of our platform have a lot to offer as software for frontline workforce training. Its biggest strengths as a frontline LMS include:
- Ease-of-use: Between end-to-end automation, AI-assisted course creation, personalized learning and easy access, Learn365 is simple to use for both HR admins and frontline employee users. Even implementation is a breeze, thanks to integration with Microsoft 365 and common HRIS and HCM systems.
- Strong reporting and compliance: Learn365’s Audit Trail continuously monitors L&D data. This ensures you’re meeting your compliance and documentation requirements, and enables troubleshooting for better course management.
- Automates learning admin: Learn365 streamlines learning admin by allowing you to automate workflows for course management, like enrollment, certification and waiting lists. This saves your HR team time and massively improves scalability.
- Gamification features: Learn365’s course creation tools let you use features like leaderboards, scores, levels and quizzes to keep your frontline workers motivated. These simple elements can help to keep people engaged while working through employee training.
Limitations of this frontline workforce training software
In the name of objectivity, it’s only fair we talk about Learn365’s limitations. On the whole, Zensai’s LMS is a great agile solution for frontline employee training. The following represent situational drawbacks and areas for future improvement:
- Relies on Microsoft Tools: Our platform’s deep Microsoft integration is often a selling point. But it’s more of an investment if you don’t already use Microsoft 365 and Teams. Without these common workplace tools, you won’t really get the full Learn365 experience.
- A less sleek UI: While our platform’s UI may emphasize simplicity, it’s not quite as flashy as some of its competitors. Like the Microsoft tools it integrates with, Learn365 emphasizes functionality over aesthetics.
- Fewer talent development tools: While we aim to pack as much functionality into tools like our AI course management, skills framework and learning personalization as possible, other software for frontline workforce training may offer a greater breadth of tools.
- Doesn’t cater to higher education: While most workplace learning is… well, in the workplace, some employers sponsor higher education. Learn365 doesn’t offer any specific functionality to support this type of employee development.
Pricing
Like all our modules, you can get a quote for Learn365 individually. If you’re interested in the full Human Success Platform, however, we offer the following price tiers:
- $: Grow Basic with Success Basic support
- $$: Grow Plus with Success Plus (automation, advanced analytics, etc)
- $$$: Grow Premium with Success Premium (Expert support for custom implementation)
Best fit
With a range of affordable price plans, strong automation and highly compliant analytics and reporting, Learn365 is a great frontline LMS for businesses of all sizes. Our vast content libraries help us cater to businesses in a wide variety of industries and sectors, from manufacturing and healthcare to finance and legal work.
2. Axonify
Next up on our list of the best software for workforce training is Axonify. They offer a fully mobile, AI-powered LMS designed to put learning straight into the hands of your people. Like Zensai, they also offer other tools for things like engagement and performance.
Core features of this frontline workforce training software
Specific features are often what determines the best software for frontline workforce training, and Axonify has some impressive ones on offer:
- Learning path personalization: Like many modern learning management systems, Axonify allows you to personalize training on an individual level. This ensures you’re actually giving people the development they want or need.
- AI learning reinforcement: Axonify uses AI to keep learners engaged with spaced out, calculated prompts and reminders.
- Gamified learning: Another feature common to many platforms like Axonify and Zensai. Scoreboards, points, user levels and interactive activities motivate competition and make learning more enjoyable.
- Training content marketplace: If Axonify’s immediate content doesn’t suit your training needs, you can flesh out your content library using their platform’s own marketplace.
Main selling points
Besides its specific features, Axonify has also earned brand recognition for the following strengths:
- Accessibility across devices: Axonify is available through desktop, phones and tablets with comms features to reach frontline users.
- Enables self-learning: Axonify makes it easy for users to browse content libraries to take learning into their own hands.
- Efficient onboarding with bite-sized learning: Axonify claims they can deliver streamlined onboarding with daily learning sessions of just 3-5 minutes.
- Incredible multilingual support: While Axonify’s service bears a few similarities to Zensai, the one area it definitively outperforms Learn365 is multilingual support with over 60 languages enabled.
Limitations of this frontline workforce training software
For everything Axonify does right, there are still limitations to bear in mind:
- Completely lacks pricing transparency: Axonify doesn’t offer visible prices for its tools online, nor does it detail any price tiers for greater affordability.
- Learning tools interfere with one another: Axonify users complain that features like learning paths can disrupt mechanisms like daily learning goals, forcing HR to pick which tool they want to use successfully.
- Feature paywalls: Besides its three modules, Learning, Communications and Operations, Axonify has add-ons. Some of these lock out important features like most of the platform’s direct comms functionality.
- Difficult user grouping: Distinguishing user groups can be complicated, as Axonify doesn’t provide many options for characterizing them.
Pricing
As noted, Axonify offers Learning, Communications and Operations modules plus add-ons. However, there is no price transparency and no apparent price tiers.
Best fit
With a wide array of clients including major corporations, Axonify is definitely a great LMS for frontline staff in medium and large businesses. That said, its total lack of price transparency means we can’t recommend it for start-ups for smaller organizations.
3. SC Training (Formerly EdApp)
SC Training is an LMS dedicated to bite-sized learning. As such, it’s a strong contender to be the best software for frontline workforce training.
Core features of this frontline workforce training software
SC Training offers several useful core features which make it a highly effective LMS for a frontline workforce:
- Manual and AI course creation: AI course creation tools allow you to put courses together at speed. If you’d rather do it manually, SC Training’s original course creation tools are still there and easy to use.
- Editable course library: SC Training offers over 1,000 courses that can be chopped and changed to suit your needs.
- Admin and analytics: Simple tools make it easy to handle course management admin, while centralized analytics keep you up to date with the latest stats from your active courses.
- Rapid refresh quiz maker: SC Training’s quizzes help you deliver refresher courses and identify potential knowledge or skills gaps in your organization.
Main selling points
Whether you think of them as SC Training or EdApp, this provider runs a very popular platform with the following selling points:
- Price flexibility and transparency: Unlike competitors like Axonify, SC Training has a clearly defined price structure. This even includes a free version available to teams of up to 10 learners.
- 30-day free trial: If you’re worried their free version won’t be enough to test suitability for your business, their premium tier is available for a free trial.
- Ease-of-use: SC Training’s bite-sized learning and AI-assisted course creation make it user-friendly for both admins and end-users.
- Highly focused on bite-sized learning: While many learning management systems can deliver bite-sized learning, it’s a primary focus for SC Training.
Limitations of this frontline workforce training software
Even SC Training isn’t perfect. Here are some of the drawbacks we’ve identified:
- Lacks external integrations: LMS suitability often hinges on how it fits in with your existing tools. SC Training falls down by not offering integrations for common HR tools or Microsoft systems.
- Video content limitations: While you can include video content for employee learning, there’s a limit to how much you can upload at once, making it less flexible than you might like.
- Blended learning only available for enterprise: SC Training has added blended learning support, but restricts it to their most expensive plan.
- Lacks advanced user roles and permissions: The downside of SC Training’s ease-of-use is that features for setting permissions and user roles are quite limited.
Pricing
SC Training offers the following price tiers:
- Free ($):
- Limited to 10 users max
- Unlimited shareable courses
- AI lesson generation
- Gamification
- Unlimited video and audio
- Branding customization
- 24/7 online support
- Premium ($$):
- All benefits from Free
- Unlimited users
- Single sign-on
- AI translation
- Group creation
- Advanced analytics
- Enterprise ($$$):
- Premium benefits
- Blended learning plan
- Tailored onboarding services
- Scalable production support
Best fit
With its price transparency and flexibility, SC Training is a great frontline staff training option for small businesses. On top of that, its list of major clients shows it’s just as at home with medium companies and large enterprises.
4. Lingio
Last but not least, let’s talk about Lingio. As a mobile-based learning management system, they’re a natural fit for frontline training. They’re big on both gamification and AI learning support.
Core features of this frontline workforce training software
As fully mobile software for frontline workforce training, Lingio offers a few useful features, such as:
- Tracking portal: Lingio’s tracking portal allows HR to easily monitor L&D stats in real-time. This allows you to assess things like learner engagement and course effectiveness for the best decision-making.
- AI course creator: The AI-powered course creator lets you quickly turn text into content and add gamification features to engage your people.
- Gamified learning app: Speaking of gamification, Lingio’s learning app offers gamification features like points systems, quizzes and interactive stories.
- Lingio’s content library: Along with Lingio’s AI course creator, they also have an internal course library covering a variety of topics, from workplace wellbeing to cybersecurity.
Main selling points
Beyond its specific features, Lingio’s major selling points include:
- A dedicated mobile solution: Whereas other services are desktop systems with mobile apps, Lingio is a fully mobile-first LMS. This makes it a very reliable option for enabling frontline learning.
- Boosts engagement via gamification: As noted, Lingio offers gamification, which it claims improves course completion rates 12 times over.
- Top quality multilingual support: Lingio is easily at the front of the pack for multilingual support, with functionality for over 100 languages.
- Speedy course creation tools: Lingio’s AI course creation means you can set up new learning content very quickly. This helps you roll out new skills training and onboard fresh hires with greater efficiency.
Limitations of this frontline workforce training software
- Only an LMS: While competitors like Zensai offer dedicated engagement and performance management tools, Lingio’s entire service consists of course creation tools and the employee learning app.
- Limited brand reputation: Unlike other brands, there is less review coverage online for Lingio. This makes it harder to research and suggests it could have issues gaining market traction.
- Limited and vague integrations: Most learning management systems show off their integrations as a selling point. Lingio mentions them in pricing, but offers little detail about their integration capabilities.
- Narrow AI features: While Lingio’s AI course creation tools are appreciated, it lacks the AI analytics and learning personalization features of other platforms.
Pricing
Lingio offers the following three price tiers:
- Essential ($):
- 100 learners
- Create up to 10 courses
- Gamified learning app for 100 users
- Tracking and coaching portal plus two admins
- Chat and email support
- In-app translation
- Accessibility and implementation support
- SMS and email
- Professional ($$):
- Everything from Essential
- Additional 50 users
- Unlimited tracking and coaching admins
- Calls and meetings
- Professional implementation support
- Custom ($$$):
- Everything from Professional
- Unlimited course creation
- Dedicated expert support
- Integrations included
- Flexible billing and setup
Best fit
With its price points, Lingio is a better choice for medium-to-large businesses rather than it is for SMBs. That said, opaque custom pricing means it could get expensive for enterprise companies too. Lingio offers solutions for industries like cleaning, transport, elder care and hospitality.
Your best software for frontline workforce training
Lastly, let’s look at some important considerations when supporting frontline employee learning.
Industry needs
Industry requirements should be the first thing you look at. After all, you need to be sure your chosen platform has relevant training solutions for your people.
Your organization’s industry or sector will have specific compliance requirements for your frontline staff to operate legally. Healthcare workers, for example, will have stringent health and safety policies to observe, plus data handling commitments regarding sensitive customer data.
Frontline workforce size and budget
The size and budget of your business can be major limiting factors when choosing an LMS for frontline staff. An enterprise business, for example, will have to choose an option with granular enough permissions and good enough automation features for scalability.
On the other hand, an SMB will likely have to ignore any option without clear, affordable pricing. To get the best software for frontline workforce training, you need to balance functionality with affordability.
User experience and support
As with any workplace tool or policy, it’ll be made or broken by employee buy-in. If learning management software has poor user experience, you can’t expect your people to stick with it. That’s how you end up with low course completion rates and a whole bunch of disengaged learners.
Integration needs
Finally, there’s the fact that learning management doesn’t happen in a vacuum. When adopting a new system, HR should generally avoid throwing the baby out with the bathwater. That’s why platforms that integrate with HRIS systems and other common workplace tools will always have an edge over those that can’t.
Fully explore your options
Basically, there’s no sense rushing to choose an LMS. Whatever you pick, you’ll probably be using it for a while. So, take your time and compare your options. Read reviews and balance pros and cons.
More than that, however, keep an eye out for interactive demos and free trials. These are worth their metaphorical weight in gold for HR because they allow hands-on experience before you commit.
At Zensai, we offer interactive demos for every part of the Human Success Platform, including Learn365. So, schedule a demo today and find out why ours is the best learning management system for frontline workforce training!
