A LinkedIn Learning Review for Businesses
As the world continues to evolve at a rapid pace, organizations are seeking effective ways to upskill their employees and promote a continuous learning culture. LinkedIn Learning has emerged as a popular online learning platform for self-directed learning in businesses. LinkedIn Learning features a variety of learning formats, including videos, articles, and quizzes, which are typically written and taught by industry experts covering, covering a range of topics including business, technology, and creative skills.
In this article, we review LinkedIn Learning for businesses, examining its features, its main pros and cons, pricing, and other alternatives to LinkedIn Learning.
LinkedIn Learning features, benefits and content
What learning formats does LinkedIn Learning offer?
LinkedIn Learning features a range of learning formats, including videos, articles, and quizzes, which are typically written and taught by industry experts covering a full range of topics. The platform also offers bite-sized learning modules, called "microlearning" which provide learners with targeted and focused training on specific skills.
How many courses does LinkedIn Learning offer?
The LinkedIn Learning content offering is vast. Currently, LinkedIn Learning offers more than 18000 courses covering a wide range of topics including business, technology, and creative skills.
What languages does LinkedIn Learning offer?
Currently, LinkedIn Learning offers courses in several languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Mandarin, and Portuguese.
What are the LinkedIn Learning features and functionalities on offer?
LinkedIn Learning offers a handful of functionalities and features that enhance the learning experience for both business learners and administrators. These include personalized learning recommendations, the ability to create custom learning paths, and the option to track employee progress and engagement.
Additionally, LinkedIn Learning integrates directly with LinkedIn’s professional network, allowing users to showcase their completed courses and new skills on their LinkedIn profiles for colleagues, friends, and potential employers.
The Pros & Cons of LinkedIn Learning for businesses
From a thorough examination of LinkedIn Learning reviews, the following are the most frequent pros and cons of LinkedIn Learning for businesses.
Main pros of LinkedIn Learning for businesses:
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- Enormous library of courses covering a wide range of topics
- Bite-sized learning modules (microlearning) for targeted learning
- Personalized learning recommendations and custom learning paths
- Can integrate with users’ LinkedIn profiles
- Content is available in multiple languages
Main cons of LinkedIn Learning for businesses:
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- Too expensive for most SMEs and mid-market businesses
- Limited interactive learning opportunities
- Courses not always up to date with latest knowledge
- Quality of courses can vary considerably
- Limited customer support
Frequently Asked Questions about LinkedIn Learning for businesses
We’ve compiled answers to many of the frequently asked questions online about LinkedIn Learning by learning & development professionals.
What is the general reputation of LinkedIn Learning within the L&D industry?
In general, LinkedIn Learning receives mostly positive reviews from learning & development professionals. The platform is known for its wide selection of courses, personalized learning recommendations, and the ability to track employee progress and engagement. However, LinkedIn Learning is also viewed as one of the more expensive solutions, which can be difficult to accommodate for companies with a smaller L&D budget. Furthermore, because LinkedIn Learning is not the company’s core product, LinkedIn Learning does not have a reputation for providing quick client and end-user support.
What is the average employee usage rate for LinkedIn Learning?
Employee engagement and utilization rates are key KPIs for self-directed learning solutions like LinkedIn Learning. The usage rate for LinkedIn Learning varies from company to company, however, based on an analysis of LinkedIn Learning reviews it appears that the typical usage rate of LinkedIn Learning is on level with industry standards.
How good is the quality and relevance of LinkedIn Learning courses?
So, are LinkedIn courses good? Overall, LinkedIn Learning courses are well regarded for their quality and relevance. The platform partners with industry experts, thought leaders, and trainers to create courses that are informative and engaging. LinkedIn Learning instructors are often experts in their respective fields, and selected through a vetting process that evaluates their industry and teaching experience. Many instructors hold senior positions within organizations, allowing them to draw on years of experience when creating courses.
Nevertheless, because of the sheer amount of LinkedIn Learning content, users have pointed out on LinkedIn Learning reviews that the quality of its courses can vary considerably and that not all of its courses are up to date with the latest knowledge and best practice.
How effective is LinkedIn Learning at creating a culture of continuous learning?
LinkedIn Learning can be an effective tool to help companies build a culture of continuous learning. However, making LinkedIn Learning available to your staff is usually not enough to create a learning culture. The solution needs to be integrated into the company’s overall learning & development strategy and the company needs to continuously promote the solution internally towards employees.
How much support does LinkedIn Learning provide to company admins and end users?
LinkedIn Learning does offer support to company admins and end-users, including access to training resources and community forums. However, LinkedIn Learning review sites such as Trustpilot have noted that LinkedIn Learning can have slow response times. Furthermore, providing comprehensive support for LinkedIn Learning might not be a priority for the company since it is not LinkedIn’s core product.
What costs are associated with LinkedIn Learning for businesses?
LinkedIn Learning does not provide pricing information for businesses on its website. A price quote is only available by contacting its sales department. Nevertheless, judging from LinkedIn Learning reviews online, it appears that its enterprise-level pricing is on the high end when compared with many other self directed learning solutions for businesses.
How to decide if LinkedIn Learning is the best fit for your company
LinkedIn Learning is one of the most popular digital learning solutions for self directed learning. However, determining whether LinkedIn Learning is the best fit for your company can be challenging. The following checklist of questions will help you determine whether LinkedIn Learning is the best solution for your company or whether your company’s learning needs could be satisfied by less costly alternatives.
- Is LinkedIn Learning within my budget range or should I look for less expensive alternatives?
- Does my company really need the vast amount of LinkedIn Learning content provided?
- Would my company and our end-users need more support than what LinkedIn Learning provides?
- Does LinkedIn Learning integrate easily with my company’s LMS?
Alternatives to LinkedIn Learning for businesses
Obviously, if you’re considering LinkedIn Learning for your business, it’s always a good idea to compare it with other solutions that also offer self directed learning. Here are a few of the most popular alternatives to LinkedIn Learning for businesses.
Access Self Directed Learning: Also known as Bookboon Learning, this solution for self-directed learning offers a great user experience combined with excellent customer support. The main advantage of Access Self-Directed Learning is its simple, engaging, and personalized user experience that increases staff engagement in learning. Because of its focus on user experience, this solution has made a name for itself in the industry as “the Netflix of digital learning”.
Blinkist: This digital learning platform provides busy professionals with a fast and effective method to acquire knowledge from more than 4500 popular books via bite-sized summaries. The main benefit of Blinkist is its convenience, allowing users to glean essential ideas from a book in just 15 minutes, which helps them to learn on the go and enhance their productivity.
Goodhabitz: This is a self-directed learning solution for businesses that offers a flexible and cost-effective way to upskill employees. With GoodHabitz, employees can take courses at their own pace and on their own schedule, allowing them to balance their work and personal lives while still acquiring new skills. Goodhabitz offers courses ranging from soft skills training to technical skills training.
For a more thorough comparison of these solutions for self directed learning have a look at our article on Self Directed Learning Solutions for Businesses: Bookboon vs LinkedIn Learning vs Blinkist.
A LinkedIn Learning Review for Businesses - Conclusion
In conclusion, LinkedIn Learning is a popular online learning provider for businesses that offers a range of learning courses covering various topics. However, like any solution, it has its limitations and may not be the best fit for every business.
Businesses should evaluate their own specific needs and compare pricing and alternatives before deciding whether it's the right fit for them.
