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Encouraging continuous employee training in the workplace has become a matter of life and death for businesses of all sizes and branches. Companies that motivate employees to develop their skills are better at keeping flexible, ambitious, and highly qualified specialists. Thus, such businesses faster spot competence shifts in the labour market. Clear-cut and well-organized learning and development strategy dramatically reduces employee turnover and increases employee performance.
As an IT company operating at the confluence of changeable and challenging worlds of technology and the labour market, we fully understand the importance of learning in the workplace. However, our L&D specialists are also very aware of the obstacles employees have to overcome while learning in the flow of work. So, here are the takeaways of the strategy we have been applying.
We decided to ask our employees what role learning plays in their career upgrade and why they need it. Our specialists surveyed on this topic. People were asked:
Then we compared the answers to the company needs and measured how they overlapped. Turning an employee development strategy into an integral part of business goals planning reduced our concerns on how to engage people with new challenging tasks. The employees are hungry for new skills want to master them. The next step was to understand how to make this inspiration last.
Among the most common answers about the workplace learning incentives were the need to perform assigned tasks faster and tackle new challenges more effectively. Employees also mentioned broadening financial horizons, professional growth even the idea of career change within the company. Readiness to constantly improve qualification needs endorsement and appreciation. So, we decided to process these motivation factors and turn them into viable reminders of why personal learning is worth invested efforts. How? Well, our L&D specialists elaborated the system of endorsement for those who constantly and successfully took various courses and explored different workplace learning opportunities. Developing employees who show consistency in training and development can count on a mixture of financial and intrinsic rewards. They are also encouraged to share educational findings and insights into different problems. We take into account employees’ suggestions about potentially useful courses or workshops. If they appeared to be productivity-boosting for the company, these colleagues also get rewarded for their enthusiasm.
How can learning opportunities be provided in the modern workplace? Options fall into three main categories. The first one is structured learning when employees attend full-fledged classes, lectures (training sessions), or MOOCs. When a department or a team needs to obtain new skills for the upcoming tasks or work with some knowledge gaps, it signs up for the course, sets deadlines for accomplishing it, and gets a mentor who will guide employees through the whole process. There is also an option of informal, more flexible education. It enables people to get new knowledge whenever and however they want. This type is quite popular among those eager to improve self-management, public speech, leadership, communication, or digital literacy skills. In this case, articles, discussion clubs, or podcasts come in handy. Blended education in the workplace is another popular option among employees. The opportunity to test real-time and asynchronous learning helps people better understand what suit them the most. Moreover, a combination of face-to-face communication with instructors and studying autonomy offers them more ways to get useful skills in the workplace. Our L&D team informs employees about new learning opportunities by publishing digests of upcoming educational events and announcing the start of courses. It is always in search of experienced speakers who can share with employees their insights into relevant topics. Jooble also subscribes to several virtual library apps, so people have easier access to specialized literature and fiction.
This stage is also crucial. It helps both the company and its employees track their achievements and understand how the new knowledge helps accomplish set business goals. Our specialists prepare reports and collect feedback about the education options they provide and assess the level of employee engagement. It’s a two-sided interaction. On one hand, people can recommend something they find interesting, on the other hand, we make knowledge more available for them. The goal is to build a system where everyone understands the importance of continuous learning in the workplace and knows how to join it.
Although improving training opportunities in the workplace seems to be obviously beneficial, many businesses still struggle to create a learning culture. Create a long-term plan for it and allocate resources. Then collect employees’ aspirations and align them with company goals. Combine different learning strategies and track the progress. Remember that for many colleagues studying after a break, i.e. after graduating from university, may be a bit challenging. Therefore, be ready to test different approaches and techniques. Make knowledge available and endorse those who show enthusiasm. Thus, you will have more experienced and engaged employees ready to tackle the upcoming business challenges.
Learning in the workplace is an essential part of professional growth and development. Taking advantage of available educational opportunities can help employees stay up to date on trends, develop new skills, and be more successful in their current positions. By creating a learning culture that encourages employees to take ownership over their own education, employers can ensure they are getting the most out of each individual’s potential. With effective communication strategies, tailored training programs, and clear expectations for success, organizations will have the knowledge needed to maximize employee engagement while fostering a productive work environment where everyone succeeds.
Communication is a part of the company culture . Creating an open dialogue between employees and employers helps ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of expectations. Open communication also allows for more personalization of training programs and a better understanding of employee goals. Additionally, providing feedback on progress and accomplishments helps to foster an environment of success while keeping employees motivated and engaged in their work.
Finally, when it comes to effective learning in the workplace, employers must create an environment that is conducive to ongoing education and advancement. Don’t hesitate to apply different learning programs in your workplace. Knowlwdge is power.
