3 ways learning at work needs to change, and why

Whether it’s listening to your favourite podcast whilst commuting, watching the latest TED Talk on your lunch break or reading an interesting blog you spotted on your LinkedIn newsfeed, the way we all consume content is unrecognisable from ten years ago. But also, the ways in which we like to learn from and digest this information is constantly changing.

I think you’d agree with me when I say that the days of learning by sitting in a stale classroom or reading a boring textbook for hours on end are long gone. But what is it that has caused this shift? Of course, the rise of technology has a key role to play, as well as the urgent need to upskill quickly and in real-time, but in my mind there are two other factors worth noting:

• A new generation of digital natives are emerging: those who have grown up never having known life without the internet - learning in real-time, in a bite-sized format is second nature to them
• Workplace demographics are changing: as people are living longer, they are likely to stay in work longer, and will undoubtedly need to constantly learn new skills, in real-time

Not only are the tools we typically use to learn and consume information changing, but also the frequency and speed at which we want to learn are changing to. Interestingly, according to LinkedIn’s 2018 Workplace Learning report, 58% of respondents prefer to learn at their own pace, and 49% of employees prefer to learn at the point of need. This all points to the fact that essentially employees will almost certainly respond better to a more personalised approach to learning.

And given that 68% of employees prefer to learn at work, what does this all mean for employers, many of which are facing chronic skills shortages? In a nutshell, this could spell the end of traditional, standardised training programmes - making way for more a personalised, more digestible approach to how we facilitate our employee’s learning.

This is a topic we explored in the recent edition of the Hays Journal. So for the purposes of this blog, I wanted to distil a few of what I think, are some of the most salient points covered that we, as employers, must be mindful of:

1. Empower, and give your people the tools to direct their own learning

As Michael Pye, Business Analyst at HR, payroll and analytics software firm MHR, states, “Self-directed employee learning is not only the future, but is very much the here and now. Whereas in the past, staff training was pushed from top to bottom, there is a growing desire for it to be driven from the bottom up, by employees themselves.”

By actively encouraging your people to create their own personalised learning paths, you’ll soon see that they find this way of learning far more stimulating and effective than following strict and uninspiring training programmes. You’ll also notice that over time, this approach allows them to both enhance their own personal brand and improve their soft skills. The result is employees who are motivated by their own development.

Much of this self-directed learning will naturally happen using popular microlearning platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, podcasts and video. These bite-sized tools can accommodate different learning styles and preferences, and will essentially help everyone in your workplace to learn at a pace and in a format that suits them.

But of course not everyone in your workplace will have the confidence or perhaps the inclination to drive their own learning forward and use these kinds of tools to help them do so. In these cases, it’s crucial for employers, as Kevin Lyons, Senior HR Manager at Pearson says, to provide the support needed “…what employers can do is ensure that if they are providing this real-time, bite-sized content to their employees then guide them around it, and explain it to them well.”

2. Provide your employees with personalised, bespoke training

There’s now a relentless pressure on our employees to continually refresh and update their skills, and in today’s time-poor and constantly changing world, that’s not always easy to do - especially using traditional corporate training methods. As a result, more and more organisations are realising that a flexible, personalised and bespoke approach to learning, one that is driven by the employee, is a key tool in ensuring that learning is effective and happens at the right pace.

I think Lyons reiterates this point well, and in a way that really resonated with me, “Longer courses that cover every conceivable area of management training and even longer sabbaticals are becoming less relevant to the modern age; they are not even proven to actually work. Today the focus really is on the bespoke tailoring of an individual’s specific learning and development needs and on encouraging them to take more responsibility for it.”

A great example of an organisation which provides bespoke, personalised training to their employees in a way that suits and is driven by the individual is Alphabet, a leasing and business mobility company. Via their PACE programme (Perfecting the Alphabet Customer Experience), both managers and employees have access to both an online and a physical set of learning materials including exercises, presentations, guides and online tools – and it’s been a huge success.

HR Director at Alphabet, Adam Lupton says: “…By taking this approach people can develop their own skills and their careers in the ways that suit their needs and lifestyle. However, for employees who prefer not to go down the self-driven learning route, the company provides conventional opportunities for guidance and development as well as the on-demand options. Some people created their own learning programmes for themselves or their teams, while others drew on these resources on a purely on-demand basis.”

3. Consider offering incentives to help support lifelong learning

In a bid to ensure this more flexible, personalised approach to learning really does deliver real value, and importantly, is a sustainable approach, it’s becoming more and more common for organisations to allocate financial resource to incentivise and facilitate the right learning behaviours within their workforces.

A great example of this in practice is from the customer generation specialist, MVP. The company employs 400 people, all of whom are offered a £1,000 training budget per year, an unlimited book allowance and twice-monthly ‘lunch and learn’ sessions. New starters are also provided with the opportunity to develop their skills in a personalised way via departmental academies.

Pye, again, provides useful insight here: “Empowering individuals to take control of their training content and supporting them in that endeavour fosters a learning culture built on trust, a foundation for higher levels of employee engagement and motivation, and overall greater job satisfaction, which are essential for increasing attracting and retaining talent.”

The overall takeaway for me here is that as employers, we must start to be far more receptive and reactive to how our employees prefer to learn, by constantly reworking and rethinking our approach to learning. As in all aspects of business, we need to keep moving with the times in order to stay competitive and get the best results – learning and training is no different.

If we do this well, by empowering our employees to direct their own learning, by providing personalised learning solutions and incentivising good learning behaviours, we’re far more likely to build and maintain a culture of lifelong learning, whilst proactively addressing skills gaps at the same time.