Employee engagement
You’ve probably heard the saying “never stop learning”, but why is that so important to business? In a world where technology is rapidly evolving and the world of work is constantly adapting, developing a learning culture within your business can ensure your teams keep up and stand out.
Building learning & development into your every day takes some work, with 42% of L&D professionals identifying creating a culture of learning as their top challenge in 2020, but investing in the right solution will see you reap the benefits first-hand.
There are a number of benefits that come with developing a continuous learning culture in the workplace:
There’s no denying that a learning culture is worth investing in and prioritising. That’s why we’ve created 8 actionable tips to get you started:
1. Make learning a core company value
To create a strong learning culture, your employees need to feel that their leadership supports and encourages it. One way to do this is by making learning a core company value. Your values are your business’ DNA. They shape your organisation, creating a purpose and a sense of commitment. But simply adding learning to the list of values on your website isn’t enough. You have to truly champion learning and integrate it into your daily work. That way, you’ll set the right example for your staff and empower them to grow and develop their skills.
2. Ask employees what they want to learn
Find time to ask your employees about their knowledge gaps, what skills they’d like to gain, and how they’d like to progress their careers. Discuss how they prefer to learn too and empower employees to take ownership and manage their own learning. By doing so, you’ll be better equipped to cater to their needs, increasing their training participation and engagement as a result.
3. Make training easily accessible
To help employees embrace your new culture, provide them with easy-access learning resources. Consider investing in an engaging eLearning platform. Engage in Learning courses have easy-to-use interactive online courses, they’re multi-lingual and have customisable captions for those who need to view the audio transcript.
When promoting your learning culture, don’t forget to tell your employees which courses are available, which are compulsory, which they can choose to do, and where to find them. This will make the process as simple as possible for everyone.
4. Integrate learning into the working day
If you want your employees to embrace your learning culture, you need to be an advocate for learning time. Your employees might feel like they’re not allowed to take some time to complete a course because of the deadlines they’re facing. Clearly communicate that learning should be an integral part of their working day, and it’s not just an acceptable way to spend time, but highly encouraged.
5. Make training fun
Learning doesn’t have to be boring or strenuous. If you make an effort to provide fun and engaging training for your employees, they’ll be more likely to get involved, retain new information, and get excited to learn again. You can make learning fun and interesting by using gamification and offering interactive courses that contain media-rich content. Our off-the-shelf courses use visually compelling graphics and images with built-in multi-media elements, which you can personalise to deliver fun learning experiences.
6. Reward continuous learning
You’re more likely to trigger changes to your company’s culture if you put an effective reward system in place. It could be as simple as regularly recognising top performers during company meetings. Or sending an email showing gratitude and appreciation for the time everyone invested in learning. This will help your employees embrace the learning culture and show you value their efforts. Rewarding continuous learning also means encouraging your employees to use their new skills, nurturing critical thinking and innovative ideas. Otherwise, what’s the point of learning if you can’t apply it in your job?
7. Ingrain learning in your hiring process
Whether or not a company provides L&D opportunities could be a deal-breaker for those actively searching for jobs. In fact, 86% of employees say job training is important to them, and 59% of Millennials say opportunities to learn are extremely important when applying. During interviews, let your candidates know that learning is valued in your organisation and part of your culture. This will set an expectation that your new hires should strive to continue to learn. It’ll also denote permission for potential employees to prioritise their development, helping you attract and retain great talent.
8. Link in leadership
Leaders at all levels can influence and inspire their team members. That’s why it’s important to link in the C-suite and all managers from the get-go. If the leadership shows dedication to their own learning and improvement, it’ll reinforce your business’s learning culture. Ask them to actively participate in your courses, mentor others, and create course content for your L&D programme.
A learning culture opens doors to a more productive, skilled, and engaged workforce. If you nurture curiosity and encourage continuous development in your employees, you’ll grow and innovate your business. Contact us to start improving your learning experiences.
Mara has a passion for promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion across global workplaces and hopes to inspire learners to focus on their own careers with self-directed learning content.
