Employee engagement
And what Learning at Work Week taught us about doing it right.
If we had to sum up this year’s Learning at Work Week (LAWW) event in one word, it would be: connection.
Not just WiFi ones (though those were helpful too), but real, human connections – across teams, departments, and experience levels. This year, our Customer Education team hosted Kallidus’ own LAWW… just three weeks later. But we had a good reason. We wanted to hear from the L&D experts – our customers – about how they celebrated this year, and what they learned!
Five days. Five sessions. Five topics. Five completely open discussions.
In our first session, we had a LAWW debrief, where our customers discussed what they learned, what they did, and they’d like to do for next year.
So, what did we learn?
Making space to connect at work is essential for growth!
Here are top tips from the L&D experts on how to make it happen.
Great things happen when people connect – especially at work. Whether it’s learning what another team actually does, getting inspired by a colleague’s career journey or finding your next mentor over coffee (or Zoom), connections drive curiosity and growth.
Our customers shared creative ways they encouraged this during LAWW:
Everyone is busy, and it can be hard to make the time for growth and development. But by making those connections within the business, it opens up opportunities for new professional relationships, skill awareness, and career pathways.
This year, the senior leaders didn’t just cheer from the sidelines -they got involved. Sponsoring events, attending sessions, and even starring in podcasts helped boost visibility and engagement across the business.
It wasn’t just top-down either. Internal storytelling played a huge role too. One customer used a “Power to Grow” newsletter theme to spotlight personal learning journeys. Others ran learning fairs, complete with games and hands-on activities led by different departments.
Bottom line: when people see learning in action, they’re more likely to jump in. And it begins with the leadership.
Most organizations started small and built from there. But each year, LAWW gets a little bigger, and a lot more anticipated.
So, what worked to build the buzz?
A key takeaway? Plan early, communicate often, and get creative. The more people hear about what’s happening, and why it matters, the more likely they are to take part.
Several organizations used LAWW as a mini-internal audit to track attendance and understand where curiosity was highest. Coaching, mentoring, and leadership development came out on top, helping teams refocus budgets and plan future learning content.
Others created bite-sized learning tied to everyday questions (“How can I start coaching someone?”), and logged mentoring activity in their LMS to share development wins with managers.
It’s learning with purpose and impact.
Here are some easy, high-impact ideas shared by our customers:
The secret? Keep it simple, light, and people-first.
Whether it’s through casual chats, inspiring talks, or five-minute learning bites, connection drives development. And Learning at Work Week reminded us that sometimes, the most powerful learning moments come not from formal training…but from each other.
Let’s keep the momentum going, one connection at a time.
Claire is an enthusiastic and meticulous content writer whose passion is to support growth and continual learning for everyone.
