“Employees need to learn one new skill every day to stay competent.”
Yet no one talks about how finding time to learn is not always easy. It is unrealistic to expect overworked employees with busy schedules to live up to that ideal. The only solution is to integrate learning as a part of their work-life, not as an extra task on top of their endless to-do lists. The question is how? Rolling out a few training procedures is not sufficient. The organization’s culture needs to shift to incorporate daily learning.
Make sure you loosen up your employees’ schedules a little. Install a learning management system at your company that makes learning accessible and enjoyable. Let your workforce have some leisure time to learn and acquire skills. Reward and recognize them when they do. I promise you will never regret the changes it makes to your workplace.
Here are a few benefits of creating a learning culture in your organization.
Manage skill gaps
We wish there was a magic wand that could help you close skill gaps. The demand for skills is changing at an increasingly fast pace. There is no promise that one particular skill wanted this year is also going to be wanted in the same way or quantity next year. In a study conducted by SHRM, 75% of HR professionals say that they find recruitment difficult due to a skill shortage. Furthermore, 52% say that this shortage has been getting worse in the past two years.
In order to address these missing skills, we need to identify them. Conducting a skill analysis can help. The skill gap is nothing but a difference between the skills your workforce has and the skills that your organization needs. You can begin by sorting out the skills that are needed most to meet the requirements of your company. The next step should be assessing your employees’ skill sets with competency tests, ability surveys, skill scoring, performance reviews, and feedback. Finally, you can go about hosting regular e-learning courses and seminars to increase the supply of valuable, sought-after skills in your company.
Make continuous learning possible
Buckminster Fuller created the “Knowledge Doubling Curve.” He noticed that human knowledge is doubling every 13 months on average. The workplace is where your employee spends most of their time in a day. You want your workers to feel like the knowledge they are gaining in your organization is keeping up with this curve. Incorporating perks that help them gain tangible and marketable skills is paramount for employee satisfaction.
E-learning programs can help your employees adapt to changes in the job market and their work profile. Build a dedicated network to learn and a place where employees can contribute their expertise. In a study conducted by Udemy, 70% of employees agree that corporate training can help people block out distractions and focus. Dedicate a weekday to learning, and host competitive events, hackathons, or bug bounty programs so employees can practice the skills they have attained.
Retain and develop your workforce
The cost of losing an employee in the first year can cost upwards of 50% of that person’s salary. The key to employee retention is a corporate learning culture. According to LinkedIn’s 2019 Workforce Learning Report, 94% of employees say that they would stay longer at a company that invested in helping them learn. Spending the time and resources to teach your workforce can substantially decrease employee turnover rate.
Employees should never be seen as just a means to get the work done. They are a crucial part of your business. Focusing on your employees’ career development is as important as them completing their work. Allow a web developer to learn Adobe Photoshop tools. Help a visual designer learn a coding language. Never restrain your employees from learning or trying something new. This room for them to think outside the box will help boost creativity and innovation at your organization.
Bring in younger talent
Baby boomers and Gen X children are almost out of today’s workforce. Millennials and Gen Z have now become the majority. It is important to consider that children of these generations grew up with the internet. Their familiarity with technology, social media, and internet trends makes them vital for your business. According to an article released by Linkedin, 62% of Gen Z employees are keen to learn and improve at their job. Moreover, 91% of L&D leaders agree that the skills necessary for today’s workforce have changed.
For Gen Z workers, in particular, the potential for career advancement is the most attractive during the job hunt. Gen Z appears to prefer self-learning more than instructor-led development. Gift them with the e-learning tools necessary to move them up your company’s corporate ladder. Ensure these tools are entertaining so these young employees remain engaged, satisfied, and free from boredom.
Make e-learning more interactive
We cannot expect our employees to be supercomputers. They may have many questions or comments during the e-learning process. No matter how simple a question might be, they should never feel afraid to ask it. When you host corporate training sessions for your employees, do not omit the interactive part. Allowing for information to flow between everyone will optimize learning and create an open, communicative atmosphere for growth.
A successful corporate learning culture will encourage employees to share opinions and ask questions. Allow employees to suggest courses to each other. Conduct discussions and feedback sessions to encourage the learners to address differences in opinions. It is impossible to know where your employees’ shortcomings lie without getting their input. Interactive e-learning lets employees request their desired courses so they get the most out of the corporate training opportunities they have.
Introducing LMS in Zoho People
We are happy to announce the upcoming LMS module in Zoho People. It is designed to help build a corporate learning culture in all organizations. Some of the highlights of the module include:
Support for both self and trainer-led learning
Interactive e-learning with feedback, notes, and discussions
Reports on your organization’s learning progress
We are still fine-tuning the module, but we are pleased to give you a 90-day free trial to the beta version. Our help guide can give you an in-depth clarity on how our LMS works. Check it out, and let us know your valuable feedback and suggestions!
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