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How to Create a Culture of Learning at Your Workplace
More than ever, today’s employees crave professional growth. In fact, the members of the graduating class of 2019 rank it as a top priority in deciding whether they will accept a job. Creating a culture of learning can help keep employees satisfied even once they’re hired. An O.C. Tanner Report revealed that when millennials jump ship, it’s most often because they feel underutilized and stagnant at work. While professional development is of great benefit to your employees, it might be the perk that offers you the biggest bang for your buck. This is because it also benefits your organization through the new skills team members acquire. The great news is that it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
Below we provide some tips to help you add low-cost but effective training to your benefits menu:
- Help Create Individual Plans
The best way to show employees that their professional growth is important to your company is to talk to them about what they need or want. Someone aiming to do more client-focused work might need pointers on how to lead effective sales presentations. An accounting professional might want to learn more about new technological advances that can streamline their workflow. Finding out what’s important to each of your team members and communicating ways to access that training ensures that the subsequent professional development you offer aligns with their needs and interests. - Look Into Online Training
Taking a class is great, but taking one online on your employee’s own time can be even more appealing (and more realistic) for many. There are a number of free or cost-effective courses available through services like Lynda/LinkedIn Learning and Udemy, as well as “massive open online courses” (MOOCs), that you can encourage employees to check out. To expand the knowledge to the entire team, implement a “lunch and learn” where attendees share with others. - Pay for Membership in Professional Associations
Check out this link of professional associations to find something that will apply to your business. Whether it’s a national agency or local group, there are often a wide variety of development opportunities available with membership fees. There are networking events, speaker forums, and conferences. As a member, your employees get special access to proprietary events and educational materials. - Offer Cross-Training
Don’t let your employees become bored on the job. Find out what skills they might want to hone and search for opportunities to let them practice them. Whether it’s on a company-wide task force or by doing an inter-departmental rotation, it will keep your employees engaged with a new challenge. Ultimately, it allows your company to operate more smoothly as your team better understands various roles. - Try a Reverse Mentoring Program
Most companies are familiar with traditional mentoring programs. Arranging a “reverse” mentoring program creates a new and useful spin on the relationship between a new or younger hire with one that is seasoned. The win-win really happens! Newer employees will increase their institutional knowledge and proficiencies. Older generations can keep their skills current in a rapidly changing work world, as “digital natives” help them navigate project management software or various apps that can streamline their workflow. - Promote Individual Learning
Every employee should value keeping their skills and industry knowledge relevant. In fact, you could encourage or incentivize team members to choose pertinent podcast series or books. You could then have them share what they’ve learned with the team. To underscore your support of these activities, consider offering a few hours a month that employees can devote to professional development on company time. - Follow Through
Finally, ensure that employees are making the most of any learning opportunities by following up to find out what they learned that can be valuable for others. For example, a conference they might attend could be beneficial to another employee the following year. Perhaps they found an online training course that was especially helpful. Finding out what individual employees learned from various opportunities allows you to build a library of resources that can benefit future employees, not just the current ones.
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