Some training topics are just boring, and there’s nothing you can do to build intrigue. Right?
Wrong, actually. Even regulatory training can be fun if you develop an engaging learning culture. Imagine the knowledge your employees would gain if they spent more time learning and less time memorizing answers. Successful organizations understand that in order to maximize corporate performance, they must first maximize employee knowledge.
A Stagnant Training Culture Breeds Conformity
Your company may hold a number of corporate training sessions, but that doesn’t mean you have an engaging learning culture. Mandatory training that isn’t focused on employee potential breeds conformity and stagnation
“Most employees dread training. It means time away from their day-to-day jobs in a brightly lit conference room to learn something the way the company wants them to learn it, to meet a specific business need.” -Paul Petrone, Editor, LinkedIn Learning
Organizations with a stagnate training program . . .
- Experience high employee turnover
- Struggle to retain customers
- Lose their competitive edge
An Engaging Learning Culture Empowers Employees
A learning culture encourages and helps employees reach their goals. When employees feel supported, they feel valued. Organizations that transform training into learning see an increase in employee engagement which results in an increase in performance for both the employee and the business. An engaging learning culture motivates employees and spurs creativity, which leads to innovation and streamlined processes.
Benefits of Adopting an Engaging Learning Culture
- Increase in employee engagement and productivity – Satisfied employees take fewer sick days and are more productive.
- Decrease in employee attrition – Employees are happier when they feel valued and know their company is invested in their success.
- Increase in customer satisfaction – There is a direct correlation between employee and customer satisfaction.
- Collaboration and synergy – Projects run smoothly when employees collaborate and share knowledge.
- Attracting top talent – Job seekers look for companies that are innovative and support career growth.
- Ease in succession – Increasing employee knowledge makes it easier to retain top talent and promote from within.
How to Create an Engaging Learning Culture
If learning is not recognized or rewarded in your organization, you have some challenges to overcome before you can shake up your corporate training program. Below are three steps to help you get going.
1. Get Stakeholder Buy-in
Corporate culture comes from the top-down. To change your culture, you need the C-suite’s buy-in. This can be challenging because they often don’t fully understand what a culture of learning is nor the benefits it brings the organization. Most likely, they think it just entails more training. You’ll need to clearly convey the benefits of developing a culture of learning.
2. Prove Training ROI
You’ll get buy-in if you can prove the ROI of “shaken up” training. In most cases, measuring ROI is difficult because there isn’t a direct correlation between training and outcomes. Sure, you can measure whether employees passed or failed the training, but passing doesn’t mean they mastered the content. (Mastery leads to a change in behavior, which results in a change in outcomes.)
Perhaps, you want to improve customer satisfaction or the number of employee safety incidents. You can measure the effectiveness of learning, by aligning learning objectives with these business goals and tracking the KPIs.
3. Find the Right Learning Platform
Stop relying on passive PowerPoint slides and videos to train your employees. When training is boring, the material is quickly forgotten. Take an active learning approach that engages employees. Active learning improves the learning experience and increases knowledge retention.
No More Boring Topics
Of course, every company must train their employees on “boring topics” – compliance, technology, etc., – but it doesn’t have to be a grueling experience. If you develop an engaging learning culture, your employees will thank you!
Let us know if we can help you, contact us.
