I believe the future of learning will be a system where employees and learning teams co-create experiences. No longer will skills development programs be created in silos for employees to consume. Gone will be the days of conducting exhaustive needs analysis that can add layers of complexity for program delivery.
The limitations of developing just-in-time learning strategies perpetuate a paradigm where learning and development can appear ineffective for teams that have to move quickly and fail fast. Thinking about how to overcome these challenges conjures a solution similar to a metaverse, a persistent virtual world that is always open. One value proposition of a metaverse is that everyone can create their own adventure in an ecosystem supporting curiosity and experimentation, two areas undergirding skills development.
With this lens, understanding employee preferences for learning is the beginning of co-creating experiences, and one approach for how L&D leaders can begin to structure skills development programs. While conducting a study to engage employees in training, we uncovered new insights into where corporate L&D is headed in the future.
What we did
In December 2020, we concluded a study to understand employees’ learning methods and how they were applying their skills. In the absence of live instructor-led training at that time, the initiative began as a way to engage employees in using more learning resources in the midst of a pandemic. To gain insights into the learning activities that may be taking place, we created a hypothesis to understand how employees learn during a pandemic, especially when there is so much competition for their time personally and professionally. We chose three learning methods based on the activities employees typically participate in and the inherent value for the organization:
- Self-directed learning: Taking charge of one’s learning process.
- Collaborative learning: Working toward mutual understanding, meanings or solutions between two or more people.
- Problem-based learning: Utilizing a problem to drive motivation for learning through exploration or experimentation for a solution.
These learning methods are based on the organizational culture of tech teams and tech adjacent employees. However, the program was open to all employees, which expanded our view of how skills development was occurring across different groups.
How we did it
The study took place over a four-month period where participants were invited to a learning challenge called “Level Up on Learning.” The program was designed to engage employees in upskilling using their preferred resources. We partnered with Team Mindshift to create a custom dashboard for employees to enter data about their learning experiences.
The “level up on learning” dashboard construct encouraged employees to answer questions about their preferences at the starting line, then to move through three levels of learning methods. The first level was self-directed learning, the second level was collaborative learning and the third level was problem-based learning. For each level, employees shared what they were doing as they engaged in any training (live, self-paced, micro-learning, etc.).
Finally, at the finish line, employees shared their experience with the program and ideas for how we could improve our offerings. Subsequently, employees who reached the finish line were given premium prizes, and all participants had access to their data for self-reviews and performance conversations.
To ensure visibility for the program, the strategy for the learning engagement included:
- Marketing and communications
- Monthly career-focused webinars
- Social engagement via Slack
- Premium rewards for finishers
What we discovered
Once the initiative closed, the results confirmed some ideas and provided new insights. The data revealed a pattern of employees using various methods to learn and solve problems, and they are not waiting around for L&D. However, finding the time to learn was an issue, with 40 percent of the respondents identifying this as an obstacle.
What is curious about this result is that even with limited time to learn, employees were still learning. We found through the study that employees are investing in formal AND informal learning using various learning methods and resources. The issue for employees appears to be finding the time for formal learning programs, and this is where most learning organizations focus their efforts.
After examining the patterns in the data, these results further support the notion that the future of learning will include co-creating learning strategies with employees because:
- They are using various learning resources — Participants shared that they regularly used company learning resources and open-source learning content. Resources such as podcasts, YouTube, on-demand or self-paced learning platforms, books, stretch assignments and communities of practice were some of the higher-rated responses. Employees also invest in formal education through colleges and universities and educational MOOCs.
- They are closing their skills gaps — Employee interests aligned with skills generally identified for competitive advantage. Participants shared that they were interested in — and in some cases developing their skills in — data, machine learning, cybersecurity, digital marketing, project management, customer support, leadership and agility, among others.
- They are solving business challenges — Employees used a just-in-time learning strategy to solve business challenges. Some respondents shared how they engaged with peers and business leaders to solve challenges through micro-learning content, among other methods.
- They are preparing for career advancement — Employees were independently gaining the certifications they felt were necessary for career opportunities. Some of the areas identified were credentials for Amazon Web Services, ITIL, Lean Six Sigma, Project Management Professional, and CompTIA.
What we concluded
Overall, the most important result from the study showed that learning was actively taking place in different ways across the organization. As a learning leader, the insights confirmed that an overarching learning strategy must contain various resources for learning opportunities that support employee preferences. Further, employee listening tactics will help leaders stay connected to trends and the resources that resonate with learners.
Additional key insights:
- Designing learning programs utilizing employee-preferred methods can aid in higher engagement.
- Partnering with managers for problem-based learning strategies can provide a return for investments in learning resources.
- Understanding employee learning preferences provides visibility into neurodiverse approaches to upskilling and reskilling different segments of the organization.
While we know that formal programs are one way to learn, we found that for employees, skills development occurs more frequently in the flow of work, or a just-in-time approach to learning. As new changes are introduced in the organization, areas that can greatly impact timelines include optimizing the learning plan based on business strategies, developing the requirements, and mitigating the technical limitations. Even off-the-shelf solutions must be customized for the target audience and is not a panacea as advertised.
During the time L&D leaders are working to deploy formal training, our study revealed that individuals have taken control of their learning using an agile approach with a combination of company, personal and open resources. Most times, individuals who focus on upskilling or reskilling for tech learning and career advancement have made their development plans and located the resources to fill their needs. Understanding this dichotomy, learning leaders should also take an agile approach to learning by focusing on methods employees are using for better engagement and impact.
Fostering a learning ecosystem that supports self-service, pop-up learning opportunities and formal learning programs can keep employees engaging, learning, and expecting the latest offering to skill up. Further, implementing a strategy to co-create learning with teams across the organization will aid in employee buy-in and better insights for learning leaders. Learning in the future will be more collaborative, and L&D can create a foundation by strategically incorporating employee preferences.
