The power of continuous engagement in the learning environment
According to the report, only 23% of employees worldwide are actively engaged in the workplace. In other words, over 75% of the world’s workforce is showing up at work, waiting for the day to end. However, the market is constantly changing and the industry needs new skills. How are freed employees supposed to start training if they are not willing to catch up with those expectations and try them out? Meanwhile, engaged employees are more likely to grow, remain loyal and always do their best. So how do you build an environment with continuous engagement? It all starts with culture.
Supportive learning cultures help create an inclusive environment based on feedback and trust and help people grow. There, learning is part of everyday life, not an essential and boring part of work. Cultivating this type of culture will make you realize that employees are more satisfied and are more likely to stay. This is because they are investing in growth and they are making sure the company is too. You will also see staff speeding up their skills and adapting quickly to changes and potential challenges. And finally, your workforce will become more innovative and productive. Overall, continuous engagement is closely related to a strong learning culture. Without further ado, let’s look at how we can promote it and what the role of leadership is in this.
E-Book Release
Addressing learner engagement gaps in virtual training
Discover ways to shift your strategy and invest in interactive technical solutions that bridge the engagement gaps for learners.
Five Practices to Ensure Continuous Engagement
1. Personalized learning path
Employees have a variety of goals, skill sets and learning preferences, so the learning programme should reflect that. Personalized learning allows people to speak out about how and how they learned. For example, let them select a video, podcast, or article you get as part of your training. Alternatively, use a platform that recommends courses based on employee roles, career goals, or performance. An adaptive learning platform does just that. Analyze learners’ progress and adjust content in real time. They help people struggling with the concept revisit the lesson, allowing faster learners to move to more advanced courses.
2. Peer-to-peer learning
Peer-to-peer learning leverages talented people in the workplace. Your team has a lot of collective knowledge, why not try creating that part of your learning culture? Create mentorship programs, invite employees to run short learning sessions themselves, and build an internal forum where you can share tips, tools and resources. When people teach others, they often learn more themselves. This sets the tone for continuous learning, making it seem intentional and natural.
3. Creating a safe space
If you are afraid of people making mistakes, you will not be able to gain continuous involvement. If learners feel that the wrong answer leads to judgment or embarrassment, they will never be opened. Your employees must see a safe space where your work can flourish. So, how do you create that space? Emphasise the importance of asking questions during team meetings and training sessions, even if they may seem ridiculous. All questions should be welcome and answered. Also, accept that we learn from mistakes. After a large project, schedule a meeting, without blaming people, talk openly about things that didn’t work out, and state what your failures and flaws have taught you.
4. Gamification
Adding game-like elements to courses like points, badges, leaderboards can create a healthy sense of competition and encourage people to participate more. After all, we all have a natural desire for achievement and progress. However, beware: gamification does not support learning and replace it. Make sure the gaming elements are related to your learning goals. Otherwise, it’s pointless. It is also important to recognize employee outcomes. For example, you can secure most badges or reward those who were first on the leaderboard. This way, motivate others to do their best and to continue learning at all times.
5. Consistent feedback
Feedback is the relationship between continuous engagement and progress. Without it, learners won’t know how they are doing. However, make sure that feedback is coming from both sides. Ask learners what is working, what is confusing, and what is different. You can do this by researching this, polling, or simply asking. Then act on that feedback. However, learners also need to receive timely feedback. Whether through quizzes, manager reviews, or peer comments, feedback can help you know where they are standing and what to do next. It is also a great way to identify talent, find knowledge gaps and improve your training program.
How Leadership Drives Engagement
When it comes to creating a culture of continuous engagement, it all starts with leadership. Leaders set the tone of how learning is perceived by employees, important and integrated on work days. You can have the most powerful learning platform or the most exciting training program, but if the leader is not involved, you can’t expect employees to feel connected to it.
To break it down, your manager and team leader will shape the culture of your organization. The whole team follows as they show curiosity, prioritize training their people, and invest their time to learn themselves. On the contrary, when the leader treats learning like a must-have chore where the list needs to be checked, employees may see it exactly like this. Therefore, engaged leaders are a must-have for an organization. What this means is that they need to advocate for learning. For example, they can share what they have learned from recent training programs and encourage discussions about team goals.
However, please note that not all leaders know how to promote continued engagement. Like any other skill, creating a culture of learning requires practice and of course training. Therefore, it is extremely important to provide leaders with the right tools and knowledge so that they can create such a culture. Therefore, it focuses on coaching and feedback skills, as well as a clear understanding of the organization’s learning strategies, providing constant access to resources and data. When leaders are confident in these areas, they are much more likely to recognize their employees’ potential, encourage curiosity among teams, and be proactive in creating a continuous learning culture.
Conclusion
Review current practices before choosing a strategy that will encourage continuous engagement. Find gaps and choose what changes will lead to more engagement. It could potentially add peer learning, change the way feedback is provided, and become more aware of employee efforts. And don’t forget that teams that don’t continue to engage and grow will not be able to keep up with trends and industry changes. Meanwhile, in a culture of learning, anything that comes next is ready.
Use the latest technology to implement tested strategies and to overcome engagement obstacles in L&D programs, downloading to address today’s virtual training learner engagement gaps.
You can also check out the Adobe Connect webinar “Can you hear me?” It’s not a learning strategy that reveals why traditional video tools don’t cut it for training and what to use instead.
Adobe Connect
Unleash the true power of a virtual classroom to achieve your learning goals.
