Upskilling isn’t new, but it’s vital with today’s workforce, whose values, desires, and abilities are varied and unique. Unemployment recently fell to its lowest level in 50 years, and despite the tech space attrition with layoffs the past few months, workers are not only seeking opportunities to train and develop at work, but they also want to learn in the flow of their roles.
What does this mean? Employees want their day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and workflows reflected in the training and development we offer them. The trend alert is to evaluate the opportunities we provide employees for context and relevance and embed those experiences into their daily workdays.
This new approach, training in the flow of work, may seem counterintuitive to the traditional ways managers and supervisors have conceptualized incentivizing or holding accountable their workers. In the past, eight hours in a stationary physical space would suffice to meet the minimum requirements for being a “good worker.” Today, things are different. Workers demand more engagement and investment in what they do for an organization.
Traditionally, training was carved out for special days during the year and happened in a vacuum, often isolated from one’s typical work. You might have enjoyed learning something on the company’s dime and felt empowered, but most report those feelings were temporary. And that makes sense. Research shows that without application, reinforcement, and context, learning dies in the brain synapses. To carve out new neural pathways that last, work requires training that really means something. It must be relevant and timely but also exciting and engaging to compete with Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and the rest. And most importantly, it must happen in the flow of work.
To compete for attention and increase retention, think about creating learning experiences and ongoing training plans for employees in the flow of work. The following are some ideas that might frame your thinking:
-
Schedule time each week or each month for contributors to learn in the flow of work and encourage the use of that time on the calendar by providing resources and guidance.
-
Create opportunities to reflect, re-engage, and apply what is learned as you review and assign new flows or direct new projects.
-
Commit to and honor conversations with your teammates around what they are learning and why it matters.
-
Connect the learning to what is happening daily, not only task-wise but as it relates to career and long-term learning plans.
-
Collect, track, and present data about how individuals learn and grow.
Evaluating your team’s relationship to training and applying what’s learned to their flow of work will not only transform their performance but will also create buy-in, retention, and satisfaction. If you have any questions, please contact Employers Council at info@employerscouncil.org.