In times of total, virtual exploration of the world, high pace of life and work, variability of the environment, people and tasks, the need for targeted and orderly development and at the same time flexibility is indisputable. Man has always wanted knowledge, certainty and challenges. Companies should offer employees the opportunity to meet these needs through modern learning and experience.

In the age of information, in a digitized work environment, learning, acquiring the necessary knowledge has changed dramatically. Just before the year 2000, Google was founded and the whole world quickly discovered that access to information is instantaneous. It was a revolution that changed the world’s communication and at the same time learning methods and caused these changes to be continuous. The way content is „consumed” and the habits of millions of people around the world have changed. Fast, figurative, slogan – this is the easiest and most pleasant.

Employees are working faster and faster and more. Demands are increasing, and change is the norm. The number of stimuli and the pace of work cause a decrease in the ability to process information. A few hours of training is a valuable, but inadequate form of knowledge transfer. Today, employees need a personalized, short, attractive message at the time of their choice.

Josh Bersin saw it. He is one of the most experienced experts in the field of training and development, an analyst of L&D business solutions, a speaker and author of books on topics related to employee education and technologies supporting learning.

That is why it is so important to use tools that allow access to specific, valuable knowledge in the course of work.

The goal of learning in the flow of work is, of course, effective learning, as well as maximizing productivity, building motivation and commitment, counteracting burnout and increasing employee satisfaction. 

Changing the way employees are educated has become a key priority for organizations, especially during the pandemic. Microlearning and the combination of study and work is an irreversible trend.

Organizations should invest in technology and the right tools to create opportunities to learn while working. It is worth finding the right L&D solution provider and implementing an internal development platform. This is the first step on the way to popularizing learning in the flow of work.

The ability to develop and acquire knowledge in an easy and stress-free way is the strongest motivational vehicle. Employee engagement increases when an organization supports their aspirations through reliable development activities. The nature of man is to learn, to solve problems, to strive for growth, to be better.  An employer who understands these needs and ensures that they are met can expect that employees will stay in the organization for a long time, and candidates will always be interested in emerging job offers.

Taking care of the development of employees and optimization of the educational process in companies, it is worth considering several tools that will help in conveying important information and „knowledge pills”.

The introduction of an internal communicator will certainly meet with interest, help employees to communicate freely and make decisions regarding the choice of content and time spent on using the knowledge offered.

Placing newsletters and one pagers on the development platform is an agile way to signal important substantive issues and arouse interest in current company and development topics.

But that’s not all. Bersin, describing his model, suggests how to apply learning at work using the 4E scheme, in which, in addition to tools and programs, he mentions experience, role variability, cooperation, coaching, feedback and relationships as a valuable source of knowledge enrichment.

Strengthening activity, innovation, enabling the implementation of ideas or sharing knowledge are also significant motivators. Leaders know that collaboration and co-responsibility is important. It is similar with co-creation, so employees can co-create knowledge that will serve them. Tutorials, case studies, success stories should be based on the company reality, employee experiences then have a greater impact and are engaging. Rewarding for activity in sharing knowledge helps in its dissemination.

Now, at the end of the pandemic, it is still important to build psychophysical resilience, so educational elements in the field of psychology, including eliminating the effects of stress, will be an additional incentive to reach for knowledge in the course of work.

Important in promoting this method are the opinions of leaders, including informal ones. Influential leaders know that the hunger for knowledge is great because they themselves have achieved success through learning and unbridled development. Therefore, they are open to any innovations in the field of L&D. They know the advantages of microlearning, so they easily decide on a modern approach to learning and invest in the development of employees.

The pandemic has probably permanently changed the way employees work and educate around the world. The inability to travel resulted in the cessation of organizing conferences, panels, workshops and stationary trainings. Paradoxically, despite the time saved on moving to work, to customers and for other business purposes, tasks consume more and more time. People sink into online work, often interrupting it just by searching for the information they need or temporarily breaking away and reviewing their preferred social media.

This is where Josh Bersin’s concept comes into play. Forms of learning that cannot be used due to pandemic restrictions can be replaced by work-based learning. Micro learning – short „throw-ins” of knowledge, well suited to the tasks and goals of the learner are an excellent method for busy people who carry out many tasks at the same time. This method is already changing people and organizations. Empowering employees to access online learning platforms that provide knowledge to help solve everyday problems and broaden their horizons is important and urgent today.

Small, inspiring doses of knowledge are also an antidote to the „zoom fatigue” syndrome and cognitive overload that many employees experience. The excess of information and difficulties in filtering it, as well as the lack of personal contact with colleagues carry a threat to mental health. That’s why quality, time and how to deliver helpful knowledge is key today.

Employers should know that values, development, security and the prospect of the future are very important factors for employees and sought-after candidates. The majority of respondents around the world indicate development, i.e. science as a magnet and a criterion for the attractiveness of the employer. Therefore, for companies led by conscious leaders, innovations in the organization of work and the transfer of knowledge are a priority today.

Source: https://hcmdeck.com/blog/learning-in-the-flow-of-work/

Projekt otrzymał dofinansowanie z Norwegii poprzez Fundusze Norweskie 2014-2021, w ramach programu „Dialog społeczny – godna praca”.