Learning in the workplace shouldn’t just be reserved for interns and apprentices. Every member of your team will have something they want to study that would contribute to their understanding of the job.
As an employer you should encourage your employees to reach their maximum potential so that they’re able to aid your business to the best of their ability.
Don’t brush over workplace learning by assuming you haven’t got time. It’s an important part of progression when it comes to building a successful company, so make time with these handy tips.
Communicate with your team
In order to make sure your employees make the most of their workplace learning, you should ask them what they think they would benefit from learning.
Don’t be scared to refuse a course if it’s too expensive or time-consuming. As long as you communicate your reasons for rejection, and encourage them to offer alternatives, it’s unlikely they’ll be annoyed.
Set aside a chunk of time
You should already be having regular meetings with your team. So if not, make a start! And once you do, set aside a few minutes to cover what areas employees want to focus their efforts on.
Once your employees have gone through a period of learning, communication shouldn’t stop there! Review how the course has gone and if the employee believes they have benefitted from it, as well as what skills they have learned that will be useful in their role.
By keeping a keen interest you’re showing employees that you want to make sure they get the most from their learning as well as keeping tabs on the best courses for the future.
Create a productive environment for learning
If your employees’ are going through a course, studying for exams or even just taking part in a webinar, it’s your responsibility to make sure they have the right environment to do it in.
Offices can be noisy and distracting at the best of times, and there will always be someone wanting a ‘quick word’ about something or other.
If you don’t feel like you can provide a studious environment, either create an area (such as a conference room) that’s dedicated to revising. Otherwise, let employees’ take a day at home to study in their own environment.
The more comfortable they can be when studying, the quicker they will take in information.
Evaluate your team as a whole
Evaluating your team together is a rapid way of uncovering what areas need working on. Review the strengths and weaknesses of each department and decide what they could all benefit from.
Group learning is a great way to get employees learning quickly. Working as a large group will also encourage team bonding and open up internal communication.
Accommodate different learning styles
Not everyone learns the same way, so try different techniques.
For example, visual learners may find webinars helpful, while tactile learners will benefit from going on a day course, or having a speaker come into the office.
On the other hand, auditory learners benefit greatly from reading. Just recommending books can help them explore their skills and better themselves at work.
The more you know about how your staff learn, the better you will be able to accommodate them and speed up workplace learning.
Does your small business encourage workplace learning? Leave us a comment in the section below with your techniques!