How Continuous Employee Learning Helps Boost Performance

How Continuous Employee Learning Helps Boost Performance
Summary: Until relatively recently, company training was seen as nothing else than a one-time event: employees went to a course, learned something, and then returned to their daily tasks where everything came back to normal. However, in present days, more and more companies are striving to establish a continuous learning system, one in which both workers and managers take part in regularly. By comparison, with the old time-limited training, this type of learning continues over the long-term, long after the classroom sessions have completed.

Given the current political climate, this might the best time for organizations to switch to this system. As the business' environment is constantly changing, the need for creating a place in which workers are constantly developing their abilities arises.

Introducing Continuous Employee Learning as Part of the Work Environment

It would be very wrong for companies to assume that continuous learning is only a one-way path, in which the staff is provided the necessary tools for the process and then left to fulfill the work by their own. Obviously, the process requires employees' active participation, and it's only up to them to decide when they have achieved the state of permanent learning. However, in order for the system to be successful, it requires an active participation on the management side as well, as the feedback employees give has to be constantly analyzed and monitored.

Workers should have a basic knowledge of their goals, and put the best of their efforts into accomplishing them. In a time of economic struggle, this fact might prove very beneficial, as it is able to boost the employees' engagement when the payment increases have slowed.

As the economy shows no sign of redressing itself, the role managers have in supporting employees' commitment is essential, since workers have to face the stress of pay cuts, payment freezes, and extra demands. Through a continuous learning strategy, they are more likely to adapt to these changes sooner that it was initially thought.  Additionally, a continuous learning strategy can also be shown to improve their overall ability as well – that they can advance in their careers, due to constantly growing and adapting.

Opening Up New Learning Opportunities

The continuous learning concept is often referred to as the ability to learn in time, since the process continues day-by-day on an undefined time frame. And with feedback and self-awareness playing essential roles in this learning system, it is possible for the employees to develop more refined skills which are to help them in fulfilling their everyday tasks better than before.

In addition, interactive self guidance technology, WalkMe being a great example, is an incredibly valuable tool in allowing workers to learn how to complete their daily tasks as they are actually working.  Employers are able to monitor the employees performance, while employees can work efficiently and error-free.

With the managers constantly involving in the employees' training activity, employees get a far better understanding of their challenges, requirements or opportunities that are involved in their job roles. In turn, this helps them focus better on accomplishing their objectives and increasing their work speed in the immediate future.

Improving Organizational Performance

According to a study cited by Les Echos (source: http://lecercle.lesechos.fr/economie-societe/politique-eco-conjoncture/politique-economique/221153906/productivity-how-make-oper), companies that use a more intelligent and thorough learning system for their employees manage to achieve higher productivity and profits levels compared to the other companies in their segment.

The study brings up to attention the fact that any organization can track and evaluate how its management practices enhance the employees' performance. More specifically, if a company chooses to invest 10% more in the continuous learning activities of one employee, then the profit that employee brings to the company can go as high as 1,500 pounds per year.

The study also emphasized that younger organizations have recorded better results than companies with greater seniority. In addition, although most companies have invested in labor power, the ability to obtain best results was directly influenced by the training system which they approached.

Companies that have registered good results, ranking among the organizations with the best policy for employee management, have invested and focused constantly into improving the learning environment of their employees.

Thus, we can conclude that a proactive approach to management and employee skills development plays an essential role in the success of a company. As the work environment becomes more competitive day after day, any organization that wants to maximize its performance should adopt such learning practices.