The Power Of Continuous Engagement In Learning Environments
According to a report, only 23% of employees worldwide are actively engaged at work. That means more than 75% of the global workforce are just showing up at work, waiting for the day to end. But the market is always changing, and industries require new skills. How are disengaged employees supposed to keep up with those expectations and start training if they don't have the will to try? On the other hand, engaged employees are more likely to grow, stay loyal, and always try their best. So, how do you build an environment with continuous engagement? It all starts with culture.
A supportive learning culture helps you create an environment that's inclusive, based on feedback and trust, and enables people to grow. There, learning is part of everyday life, not a mandatory and boring part of the job. When you nurture this kind of culture, you'll notice that your employees are more satisfied and, thus, more likely to stay. This is because they are invested in their growth and see that the company is too. You'll also see that your staffers build skills faster and adapt more quickly to changes and potential challenges. And lastly, your workforce will become more innovative and productive. Overall, continuous engagement is closely related to a strong learning culture. Without further ado, let's see how you can promote it and what the leadership's role is in this.
5 Practices That Guarantee Continuous Engagement
1. Personalized Learning Paths
Employees have different goals, skillsets, and learning preferences, so your learning programs should reflect that. Personalized learning allows you to give people a say in how and what they learn. For example, let them choose the videos, podcasts, or articles they'll get as part of their training. Or, use platforms that recommend courses based on the employees' roles, career goals, or performance. Adaptive learning platforms do exactly that. They analyze learners' progress and adjust content in real time. They help someone struggling with a concept revisit lessons while allowing faster learners to move to more advanced courses.
2. Peer-To-Peer Learning
Peer-to-peer learning leverages the talented people in your workplace. Your team has plenty of collective knowledge, so why not make that part of your learning culture? You can create mentorship programs, invite employees to run short learning sessions themselves, or build internal forums where people can share tips, tools, and resources. When people teach others, they often learn more themselves. This sets the tone for continuous learning and makes it seem intentional and more natural.
3. Creating A Safe Space
You can't have continuous engagement if people are afraid to make mistakes. If your learners feel like a wrong answer can lead to judgment or embarrassment, they'll never open up. Your employees must see work as a safe space where they can thrive. So, how do you create that space? During team meetings or training sessions, highlight the importance of asking questions, even if they might seem silly. Every question is welcome and should be answered. Also, embrace learning from mistakes. After big projects, schedule meetings and talk openly about what didn't work, without accusing people, and state what the failures or drawbacks taught you.
4. Gamification
Adding game-like elements to courses, such as points, badges, or 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. Be careful, though: you should support learning with gamification and not replace it. Make sure your gamified elements are related to learning goals; otherwise, it's pointless. It's also important to recognize your employees' achievements. For instance, you can reward the ones who secured the most badges or were first in the leaderboard. This way, you motivate others to try their best and always keep on learning.
5. Consistent Feedback
Feedback is the connection between continuous engagement and progress. Without it, learners don't know how they're doing. However, make sure feedback is coming from both sides. Ask learners what's working, what's confusing, and what they wish were different. You can do this through surveys, polls, or simply by asking them. Then, act on that feedback. But learners should receive timely feedback too. Whether it's through quizzes, manager reviews, or peer comments, feedback helps them know where they stand and what to work on next. It's also a great way to identify talent, spot knowledge gaps, and improve your training programs.
How Leadership Can Help Promote Engagement
When it comes to creating a culture of continuous engagement, it all starts with leadership. Leaders set the tone for how learning is perceived by employees, valued, and integrated into the workday. You could have the most powerful learning platform or the most exciting training program, but if your leaders aren't involved, you can't expect your workforce to feel connected to it.
To break it down, managers and team leaders shape your organization's culture. When they show curiosity, prioritize training their people, and invest time in learning themselves, the whole team will follow. On the contrary, if leaders treat learning like a mandatory chore that they need to check off the list, employees may see it exactly like this. Therefore, engaged leaders are a must-have for your organization. What this means is that they need to advocate for learning. For instance, they can share what they learned from a recent training program or encourage a discussion about team goals.
However, let's keep in mind that not all leaders know how to foster continuous engagement. Just like any other skill, creating a culture of learning takes practice and, of course, training. That's why it's so important to give your leaders the right tools and knowledge so they can create such a culture. So, focus on training them on coaching and feedback skills and a clear understanding of the organization's learning strategy, and always give them access to resources and data. When leaders are confident in these areas, they're much more likely to recognize employee potential, encourage curiosity among the team, and actively work towards creating an ongoing learning culture.
Conclusion
Before you pick a strategy to foster continuous engagement, review your current practices. Spot the gaps and choose what changes could bring more engagement. Maybe it's adding peer learning, changing how you deliver feedback, or simply recognizing employee effort more often. And remember that teams that don't continuously engage and grow will not be able to keep up with the trends and industry changes. Whereas, with a culture of learning, they'll be ready for whatever comes next.
Download Addressing The Learner Engagement Gap In Virtual Training today to leverage the latest tech, implement tested strategies, and overcome engagement obstacles in your L&D program.
You can also check out Adobe Connect's webinar "Can You Hear Me?" Isn't A Learning Strategy to uncover why traditional video tools don't cut it for training, and what to use instead.
