7 Ways To Engage Through Building Learning Culture
The Gallup data analytics revealed that 70% of employees are disengaged on their job. They seem to be working, but if you think of productivity, commitment, and enthusiasm –their engagement– it is hardly satisfying. That is not a question of loss in creativity – but a real threat to the whole company’s well-being. What do companies like Google, Cisco, and Apple do differently?
Explore The “Working Dead”
You probably see such employees regularly and can easily recognize them:
- They check mobile phones and social networks as often as possible.
- They complain about the company.
- They spoil working environment.
- They cooperate badly with colleagues.
The most dangerous thing about disengaged workers is, firstly, that they work poorly. Moreover, they infect the corporate culture and ruin relationships between colleagues.
Make Employees Alive
You are not alone in solving the problem of engaging your office team. According to Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends 2015 research, more than 3300 of explored companies emphasize employees’ engagement as №1 challenge.
So, how to revive these disengaged and bored ones? Think of establishing learning culture – it’s an effective way to wake them up. Learning culture here means systematic approach to educating and engaging employees. It should be built in company’s business processes. As the Human Capital Institute (HCI) states, building a learning culture creates synergy between business goals and learning and development. It’s really a value add for an organization.
Learning culture helps:
- Your employees to develop professionally.
- Your HR specialists to build a sense of team among the staff.
- The business through increased employees’ loyalty to the company.
The global technological giant Cisco set up leadership development courses. Managers had to build own businesses as a part of their development plan. This is how one employee’s initiative –The Cisco Telepresence – was created and became a successful part of Cisco business.
Bersin by Deloitte mentions that learning culture is integrated into internal policies of such giants as BP, Toyota, Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Google, Apple, and UPS.
Engage Through Building Learning Culture
Make learning culture interactive and engaging:
- Make learning an easy process.
Consider eLearning that has user-friendly interface and is comfortable to use even with no IT skills required. What is more, it’s cost-effective and interactive. Employees combine lectures with interactive tasks and simulations, so they are not bored. Implementing eLearning was one of MasterCard “priceless” steps in keeping up with employees’ mood and considerations. The company combines gamification and animation to train information security compliance. Here the office team acts as “superheroes” that have to secure MasterCard data-bases. - Use online learning systems.
They provide possibility to share professional knowledge, get the learning statistics and manage the whole learning process 24/7. - Consider employees’ gaps.
Advise every member of your team on skills they need for their job but don’t possess now. It can be a good motivation for skills’ improvement. That also works as a “fear-factor” that shows this improvement is necessary to stay professional and keep the job. - Choose courses employees would be interested in.
Provide learning that both company and your staff members can benefit from. Sales, marketing, management – consider courses that bring sense and knowledge for not only professional, but also career ascent. - Provide time on learning.
Set some extra-hours devoted to employees’ studies. That’s a sign the company cares about employees’ personal development. So, this way you can create employees’ loyalty. - Add some incentives for most productive employees.
Everyone wants to perform better than his colleague. Make good use of it! - Let company’s management become a part of learning culture.
If the CEO and key managers show engagement with training, employees feel cooperation with company’s leaders.
When implementing a learning culture, you have a great opportunity to solve the problem with disengaged employees. Make this effort to the sustainable success of your company and get raise in productivity, team-building, and employees’ commitment as a result.