Recognize Learning
You can talk about learning all you want, but your employees need to see that you truly value learning. That means recognizing employees who complete extended learning courses or excel during training activities. Publicly recognize employees who are training superstars by creating a rewards system that incentivizes them. Give certificates of completion to all employees who complete training courses, and encourage employees to display training credentials in their workspaces.
Get Support from Leadership
Ensuring that your organization’s CEO and leadership team buy into learning objectives is crucial. Support from leadership lets employees know that your organization takes training seriously. It also helps to increase adoption of training programs among employees who are interested in advancement opportunities. When launching a new training program in your workplace, have your CEO or another key stakeholder introduce it at an employee meeting.
Promote from Within
Employees are more likely to invest in training opportunities when they know that there are long-term payoffs. If your organization wants to build a culture of learning, it’s crucial to demonstrate that you reward motivated learners by providing them with first shot at any promotions. Awarding passionate learners with advancement opportunities builds excitement for your training program. Remember that if you always promote from outside your company, employees won’t see any value in doing their best in training courses.
Create Training Routines
Employees are more likely to support your organization’s training aims if they know what to expect. That means you need to create learning routines. That might mean publishing a quarterly training schedule or holding an informal training talk every other week. Creating a routine helps employees fit training opportunities into their schedules and communicates that your organization is truly invested in an ongoing learning program.
Offer Nanolearning Opportunities
Long training seminars have their place in your organization, but it’s not always possible for employees to get away from duties for a few hours to participate in ongoing learning. That’s why offering nanolearning modules makes so much sense. With nanolearning, employees can spend just a few minutes a day gaining new knowledge that will benefit both themselves and your organization. For the best results, offer a variety of nanolearning modules and recognize employees who complete them.
Make Training Exciting
There’s no way to create a strong culture of learning at your organization if employees aren’t excited about training opportunities. It’s important to ensure that training is lively, engaging and fun. Instead of boring seminars, opt for training courses that emphasize employee participation and real-world applications. If you don’t know how to spruce up your training agenda, talk with an outside consultant who can help you create training programs that your employees will love.
Encourage Feedback
One of the best ways to promote a culture of learning is to demonstrate that your organization is willing to learn too. You can do that by encouraging employee feedback about training courses and learning opportunities. Take time to fully evaluate what your employees have to say, and make changes to your training program as warranted by their feedback. Adapting your training program to the needs of your employees is a great way to increase buy in while getting the most value for your training dollar.
Evaluate Hiring Processes
If you want to create a culture of learning at your organization, it’s essential that you hire individuals who are invested in learning in the first place. Work with your HR department to refine hiring goals to include recruiting individuals who demonstrate a strong interest in or aptitude for ongoing learning. Employees who love learning will inspire their coworkers while helping promote your organization’s overall training goals.