Blog post
What are the benefits of employee-led learning?
By Samantha Allen 12 Dec 2019
Learning and development trends are constantly evolving and emerging. Some organisations still dictate their employees’ training paths, while others give employees more control over what, where and when they learn.
68% of employees prefer to learn at work, according to LinkedIn, but the number one challenge is getting employees to make time for learning. Most people are time-poor and struggle to keep on top of workloads, and that’s before throwing in new skills to learn. Of course, learning is a great use of time; it’s an investment rather than an expense. A well-trained employee will add significant value to your business, so it’s rational to want to control their training. But in terms of personal development the individual employee also benefits greatly from training, and therefore may have their own opinion on how and what they’d like to learn.
So how much control should you give your employees when it comes to their learning? Read on to find out the benefits of employee-led learning and how to implement it effectively.
What is employee-led learning?
Employee-led learning is a modern training style that focuses on the needs of your employee. Instead of choosing a generic learning path, organisations can create personalised learning paths that develop employees in their current and future roles or career paths. Instructor-led learning empowers employees to make their own choices and take personal responsibility for what they learn. It helps them to have personal, relevant and appropriate learning experiences that fit their own needs.
This could be easier said than done, as spoon-feeding people information is easier than encouraging them to organise and manage their own learning. Distributing PowerPoint slides filled with content is the lazy option, but to improve your employees’ knowledge, skills and performance in the workplace, they need to be empowered to learn in the way that suits them best as individuals.
Why has employee-led learning become so popular in 2020?
Employees and companies push each other forward, which is why employee-led learning pays for itself. Millennials and Gen Z employees want more collaborative work environments and self-directed career paths, and these generations are now taking over the workforce in 2020 and beyond. Workers of all ages are becoming more mobile and social and figuring out how to inspire their learning is key to retaining your best talent.
Employees still want their manager’s input on how to improve, and it seems that many would spend more time learning if their manager suggested activities to them. But more than half of employees want to learn at their own pace depending on their own needs and interests.
How to implement employee-led learning
Identify your business objectives
Without knowing where the business is ultimately going, it’s hard to plug the skills gaps and build a dream team to achieve those goals.
Ask your employees what they need
Use performance reviews and surveys to find out truly what your employees need and want.
Understand your employees’ experience levels and attitudes
Figuring out the demographics of your employees such as where they live and where they’re happy to travel to, their skill levels and attitudes towards technology, new areas of learning, and being in a group environment can all prove extremely useful when planning their training.
Find the right training
It’s no use booking an experienced coder onto a Foundation course for beginners, or sending them on a group course in London when they’re based in Oslo and prefer to learn in a 1-2-1 environment. Luckily Go.Courses provide a wide range of exceptional instructor-led training courses, which are simple to book and easy to attend. And we love to chat, so we encourage you to drop us a message and tell us your needs.
Plan your training evaluation methods
Your training budget is an important investment, so you need to be able to track the return on your investment. By planning a training evaluation you can analyse how effective the training sessions were, compare your employees’ knowledge and attitude from before and after the training, and determine if more training is needed in the future.
Have a question? Drop us a message to find out more about employee-led learning and training course options to suit your business.
