At a time when discussions about organizational strategies and corporate sustainability revolve around the implementation of technology, another element is making its way up the list of priorities that organizations should consider when thinking about the future of the business: corporate learning.
No, it’s not a new concept nor foreign to many organizations, but demand is growing, evolving and remains an essential aspect to increase corporate competitiveness and ensure success.
What does corporate learning look like in the age of the hybrid or fully remote workplace? We’re tackling the subject in this article now.
What is corporate learning?
Before jumping into the topic, let’s agree on a definition of corporate learning. It goes beyond onboarding new employees and upskilling existing ones. Essentially, corporate learning refers to the investment an organization makes in the development of its people to ensure that they can adapt and anticipate change to remain competitive and successful.
So, the learning and development path for employees isn’t solely about moving up the ladder, but rather about equipping them with the right knowledge, continuously, to gather various capabilities and experiences.
Evolving learning and development needs
It's inevitable; the advanced capabilities of technology, the generative AI tools available to all, and the impact of the 2020 pandemic have changed and continue to change the landscape of what was once. According to a recent report, the skills required in the workplace have evolved by 25 percent since 2015, and that number is expected to double by 2027. Surprisingly (or not), technical skills aren’t the sole ones on the list of what is sought after by companies; soft skills remain among the most in-demand, of which, management, communication and leadership remain at the top of the list.
In the same survey, opportunities for learning and skill development, as well as growth within the company ranked amongst the top elements to consider by people pursuing new jobs on the market. Interestingly, the age range of 18-34 years expressed the highest interest for the two mentioned above.
Creation of learning experiences
The focus is no longer on "how to teach" but on "how to learn. What does this mean? Things are changing fast in the business world, and with the increase in remote working, traditional learning methods are not always adequate and do not prepare us properly for real-life situations. Hands-on experiences, whether simulations or practical exercises, help develop the skills needed to adapt, innovate and overcome challenges. For example, web-based SaaS software or complex on-premise solutions require in-depth training, so companies should implement interactive hands-on courses that allow learners to engage with the live software in a virtual environment, accelerating and deepening product knowledge.
John Seely Brown, a member of BetterUp's Scientific Board and a researcher in the field of organizational learning, explains that the new competitive advantage lies in the need to learn how to learn (and unlearn). He points out that learning to learn in action involves three key steps:
- Learning how to step into the problem – adopting active learning to quickly immerse the learner in problem-solving scenarios.
- Learning how to open the mind – developing a talent for identifying intriguing and relevant content.
- Learning how to play with the problem – sharpening skills to understand and test the understanding of concepts, actively exploring connections within the problem.
It's all about immersing the learner in experiences, staying curious, and continually refining problem-solving skills.
Videos, videos, and more videos
Short, eye-catching, and engaging visual content is what individuals composing the workforce are accustomed to, making one thing abundantly clear: video-based learning experiences are a must.
The rise of rapid communication and the consumption of short-form content has fundamentally changed the way information is disseminated, impacting both corporate learning strategies and communication styles within organizations. Reflecting this evolution, a U.S. study on corporate learning predicts a significant increase in provider efforts to innovate and enhance continuous learning through the adoption of micro-video solutions. By the end of 2024, they predict that 40 percent of companies will have implemented their iterations of micro-video for corporate learning.
Video production can involve a multitude of tedious tasks that may make us revert to the static PowerPoint presentation. But content creation is evolving, and thanks to the enhanced capabilities of AI, it's possible to reduce production time by 90 percent with solutions like Avatar, which turns text into animated videos in minutes.
Try experiential learning for your organization
In short, corporate learning should be an integral part of the modern workplace, providing learning experiences for employees. The driving force behind this is the demand from today's workforce generation for enhanced experiences and accessible skill development opportunities.
The use of cutting-edge technologies makes it possible to seamlessly create enriching learning experiences on an ongoing basis; for example, using avatars to create course content or offering hands-on training in a sandbox environment. These innovative approaches can help the organization stay current, relevant, and competitive.
Constructor offers a comprehensive suite of solutions to support the corporate learning journey, from course design to content and assessment creation. Get in touch with us today and we'll be happy to help you create learning experiences that matter to your organization and your employees.