Continuous learning at work is good for business

This week is Learning at Work week and we’re joining the conversation to highlight the many benefits that businesses and their employees can gain from continuous learning.

Learning at work happens in many ways and there are different requirements for learning across job roles and sectors.

When an employee first joins your company, they will engage in introductory training that shows them the way things are done. Induction training should also cover business necessity topics such as GDPR and cyber security, if applicable.

Additionally, some roles will require compulsory learning, which is a legal requirement for an employee to do their job safely and efficiently. Some examples of this type of training include: manual handling, information security and governance, fire safety and safeguarding.

Professional qualifications on a CV will show a person’s learning to date and can help you to find the best people for your business. The learning doesn’t stop there however. Most qualified professionals will be expected to partake in continuous professional development (CPD) if they are a member of a professional body.

All employees, no matter their role, can benefit from continuous learning at work. This can be built into a personal development plan that gets reviewed as part of an annual appraisal.

Helping your staff to be the best they can be benefits the business overall.

Benefits to businesses that promote continuous learning at work

With continuous learning comes continuous development; not just for the employee, but for their place of work.

A team that engages in training and development will not only remain competent, but can also aspire to be one step ahead of the competition, say by developing new technical or leadership skills, giving your business the edge.

Learning at work also presents opportunities for knowledge sharing, which can be handy when you’re operating on low levels of staff due to sickness absence. Job shadowing is a simple and effective way to achieve this.

Training and development are also valuable employee benefits which can improve employee retention and entice your preferred candidate to choose your company over another. For example, an attractive offering may be for a junior position with the potential to become a future leader through an organised training programme.

Effective methods of learning

During the pandemic, training, like most business functions, moved online to be carried out virtually.

Through eLearning, employers can provide flexible, anytime, anywhere training to remote staff.

For hybrid teams, or those back in the office, some face-to-face training can also be valuable.

Benefits of training in person include: better interaction, improved communication, more questions asked and answered, and the immediate ability to check for understanding.

If it’s a group or team session, it can also be fun, creating a relaxed environment which in turn can improve information retention.

If you’re concerned about pushback from anyone not wanting to attend a face-to-face session, reassure them by communicating how you will achieve this safely and remind them of the benefits of attending.

A training plan that works for you

If Learning at Work week has got you thinking about renewed training and development for your team, we can help.

Speak to us today about how to take your business forward with effective employee training.