Essential E-learning – November Issue

Welcome to the November edition of our monthly newsletter: Essential E-learning with Hubken.

What can you expect from this month’s issue?

The mighty force of gamification, the ‘poacher’s fear’, enriching salary packages with L&D value adds, and how to create a culture of continuous learning – intrigued? Let’s dive in!

Enhancing learning with gamification

A recent Forbes article examined the value of language education and the trends and strategies that business leaders in language education should be aware of.

The article explored how technology has transformed the way language is taught, with AI-powered platforms, gamification and immersive experiences ‘all becoming integral parts of modern language education’.

In particular, the article encouraged educational businesses to ‘focus on creating dynamic, engaging environments that encourage participation’ through the use of gamified and interactive experiences.

We’ve long championed the use of gamification to enhance the learning experience. It’s a tried and tested method not just for language learning but for?any learning purpose.

A great example of the diversity of gamified learning can be found with Hubken client The Royal College of Podiatry. Their interactive gamification course for podiatrists on ‘Heel Pain’ was based on the popular ‘Guess Who’ board game and it was such a success that it was featured in a recent issue of The Dirty Word E-learning magazine.

If, like the Royal College of Podiatry, you’d like to boost learner engagement and satisfaction rates with powerful gamification courses, read our top tips on including gamification in your L&D strategy here.

Is the ‘poacher’s fear’ preventing employers from investing in training?

Baroness Taylor of Bolton, chair of the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee, recently wrote to the government calling for financial incentives for employers to invest in training. This comes as an inquiry found that apprenticeships and training programmes were not meeting the UK’s future skills needs.

An article published by Personnel Today discussed the findings of the inquiry and noted that the ‘UK is lagging behind other countries in having a nationwide culture of employer-led training as companies fear investing in training because of the risk of losing staff to others’.

Referred to as the ‘poacher’s fear’, employers aren’t providing employees with sufficient L&D opportunities for fear that they won’t see a training ROI if their employees leave.

Is the ‘poacher’s fear’ enough to justify a lack of training opportunities? Concerns around staff retention and budgets are completely understandable, but the benefits of a highly skilled workforce absolutely outweigh the potential risks of turnover.

We know that businesses with a strong L&D function are more likely to attract and retain top talent while boosting job satisfaction and performance across the board, that’s why so many businesses have invested in training opportunities and e-learning technology.

While the upfront training investment may initially eat into your budget, the impact of training will more than compensate for training expenses over time.

What’s more, did you know that investing in an e-learning platform to support employee training can actually help save you money in the long run? Read our infographic to find out more.

Enriching salary packages with critical L&D value-adds

Are mismatched expectations affecting your staff acquisition and retention rates?

According to Michael Page’s 2025 Salary Guide, employers say the biggest hiring challenge is a mismatch in salary expectations. And when it comes to retention, 50% of employers say offering competitive pay is their biggest challenge when preventing turnover, along with work-life balance (44%) and career progression (39%).

During a difficult financial period in which employers simply cannot afford to match top-end salary expectations that exceed market salary rates, businesses can look at ways to strengthen salary packages with value-adds that ensure employees feel appreciated and supported.

With 39% looking for better career progression opportunities, employers need to deliver effective development opportunities that will support long-term career progression within the organisation, mitigating the risk of turnover as a result.

Look to incorporate key career enhancements, such as continuous training, competitive L&D opportunities, health and wellbeing programmes, and thorough talent management practices. In doing this, businesses address a broader spectrum of employee needs and ensure businesses remain competitive despite falling short of salary expectations for some.

Building a culture of continuous learning with an e-learning platform

As mentioned above, incorporating continuous training into your core L&D offering can bring significant benefits. The best way to achieve this is to build a culture of continuous learning within your organisation.

But what is a culture of continuous learning and why is it important for you to build within your organisation? If you’re not sure, our recent blog has all the answers, including top tips on how to build a culture of continuous learning with an e-learning platform.

In the blog, we discuss why you should make continuous learning a core company objective, ensuring that managers and employees work together to outline goals to support this.

Once goals have been determined, it’s important to encourage employees to take ownership of learning opportunities that will help them achieve goals by cultivating a motivational environment and utilising e-learning functionality such as learning paths, badges, and certifications to drive self-directed learning.

Interested in finding out more? Be sure to read the full blog here.

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