How Does Learning In The Flow Of Work Support Employee Development?

What Are The Benefits Of Workflow Learning For Organizational Growth?

There's no denying that employee training is necessary for business success. It is the one thing that ensures that your workforce can access the information they need when they need it to remain productive and see their tasks through. Nevertheless, as daily schedules become more hectic, it's getting increasingly difficult to put aside time for training. For this reason, instead of trying to find available time chunks, businesses are incorporating learning opportunities in the flow of work. In this article, we discuss the reasons that make learning in the flow of work necessary, as well as 5 benefits of workflow learning—as it is also known—that make it such a popular L&D strategy.

Why Do We Need Workflow Learning?

The evolving needs of the modern workplace have changed the face of employee training. The comprehensive training program that requires employees to take precious time from their activities to sit in front of a screen is not suitable for all businesses, especially as a large percentage of employees are deskless. The modern workforce needs on-the-go learning that directly boosts their performance and enhances their efficiency. At the same time, businesses are shifting their focus from completion rates to whether new knowledge is being retained and implemented by their staff. Besides, these metrics have the most impact on their bottom line. Keeping all this in mind, it's easy to see how learning in the flow of work has emerged as the next best learning strategy for many businesses. Keep reading to discover the benefits you can expect to enjoy if you implement it.

5 Benefits Of Workflow Learning You Need To Know About

Here are some of the benefits of learning in the flow of work that might just convince you to give it a shot.

1. Increased Employee Engagement

Workflow learning is a learning technique that will not only be welcomed by your employees but also foster their love for learning. The main reason for that is that instead of disrupting their daily work routine and pulling them from their responsibilities, it integrates into their tasks, offering them useful snippets of knowledge. Moreover, unlike traditional training material that often focuses on topics that don't immediately interest your staff, workflow learning is designed to align with the employees' task list. As a result, learning doesn't feel like a waste of time but rather like an opportunity to access resources that help them immediately advance their goals, add to their knowledge base, and increase their chances of professional advancement.

2. Learning Flexibility

Learning in the flow of work doesn't tie employees to seminar rooms or in front of a computer screen for hours on end. Instead, by leveraging microlearning, workflow learning allows employees to access training materials any time of the day and practice for as long as they need. This way, each employee can create a flexible learning schedule that fits their pace and available time. Apart from time flexibility, however, learning in the flow of work also promotes the customization of the learning experience in terms of the subject. At any moment, employees can choose to change their training focus to address a specific challenge that they are encountering. This way, everyone gets the support they need when they need it.

3. Higher Productivity

We have already mentioned that one of the benefits of implementing workflow learning is that employees have immediate access to any training materials they need. But how does that influence their productivity and, in turn, your company's efficiency? First of all, accessing learning on the go translates into less time browsing through training resources and more time spent putting theory into practice. Not to mention that employees can quickly find the solution to any problem or challenge they encounter, which gives them the ability to see their tasks through faster than before. Finally, given that this learning technique achieves impressive learning results, your workforce quickly becomes more capable and knowledgeable, driving organizational success.

4. Increased Knowledge Retention And Implementation

Contextual relevance is of utmost importance when it comes to knowledge retention and the smooth integration of new skills into the learner's routine. Workflow learning has an advantage over traditional learning strategies as, by definition, it happens during work. As a result, retaining new information and transferring it into their daily routine becomes a natural and almost subconscious process for workers. Let's not forget that workflow learning also promotes long-term knowledge retention by reducing the natural forgetting curve. The way it accomplishes that is by prompting employees to revisit and apply their knowledge regularly.

5. Reduced Costs For Learning And Development

Finally, a workflow learning benefit that will interest your organization's executives is that it can achieve great learning outcomes at a low cost. For one, switching to learning in the flow of work doesn't require you to create new training materials. In fact, all you have to do is modify your existing technology and resources to fit its philosophy of on-the-go and customizable learning. Apart from that, however, workflow learning can reduce learning-related costs by ensuring training effectiveness. Namely, workflow learning guarantees you won't have to exceed your budget training your employees on the same subjects again and again, as sufficient skill acquisition is achieved on the first try.

Conclusion

For businesses to thrive in the dynamic and hectic landscape of the modern workplace, figuring out a different way to approach remote employee training is crucial. Instead of pressuring employees to find the time to learn, it's important that we bring learning to them and integrate it into the workday in a way that promotes training without creating pressure. We hope the benefits of workflow learning we discussed in this article have convinced you to give it a go and unlock a new era of development and productivity within your organization.