5 Ways to Create an Ongoing Learning Culture in Your Company

A learning culture stresses the importance of employee development by actively investing in, well, learning. 

As a business owner, you can capitalize on employee skills to help increase productivity through improved employee engagement. This in turn helps improve employee retention. Although a learning culture contributes to growth, it takes time to develop. In fact, according to a recent study, only 10% of companies have successfully created a true learning culture. 

Today, we discuss five ways to create an ongoing learning culture in your company.

1. Include Learning in Employee Development Plans  

Learning should be something that remains top-of-mind when it comes to employee development. 

The reality is that nationally, employees are on the move, so investing in their professional development is important to say the least.

Including ongoing employee reviews that consider skill sets, as well as employee career goals, allows managers to create personalized and purposeful learning plans with objectives in mind. Plans should focus on a learning process to develop skills that help employees do their jobs, while also supporting their personal career goals.

2. Introduce Career Coaching

One-on-one coaching provides direction to employees based on their skills and ambitions. 

It is one of the best ways to help develop a learning culture as it inspires self-guided learning. Career coaching can also include mentorship programs with one-on-one learning or shadowing. Career coaches identify opportunities and encourage employees to develop skills that take them along a chosen career path.

3. Adopt Continuous Learning for Managers

Leading by example helps employees see the company is focused on learning. 

Managers who engage in continuous learning to further their own careers and make themselves better leaders reinforce a commitment to learning culture. 

Provide channels for managers to learn, such as investing in conferences and industry seminars. Introduce a knowledge-sharing policy where managers pass on their learning to their teams or other managers.  

4. Provide Learning Tools and Training Programs

According to one report, the average employee only spends 24 minutes a week on formal learning. 

Business owners can formalize their training to provide dedicated time for learning. However, this requires learning tools that make it easy for employees to participate. Self-directed learning platforms help streamline onboarding allowing every employee to start their time with your company learning. 

Having a dedicated space for learning with computers for self-guided programs as well as “classrooms” for group opportunities such as lunch and learns provides a common area where people share knowledge and take advantage of the tools available to them. Platforms also allow employees to participate remotely if they prefer to participate on their own time. In hand with a formal training program, employees and managers have a process for learning. Programs are measurable and progressive in nature, allowing managers and/or HR departments to keep learning on track.  

5. Hire Curious People

Employees who want to learn bring a positive attitude about learning into the business. They are more apt to embrace the idea of knowledge sharing. 

Your interview process should ask pointed questions about a candidate’s desire to take on more challenges, find new ways to do things or their comfort level with taking calculated risks. Discuss seminars they attend, books they read, or even favorite industry blogs or social accounts they follow to help understand their attitudes about learning and self-development.

Your business is only as good as the staff you’ve hired to support it. You’ll do best to create an experience and environment that feels less like a job to them and more like a career. 

About Focus HR, Inc.

Focus HR, Inc. uncomplicates the people side of business by providing small business owners with outsourced HR, project HR, and Leadership Coaching. For more information, please contact us today! If you liked this post, please subscribe to our blog. You can opt out at any time. To learn more about FocusHR and for updates, please like our Facebook page and follow us on LinkedIn.