Every successful company requires employees with the right skills. And being able to deliver these skills to the employees in an appropriate way is more vital than ever in the competitive business market.
Despite the great need for skills, the training programs employed by the companies don’t meet the standard of most employees.
A study shows that half of the employees found training programs to be ‘boring & useless’. Furthermore, the study also revealed that an average employee has only 1% of their work week to professional development. Thus, employees who work 40 hours a week only spare 4.8 minutes daily for their professional growth!
But, thankfully, there is a way to meet the skill needs of the future while taking into account the needs of busy employees, i.e., microlearning in the workplace.
So, today we will discuss microlearning in the workplace, its significance, and its types. Thus, make sure you read the article till the end.
Microlearning: What Is It & What Significance Does It Hold?
Microlearning is bite-sized learning content exploring the topic in a compact format. The bite-sized modules help modern learners quickly achieve their specific learning outcome/ objective. Additionally, every module addresses a single learning objective.
Some examples of microlearning include text, images, audio, quizzes, etc. The microlearning format suits employees as it offers flexibility & convenience to them.
Moreover, in this era of remote working, short spans, and busy schedules, training programs like microlearning is an ideal model for training existing as well as new employees.
Below are the benefits of microlearning in the workplace. Take a look!
- Improves Knowledge Retention
Employees tend to forget certain things with time. The more time passes after one learns something, the harder it is to remember until & unless we recall it repeatedly.
But employing microlearning in the workplace reduces mental fatigue and eliminates the pressure of learning & understanding loads of information simultaneously. In addition, with the use of specific tactics, transitioning information from short to long-term memory is possible.
Thus, microlearning helps in knowledge retention and enables employees to work efficiently & effectively.
- Enhanced Employee Engagement
Microlearning engages employees with targeted information directly related to outcomes and learning objectives. As a result, they feel more confident & motivated.
Moreover, employee engagement is high when we pair microlearning with gamification. For instance, when you shorten learning sessions, you need people to come back often & game mechanics enable this.
Thus, employee engagement is directly linked with gaming factors such as points, rewards, leaderboards, etc.
- Supports Ongoing Reinforcement
Microlearning is easy to consume during the flow of work. Whether it’s a video or a series of questions, employees can access what they need in order to solve issues and enhance their knowledge.
This approach is practical as it closes knowledge gaps quickly for everyone, irrespective of how long an employee has been on the job. In addition, the information can also be easily tailored for every employee.
It is vital to note that some microlearning tools are more effective than others. For instance, some learning platforms required people to retake the test if they didn’t pass it.
This shows ongoing reinforcement to help employees enhance their skill set and work productively in the workplace.
- Eliminates Time & Productivity Barriers
Corporate training occurring during working hours can have an adverse impact on productivity. Thus, limiting the learning experience to 5-10 minutes every day via microlearning can help minimize disruption in the company procedures.
This reduced time investment also implies that learners are more likely to engage with the material actively. In addition, since microlearning is mobile-friendly, companies have more options for enhancing training engagement.
This results in eliminating time & productivity barriers among employees in the workplace.
- Learn At Your Own Pace
Some employees absorb information faster than others, which is why traditional training models have inconsistent results.
Microlearning helps in such situations. It is designed so that every employee can take their time and work at their pace without the fear of falling behind. Moreover, microlearning allows a level playing field compared to other learning processes.
In addition, microlearning tools can also accommodate a broader range of media, like text, images, infographics, etc. By incorporating them in the learning modules, one can cater to employees’ different learning preferences, therefore promoting a positive outcome for a broad spectrum of audiences.
Also Read: How To Improve Your Company’s Culture
Types Of Microlearning In The Workplace
There are some significant types of microlearning that an employer can employ in the workplace. Here they are!
- Videos
Animated and whiteboard videos can stand alone or be offered in a training program. Videos are an engaging way to:
- Explain an abstract idea
- Provide a step-by-step guide for visual learners
- Animating the text with audio, thus providing a different take for employees who prefer text.
- Infographics
Infographics provide ‘at-a-glance’ information which can be used for summarizing key points from more extended training.
Interactive infographics can also provide more information, thus deepening the training whenever an employee is ready to learn more.
This kind of microlearning in the workplace can be a part of the employee onboarding process to hire new employees quickly & speed up the company’s policies & procedures.
- Static Resource
Static resources might not be as flashy as other types of microlearning, but they are widely used in organizations. For instance, PDFs and eBooks are static resources accessed across devices offering summaries on subjects that go deeper than the infographics.
Well, eBooks might not obviously fit the ideals of microlearning tools, but they can be used as a reference when employees need them.
Thus, static resources like these can offer in-depth information to employees.
- Podcasts & Webcasts
If employees spend most of their time on the road, podcasts can be an effective microlearning tool.
Podcasts can be short or long, basic & to the point, including discussing theories and many other subjects.
Similarly, webcasts offer a visual approach & if viewed live, it can allow questions from the viewers to be answered in real-time.
- Gamification
Who says microlearning in the workplace needs to be boring? Let’s gamify!
Gamification is a microlearning type that helps employees learn concepts while playing a game. Badges, levels, social interactions, rewards, etc., are added to the games to keep the employees engaged.
Honestly, this is one of the best types of microlearning that a manager can employ in the workplace!
- Social Learning
If you think social media is just for posting pictures & showing where you are and how you feel, think again!
Social media learning programs have reached a broad audience for short and meaningful discussions & interactions. In addition, company trainers can offer materials on an internal social network, thus connecting employees worldwide for regular check-ins.
- Complex Branching Scenarios
Imagine a simulator that is like a choose-your-own-adventure kinda book. Sounds exciting, isn’t it?
This microlearning tool responds to employees’ choices as they make them, thus changing the situation.
It is best to consider it a customer service training tool acting as a consumer, raising objections, or filing a complaint.
Microlearning of this kind offers multiple opportunities for problem-solving in different scenarios.
- Interactive Parallax-Based Scrolling
As an employee scrolls through an online scenario, interactive quizzes, questions, and specific information pops up to check their understanding.
Much like the word-building game, this kind of microlearning is highly engaging for employees with short attention spans!
Train Your Way To Success!
With so many microlearning types, creating an individualized training program for employees has never been easier. By using microlearning, companies know they are making practical, efficient, productive, and affordable learning solutions for employees.
So, if you are ready to learn more about how microlearning can help the company, the best way is to employ it in the workplace.
By doing so, employees will retain information and not find their work boring.
So, what are you waiting for? Employ microlearning in the workplace and witness a positive change in your employees and overall work environment!
