Public recognition and mentorship programs are two ways employers create a culture of learning, but close to 3 in 4 organizations said they lack the staff and time to support such a culture, according to an April 7 report from the Association for Talent Development.
Despite this, learning leaders and employees seem to share the same opinion about their organization’s learning culture, ATD said.
“Overall, both tend to agree that their company’s organizational culture provides a safe environment for open communication, that learning is a way of life at their organizations, and that managers support learning,” the report said.
Some aspects of a learning culture include:
- Providing dedicated learning time or hours to workers; 62% of organizations said they provided this, with a median time of about 40 learning hours per year.
- Using public recognition and rewarding employees for learning; 63% of organizations surveyed said they did this.
- Providing mentorship programs; 68% of organizations said they offered them.
One common challenge for employers trying to implement a learning culture is getting employees to actually use provided learning programs. Dedicated time for training can help get workers on board, particularly front-line workers who do not spend much time at desks, experts previously told HR Dive. Making learning digestible and accessible can also go a long way in improving engagement.
A learning culture may be especially important as the skills needed for work evolve at a breakneck pace — too fast for current training cycles to keep up, a recent report from Info-Tech indicated.