Many organisations seek a culture of continuous development which helps increase employee satisfaction, improve output and reduce turnover. Incentives can help.
Continuous improvement has become a core value of many organisations. The benefits are obvious. Those employees who strive to learn and find better ways of doing their job are going to have increased and better quality output, resulting in higher profits for the companies that employ them.
What's more, offering opportunities for continuous improvement is essential for organisations wanting to attract (and retain) top millennial talent. That's why in Gallup's 'How Millennials Want to Work and Live' report, 59% of respondents said that opportunities to learn and grow are extremely important when applying for a job.
So how can you introduce a culture of learning at your organisation, and how can incentives help?
1) Formalise training and development plans
Many businesses may have relatively ad hoc training programs that operate on a when-needed basis. Instead, a culture of continuous development requires learning to be constant. Make sure you have a formal training program that schedules in regular teaching sessions for all your employees. If you have the resources, create individual development plans for every single one of your employees - when they can see a clear future at your organisation and what skills they need to develop to get there, they are much more likely to stay for longer.
2) Offer different types of training
Everyone learns differently, so when you're formalising training in your organisation, make sure to cater to these differences by offering a range of learning types. For example, you may want to schedule individual, or very small group training sessions for passing on highly specialist knowledge, and organise larger-team or even whole-company training sessions for information that anyone could benefit from. It also helps to create follow up sessions to solidify your employees's knowledge and ensure the messages really sink in.
Offer interactive sessions as well as classroom-based learning where you can, and try and bring any knowledge you do share back to your employees' individual roles, so they know how it applies to what they do every day.
3) Encourage your employees to share their knowledge
An employee will gain all sorts of skills in a broad range of areas during the course of their career. Every employee can benefit from the knowledge of others, so encourage them to share it. Organise training sessions that employees run themselves on a topic of their choice (ensuring it's still relevant). If your company has an internal social media platform or intranet, encourage employees to share any interesting information or tips they've discovered there as well.
4) Incentives learning
Incentivising learning will show your employees how much your organisation values development. Consider offering points in your broader rewards program for the number of training sessions an employee takes part in. Offer more points if an employee conducts their own session to share their knowledge or takes a certification in a certain area. You can even incentivise those who share tips and tricks on your company's intranet - just make sure that posts remain relevant.
To create an effective learning culture you also need to gather feedback on your development plans and training sessions wherever possible. It's a good idea, therefore, to also offer points for those who fill in surveys and feedback forms.
Employee Rewards and Recognition with Power2Motivate
If you don't already have a rewards program in place, or would like more information on how to incentivise learning in your current program, talk to the team at Power2Motivate. We understand exactly what makes employees tick and can help you introduce a culture of continuous learning and development at your organisation. Reach out today or request a demo from our skilled team.