Navigating the digital workplace with a single set of skills is a thing of the past. In a world where change is constant, organizations must proactively prepare and equip their employees with a vast array of skills.
More than half of employees acknowledge that the skills required for their jobs will change in the next five years, and 74% of workers showing interest in new skills to keep up with workplace advancements.
It is great that many employers are already catering for this demand through upskilling and reskilling opportunities, but the focus also needs to be placed on long-term training.
How can organizations foster a long-term vision through a culture of continuous learning to aid digital transformation?
Organizational Strategies for Continuous Learning:
1. Encourage a growth mindset.
Business leaders should encourage employees to adopt a long-term perspective on their career. By fostering a growth mindset, employees can proactively plan and future-proof their skills, aligning both personal and organizational goals with sustainable development.
However, getting to grips with this mindset isn’t always straightforward. Embracing a long-term vision offers numerous opportunities, but reaping the benefits often involves overcoming challenges. Employees need to learn from their mistakes, accept constructive criticism, and persist through difficulties to succeed. Once these nuances are overcome, they will be equipped with the necessary tools to focus on feedback rather than failure.
Business leaders should normalize failure to help employees understand that growth takes time. Creating a culture where learning from mistakes and valuing the process becomes central to driving long-term success.
2. Enable cultural transformation.
Alike with digital transformation, continuous learning involves a shift in organizational culture in order to become effective. Learning should be seen as a transformation process, rather than solely as a tool to manage change. Transformation journeys require significant preparation, and organizations must ready their employees for change.
Securing employee commitment to continuous learning depends on how effectively its value is communicated. By highlighting the advantages of continuous learning and framing it as a valuable opportunity, employees are more likely to view it as a beneficial, professional development initiative rather than a mandatory task to be completed by a deadline. Once employees understand the value of continuous learning, a cultural shift can occur where learning is viewed as a core value.
3. Provide diverse and flexible learning.
Learning should not be approached as a one size fits all model. All employees are different, requiring diverse and varied learning models to suit their needs.
In many instances, employees feel they lack the time or resources to give to learning. When overwhelmed by work or personal commitments, many believe that learning is a luxury they can’t afford. Instead of implementing rigid and mandatory learning, organizations must express that learning doesn’t always need to be a substantial commitment like a full-day training course, and instead express that it can be a steady process with realistic goals.
An effective learning program should empower employees to select their own process, set their own pace, and define their own goals, allowing for a personalized experience tailored to their unique needs and preferences.
4. Make learning a two-way process.
Implementing learning processes that resonate with employees requires a strong partnership between business leaders and employees. It should be approached as a collaborative effort where both actively engage and learn from each other.
By listening to employees, organizations can identify what works and what doesn’t. With the skills required by employees constantly adapting, evaluating the learning processes is key. It should be viewed as a dynamic process, not just a onetime implementation.
To maintain the momentum for learning among employees, highlighting their success is crucial. Show employees that their learning not only helps them achieve personal goals but also contributes to the performance and development of the entire organization.
Learning for Life
With the rise of AI and new technologies continuing to change the way we work; it amplifies the need for innovation and new skills to keep up. Jobs are only going to become more dependent on technology, pushing leaders to approach this in a forward-thinking manner.
Many organizations are already proactively addressing workplace changes, positioning themselves to thrive in the evolving landscape. Those who passively wait for change will find themselves at a disadvantage, as they struggle to keep pace.
A strong focus on continuous learning for digital transformation is essential to enhance the overall employee experience. By investing in employee growth and equipping employees to face technological changes, organizations can foster a more engaged, satisfied, and capable workforce, to ultimately drive the success of both the individual and the organization.
