Current times require bold and pioneering leadership. Periods of transition are the perfect time to innovate and engage your employees, primarily through blended learning programs. Developing your workforce is the only way to ensure sustainable growth.
A March 2020 Deloitte article on remote learning outlines methods to help organizations rapidly switch gears to transition to remote learning environments. Organizations realize this is an opportunity to build critical collaboration capabilities within the workforce. They have made adjustments to the “new normal” and also see the importance of humanizing virtual work and learning.
A human-centered approach to engagement is about ensuring a connection between your employees, teams and leaders. The best workplace blended learning programs put employees first – the human elements of well-being, trust, diversity and inclusion.
The human touch in blended learning
Blended learning is more than combining e-learning with in-person or virtual learning delivery. It is about using learning technology to bring your workforce the best experiences and to achieve your business objectives while engaging your employees.
Platforms like Paycom Learning make it simple to combine mobile learning with traditional, instructor-led training. Your workforce can connect through any device at any time, providing a foundation for consistency. However, more than ever, employees need connection – social and emotional. This connection is essential to ensuring the vitality and productivity of your workforce.
There is no better time to make sure your learning programs are the tangible connection between your organizational culture and business outcomes.
The role of leadership
We all face new ways of working and learning. Start by transforming the way you structure learning in your organization through front-line managers. They are the key to building trust and creating a thriving workforce.
In his Harvard Business Review article “The Neuroscience of Trust,” Paul J. Zak, founding director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies, examines leaders who trust and empower their teams to unleash significant potential. Compared with employees at low-trust companies, those working for high-trust companies report:
- 74% less stress
- 106% more energy at work
- 50% higher productivity
- 13% fewer sick days
- 76% more engagement
- 29% more satisfaction with their lives
- 40% less burnout
Recommendations for a better learning experience
Several ways exist to provide your workforce with engaging, collaborative learning experiences. Hosting cross-team, knowledge-sharing sessions is an excellent way for employees who don’t usually work together to connect in meaningful ways.
The impact is particularly evident when you tie these sessions with business or departmental results. Many organizations see benefits that include:
- highlighting the diversity of thought in your workforce to find solutions to critical business challenges
- promoting teamwork as opposed to working in silos
- providing safe spaces to discuss how employees are coping with economic and social periods of change
- enabling leaders to develop and adopt new leadership capabilities
Establishing engaging blended learning rooted in technology does not mean you have to sacrifice essential human interactions. It means you have to be intentional in putting your employees first.
Resources and platforms like Paycom Learning’s Video Content Creator can help your organization develop effective relationships and facilitate collaboration across teams. Incorporating an informal video of leaders and colleagues will make your learning program feel authentic. It will communicate care and foster better engagement when your business needs it most.