As summer draws to a close, no one is more excited about the start of the school year than working parents. Quiet living spaces, uninterrupted lunch breaks, and “Zoombomb”-free conference calls are music to every hybrid employee’s ears, but the best gift working parents receive when kids go back to school?
Time—and lots of it.
Interestingly enough, a majority of today’s employees—parents and otherwise—are using this free time to upskill and capitalize on learning and development opportunities designed to further their career goals. The problem? They’re looking outside their organizations for those opportunities, rather than utilizing the L&D benefits at their fingertips.
Even with substantial training and advancement resources in place, employees can quickly experience a decrease in career purpose and job satisfaction when those resources aren’t easily accessible or personalized. But by housing employee learning resources in one centralized hub accessible across devices and in multiple formats, employees can pilot their own professional development journeys.
Employee Learning: A Driver of Wellbeing and Purpose
Businesses continue to face talent shortages and high turnover, and low employee engagement has been a major factor. With job stress steadily increasing and costing businesses $300 billion in losses due to absenteeism, diminished productivity, and accidents, employees want to work for organizations that can help them manage stress and renew their career passions.
Employees who receive opportunities to grow, learn, and develop are empowered to take ownership of their health and wellbeing. But the benefits aren’t just one-dimensional—on the flip side, when employees are supported physically, mentally, and emotionally, they’re better positioned to think critically, learn new skills, and apply their knowledge. Additionally, prioritizing employee learning fosters a sense of belonging and worthiness in the workplace, keeping employees engaged, satisfied, and motivated.
From an organizational standpoint, employers can get the most out of their health investments by investing in learning and development. In a survey of multigenerational employees, Gallup found that 59% of millennials, 44% of Gen Xers, and 41% of Baby Boomers are less inclined to leave their jobs when their organizations offer a wide variety of learning opportunities.
In other words, learning opportunities are quickly becoming magnets for talent—as well as huge retention boosters. And, when learning and development opportunities are personalized to employee preferences, ever-changing, and easily accessible, employers stand to see:
- Enhanced Productivity: Employees want to learn and grow in ways that are meaningful to them. Offering a wide array of learning opportunities and continually sourcing new avenues for development lead to a more focused, energized, and motivated workforce.
- Improved Leadership Effectiveness: Leaders who proactively champion wellness initiatives, including learning and development opportunities, serve as invaluable examples of professional growth. Taking a genuine interest in career advancement creates a positive ripple effect throughout the entire organization, leading to enhanced engagement, innovation, and resilience.
- Positive Company Culture: Integrating wellness into learning and development programs fosters a supportive and inclusive organizational culture that prioritizes the health and happiness of its employees. Organizations that advocate for their employees’ career goals create an environment of trust, collaboration, and inclusivity.
3 Digital Wellness Tools That Enhance Employee Learning
Not every workplace has the flexibility to support a fully-fledged learning and development program. But with the right wellness platform, employers can reap the benefits of employee learning without losing money on one-dimensional career development partnerships.
Wondering what you need to get started? Check out these 3 quick and easy digital wellness tools that can be easily optimized to take employee learning to the next level.
1. Resource Library
Think about how your employees learn new information. With an abundance of educational material available in the palms of their hands, it makes sense that employees prefer to have a one-stop shop for all things learning, development, and wellness.
Setting up a resource hub within a larger wellness platform allows organizations to showcase key information—from benefits and employee offerings to timely educational material—front and center to drive awareness and utilization. From here, employees can pick and choose which development activities, courses, and features fit their most important wellbeing needs.
2. Skills-Based Micro Activities
Microlearning is becoming more and more popular among busy employees, making learning and development incredibly easy for companies. Creating engaging, bite-size learning activities that can be completed in just a few short minutes is simple and makes career advancement accessible to anyone—regardless of time, place, or device.
To take things one step further, wellness platforms that offer SMS text tracking make it even easier for motivated workers to track learning progress between shifts, on the go, or during quick work breaks. Employees can catch up on training modules or review quick tutorials at any point during the day, enabling employees to fit learning into their busy schedules.
3. In-Platform University Courses
Virtual courses provide employees with the flexibility to learn at their own pace, which is especially helpful for busy professionals. Interactive modules, quizzes, and forums make the learning experience fun and engaging—and as a bonus, employees can easily revisit the material whenever they need a refresher.
In addition to furthering employees’ career goals, employers can also utilize university courses to raise awareness about various health and wellness topics. By increasing knowledge and understanding, employees can become more motivated to utilize their benefits, adopt healthier behaviors, and define their true career purpose.
Is Your Wellness Program Honing or Hindering Employee Learning?
The start of the school year is the perfect time for employees to reassess personal and professional goals that may have been postponed during the hustle and bustle of summer. With the right digital wellness tools at their disposal, they can discover what their true career goals are, what they need to thrive, and how they can best serve their organizations.
Digital wellness solutions are the ideal partners to have when integrating larger career development initiatives into a comprehensive wellness strategy. Reach out to our experts today to see how top companies were able to maximize their employees’ potential, boost retention and revenue, and cultivate a culture of growth.
