Editor’s note: Veteran entrepreneur and investor Donald Thompson writes a weekly column about management and leadership as well as diversity and other important issues for WRAL TechWire. His columns are published on Wednesdays.
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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – While Twitter, TikTok and other social media platforms often make headlines based on controversies with certain users or topics – and especially now that Elon Musk has taken over Twitter – behind the polemic is an interesting new way to think about the future of corporate and organizational learning. Behaviors on social platforms are beginning to influence the workplace as a new generation of workers enter the workplace. This is creating a new set of expectations on how teams learn and communicate.
This is being reflected in the digital learning industry through a trend called “microlearning,” and it’s fueling much of the tremendous growth in organizational learning forecasted for the next six years. For example, research firm Allied Market Research projects the global corporate training market to skyrocket from $332 billion in 2019 to $487 billion by 2030.
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THE FLOW OF WORK
The global pandemic and its consequences forced workplaces to change faster than any point in human history. These new environments, whether fully remote, hybrid or office-based, accelerated the need for new ways of managing and training employees. While the physical workplace has been transformed by people who can work from anywhere, the change also upended how they think about their roles.
What emerged is a move away from rigid hours, like the traditional 9 to 5 in American workplaces, and toward the idea that work can be done at the employee’s convenience within the flow of disparate workforces that might be in different time zones or in countries across the globe.
Taking traditional mental barriers away from what constitutes “the office,” as well as how people think about their teammates and collaborating across remote or hybrid locales, it is an easy next step to reimagine how training and development might also adapt to meet the demands of this new environment.
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VIRTUAL TRAINING IN A CHANGING WORKPLACE
We have also learned at a hyper-fast pace that these monumental changes in the workplace mirror what has happened with content across society. We carry a high-powered computer with us everywhere we go, and it has changed the way we engage with information.
Simply put, the idea of “traditional” corporate training seminars or hours sitting in a conference room (in real life or virtual) is much less appealing. On YouTube, we see this phenomenon play out as viewers watch music videos or clips of content outside its original presentation or form.
In the training and learning environment, we must reimagine education based on similar thinking.
We know that today’s workers are bombarded with information, and work is merely part of their lives, not the total sum, as we may have imagined in the past. Adult learners are distracted, so the idea of creating mini-lessons and microlearning opportunities plays into the way people think. Based on scientific studies, we know that the average attention span is between 3 and 11 minutes, and most people won’t watch a video past the 4-minute mark. And, consider that these statistics refer to people who are choosing the content themselves, not being asked to sit through long presentations or webinars.
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MICROLEARNING FACILITATES WORKPLACE EXCELLENCE
The forms of microlearning are constantly evolving to meet training and development needs. What has emerged are options based on the way people consume media outside of work, ranging from short videos (MicroVideos), in-app tutorials, brief articles, micro-certifications, podcasts, and gamification. The central theme, however, is that the learner is often self-paced or going through the training with teammates, so that collaboration is built into the learning process.
Kerry Andolina, Director of Operations, Human Resources and DE&I at Dover Street Market explained how MicroVideos helped train employees, saying, “Frontline professionals, like my retail staff, are not going to have an hour to sit down and absorb something. They’re on the move, and if they can watch something quickly while on their lunch break, that’s great, and they’re more willing to do that.”
In addition to understanding the long-term growth of the global corporate development industry, I have two other takeaways for you to consider: First, studies reveal that microlearning increases retention by up to 80%.
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Further…
Second, like the latest binge-worthy television series, people increasingly rely on “on-demand” programming. It is inevitable that learning and development are going to replicate this model – it just makes sense. So employers of choice must reimagine how they train their workforces when “reskilling” is destined to be a constant need. Already, according to management consulting firm McKinsey, 90% of managers and executives claim to face skill gaps now or anticipate such gaps emerging by 2025.
People are already voting with their tweets, views and likes, showing us how they want to engage with content. Microlearning is already a powerful tool, but it is destined to become an indispensable facet of corporate learning and development.
Culture-centric leaders like Dover Street’s Andolina need training options that are fast, engaging and effective, while also meeting modern workers where they are and at whatever point they are on the 24-hour clock. Every second counts. The future of workforce learning is here and will continue to be built on the idea of delivering right-sized content via channels convenient and accessible in an ever-evolving world.
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About the author
Donald Thompson is CEO and co-founder of The Diversity Movement. His leadership memoir, Underestimated: A CEO’s Unlikely Path to Success, is available now. He has extensive experience as an executive leader and board member, including digital marketing agency WalkWest. Donald is a thought leader on goal achievement, culture change and driving exponential growth.
An entrepreneur, keynote speaker, author, Certified Diversity Executive (CDE) and executive coach, he also serves as a board member for organizations in marketing, healthcare, banking, technology and sports. Donald is the host of the “High Octane Leadership” podcast.
The Diversity Movement (TDM) enables organizations to build and strengthen culture by tying real-world business outcomes to diversity, equity, and inclusion via a scalable subscription-based employee experience platform.
The microlearning platform, “Microvideos by The Diversity Movement,” was recently named one of Fast Company’s “2022 World Changing Ideas.” DEI Navigator is a “chief diversity officer in a box” subscription service that provides small- and mid-sized businesses with the tools, advising and content that leads to action and results. Connect or follow him on Linkedin to learn more.
