UK 
United States
It’s hardly surprising that 90% of executives believe that learning and development is a top priority1 when a whopping 87% of Millennials are telling us that development is important to their job.2
But, equipping people with the skills to do their current job is not enough. Millennials in today’s organisations are looking for career development too, so organisations must also be ready to prepare employees for their next job. Taking a longer term approach to talent management will be a prudent move for organisations, as according to the 2018 Workplace Learning Report, ‘94% of employees predict that they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development’.1
In the same survey, despite a clear demand for career development, employees also insisted that they were held back because of the lack of time to learn, as well as a lack of manager involvement in their learning.
This speaks volumes about long held perceptions of learning at work. Despite the rapidly changing nature of the workplace, it appears that organisations are still relying heavily on instructor-led training, which seems to be counterintuitive for the modern learner, and largely bypasses the important role of the Manager in the learning process.
So, what can organisations do to approach this differently? Here, Laura Ashley-Timms, Coaching Director at Notion, explains 5 ways that organisations can offer career development opportunities that employees will value:
1. Offer more flexible and accessible learning opportunities
Classroom based learning has its place but for today’s learner a more agile solution is required that can be accessed easily and can be completed at a pace that suits the employee.
2. Provide the solution at the point of need
Learning that occurs at the point of need is incredibly potent. The employee will be far more open and susceptible to learning when it’s highly relevant to their current situation.
3. Ensure transferability into the workplace
Instead of theory and rhetoric, learning that includes a strong practical application helps to embed skills and provides lots of social evidence about its value.
4. Measure commercial results
When employees can explain the results of what they have learned in hard, commercial terms they are more likely to receive recognition from others and repeat the behaviours that have been successful. They are also more likely to participate in a process of reflection that is proven to enhance performance.
5. Change the nature of the manager-employee relationship
Managers play a big role in engaging employees with their learning. Managers can help employees learn by empowering them, giving them ownership, including them in action planning, problem solving and other activities that help the employee to learn and grow. This might require a significant shift in their behaviour, which moves them away from the all too common ‘command and control’ style of management and towards more of a coaching approach to leadership.
A tall order?
Laura, reassuringly explains, “Notion are at the forefront of the latest technological advancement in behaviour change. We have designed a 100% virtual, blended learning programme called STAR® Manager that can do all of this and more.”
STAR® Manager introduces its learners to Notion’s unique behavioural change model STAR® which helps people to build skills that can contribute to improved engagement, productivity and performance. But this is no ordinary development programme. STAR® Manager can be accessed at anytime, in any place, using any device - which makes it completely flexible for the learner and the organisation. This flexibility allows learners to start the programme when they most need it, and to move through each stage at their own pace, in a way that is completely customised to the work they are doing.
During the programme, learners will experience a blend of 15 learning methods including ‘live missions’ that are bespoke to each individual and are undertaken in the workplace. This ensures that learning is immediately translated into real behaviour change which means results come faster.
Because STAR® Manager is so pragmatic, learners will be able to quickly recognise the direct social and commercial benefits of what they do, which is easily recorded within the STAR® Manager programme, giving organisations the best chance to capture ROI directly from the front line.
However, what is really special about STAR® Manager, is that it has the power to change the culture of an organisation. STAR® Manager can transform the behaviours of Managers in a way that helps them to adopt an ‘Operational Coaching’ leadership style in their everyday interactions. This switch to an ‘Enquiry-Led ApproachTM’ has an incredible effect on how Managers and employees interact and creates a continuous cycle of learning, action and reflection, that is equally valued by both employees and Managers.
Laura concludes, “organisations that offer revolutionary modes of learning, such as STAR® Manager will be better equipped to satisfy the needs of a multi-generational workforce; what is just as important, is that these tools help the organisation to create exceptional environments of continuous learning. This powerful combination will ensure that the organisation can offer career development that employees really want, setting them apart in the competition for talent.”
1 Linkenin Learning (2018) ‘Workplace Learning Report: The Rise and Responsibility In The New Labor Market’
2 Gallup (2016) ‘How Millennials Want To Work And Live’
Notion is a global expert in behaviour change. For more information about how STAR® Manager can help revolutionise the way people learn in your organisation, visit us by clicking here or call us for an informal chat on +44 (0)1926 889 885.
