It is not enough for a company to say it invest in its company culture. Creating a healthy workplace environment is a process that takes time and commitment. A factor that is often forgotten with any process is that learning new skills is essential to change. With learning comes vulnerability.

So, let’s chat about the power of learning and development within the workplace.

What Is Learning and Development? 

Learning and development (L&D) is an HR function: “a way of accruing value in employees that involves evaluating staff for potential and then developing it… on-boarding new staff and honing the skills of current employees.” 

How is this accomplished? 

By “using appropriate curriculum and techniques such as coaching, individual and team training, and staff assessments. Learning management systems also increase employee engagement.”

To reiterate the importance of L&D, we acknowledge that, “The term ‘learning’ often applies to immediate teaching, and ‘development’ has a longer-term connotation.”

Why Learning and Development? 

Culture Works acknowledges that part of our impact is through: 

• Purpose
• People
• Process. 

The process means that we align HR and operations to simplify internal processes. We drive results by implementing HR infrastructure upgrades which are the building blocks of aligned organizational culture and business goals.

Learning and development are creating specific skills and connections that stay with employees when they leave the office for the day. Learning and development, in the long run, boost company culture while also improving the bottom line. L&D programs, in short, benefits employees and the company as a whole.

Creating a positive work environment with L&D

The news of the Great Resignation affecting all industries right now has pushed for more active implementation for positive company cultures in the workplace. There are ways to improve positive company culture with L&D. 

Utilize KSAs, not KPIs

In order to be a company that values a learning culture, you should put more emphasis on KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities) rather than key performance indicators (KPIs). Employees should be encouraged to better themselves in order to contribute to the greater success of the business. 

It’s important for employees to understand that learning and experimenting with new skills in the workplace is encouraged as well as expected. Empowering employees to take the initiative in their development is one of the best ways to help your employees and your company grow. 

Continually measure and adapt

In everything you do, it’s important to assess the results. These assessments will give you the information you need to build a better program and keep your employees motivated. 

Employee surveys are a great way to assess your efforts. Start with an assessment to establish benchmarks in areas like knowledge and performance. Once you have the base assessment, you can base your further efforts on the evaluation. These will help you uncover the impact of the program on retention, internal mobility, business results, and other factors that lead to success. 

It’s also important to assess employee responses to your efforts. Are employees taking advantage of the provided opportunities? Are they utilizing the online resources? If not, you may need to change course. 

Engage your middle management

It is said that company culture changes start from the top down, and while that is true (without high-level buy-in any culture initiative will fail), it is also essential to engage your middle management. If your mid-level managers do not understand the importance of learning and development, their direct reports will never completely buy-in. 

Middle managers need to know that the learning and development programs are designed to help keep employee skills up to date, and prepare their employees for potential growth opportunities. 

Managers can serve as a mentor to their employees, performing the training programs, and following up after. When employees take the time to develop new skills, it makes them better contributors to the team and gives them the opportunity to act as team players. When managers understand this, they will buy-in.

Recognize the difference between skills and behaviors. 

Understanding the difference between skills and behaviors will help you tailor your programs to ensure employee success. Skills are typically straightforward to learn and can be easily transferred in an online teaching environment. 

Changes in behavior are more complex. How people act in specific circumstances, like high-pressure situations, is more challenging to teach. Teaching the ‘why’ behind behaviors helps to promote a greater learning environment. You must teach your employees how you would like them to conduct themselves in the workplace. Part of this teaching process is modeling the behavior you’re actively encouraging your workforce to implement yourself. 

For example, if you have a collaborative, candid environment, you would do well to give employees the skills to be candid, accept honest feedback, and collaborate with teams. Understanding how your corporate culture meshes with your employees’ communication styles will define your company’s overall approach to learning. 

Are you debating if your company truly has a positive culture, one that implements Learning and Development? Read our blog to learn the 5 signs that your company does have a positive company culture.