We recently polled people in our Wondering Wednesday series on LinkedIn to learn more about employees’ preferences regarding company-sponsored learning. Company-sponsored training and development can take many forms, from mandatory annual harassment refresher courses to workshops, online courses, and even mentorship opportunities. Mandatory training doesn’t always have the best reputation, but it’s important and, in some circumstances, may be legally required. In addition to mandatory training, companies should consider sponsoring additional training and development opportunities that help employees perform their jobs effectively and advance their careers.  Investing in employee development can also increase employee engagement, retention, and job satisfaction – all worthy goals for organizations of any size.

Best Use of Time

We asked what format employees find to be the best use of their time for company-sponsored learning, and Lunch and Learns were the clear winner, with 64% of respondents choosing Lunch and Learns over options like one-day workshops and webinars. Lunch and Learns are training sessions typically offered by companies as an opportunity for employees to build professional skills.

When it comes to in-person Lunch and Learns, it’s not just the free lunch that draws employees in (though, let’s be honest, that definitely helps with attendance). Because they’re held during the lunch hour, Lunch and Learns don’t detract from employees’ productive time and allows them to have some casual interaction with colleagues.  

Most Helpful Training

Respondents overwhelmingly found People Management 101 to be the most “surprisingly helpful” required workplace training. This makes sense when you think about it: Anyone promoted to a managerial position for the first time is going to learn a lot from a people-management training, even an intro-level course, because they’ll be going into it with little or no prior experience managing direct reports. This kind of training can heavily affect a new manager’s day-to-day interactions with the people they manage, as well as prepare them for giving performance reviews and difficult feedback. This is an important training that employers should consider offering all new managers; effective managers are better communicators and collaborators, and they can influence everything from employee job performance to retention rates.

Most Meaningful Support

In response to our question about the “most meaningful support” employers could give to employee learning, respondents were split between paid tuition of online courses and conference attendance. Online courses can have a long-term impact on a person’s career, offering professional certifications or full degrees, and they allow for greater flexibility than in-person courses, typically allowing people to learn at their own pace from wherever they like. An almost equal number of respondents said that the most meaningful support would come through conference attendance. Conferences tend to be more focused in subject matter immediately relevant to the participant’s job or industry.  An added benefit of going to a conference is the opportunity to network and interact with peers, industry experts, and thought leaders.

The split between answers may come down to the stage of your career and what role and industry you’re in. For example, a recent college graduate just starting a career in software engineering may benefit from tuition reimbursement for an online certification course in a new programming language. A scientist, on the other hand, may find more value in attending a conference where they can present their own achievements, network with peers doing similar work, learn about the latest technologies they can apply to their research, and so on. 

Most Effective Format

Despite the recent trend to leverage online and virtual technology, employers may be surprised to learn that respondents found live, in-person training to be the most effective format. 

Many companies have heavily leveraged click-through online courses for speed and digital tracking purposes, as well as ease of administration and cost savings. In-person training, however, allows participants to focus, pay closer attention and engage with the facilitators and learning environment.  In addition, many people get screen fatigue with online learning or may be tempted to multi-task during a virtual or click-through course. 

Given that employees prefer in-person training, companies may want to consider this for onsite workers; if you take employee preferences into account, you are likely to have better engagement and more effective use of employees’ time. 

To participate in the conversation, see the results for yourself, or learn about our interactive training offerings, email info@hrsolutionsatwork.com, or head over to the HR Solutions At Work LinkedIn page, where we post a new poll every Wednesday!

Because every situation presents unique facts, the information provided in this article is for general information and is not intended to be legal advice regarding any specific situation. This information may be considered advertising in some states. Any links to third-party sites are for your convenience. HR Solutions At Work does not endorse specific sites or guarantee the accuracy of the information on those sites. Please contact us if you have any questions about this information or our services.