Employee Learning Trends
Synopsis
This case flyer focuses on the issue of employee learning and development. It deliberates on the various factors that must be taken into account while designing an effective employee learning program. The accompanying article showcases the various trends in employee learning and development and highlights the factors that guide an organization’s Learning & Development (L&D) budget. Despite relying solely on statistical figures to discuss the concept of employee learning and engagement, the accompanying article paves the way for an intensely thought-provoking discussion, encouraging to probe on numerous intriguing elements. How can learning programs be designed to cater to the diverse learning needs of employees? What is the relationship between employee engagement and work performance? Despite living in a technologically driven world, Indian companies are still reluctant to generously invest in e-learning programs for employees. What could be the reasons for this reluctance? Should L&D budgets be mandated in all organizations?
Expected Learning Outcomes
- • Ensuring consistently high level of learner’s engagement
- • L&D budgeting trends in Indian companies
- • Impact and effectiveness of employee L&D programs
Positioning and Setting
This case flyer can be used in the following courses:
- a) Human Resource Management – Training and Development – The importance of engaging employees while conducting L&D programs and the impact of employee engagement on work performance
- b) Organizational Behavior – Individual Learning – The factors that must be taken into account in designing and implementing an effective employee learning program
Suggested Orchestration
Before the Case Flyer Discussion
a) The students were asked to watch the movie View From the Top. Set in the backdrop of flight attendants training, this movie showcases how the new trainees are groomed into sophisticated professionals owing to the rigorous learning program at the academy.
b) This movie shall sensitize students towards the need and importance of learning and development for employees, in general, and for new recruits/trainees, in particular. It shall also help them gain an insight into the challenges faced by learners while undergoing such programs. Watching this movie, prior to this case flyer discussion shall also help students gain an insight into how employee learning programs are designed and implemented in real time work environment.
c) Most importantly, prior to the actual classroom discussion, the students were encouraged to analyze all the questions given in the case flyer (either individually or in learning teams or in appropriate discussion forums) to enable them to participate effectively and to enrich the learning outcomes.
During the Case Flyer Discussion in the Classroom
This case flyer can effectively be discussed in the classroom under the three broad topics.
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The flow of questions to be discussed in the classroom has been elaborated in Annexure (TN)-I: The Board Plan
I. Driving Learners’ Engagement
• The discussion commenced by asking students what was their understanding of the term ‘individual learning’ and to deliberate on the factors that influenced an individual’s learning ability and the various obstacles to effective learning.
• This was followed by a discussion on the various measures to be undertaken to ensure employee engagement. Students were then asked to debate on who was responsible for ensuring employee engagement.
• This resulted in an animated discussion among students where they asserted that the top management, the leadership team and the HR department, were all expected to shoulder the responsibility of ensuring employee engagement. It was interesting to observe that most of the students had overlooked the role of the trainer in making sure that the employees felt involved and connected during the entire learning program. To drive home this point, students were asked to recollect the scene from the movie where the training instructor played a pivotal role in coaching the new trainee flight attendants using practical and demonstrative training methods.
• It was only natural to then ask students about the organization’s role, in general, and the HR department’s role, in particular, in designing and implementing a well-defined employee engagement practice.
• The classroom discussion then focussed on whether L&D programs should be customized to cater to the diverse learning needs of employees and the challenges of such a customization. It was interesting to observe the intense debate among the students where majority of them supported the view that customization of L&D programs would help in increasing employee engagement and would, therefore, offer a better learning experience. It was also stated that an enriching learning experience would reflect in an employee’s work performance.
• At this point, the discussion was taken further by asking whether learning programs directly impacted employees’ work performance and whether a higher employee engagement during L&D programs would always tantamount to an increased work performance. The response to this discussion was captured in a graphical form [Exhibit (TN)-I].
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Exhibits
Exhibit (TN)-I: The Employee Engagement and Work Performance Association Graph
Exhibit (TN)-II: Nature of Industry and Employee Learning
