A recent survey by the consulting firm Gallagher shows that while 43% of companies support employees in developing career paths, only 19% focus on providing engaging and challenging work. The other 81 percent, according to the authors, are overlooking this critical component, noting that, “To boost engagement, companies can consider ways to challenge their employees with new goals, increased responsibility and promotions”.
Companies can create this challenging, stimulating, progress-oriented environment by implementing career development-focused L&D initiatives that are tailored to each employee. In this article, I’ll discuss how companies can:
- Provide each employee a comprehensive view of their career development path within the organization
- Offer continuous learning that provides up-to-the-minute training to handle shifts in technology or policy changes
A Personalized, Game-based Approach
Giving employees access to a visual, personalized, interactive career development plan can significantly boost employee motivation and retention. But to be effective, this must be done in a way that truly stimulates and engages the employee. Here are strategies to consider when you’re putting together your learning program:
Visualize the Learning Paths
Learning delivered through a digital platform that visually maps out a step-by-step career progression can help employees understand where they are in their journey and what they need to do next to reach their ultimate goals. Furthermore, having it visually spelled out clearly in an interactive format will make career advancement feel more attainable, and motivate them to put in the work required to move forward. Be sure to cover all job roles within the company, from entry-level positions to management.
Tailor Development Plans for Each Employee
Each employee brings different talents, aspirations, and learning styles. Tailored development plans should take all these factors into account, outlining the specific training and experiences employees will need to acquire to advance within the company. This approach will not only offer a sense of direction, but will build loyalty by helping them feel valued by the company on an individual level.
Leverage Gamification
This can be a powerful tool for keeping people engaged in any kind of learning, which too often feels like a chore. Elements like points, badges, and progress tracking can make learning and career progression feel like a fun and rewarding journey.
Managing Technological Shifts with Continuous Learning
With the rise of AI and the frequent policy changes that accompany it, companies need to provide flexible, timely training to keep their workforce up to date. You can accomplish this by providing:
- A Mobile-First Experience. For training to be effective, employees must be able to access it from any location on their own schedule. A mobile-first platform enables continuous learning amidst hectic schedules and a constantly changing work environment in which employees often work from multiple locations.
- Just-in-Time Learning. This needs-based approach to learning—which promotes the idea of providing the right training at the right time–addresses immediate skill or knowledge gaps and is critical in fast-changing environments. It can be particularly important in workplaces focused on integrating AI, or where the regulatory landscape frequently changes. By offering training modules that are updated in real-time as technology and regulations evolve, employees can adapt quickly to new tools or processes as they emerge.
Furthermore, combining mobile-first, just-in-time learning with gamified content ensures that employees remain engaged throughout the training. It also makes it easier for employees to digest complex new concepts and understand how they apply to their everyday work. Additionally, AI can analyze employee data to provide personalized learning recommendations based on their role, skills, and career goals. This ensures that each employee receives the right training at the right time, increasing engagement.
The Technical Back-End of a Personalized Learning Experience
To deliver a tailored user experience across multiple platforms and locations, special architectural decisions must be considered. Headless architecture is a software design approach that separates the user interface of an application from its back end. The user interface is the “head”, while the back-end, or “body”, manages the data and logic. The two systems are connected through APIs.
Integrating a popular learning platform with headless architecture, for example, would enable:
- Flexibility and customization. The interface and backend can be developed and scaled independently, allowing developers to more quickly and easily innovate on the system.
- Consistent cross-platform user experience. The flexibility allows a cohesive experience to be delivered more easily across websites, mobile apps and other channels.
- Faster time-to-market. Features can be tested and integrated separately, and bugs can be fixed without having to shut down the entire platform and interrupt the user experience.
Example: Engaging a Young, Dynamic Workforce with Gamified Learning
One company I worked with overhauled their training in a way that offers a great example of how to implement these strategies. They introduced a gamified, mobile-first learning platform to engage their comparatively young and energetic workforce. By using visual learning paths, the company illustrated clear career trajectories, from entry-level roles to management positions.
Gamification elements—such as earning points, badges, and progress updates—kept employees motivated to continually pursue their career objectives and take advantage of development opportunities. The platform also leveraged headless architecture to deliver a consistent learning experience across globally dispersed teams, while adapting content to local learning preferences. As a result of this program, the company saw:
- Increased Global Training Participation. The gamified approach led to a notable increase in employee engagement with the content. AI can dynamically adjust gamification elements, such as points or badges, based on learner performance, keeping employees engaged and challenged at appropriate levels.
- A Visual Path. Employees were able to visualize their career paths and potential growth within the company—this motivated them to invest the necessary time in their own development.
- Consistency Across Global Operations. Despite cultural and geographical differences, the company ensured consistent training quality.
- Better Preparation for Future Changes. By delivering on-demand learning, the company was able to keep its workforce up-to-speed on the latest AI-driven changes and other technological advancements, as well as regulatory shifts.
To wrap things up, by developing personalized, visually engaging career paths and providing flexible, timely learning opportunities, companies can not only engage their workforce but also future proof their operations in the face of rapid technological shifts. Continuous training using gamification and mobile-first platforms are key to cultivating a motivated and adaptive workforce that’s ready to take on the challenges of a dynamic business landscape.
Rob Porter is head of market and business development for CoSo’s eLearning solutions. He has a successful 25-year track record in instructional design and eLearning programs and has authored and presented on a variety of corporate topics and learning techniques. He has supported hundreds of enterprises by designing and deploying custom learning solutions that deliver content to millions of learners. He has developed state-of-the-art learning programs for organizations such as BMW, Nike, Nikon, Johns Hopkins, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Dassault, and Domino’s.
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