Dive Brief:
- Nearly half (48%) of office workers in a new survey from learning platform Braidio said that peer collaboration is their preferred method of learning in the workplace, and 81% said that peer collaboration helped improve their productivity.
- Even as workers anticipate a more decentralized workplace of the future — almost 60% believe they and others will work from home — 81% said that peer collaboration is a major priority for learning. Over one third of employees said they share critical knowledge with coworkers in any type of formal learning system, but this tends to decrease as tenure increases, Braidio said in a press release.
- Among preferred learning methods, video reigns supreme for 71% of workers 55 and older and 76% of 18- to 24-year-olds, Braidio said.
Dive Insight:
Organizations face a challenging workforce dynamic in which five generations are employed simultaneously. In this environment, personalizing the learning experience for each sector without stereotyping is critical. For learning to be relevant and impactful, particularly in a multi-generation workforce, the traditional classroom style presentation just won’t work.
As experienced workers are predicted to be the fastest growing workforce segments through 2024, employers may soon have to create learning that works for employees who are young and old, with few on staff in the middle age group. The potential for “brain drain” as the more seasoned workforce exits enterprise will create even more challenges for L&D as they take a bulk of their knowledge and expertise with them into retirement.
The challenge will be to capture that experience with collaborative learning initiatives and partnerships, shown by the study to be preferred, before it’s too late. Studies show that collaboration, even through social networking, boosts engagement and learning as well as course completion and retention.
