The way we work has changed significantly in recent years. Work has become more flexible, attention spans have grown shorter, and workers are being pulled in many different directions at once. It's challenging for people to set aside two- or three-hour chunks of the workday to focus on professional growth — even though they want to.
Enter microlearning, an approach to learning and development that’s quickly gaining popularity.
What is microlearning?
Microlearning involves breaking down learning material into bite-size pieces of information so learners can, say, complete online training sessions during small pockets of time throughout the day. These short, focused microlearning modules are designed to deliver specific, actionable information that can be easily consumed and quickly applied.
Microlearning has numerous benefits for both organizations and employees, making it a valuable addition to corporate training programs everywhere.
10 benefits of microlearning for modern teams:
1. Build a culture of learning
Microlearning enables a continuous learning approach. Rather than relying on traditional training methods that require employees to attend time-consuming workshops or courses, microlearning allows learners to access information anytime and anywhere. On-demand employee training is particularly well-suited for distributed teams, which otherwise may not have easy access to quality learning content.
The brief nature of microlearning courses and modules means that employees can dedicate time to learning more frequently — perhaps even on a daily or weekly basis. This can help organizations build a culture of learning, which is a top focus area for L&D professionals in 2023.
2. Close skills gaps
Skills sets for jobs have changed by around 25% since 2015 and this number is expected to double by 2027. It’s no surprise that 75% of employers can’t find the talent they need with the right blend of technical and soft skills.
Microlearning enables your employees to expand their skill sets without a significant upfront time commitment, which may increase motivation for upskilling and reskilling. Microlearning content is typically under 15 minutes in length, allowing your team members to sneak in a learning session between meetings or while waiting at the doctor’s office.
For example, communication is one the most in-demand skills for 2023 — and it’s particularly important for hybrid and fully remote teams that work asynchronously and communicate virtually. LinkedIn’s Communication Foundations course is made up of microlearning videos one to six minutes in length and requires less than two hours to complete altogether. This is a light lift that employees could complete all at once or split into smaller chunks as their schedule allows.
3. Offer personalized learning
According to LinkedIn data, four in five learners (78%) expressed the need for course recommendations based on their individual career goals and skills gaps. Doing so can yield enormous benefits, as companies that recommend courses on LinkedIn Learning see 69% more hours watched per learner.
Microlearning is highly customizable and can be tailored to meet individual employee needs. Bite-size lessons allow your team members to learn what’s most relevant to their role or career goals — including any new skills they need to be successful. Employees can also skip over training material they’re already familiar with.
Personalized learning is more meaningful and engaging, helping your employees stay motivated so you have better learning outcomes. In fact, progress toward career goals is the top motivation for employees to learn.
4. Provide flexible learning
In the new world of work, where teams may be in the office, fully remote, or in some kind of hybrid combination, work lives and personal lives frequently intersect and blur. Between personal needs, meetings, and work tasks, your team members may only find small pockets of time for online training.
Employees need to be able to learn on their own schedule and at their own pace. Microlearning offers a flexible approach to employee development that allows employees to access on-demand learning material wherever they are. By breaking down learning material into smaller, more manageable pieces, employees can easily fit learning into their busy schedules, making it a more efficient and effective way to learn.
5. Boost learner engagement
Remote workers typically have fewer informal learning opportunities compared to their office-based colleagues. They miss out on water cooler chat, impromptu meetings, and team lunches that can become highly engaging social learning experiences. Instead, remote workers may participate in formal learning opportunities like workshops or conferences that can be infrequent and challenging for knowledge retention.
Microlearning can improve the quality and quantity of employee development activities, effectively boosting learner engagement. The quick format is better suited for the modern learner’s limited attention span and fits easily into busy calendars — so your team members can participate in learning more frequently. Plus, easily digestible microlearning content helps employees retain information better than traditional training methods so you have better learning outcomes.
Modern microlearning platforms have analytics and tracking tools built-in so organizations can monitor learning completion rates and other indicators of L&D program effectiveness.
6. Keep pace with emerging trends
In today's fast-paced work environment, it is essential to stay up-to-date with emerging trends. The brief nature of microlearning makes training material faster to produce — and faster to learn — compared to traditional formal training formats.
For example, employee training programs helped people stay productive from home when the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to remote work. In fact, 64% of L&D professionals agree this was the moment learning shifted from a “nice to have” to a “must have.” We’re seeing the need for rapid learning content development again right now, as employees consider the applications for artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT.
Similarly, microlearning content can be easily updated to reflect changes and distributed immediately, making it a powerful tool for keeping employees up-to-date and informed.
7. Solve specific problems
Distributed workers can’t just tap a colleague on the shoulder to ask a question, and asynchronous workers may find it slow to seek answers via digital communication channels.
Microlearning enables your team members to quickly and independently solve problems in their day-to-day work. For example, team members can watch a short video to learn how to do a VLOOKUP in Excel or find the ideal number of characters in a social media post.
When learners can access the information they need at the moment they need it, they can be more productive and feel empowered to reach their goals. This is especially crucial for building a highly engaged hybrid team.
8. Increase employee retention
Employee retention is top of mind for many organizations, as hiring remains competitive. The widespread adoption of remote work makes it easier than ever for your employees to find new job opportunities, as many of them may no longer be limited by their geographic location.
Three of the top five factors that drive people to pursue new jobs reflect their desire for professional growth: doing challenging and impactful work, internal mobility, and opportunities to develop new skills. Compensation and benefits is the top reason for pursuing new opportunities, which is directly tied to professional growth.
Microlearning can help you retain your workforce. Compared to disengaged learners, people who participate in learning activities at least monthly are more likely to say that learning helps them grow and advance in their current role and achieve their career goals. When you offer that, employees are less likely to pursue external opportunities.
9. Create broader learning opportunities
The top focus areas for L&D last year included leadership and management training, upskilling and reskilling employees, DEI, and employee well-being. Traditional learning formats typically center on a single learning topic, limiting the breadth of knowledge employees can gain in a given period of time.
Microlearning enables your team members to learn about a variety of topics in a short time span so they can expand their knowledge in several areas at once. For example, a high-potential employee might take a management course one week and unconscious bias training the next — in less time than it takes just to travel to an in-person conference.
10. Reduce training costs
Compared to traditional training methods, microlearning is typically more cost-effective.
Subscription-based pricing models cost a fraction of an industry conference ticket or instructor-led classroom training. Additionally, the microlearning format saves on costs associated with employee travel and time away from work.
Organizations that produce their own learning content may also find that shorter, digitally delivered lessons are faster and easier to produce than other formats, resulting in additional cost savings.
Final thoughts: Microlearning can transform L&D for your team
Microlearning is an effective and efficient way to level up your L&D program. By providing personalized, flexible, and actionable learning solutions, organizations can keep their employees engaged and motivated, while also boosting retention, performance, and productivity. As the world of work continues to evolve, microlearning is an essential tool for organizations looking to stay ahead of the curve.
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Topics: Culture of learning Career development Upskilling and reskilling
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