Dive Brief:

• Workers overwhelmingly report (at 80%) that it’s important to receive regular, frequent training so they don’t forget what was taught, according to Axonify's State of Workplace Training Study.
• The research emphasizes the trend to shift away from long ‘one and done’ training. The primary request of employees? Anywhere/anytime training was the preferred vehicle for 67% of respondents. Employees want training to be short and they want rewards for completing it. Splits occur by generation: 74% of millennials want short sessions compared to 58% of Boomers and 69% of millennials want a reward compared to 46% of Boomers.
• The study also revealed that 31% of American workers receive no formal training, and 43% receive training they believe is ineffective. The study surveyed more than 1,000 employed adults.

Dive Insight:

As the world of L&D continues to evolve with new training methods and means of delivery, it’s important to provide solutions that work for employees. Acknowledging the differences in how workers perceive the value of training and how it impacts their work is an important step. And access to training, even for remote workers is changing the way we view employee learning as well as the way we deliver it.

Learning that doesn’t meet an individual’s needs may be wasted. Personalizing the learning experience appears to be the preferred method for those involved in the study, and research shows it’s more effective. While it’s a mistake to categorize learners into assumed styles (such as age stereotypes), L&D professionals are finding that offering a variety of options to employees can cover almost every learning style and need.