A stable learning environment drives employees to success and to feel mentored.
It supports them as they develop solid fundamentals and encourages them to pursue new challenges and opportunities as their confidence grows. A better-equipped group of workers can push your business to new heights.
Here’s how you can drive your marketing team forward with a culture of continuous learning.
Optimize Your Training
Gone are the days of internal training programs for entry-level workers. Your business must have an ongoing learning process to promote constant improvement.
About 84% of executives say continuous learning is an essential part of their business’s long-term success, according to a 2016 survey. Additionally, young workers prioritize their development more than past generations, so you must adapt to meet their new expectations.
The first step in building a better learning strategy is reevaluating your current system. Gather feedback from employees about its pros and cons. Find the gaps in their learning process and find ways to fill them. You’d be surprised how many new learning opportunities you might uncover:
- Offer self-paced training for each employee to bring out their strengths and improve their weaknesses. Some companies use artificial intelligence to personalize education based on results and feedback.
- Establish a clear theme and goal for each stage of training. One section might focus on SEO, the next on keyword research, etc. Give each essential marketing element its own time to shine.
- Foster long-term coach and student partnerships that continue after the initial onboarding stage. These create connections and opportunities for career advancement.
- Hold periodic meetings that encourage employees to share stories about their progress and techniques they learned along the way. These sessions keep employees engaged and encourage them to learn more after formal training.
- Streamline your learning resources with cloud computing software so employees can access them as needed. Even the most experienced individual might need to consult them.
- Incentivize continuous learning with rewards. You might offer prizes, extra days off, or small bonuses for employees who best demonstrate constant improvement.
About 80% of respondents in a 2022 report on the modern workplace said continuous learning would make them more engaged, while 46% said a lack of education contributes to their boredom at work. A fair wage and comprehensive onboarding program are not enough to keep employees productive in the long run. They need intrinsic motivation to keep improving.
You can provide this form of motivation by creating learning opportunities from everyday situations. For example, if a marketing employee has trouble targeting the right audience with a promotion, use the problem as a chance to review the fundamentals of market segmentation. These seemingly insignificant moments can solidify a learning mindset in everything they do, helping them and your business grow to new heights.
Benefits of Continuous Learning
Making the necessary changes to your formal learning strategies and providing employees with constant intrinsic motivation will help you build a continuous learning culture throughout your business. If successful, you can expect to see some significant benefits:
- Employees will stay with your business longer. About 94% of surveyed employees said they would remain with a company that invested in their career development.
- Employees who stay longer can advance their careers in-house and thus establish your business as a greater authority.
- High retention is less expensive than frequent turnover and improves your business’s reputation, enabling you to bring more qualified candidates onboard.
- A more experienced group of workers can make more significant contributions to your business and maximize its potential.
- Continuous learning promotes an open skill-sharing environment, which enables your business to better adapt to changes in market trends and conditions.
The marketing department, in particular, benefits from continuous learning because the industry is constantly changing. There’s always something new to experience, so you must give them the resources and motivation to learn new strategies as they emerge. Stay ahead of the curve, so your team doesn’t get left behind.
Continuous Learning Promotes Growth
A culture of continuous learning creates a snowball effect.
It keeps employees engaged and motivated, thus incentivizing them to stay. A retained workforce can build on its experience and help your business grow. High retention rates reflect better on your company and attract other experienced workers who can share their skills throughout the organization.
Guest Post Author: Zac Amos is the Features Editor at ReHack, where he writes about cybersecurity, information technology, and other tech topics.
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Watch a short video about working with me.
