Learning Culture - Ashorne Hill

Cultivating Learning Culture for Company Growth and Success.

“The single biggest driver of business impact is the strength of an organisation’s learning culture.” — Josh Bersin

Cultivating a learning culture is what makes an organisation thrive. When employees are given the opportunity to learn and grow, this creates a stronger and cohesive workforce. According to AIHR, 94% of employees say that they would stay at their company longer if they invested in their learning and development.[1] However, it is apparent that learning cultures are not being advocated in organisations, as CIPD reported that only 36% of Learning and Development practitioners believe that they developed a positive learning culture, with a staggering 98% wishing that they could achieve one.[2] In this article, we will discover the importance of learning cultures and how this promotes organisational growth and success, as well as exploring 4 important ways where companies can embed continuous learning in the workplace.

Why is a Learning Culture Important?

Organisations need to adapt to the uncertainty and challenges of the working world, especially with the advancement of technology and industry trends. By 2025, the skills required for the same job will have changed by 40% according to CIPD, which shows how important it is to continuously develop employees.[3] Adopting a learning culture is essential to improve employee engagement, performance, and motivation which are all critical components in creating organisational success.

5 Ways to Cultivate a Learning Culture

Embrace the Power of Learning

Learning is a unique and captivating tool that allows individuals to connect and grow their knowledge about themselves and others. Emphasising the importance of the power of learning in organisations helps employees develop new relationships, perspectives, and connections that they can take into other aspects of their personal and professional lives. Supporting colleagues with continuous learning cultures in the workplace empowers them to embrace change, growth, and human connection.

Sharing Knowledge

Encouraging a learning culture first comes from organisations implementing learning within their teams. Employees who are able to collaborate and share their own knowledge on topics that are relevant to the organisation promotes a healthy learning culture. Forming discussion groups with different team members at various levels allows employees to learn from one another in a supportive social setting. Implementing mentoring and reverse mentoring programmes promotes a continuous learning culture as experienced and more junior employees spend one-to-one time with each other. This helps to build stronger relationships and more diverse social learning opportunities.

Offer Learning Opportunities

Providing learning opportunities to employees and giving them the time and space to retain the knowledge allows them to develop and explore their full potential. According to The HR World, 31% of workers want to be supported by their organisation through offering tailored courses which align with their sector.[4] Bespoke learning programmes, workshops, webinars, or digital courses which cover a multitude of topics ranging from business skills development to communication and collaboration, will help promote a learning culture among employees. Offering and encouraging learning opportunities not only enhances employee development, but also promotes a motivated workforce which facilitates company growth and success.

Nurturing a Growth Mindset

Creating a growth mindset allows employees to recognise the importance of learning in the workplace and leads to more opportunities for personal and career development. Having an environment where individuals embrace innovative thinking and take calculated risks without fear of reprisal helps nurture a growth mindset among employees. By creating a secure and supportive learning culture with a growth mindset, it encourages employees to realise the value of learning from their mistakes and rewards them when they demonstrate creative and agile ideas.

Provide Continuous Feedback

Regular check-ins and continuous feedback help employees feel engaged and motivated within their organisation. Providing positive feedback as well as constructive criticism is important to help employees realise their full human potential. This helps them to recognise specific areas where they need to improve which in turn cultivates positive and professional growth in their job role. Not only does this accelerate the individuals learning and development, but also encourages a continuous learning culture in an organisation.

Cultivating Learning Cultures at Ashorne Hill

At Ashorne Hill, we believe that cultivating a learning culture is one of the most important ways for organisations to stay successful and prepared for our ever-changing world. Having the optimal environment to share knowledge, offer learning opportunities, encourage a learning mindset, and provide constructive feedback allows employees to stay motivated and supported in their roles.

At Ashorne Hill, we facilitate transformational learning programmes which help individuals to develop their critical human skills and create a continuous learning culture. In fact, 92% of Baker Hicks delegates strongly agree that our New Leader Development programme helped them improve their knowledge and skills into their careers. Our bespoke learning programmes use a blend of learning techniques, experiences, and digital resources to provide learners with the support and encouragement to cultivate a learning culture in their professional role. With virtual, face-to-face, and digital learning experiences, we help learners realise their full human potential in our ever-changing world.

Read our case studies here to see how we have helped our clients reach their full human potential.

Find out more about how our programmes help cultivate a learning culture by clicking here or contact us today.

Article written by Ashorne Hill’s Victoria Sparkes

Reference

[1] Verlinden, Neelie. “20 L&D Statistics You Need to Know.” AIHR, 12 Sept. 2023, www.aihr.com/blog/learning-and-development-statistics/

[2] Creating Learning Cultures: Assessing the Evidence, https://www.cipd.org/globalassets/media/knowledge/knowledge-hub/reports/creating-learning-cultures-1_tcm18-75606.pdf

[3] Learning at Work 2023 Survey Report, www.cipd.org/globalassets/media/knowledge/knowledge-hub/reports/2023-pdfs/2023-learning-at-work-survey-report-8378.pdf

[4 ] Crowther, Alex. “70% of UK Workforce Want to Upskill This Year.” The HR World, The HR World, 29 Mar. 2023, www.thehrworld.co.uk/workplace-culture/70-of-uk-workforce-want-to-upskill-this-year/