Editorial
We’ve all done it, right? After ignoring five reminders about mandatory e-learning you get a final warning, via your boss, that it has to be completed today. You click through the questions as fast as possible, making little-to-no-effort to retain even the basics … just as you did last quarter.
This kind of compliance theater achieves little aside from allowing a risk manager somewhere to report that 100% of staff completed mandatory training. That they learned anything from this training is inferred, if rarely supported by evidence.
I was surprised, then, to learn that Slack recently made its employees take an entire week out to complete e-learning.
The Salesforce-owned company told staff to set aside their regular work in order to complete courses on Trailhead, the proprietary e-learning platform from, err, Salesforce.
Gaming the Gamification
Like many e-learning platforms, Salesforce Trailhead uses gamification to drive participation. Users can earn points for completing courses ("trails") and badges for mastering certain topics. Slack staff have been given until January to reach Ranger status, which requires 50,000 points and 100 badges and is expected to take about 40 hours.
But while some people are incentivized by game-like rewards, for others introducing targets only encourages them to game the system, prioritizing collecting badges over the core objective of learning something.
Some Slackers responded to what they felt was a waste of their time by sharing lists of the quickest and easiest courses to maximize points, while others reportedly wrote scripts to complete courses for them (a move that deserves to see them simultaneously fired and promoted).
Used well, game techniques can be powerful tools to engage employees to change behaviors and develop skills. But while adding the ability to gain points or badges can be a successful tactic in the short term, unless the game is intrinsically rewarding for the player, the behavior it drives is rarely sustainable. A spike in engagement can result from even the most rudimentary pointsification, but that spike will drop back to where you started once your learners realize you’ve offered them nothing of value.
Related Article: How Gamification at Work Fits Into Learning and Development
E-Learning Doesn’t Have to Suck
Slack’s online learning push is a rare misstep for the firm which has long been a pioneer in collaboration and digital workplace, perhaps reflecting the challenges it has had integrating with parent company Salesforce, which acquired it for $27 billion in 2021.
Widespread failure to reach Ranger status by the end of January “will make Slack look bad compared to the other clouds” pleaded the chief of staff to the CTO in a message reported by Fortune.
But compulsion discourages motivation. When people are forced to do something, they're less likely to be motivated to do it well. This leads to poor knowledge retention rates and a lack of engagement with the material.
Everyone learns differently. When e-learning is compulsory, it's difficult to make it relevant to everyone. This leads to boredom and frustration.
Yet in the rapidly evolving landscape of the future of work, the need for continuous skill acquisition and adaptation is more crucial than ever. E-learning plays a pivotal role in addressing this pressing demand.
As technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, job roles and industry requirements are shifting constantly. Employees must continuously update their skills to remain relevant. A digital workplace with access to a range of learning and development resources provides a scalable and efficient way for employees to acquire new skills and knowledge.
It allows individuals to learn at their own pace and on their own schedule, making it easier for employees to balance professional development with their work and personal commitments. The flexibility to complete learning in slower periods — and not in a single arbitrary week — can lead to increased employee engagement and motivation, as they have more control over their learning journey.
Learning, Little and Often
On-demand learning enables employees to access learning materials precisely when they need them. Whether faced with a new project, a novel task, or a specific challenge, employees can quickly find and engage with relevant courses or resources. This just-in-time learning approach empowers individuals to acquire skills at the moment they become essential, and apply them immediately, enhancing their job performance and problem-solving capabilities.
This approach promotes a culture of continuous improvement, where employees can constantly refine their skills and knowledge as they perform their roles. This helps people to develop the agile and adaptive mindset necessary to thrive in the future of work.
When employers invest in their employees' growth and development through e-learning, it demonstrates a commitment to their success. This in turn can lead to higher levels of loyalty and job satisfaction, reducing turnover rates and ensuring that the organization retains its top talent.
Related Article: Learning That CLICS
Digital Workplace With Learning at Its Heart
By embedding learning opportunities within the digital workplace, you create a seamless environment where employees can acquire new knowledge and competencies as they work. This continuous skill development ensures people are equipped to handle evolving challenges and new technologies.
The digital workplace is an enabler of dispersed teams and distributed work. Incorporating learning tools and resources into this environment fosters efficient knowledge sharing. Employees can easily share expertise, best practices and relevant training materials with their colleagues, promoting a collaborative learning culture and strengthening team relationships.
Modern digital workplaces are underpinned by data, giving us the tools to target training effectively, or even anticipate what may be needed so that learning opportunities can be suggested, rather than compelled.
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By integrating learning analytics and insights into the digital workplace, organizations can gain valuable information about employee skills, training effectiveness, and identify knowledge gaps. This data-driven approach allows for more informed decision-making when it comes to resource allocation and talent development strategies.
Development Drives Engagement
Learning is a powerful driver of employee engagement. When employees have access to a wide range of learning resources — and the choice of when and if they use them — they feel more invested in their personal and professional growth. This increased engagement can lead to higher job satisfaction, improved retention rates, and a more committed workforce.
Putting learning at the heart of your digital workplace not only supports the professional growth of your employees but also bolsters the overall resilience and competitiveness of your organization. By fostering a culture of lifelong learning the digital workplace can help every employee to thrive in the future of work.
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