15 proven ways to develop employee skills in today’s hybrid workplace

Managers today need to think about both formal and informal learning to maximize their teams’ development potential and results and good technology is needed to support both. Formal learning refers to concrete educational initiatives such as onboardings, leadership training, etc. Informal learning is what happens in everyday life, in collaborations between colleagues, in discussions, conversations, meetings, workshops or at the coffee machine.

How to make learning a natural part of work: 15 practical tips

After conversations with hundreds of managers every month we have here compiled a checklist of 15 concrete tips that help companies and organizations maximize learning. We have summarized them below.

1. Start with the right questions

Clarify the why, who, what and how. Who is the training for? What’s the goal? What content format works best for your learners? These answers lay the foundation for success.

2. Create forums to share and co-create knowledge

Do your employees have spaces (physical or digital) to share ideas and experiences? Ask them what works – or doesn’t – and build from there.

3. Make development a priority in 1:1s and growth talks

“I’ll learn this when I have time” rarely works. Regularly discuss development goals in 1:1s, and keep them alive by following up.

4. Map out a learning plan

Once you’ve identified skill gaps and learning desires, create a basic plan with timelines and milestones. It doesn’t have to be fancy – but it must be followed up.

5. Give people time to learn

Support continuous learning by allowing time for it during work hours. Some companies dedicate specific days or hours for self-development – what’s your version?

6. Build psychological safety to encourage learning

People need to feel safe to ask questions, experiment, and share insights. Without this foundation, even the best platforms won’t help. Don’t hesitate to bring in experts if needed.

7. Make available trainings visible in a course Catalog

People can’t learn what they don’t know exists. Create a simple course catalog and make sure employees know where to find it.

8. Don’t underestimate small talk

Casual conversations (in person or digital) are breeding grounds for ideas and stronger relationships. Make room for them.

9. Fuel engagement in workshops and meetings

We’ve all been in unproductive meetings. Luckily, there are proven methods to make them engaging and learning-rich.

10. Strengthen your team’s “power skills”

Forget “soft skills”, they’re actually power skills like communication, collaboration and adaptability. These are business-critical in today’s environment.

11. Learn from others, don’t reinvent the wheel

Creating training from scratch? Talk to peers or other teams who’ve done similar things. Reuse, remix and build on what already works.

12. Use video to deliver learning

Video is a powerful medium for learning. It’s easier than you think to get started, use your phone, invest in a mic and light, and explore free or affordable editing tools.

13. Let data guide you

No data, no improvement. Collect feedback through surveys or measure impact (e.g. time saved, performance gains). Use what you learn to iterate.

14. Automate and personalize learning journeys

Automation can save time and boost engagement. For example, automatically enroll new hires into onboarding, or trigger learning paths based on completed courses.

15. Centralize learning and knowledge in one platform

When important info is scattered, time and energy are lost. Use Slack or Teams for real-time sharing, but store long-term knowledge and learning in a central hub like a learning platform, intranet, or Google Drive.