With the short shelf life of workplace skills, a tight labor market, and a growing skills gap in the modern-day workplace, learning and development (L&D) is now more important than ever.
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However, encouraging employees to engage with L&D programs during the summer months can be challenging, with kids out of school, vacations planned, and so on. So, here’s how you can keep your employees engaged in L&D programs this summer.
Turn Up the Air Conditioner
According to one survey, at least 50% of offices are too hot during the summer, which is a problem because, as per another survey, 71% of employees claim to be less productive when their offices are too warm.
Employees can’t stay focused or motivated to learn when they’re irritable and fatigued from the heat. So, turn up the air conditioner in your office if you want employees to be engaged in your L&D programs.
Provide Remote and On-Demand Options
Some employees may need to work from home more often when their kids are out of school, so let them access L&D programs on mobile devices. And, make sure they have access to virtual webinars and training programs, too.
Allow employees to access on-demand content when they have time to engage in L&D programs, such as videos, social learning dashboards, and downloadable articles and reading materials.
Host Luncheons, Retreats, and Getaways
If possible, take your L&D programs to other locations so that employees can learn while they travel to a fun place. For example, it might be possible to conduct an emotional intelligence training seminar in a peaceful remote location in a more rural area, or employees in the hospitality industry could travel to a tropical island location to learn more about hotel management.
Take Learning Outside
Consider conducting training sessions outside in a courtyard or in a nearby park so that employees can enjoy the warmer weather. Or, consider having employee learners eat lunch on a patio once a week during L&D programs that are conducted during the summer.
Allow Employees to Take Sabbaticals
Allow employees to take a month or longer off during the summertime to learn more about their industry or trade. For example, employees who work for car manufacturers could visit other sites in different cities or countries to learn more about their business and its leadership, or healthcare employees could take time off to research and learn more about industry trends and case studies, etc.
Assign Learning Buddies
Assign each employee a learning buddy or someone who will touch base with them and motivate them to continue to learn during summer months when there’s a lot to do and a lot of people are out of the office or on vacation.
Follow the tips above if you want to keep your employees engaged in your L&D programs this summer.