Learning in a hybrid environment

According to the Southern Cross Workplace Wellness Report, 34% of businesses have changed their position on hybrid working and now offer it to employees. Just as well, as it seems 28% of people would be willing to leave their current jobs if their employer didn't offer the flexibility of hybrid working. 

Some organisations have tried hybrid working and reverted back. But don't give up because let's face it there are many benefits of hybrid working:

• It is better for the environment. Employees can reduce their annual carbon footprint by 1.2% for each day of the week spent working from home. 

• It increases productivity. Hybrid working empowers employees to choose when and how they work best. 

• It contributes to equity. People living in rural and remote areas have greater access to more highly paid and/or corporate roles that no longer require a regular commute to the office.

• It accelerates digital transformation. Adopting hybrid working means having the right tools and technology in place.

• It increases employee wellbeing. Giving choice of where and when to work gives employees a more balanced life. This leads to enhanced job satisfaction and engagement.

• It offers better learning opportunities. Hybrid working encourages employees to take time for self-improvement.

Convinced and want to explore how you can set up hybrid working in your workplace? Check out our 'setting up for hybrid working' learning series to see how you can make hybrid working work for you.

As organisations look to permanently adopt hybrid work practices it’s important there is a solid strategy around learning. Organisations need a plan so that team members can connect, network and grow in a meaningful way. 

Hybrid working brings a new set of challenges to learning in the workplace — not only the practical scheduling issues for employees working in different locations but also an increased need for upskilling and cross-training as the needs of our workforce change and we see an increased demand for communication skills and leadership skills.

So how can we change the way we offer learning and provide opportunities for employees to learn new skills?

Employees learn better with others. Employees learn better with others. So it only makes sense for organisations that offer hybrid working to leverage this and design and implement learning that connects and engages learners.

Let’s take a look at two tips to keep connection and engagement top of mind when designing learning for your hybrid environment.

1. Move to a more practical approach to blending learning. Instead of thinking of blended learning as a mix of in-person and online training, think of blended learning as a mix of individual and collaborative learning. Individual learning can include interactive micro-learning, online courses, videos and quizzes. Collaborative learning can take the form of peer-to-peer learning, online zoom learning, collaborative workshops and team meeting activities.
   
   
2. Make learning interactive. Interactive learning stimulates brain activity and better engages learners. You can introduce interactive elements in individual learning by encouraging reflection and using activities with interactive images, videos and quizzes. Collaborative learning is natively interactive, with the use of group discussions and scenarios.