Time For A New Relationship Between Learning And Work?

How often do we hear that people are an organization’s greatest asset? Or that organizations need to future-proof themselves by reskilling or upskilling their people so that they are equipped with the knowledge they need to do the jobs that will be needed in future? The reality is that we are frequently bombarded with messages about the importance of development, education, knowledge, learning and skills.

Often the onus seems to be on individuals to develop themselves, however, which explains the recent explosion in business self-help books. Employers, which ultimately benefit from having skilled employees, often fail to invest adequately in learning and development – even though this lack of investment is a hindrance to their ability to recruit, retain and motivate talented staff and could impede their success in future.

In this Q&A, Ben Chatfield, CEO and cofounder of video-based hiring platform Tempo, explains why we need to rethink the relationship between learning and work.

Sally Percy: How is the professional context in which we work today changing the learning environment?

Ben Chatfield: In developed countries, learning and earning has generally followed a simple rule: get all the education you can, as early as you can, and reap the rewards for the rest of your career. For years, having a good degree from a respected university was the best indicator of professional success – there were exceptions like the entrepreneurs Richard Branson and Duncan Bannatyne, but statistically very few. Today, while having a degree still makes a lot of sense, the pace of technological change and the growing length of careers have forced a change in the way we learn. Accumulating skills while still in formal education is no longer enough. Learning has become a lifelong endeavor – employees must continually acquire skills while in work or face becoming obsolete.

Percy: Which particular learning and development challenges exist in the workplace today?

Chatfield: Currently, work simply doesn’t incorporate a range of learning opportunities, let alone make them a priority. Expertise is supposed to be acquired while working, but many employers have become less willing to invest in training their workforces. Indeed, research by the U.K.’s Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has found that investment and participation in vocational training has dropped significantly in recent years.

Market pressures and an uncertain economy have contributed to this, as has the professional gig economy. The rise and normality in hiring contract and freelance workers has led many employers to ask the question: “Why train people who are only with you for six months?”  The pace of technological change has also made it harder to design training courses and to understand the inherent value of skills. By the end of a six-month coding course, all the skills that someone has learned could be useless, for example.

We clearly need to fundamentally rethink the relationship between working and learning. We must provide training and educational opportunities throughout people’s working lives, which sounds simple in practice, but is far harder in reality.

Percy: What happens when employers don’t invest in their employees’ learning?

Chatfield: As humans, we are inveterate self-improvers, striving constantly to increase our intelligence and abilities. With skills shortages and the war for talent dominating the media, employees are firmly in the driver’s seat. Failing to prioritize and invest in training, career planning and development programs leads to disengaged and unhappy employees, with productivity and performance suffering as a consequence. The fear of losing employees to competitors should not be the reason to avoid promoting staff and providing them with opportunities for improvement. In fact, failing to invest in, and develop, employees creates an invidious office culture that will cause companies to lose ambitious workers.

Percy: Can you give me an example of a business that does learning well?

Chatfield: Computer animation giant Pixar is well known for the memorable feature films it produces, but it also provides a unique and attractive employee package. Pixar University is a professional development program that puts as much emphasis on personal development as it does on company training. It’s regarded as the company's secret weapon when it comes to achieving its ambitious goals. 

Percy: Where does technology fit into the learning process?

Chatfield: Training is an area where technology can play a vital role. Some businesses may choose to use technology to create bespoke training courses that employees can undertake at their own convenience. Others may help workers with their career development by encouraging them to undertake relevant courses through a host of accredited online training providers – even if they are temporary employees.

Percy: How should today’s businesses incorporate learning in their strategies?

Chatfield: Businesses today need to embrace a new, fluid model of employment that is underpinned by technology to facilitate life-long learning. Incorporating training not only into company benefits packages, but also into the recruitment process, would change the way we perceive the relationship between work and learning. Although paying for employee training is not a mandatory practice in the workplace, it is well recognized as one of the most effective ways to drive staff motivation and engagement.