Learning is increasingly taking place directly in the workplace. But when exactly? Many employees simply lack the time to learn new things or to reinforce training content. You will learn how specific learning times can solve this problem in companies in the article.

Continuous education is an important success factor for companies - and many employees also appreciate learning opportunities. More and more companies are relying on modern methods such as e-learning and blends of in-person and online training (blended learning) for this purpose. However, the idea of learning without a seminar room and without work loss has a catch: time!

Motivation is there - time is lacking

Self-directed learning assumes that your employees can actually find (or are given) the time to engage with materials, online courses, or learning videos. At this point, opinions diverge: Does self-directed learning actually count as working time, or should employees learn in their private time? Especially the trendy method of e-learning is theoretically perfectly suited for learning on the way to work or from home, rather than at the workplace.

Answers are provided by a study from LinkedIn: 94% of employees would stay longer in a company that supports their professional development. 68% of employees prefer learning at the workplace, and 58% want to learn at their own pace. It is therefore worthwhile to invest in learning times at the workplace for your employees - and thus in their satisfaction!

Time-wasting at the workplace?

Even in companies that theoretically support education at the workplace, the practice often looks different: Managers often find that they have no time to plan learning amid daily business, phone calls, and meetings. “Just take some time” is easier said than done with a multitude of important appointments.

For employees, the company culture often gets in the way of the (time) equation: “Often, there is still the mindset that 'If I only look at the computer, I am not productive!'. For managers, who mostly sit in their own offices with a computer, this is normal. But at the level of shift leaders or production workers, it is a significant cultural break to leave the workplace to learn during working hours,” reports business coach Stefan Enzler in an interview about employees in SMEs.

The solution: establish learning times

The solution for both the timing and cultural problems could be the introduction of special learning times for your employees. During this learning time, learning is not only tolerated but explicitly encouraged!

Learning times specifically provide space for

• company-mandated training. For example, working on e-learning courses or preparing for and following up on blended learning events.

• self-chosen learning topics that your employees currently need for their everyday work. For example, research on the internet or reading professional literature.

• study groups with colleagues where knowledge is shared internally. For example, exchanges on joint processes or enhancing collaboration among different teams or departments.

Study groups with colleagues are a good way to utilize common learning times in companies.

There are a variety of models for organizing the learning times. Below, we present three models with their advantages and disadvantages:

1. Fixed learning times:

Your employees have fixed learning times or learning days (depending on the time quota). For example, “Learning time every Friday from 9 to 11”.

Advantages:

• The appointment is binding for all employees and cannot simply be postponed or forgotten.

• No employee feels 'unproductive' or has to justify why other tasks are not being completed.

• Your employees can form study groups more easily without having to coordinate different calendars.

Disadvantage:

• The individual learning pace of your employees is not considered here: After “x hours”, the learning time is over, regardless of how much or how effectively was learned. Also, absences, for example due to illness, are not accounted for.

2. Semi-flexible learning times:

Your employees have a fixed time quota that must be used as learning time within a limited time. For example, “x hours of learning time weekly” or “x days of learning time per year”.

Advantages:

• Your employees can flexibly plan their learning time into their own calendars. This prevents collisions with other important appointments or varying working hours (especially with shift work or flexible hours).

• Your employees can partially determine their learning pace.

• Employees can postpone or make up learning times if necessary, instead of letting them fall behind - for example, in case of illness.

Disadvantage:

• The risk: Your employees may schedule the learning time but continually postpone it due to other tasks or entirely skip it. HR personnel or managers must assign high relevance to learning time for it to actually be planned and utilized.

3. Flexible learning times:

Your employees have control over how much learning time they actually need. For example, “Schedule learning times in the calendar when you need them”.

Advantages:

• Your employees can freely allocate their learning time and take time for training or research exactly when they need it.

• Self-chosen learning topics are scheduled when they are urgent and not just days or weeks later. This allows problems to be solved directly when they arise in everyday work.

• Self-directed learning at one's own pace is fully possible.

Disadvantage:

• Flexible learning times require a high degree of personal responsibility and self-regulation from your employees to ensure that learning times a) are planned and b) used productively. HR and managers must therefore be able to accurately assess employees. For large teams with little personal contact, this method is only conditionally feasible.

These are just three suggestions out of many possibilities to establish learning times in companies. Which method is best for your company must be determined individually. Once the decision is made to introduce learning times for employees, it is advisable to involve all managers and the employees themselves in the decision!

The ideal combination: Learning times + presence times

Whether fixed learning times, semi-flexible or completely flexible: learning times at the workplace support the learning process of your employees - and can also increase satisfaction.

Learning times are particularly well suited for blended learning concepts: this combines online courses at the workplace with traditional in-person training. This mix offers both high flexibility and maximum learning transfer with minimal work loss. Learning times support your employees in preparing for or following up on in-person appointments and in finding targeted time for transfer tasks.

Do you want to know how blended learning works in companies? In our free guide “Blended Learning in Companies,” you will learn how to implement the concept in three steps. Combined with learning times, you can train employees simply and successfully in the future.