10 Benefits of Microlearning in the Workplace

The benefits of microlearning include increased productivity, improved employee morale, and faster onboarding. Traditional training methods take up valuable employee time and may be less effective in modern workplaces in which policies and protocols change rapidly.

Modern learners do best when corporate training is split into small, digestible chunks that are reinforced over time with spaced repetition. Microlearning courses deliver information in short modules in a focused and engaging way. The following are 10 key benefits of microlearning training in the workplace.

1. Knowledge Retention

Microlearning courses support knowledge retention in employees better than long-form content. Research shows that learners retain more information in their long-term memory when the information is broken down into small segments or chunks to which the learner is exposed repeatedly over time at progressively longer intervals. This learning strategy is known as “spaced learning” or “spaced repetition.”

Spaced repetition establishes and strengthens neural connections in the brain. This supports better long-term recall. The popular learning management system Axonify intentionally delivers onboarding, upskilling, and reinforcement modules in just 3-5 minutes per day with spaced repetition. The company has found this microlearning load and strategy to be especially effective for long-term knowledge retention in frontline workers.

2. Increased Engagement and Motivation

Microlearning supports employee engagement and motivation by fostering a culture of continuous learning. This is done by providing frequent, bite-sized learning opportunities that fit seamlessly into daily routines. Long and tedious training sessions, in contrast, can be draining and boring to employees.

Microlearning allows employees who work in busy sectors like retail and customer service to complete training modules on their phones. Employees can learn during breaks or even between tasks. Mobile learning that integrates gamification techniques offers a fun and engaging way to absorb essential information. This makes workers more likely to log in to the app and complete training modules more frequently.

3. Adaptability

One of the major benefits of microlearning is that it is adaptable. For instance, microlearning can be combined with AI to provide self-paced, personalized learning paths that employees complete when it’s convenient for them. Microlearning can also be adapted to cater to a wider range of learning styles.

Personalized Learning Paths

Personalized learning paths can be used to help new employees get up to speed and on the floor quicker, by allowing the employee to speed through topics they already know and reinforce new topics with which they don’t have prior experience. It also allows employees to go back and revisit modules that they might have struggled with or forgotten over time.

Different Learning Styles

Some microlearning platforms adapt the training media used to those that better match the employee’s learning style. For example, learners may be able to choose from various multimedia options, such as:

• Text
• Audio
• Interactive quizzes
• Images
• Short videos
• Simulations

Some AI-powered microlearning platforms will automatically start to offer each employee more learning activities in their preferred learning mode for greater engagement, understanding, and retention. This kind of adaptability is more easily achieved with bite-sized pieces of information than it is with long-form content.

4. Accelerated New Employee Onboarding

Microlearning makes it easier and quicker to onboard new employees. New employees can learn the company’s protocols and procedures in bite-sized chunks on their mobile phones. This supports on-the-job learning, which gets employees up to speed and on the floor much faster than a formal training program that takes up several hours or even days.

A second benefit of microlearning for new employee onboarding is that the modules can more easily be tailored to each new employee’s role. For example, a new retail or grocery associate can immediately be given a micro-module that covers the instructions for operating the point-of-sale system while a new manager completes a micro-module on the company’s organizational policies.

5. Improved Accessibility for Frontline Employees

Microlearning through a mobile app makes workplace training more accessible for frontline employees because it can be completed anywhere and anytime. This is advantageous for frontline workers in retail, food service, and hospitality businesses whose focus is on attending to customers.

Microlearning enables frontline workers to learn everything they need to in order to perform their jobs effectively without time constraints. Information is delivered on their mobile phones in small and concise lessons. They can then access this information anytime, without it interfering with work.

6. Improves Business Strategy Integration

Microlearning offers a better and faster avenue for aligning training programs with business strategies. Training should relate to organizational goals, but traditional training methods often provide a one-size-fits-all approach.

Through the use of microlearning, organizations can also update their content on an as-needed basis. This allows for quicker pivots in business strategy and faster implementation across the organization.

7. Boosts Employee Confidence

Microlearning boosts confidence in employees by enabling them to develop and build on their skills in a comfortable and straightforward way. Employees can master their roles more quickly by absorbing bite-sized pieces of information that they can apply immediately to their day-to-day tasks.

Greater job mastery helps frontline employees become more self-assured in their roles, which in turn improves job performance and motivation, and lowers turnover rates. Enhanced employee confidence—paired with continuous learning and timely feedback—often r educes errors in the workplace over time. Promoting a continuous learning culture with microlearning eventually leads to a more confident and competent workforce.

8. Scalability and Continuous Learning

Microlearning encourages continuous employee learning as the business expands. Development, modification, and dissemination of content can be done in bulk and with very minimal resources. This type of versatility guarantees all employees access to ongoing high-quality training.

Microlearning via a cloud-based learning management system also encourages continuous learning regardless of location or time zone. If the business begins to expand, new training modules can be created, updated, and distributed at scale with minimal effort. This allows organizations to stay current and adaptable in ever-changing environments.

9. Increased Learner Autonomy

Another benefit of microlearning is increased learner autonomy. This is because learners can access materials in small portions while controlling the pace of their training. When learners are provided with a self-paced learning system, they take ownership of the learning process.

Learner autonomy in microlearning platforms built for the workplace is balanced by real-time tracking and performance analyses and the opportunity to give and receive feedback. This tracking allows managers and L&D departments to evaluate the competencies of each individual and formulate programs to target skill gaps identified in the workforce as a whole.

10. Cost Effective

Training design, development, delivery, and evaluation in traditional training programs can be expensive. Traditional employee training may require companies to hire trainers, cover air travel, or pay for conference rooms. Face-to-face employee training sessions are typically more expensive than online training.

Microlearning eliminates these issues since all content is online. This avoids the need to travel or hire supplementary trainers and resources. Microlearning also allows organizations to make revisions to training modules at any time without needing to reorder or reprint physical materials.

A Smarter Way to Train Employees

Microlearning offers a flexible and personalized approach to learning that aligns with the needs of a digital-first workforce. In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing work environment, organizations need a more efficient, cost-effective, and engaging way to train their employees.

Cutting-edge learning management systems make microlearning even more powerful by integrating AI-powered reinforcement, personalized learning paths, and mobile-first accessibility. By adopting microlearning and leveraging the latest technology, companies can improve knowledge retention, engagement, and performance, and ultimately enhance their business’s success.