The modern workplace is continually evolving and adjusting to the demands and expectations of employees at all levels of seniority. While the traditional working environment was structured in a linear fashion, there are now more corporations than ever choosing to adapt their methods in order to boost morale and productivity, following the rise of flexible working and new innovation.
It is now more important than ever to take the opinions, feelings and values of the modern employee into account if a business is to succeed in their specific marketplace.
Here at MDA Training, our experiential learning solutions are designed with the modern workforce in mind. With the new year fast approaching, here are four statistics that are set to shape the future of the modern workplace:
1) 86% of UK businesses believe that they need a fully agile workforce within two years to remain competitive
It is no longer enough to hire and maintain a workforce of employees that are capable of carrying out their roles and nothing else. For businesses to stay in touch with the competition, it is imperative that individuals are able to perform a wide range of tasks and responsibilities, at any given time.
To do this, businesses need to be structured in a way that is fluid and collaborative. Managers and leaders have a duty to create spaces for employees to overcome rigid mindsets, embracing growth and curiosity while fostering a culture of adaptive thinking.
In particular, experiential learning enables employees to work collectively to bring creativity and innovation to the forefront, thus turning threats into opportunities.
2) Virtual learning methods have a retention rate of up to 60%
It’s no secret that the development of innovative technologies has impacted the modern workforce massively. This is also the case when it comes to workplace training and employee development.
Virtual learning has already started to be implemented throughout the modern workplace in the form of e-learning, virtual reality and webinars, and has been proven to be more effective than traditional learning methods when it comes to retaining information.
As opposed to merely giving employees the material that they need by using standard and outdated methods, virtual learning allows a workforce to be fully immersed in their surroundings to develop the commercial skills required to succeed in their roles.
3) 30% of manufacturers think there will be a shortage of skilled workers in the next five years
The demand for talented individuals in the manufacturing sector is currently outweighing supply, and this gap is expected to grow further in the next few years. In particular, the complications surrounding Brexit and specific trade agreements mean that the future of operations in this country have never been in more doubt.
With this in mind, the focus must turn to encouraging young individuals to engage with the industry and remain with the business for the foreseeable future. Presenting young employees with clear opportunities for progression and adopting a training method that allows them to develop in an effective way will achieve this.
4) 68% of workers believe that training and development is the most important workplace policy
The modern employee (particularly Millennials) wants assurances within their individual roles as well as maintained progression, even more so than the generations that have preceded them. This means that business leaders cannot afford to ignore the importance of developing the skills of their workforce long term.
Planning and implementing an effective training programme will prove to be beneficial long term, securing a return on investment for business leaders while boosting morale and productivity in the workplace.
While it remains to be seen precisely what will shape the modern workplace in the years to come, business leaders should be paying attention to emerging trends and developments among employees in order to secure their operations and maintain long term continuity.
OUR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PROGRAMMES ARE DESIGNED TO ENGAGE EMPLOYEES, ALIGNED WITH THE CONTEXTS AND KPIS OF OUR CLIENTS. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT MDA TRAINING TODAY.
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