Many are familiar with the term, agility, which is often defined as “the power to move quickly or easily”. However, it is not only relevant to a physical movement. In fact, it can also be used to define someone’s mental thinking and how quickly they process new ideas.

With the introduction of new technologies, new systems and new ways of doing things, we are living in a constant state of change. Employees are expected to understand these changes and implement them at a faster pace. With proper understanding amongst employees, companies are able to demonstrate their company is taking viable steps towards creating an active learning environment.

According to the Project Management Institute, more than 70% of organizations have incorporated an Agile approach, and Agile projects are 28% more successful than traditional projects. In order to succeed in an environment with shifting demands, businesses to be adaptive and receptive to change. This blog post will discuss the benefits of agile learning and how to implement it into your company’s existing training and development program.

Training should be done quickly and effectively

In today’s fast-paced digital world, traditional training and development programs are no longer as effective as they used to be. Agile learning breaks down this content into increments where information can be more easily consumed. For employees, this can help eliminate any risk of confusion.

For most employees, in particular, Millennials and Generation Z tend to lose interest quickly. This can happen especially if the information doesn’t necessarily pertain to them or already heard it before. With agile learning, it allows for more personalization so employees are getting the right information to help improve their skills.

Onboard new hires quicker

Introducing a successful training and development program can help enhance a company’s reputation and align individual growth with business goals. For new hires, a great training and development program can make or break their success at a company. In a recent study, 50% of new hires fail within the first 18 months.

On average, new hires take 4.8 months to ramp up to full productivity. With agile learning, new hires are able to get ramped up quicker and are provided with the tools and information needed for them to become a productive member of the team.

Increase company culture and collaboration

For Millennials and Generation Z, many are searching for companies that provide continuous learning. In fact, 36% of workers and nearly half of millennials would consider quitting a job that didn’t provide learning opportunities. In order fo agile learning to be productive, employees need to have the flexibility to take time for training as needed. This means there needs to be buy-in from managers and the rest of the leadership team.

Companies oftentimes rely on outsiders when looking for onboarding resources. When in fact, with agile learning, you can rely on trainers internally. It also encourages a culture of learning as the company shows that it values people who have skills and want to teach others.

When looking to create a learning culture, training and development should be top of mind. As we enter 2020, try implementing agile learning into your training and development program. It can help improve the training process for existing employees, help onboard new hires quicker and increase your company’s culture and collaboration.

To learn more about training and development programs, check out our blog on What is Gamification and how it can improve L&D!