Articles 
According to data revealed by Meltwater earlier this year, 62.3 percent of the world’s population is active on social media. The same study claims we are online for about 6 hours and 40 minutes daily. This confirms what we all suspect: these platforms have undoubtedly managed to get users’ attention and build loyalty. Given this reality, many sectors are now analyzing which critical aspects of social network models can be exported to other fields, such as corporate learning, to maximize their capacity to generate engagement.
HR teams face significant challenges in achieving high employee engagement, partly because of the radical change in work mentality over the past few years, which has pushed HR departments to rethink corporate learning in order to meet the expectations of a modern, tech-savvy workforce On top of this, new generations entering the workforce further impact engagement, requiring training models that reflect their unique needs and preferences.
Moreover, technology plays a different role in organizations’ daily operations, revolutionizing how specific tasks are executed and how teams coordinate and communicate. All this leads to multiple cultural changes occurring within organizations that HR teams must address.
However, organizations continue to be stuck in outdated paradigms of human interaction, which are incompatible with this shift in mentality. To address this issue, organizations must discover new approaches to corporate learning and engagement so they can adapt and survive in the new context.
Rethinking Corporate Learning
Corporate learning is one of the biggest challenges HR departments face today. With continuous learning becoming more critical than ever, employees often struggle to engage with their organization’s training programs, mainly because they aren’t designed to meet the current realities or the expectations of younger generations entering the workforce.
To stay relevant, organizations must embrace the influence of new generations in leadership roles. One practical approach is to incorporate elements of social networks into training models. This strategy helps adapt to ongoing cultural shifts and increases employee engagement with training programs.
In this sense, social learning is a powerful method for promoting effective knowledge transfer within organizations. Using proven design concepts like easy creation of user-generated content, algorithmically driven recommendations and artificial intelligence to boost engagement can be an excellent solution for the corporate setting.
Integrating social network features into business training creates an environment that fosters employee social connections. This approach leverages psychological principles like observation, imitation and active participation, which can significantly enhance professional and personal development. Alcaide also notes that this method is particularly relevant for younger generations, who value digital interaction as a crucial part of their social and learning experiences.
Leveraging Social Networks for Enhanced Corporate Learning Experiences
Beyond adopting the right technology, it’s crucial to understand how social networks have transformed corporate learning experiences. A social approach to learning provides organizations with numerous opportunities to share critical business knowledge more engagingly.
In every organization, employees accumulate a wealth of “hidden knowledge,” ideas and experiences that are rarely documented. Social learning enables employees to share this knowledge by creating and promoting content, contributing to communities built around shared interests and fostering a culture of continuous learning within the organization.
“With traditional learning formats in decline, prioritizing a collaborative learning model supported by intergenerational cooperation can be the key to navigating this social transformation. With Avature Learning, we are shifting away from the traditional LMS model. Our focus is fostering employee interaction and creating a sense of belonging within the organization.”
Dimitri Boylan
Avature CEO
Organizations adopting this type of learning can leverage proven design concepts from social networks to create engaging user experiences within a collaborative employee framework. According to a 2023 McKinsey Global Institute study, organizations prioritizing employee development are among the most profitable in their sectors.
In this context, organizations aiming to stay competitive should rethink their corporate training models to encourage continuous employee learning rather than having employees turn to their mobiles to scroll through TikTok.
This article was originally published in Spanish by Ejecutivos.
