3 Benefits of Social Learning for Enterprises

In 2014, the Brandon Hall Group reported that 73 percent of enterprises involved in a survey had plans of increasing their focus on social learning over the next 12 months.¹ The leaders of these enterprises were probably aware of the ways in which social learning can benefit an organization.  Because it is so beneficial for enterprises, growth-minded company leaders should make social learning a priority.

3 Ways Social Learning Benefits Enterprises

Social learning is informal learning that takes place through social interaction between peers.² This happens naturally in the workplace but is further encouraged by social learning tools. There is a host of benefits associated with social learning in the workplace.

1. Social learning shortens orientation time for new hires -- It can take a considerable amount of time for someone to adapt to a new work situation. U.S. News said it takes about 3 to 6 months for an employee to feel fully comfortable with a new job. Social learning can speed up this process.³

2. Social learning promotes constructivism -- In our blog article Why We Love Social Learning (and You Should, Too!), we explained that social/informal learning promotes constructivism in the workplace. Constructivism is a paradigm that suggests learning is an active, constructive process in which learners become teachers. The result of constructivism is a workforce full of individuals who become engaged with training as a result of informally training their peers.  

“In the corporate world, constructivism is the antidote to boredom and the solution for disengaged workers. When a learner is engaged to the point of being a teacher to his or her peers, complacency ceases to be an issue.” -- TOPYX

3. Social learning platforms improve communication in the workplace -- Clear communication should be happening in every workplace. Meanings can easily get lost in translation over email and other forms of electronic communication, increasing the need for face-to-face interactions. Social learning naturally facilitates such collaboration. Growth Engineering made a good point:

“The very act of coming together collectively to learn something can kick-start a culture more focused on effective communication. Just like the other side-effects of social learning, the boost in understanding is completely free!”⁵

Since better communication can lead to increased productivity, leaders of enterprises would do well to prioritize social learning.    

Promote Social Learning with an LMS

Promote social learning in your company by investing in an LMS. Take the first step by requesting a free demo of the fully hosted LMS TOPYX.

Is Your Company “Social” Enough?

Social learning benefits enterprises by...

• Getting new employees acclimated to a workplace more quickly.
• Promoting constructivism, turning learners into teachers.
• Improving communication in the workplace, increasing productivity.

Which of these benefits does your company need most?   

References

1. Panopto. What is social learning, and why is it so important for corporate learning and development? https://www.panopto.com/blog/what-is-social-learning-and-why-is-it-so-important-for-corporate-ld/.

2. eFront Learning. What is social learning? https://www.efrontlearning.com/blog/2012/09/what-is-social-learning.html.

3. U.S. News. How to adjust to a new job. https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2013/07/10/how-to-adjust-to-a-new-job. July 10, 2013.  

4. ThoughtCo. What is the social learning theory? https://www.thoughtco.com/social-learning-theory-definition-3026629.

5. Growth Engineering. 5 Benefits of Social Learning. http://www.growthengineering.co.uk/5-benefits-of-social-learning/.