Microlearning Facts: Don’t Just Take Our Word for It

Microlearning, alternatively styled ‘Micro learning’ is a training strategy which will help you and everyone in your business upskill. In our previous blogs, we’ve talked about what exactly microlearning is, and the benefits of using it. But we know that some of you may need some more convincing. After all, any shake-up to your L&D strategy is a big deal.

You’re no fools - you know we have a vested interest in bite-sized learning. It’s what we do, after all. But don’t just take our word for it. Microlearning will help you take your workplace learning to the next level, improving employee performance, and saving you money. Everyone is saying so. Read on to see what some trusted sources say.

5 Key Facts:

1. The Association for Talent Development (ATD) found in a study that microlearning can increase retention rates by up to 20%. That’s because your brain is not trying to take in too much all at the same time, so it can focus on remembering what you need. If you can make that microlearning engaging, you’ll likely improve further on that retention rate.
   
   
2. A study conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management revealed that companies which have embraced microlearning have seen a HUGE 130% increase in both employee engagement and productivity. Because microlearning captivates learners, they stay engaged, motivated and thanks to the higher knowledge retention rate, they can apply what they have learned directly to their role. Result? That massive productivity and efficiency boost, of course!
   
   
3. According to a survey by LinkedIn, over 63% of Millennials and 58% of Gen Z’ers want to learn a new skill, but they feel like they don’t have the time! This is where microlearning steps in. It enables those generations to constantly learn and grow – those short lessons can be delivered within their regular workflow. And, as employees' skills improve, they can supplement them with further training and become experts. Companies that allow and encourage this training get more people to stick around.
   
   
4. Microlearning is 17% more efficient than traditional training courses and learning methods, according to Nikola Roza from SEO for the Poor and Determined. Okay, that might not seem like a lot at first glance. But 1/5^th improvement in your learning strategy isn’t to be sniffed at. When you combine the saved time, money, extra engagement and all the other key benefits of microlearning, you can see why microlearning is becoming such a powerhouse in the L&D world.
   
   
5. Statista shows that from 2017 to 2020, employees at large companies have seen their average training time per year increase from 42.2 hours to 102.6 hours! Naturally, the pandemic will have impacted those figures somewhat, but this big increase is clearly going to affect businesses' bottom line. More time training = less time working. Microlearning means fewer hours spent training for an even bigger impact. Less productivity sacrifices, fewer resources expended. It’s a no-brainer.

This isn’t a sales tactic or a marketing ploy. Microlearning is a powerful, transformative approach to learning and development. You can see just from this short set of statistics that the advantages of microlearning are far-reaching. Don’t forget, it’s not there to replace other training methods – a well-rounded approach is to use microlearning to complement and enhance your existing strategies. Doing so ensures impactful training for all.

If you’re an L&D leader who hasn’t yet embraced microlearning, well, now’s the time. Microlearning isn’t a trend, it’s not today’s buzzword. It’s here to stay, and once you try it for yourself, you’re going to be astounded by the results.

If you're keen to know more about microlearning, why not check out our bitesized eLearning content, covering everything from leadership and people management to health & safety and compliance! Download our free microlearning toolkit to support your business. Get in touch with us today or sign up for a FREE 7 day trial to try iAM Learning for yourself.