Think back to high school. You memorized a list of historical dates or the parts of a cell during the week, studied hard enough to ace the test on Friday, and then promptly forgot everything come Monday. Or maybe you remember those summer vacations when algebra and geography were replaced with sleepovers and days at the beach in your brain.

Far too often, this is the case with formal training events, the most commonly used employee learning program in the business world. According to research from the American Society for Training and Development, workers report that only about 10% of their job knowledge came from formal events.

HCM professionals, there is a better way.

Just-in-time learning helps employees to retain what they’ve learned, improving your business’s knowledge base and giving your organization a leg up on the competition.

Just In Time: Learning That Sticks

Employee learning programs run the gamut from formal events to informal learning and social learning. While the most effective HCM strategies utilize a comprehensive mix of all types of learning, just-in-time learning helps employees get the most out of their knowledge acquisition by delivering training whenever and wherever it’s needed.

Just-in-time learning doesn’t wait until employees are struggling with an issue for days, or even weeks to address the problem, which means a lot less time wasted frantically Googling answers or sending panicked emails. Technology has made providing flexible employee training possible, allowing workers to grow their skills and knowledge on their own time.

Few companies take full advantage of all of the learning opportunities now available through just-in-time training. But now is just the time to discover how to maximize your learning program’s effectiveness with these tips:

  1. Follow Up – Research shows that Best-in-Class companies are 71.4% more likely to hold one-on-one meetings between managers and employees after formal learning events. By discussing how to apply new knowledge to the specific demands and responsibilities of employees’ roles, they emerge better equipped to do their jobs.
  2. Live Chat – When new technologies or processes are introduced, live chat is a just-in-time way for employees to adjust. Experts at one end of the chat are always available to answer employees’ questions as they come up.
  3. Internal Wikis – An online repository of information allows employees to access information at any time and ensures that guidelines are standardized across the organization. This online space is an opportunity to create engaging content that gives workers the support they need—perhaps in the form of a PowerPoint or a 3-minute video—on demand.
  4. Mobile–Friendly Training – Just-in-time training is all about flexibility. So whether employees are on the bus or eating lunch, they should be able to access training materials and information, which means ensuring all online assets are mobile optimized.

For more information on how to better incorporate employee learning into your HCM strategy and how to utilize new technologies to manage your company’s knowledge, sign up for Aberdeen Group’s upcoming webinar, “The New 70:20:10? The Changing Face of Learning.”