Learning in the flow of work with Viva Learning

The topics of reskilling and upskilling, along with the ever-present shortage of skilled workers, have been all around us for some time, and not just since the pandemic started. New technologies and processes need to be learned in the course of a fiscal year, and how to work with them in real life is also a learned skill. If obstacles like lack of time or cumbersome access get in the way of regular examination of new topics, productivity losses follow, and fundamental frustration spreads. Individual growth, evolution, and support also contribute to employee satisfaction to a particular degree. Viva Learning tackles these challenges and integrates learning into our day-to-day work, right where we are doing that work – in Microsoft Teams.

New worlds of work require new skills and new worlds of learning as well. Especially in the course of a working day, people have questions about how to work with systems, processes, and methods. The longer an employee has to spend looking for the right knowledge or waiting for training when this happens, the longer the period when productivity is restricted.

If we consider acquisition of new skills alongside everyday know-how, which often requires additional time, it becomes clear how quickly potential can go unused.

The years to come will be shaped for many people by gaining new or different skills. Still, most people have just one percent of their working time available for learning, growth, and development. And then, when lack of time is exacerbated by a complicated and hard-to-understand range of options, various avenues for getting training, and so on, it quickly becomes obvious that things won’t work out.

To break through these barriers and maintain productivity, this is exactly where Viva Learning comes in, allowing employees to access their personal learning world right from Microsoft Teams.

After all, when do questions arise or knowledge gaps become apparent? In the flow of work – when we are working on a task or collaborating with others. In most cases, people turn to colleagues first, or they might use an Internet search engine. But when they do that, who guarantees the accuracy or quality of the content? Besides that, it often becomes apparent that if there is a long gap between when the knowledge is acquired and when it is applied, people cannot put what they have learned into practice optimally. This makes it especially important to ensure that the transition from theory to practice occurs promptly.

1. Direct connections: Viva Learning is your learning space right in the workplace, in Microsoft Teams. People can enter the learning environment with just one click.
2. Individuality: Users will find customized learning content tailored to them, curated and quality-assured by their employer and certified sources.
3. Collaboration: Learning content can be shared with others in both directions. This fosters interaction with colleagues as a way to acquire knowledge

Viva Learning is not a competitor. Instead, it is a multiplier, or you might think of it as a cheerleader for your learning management system (LMS). It roots for the content that has been intensively curated and prepared, driving application rates skyward.
    
All of your company’s learning sources are presented in an organized way at a glance, whether they come from an LMS or your digital storage location (such as SharePoint) or have been licensed from a content provider. Additional learning sources can also be integrated through what are known as APIs (application programming interfaces).

However, Microsoft has already provided direct interfaces to the best-known LMS and content providers, including SAP Success Factors, Skillsoft, and Cornerstone. Learning sources from LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, EdCast, and many others are easy to visualize in Viva Learning with just a few clicks.

Of course, all companies have a wealth of learning content that they need all employees, or large groups of employees, to complete across the board. That will always be the case, especially when it comes to occupational safety and health.

But even more important than that are efforts to provide individual support and address people’s specific learning needs.

Employees can store their current interests in Viva Learning and get suggestions for learning content on that basis. They can also view and manage their own learning content in the personal area, under “My learning content.”
The interface between the LMS and Viva Learning makes it possible to assign content and track progress. If no LMS is in use, Viva Learning offers an appropriate feature employees can use to set their status themselves.

The bottom line is that in our experience, it is no longer enough to introduce a learning management system or offer learning options within the company. The main goal is to shape a culture of learning founded on individual and collective growth and evolution, one where learning is fun and easy to integrate into the flow of work.

The realm of knowledge and expertise is a fast-paced on these days. We have learned that systems are updated frequently, and new work principles introduced. And that requires a lot of flexibility and thinking ahead from both managers and employees, to say nothing of those tasked with selecting, preparing, providing, and following up on learning content.

But if the interfaces and systems needed for this can be combined and designed in a clear and easily understood way, it increases the amount of time available, and that in turn creates more room for productivity.

To learn more about how to take your learning culture and efforts to spur employee growth and evolution to the next level, feel free to check out our range of workshops or attend one of our exciting Viva events.

Viva Learning
Employee Experience with Microsoft Viva