Electives reached a milestone this week, working with our 50th employer client! To reflect on the milestone, we took the opportunity as a team to review feedback from over 5,000 employees. What do people really like about Electives? What is working, and what's not? We organized the feedback into five trends, and are excited to share anecdotes from our most valued perspective: the learner.

The First Takeaway: Employees value workplace learning opportunities. 

There is something innate about the desire to learn, and the need to get better. When employees are engaged and enjoying learning, they crave more.

“I found it very emotional and inspiring. Thank you for setting up the class and allowing us to learn more about being human.”

“It felt good to be in a training where I did not have the fear of being myself. It was fun! I also felt the training topics were inclusive to all who participated. I would like to see more of these types of training.”

“Make it longer!! Or at least provide people the option to stay another half hour for more of a discussion forum might be a good idea. We all loved it and would've stayed even longer if we could.”

“I wish taking a class like this was required in every organization - the world would be a better place.”

Second Takeaway: Employers must include workplace learning opportunities as part of employee benefits to attract talent.  

Great learning experiences make companies better places to work. Employees feel proud when their companies offer experiences that are positive, worthwhile, and meaningful.

“I am beyond happy that this was an event supported by the company. It makes me proud to be part of a workplace that strives to be inclusive and safe for each and every individual.”

“This is a great way to feel more comfortable with some of the higher ups in the firm with whom you would not normally interact. I felt comfortable in the space, and I look forward to more events like this, hopefully in person as well. This has definitely been one of my favorite sessions since starting at this company.”

“I am proud to work for a company that empowers us to learn about people/situations that aren't necessarily part of our history.”

“I loved this - I felt like a part of the organization for maybe the first time since coming on board.”

Next: When it comes to workplace learning, teams that learn together typically stay together. 

Learning, discussion, and story-sharing are a natural way to break down silos and build better relationships at work. (and yes, relationships are critical-- especially in a virtual world).

“I really enjoyed it overall. Some of our in-office team members even came together afterwards to talk about how amazing it was and also talked about our own experiences on similar topics.”

“Today was very fulfilling to get to know a deeper side of our colleagues.”

“I enjoyed the exercise where we each identified our contribution to the team - it's so important to remember that we all bring different things to the table and to take the time to figure out who is good at what so we can move a project or meeting forward while also allowing people to utilize their strengths.”

Our fourth learning: People are ready, and hungry, for workplace learning with real content. 

We are in a time of change; people are ready to talk about equity, race, gender, mental health, inclusivity, and more. The topics we learn at work matter. As the world evolves, we need to evolve, too.

“I expected a standard diversity presentation that tells me what not to say. This session was way beyond any expectation I brought with me. Not only the interaction, but the responses modeled during some of the discussion was more valuable than any format I have ever been a part of in the past.”

“Previously, I worried about my activism for the Black community seeming for false bravado. But I liked what Shaunda said, that white supremacy makes us think we need to aim for perfection instead of solidarity. It changed the way I view my activism and how I can contribute.”

“Great class. I hope we have more of these. Changing people's prejudices is something that happens over time, not just all at once, so having these things over and over again is important in my opinion.”

“I had no idea that homosexuality was criminalized in this country as recently as 1969. That was eye-opening. I also realized that it is important to be persistently and consistently mindful of trying to create an environment at work where people can feel safe to be themselves. It requires active thoughts and actions, and it can't just be a box we check where we say "yep, I'm supportive of an inclusive work environment."

And our last big learning: When it comes to workplace learning, an engaging teacher can make a big difference. 

The people teaching the classes make all the difference. Rapport, expertise, engagement and facilitation skills are paramount to making an Elective shine. Time is valuable, and we will only block off your time for learning from awesome folks.

“Monica is one of the most engaging teachers I've attended a meeting with. Like one of the participants mentioned, I could listen to her speak and speak and speak.”

“I really enjoyed Kwame's presentation style, his energy, how interactive with all of us he was, and the content that he shared.”

“Loved Robin’s energy and it was so cool to learn from an FBI agent!”

“I thought the teacher did a fantastic job at making people from all walks of life feel comfortable. She showed multiple layers and presented tangible ways for people to become more self aware of their words.”

“I loved the way the teacher presented and made the experience interactive - she is absolutely amazing and made history come alive. Thank you for putting this together!”

And last but certainly not least: Workplace learning must offer growth opportunities for employees: 

No learning experience is perfect. With every batch of glowing reviews usually comes constructive and important feedback (although not always; the homeruns are more common than we ever thought possible!). As a team, we take this feedback very seriously in order to improve the platform, each class, and each employee’s experience.

Teacher talk time and employee talk time always need to be balanced; employees want to interact with each other, and not just hear from the teacher.

Our teachers have done some really cool things. And their stories are amazing. Keep the stories coming!

These topics can be scary -- and are often uncharted territory. Teachers need to be sensitive and inclusive of all opinions and all levels of experience.

Reflecting on employee feedback excites us to work with more teachers, develop more Electives, and interact with more companies and employees. Our hope is that high quality learning becomes the norm in the workplace. People at every level, in every type of company across the world deserve it; people want to learn! And companies and teams come out stronger when they address the topics that need to be addressed. Performance improves when people feel invested in--and when their brains are working and thinking throughout the work day. We are more inspired than ever to bring Electives to more people, in more companies, in more places.

Electives reached a milestone this week, working with our 50th employer client! To reflect on the milestone, we took the opportunity as a team to review feedback from over 5,000 employees. What do people really like about Electives? What is working, and what's not? We organized the feedback into five trends, and are excited to share anecdotes from our most valued perspective: the learner.

The First Takeaway: Employees value workplace learning opportunities. 
There is something innate about the desire to learn, and the need to get better. When employees are engaged and enjoying learning, they crave more.

“I found it very emotional and inspiring. Thank you for setting up the class and allowing us to learn more about being human.”

“It felt good to be in a training where I did not have the fear of being myself. It was fun! I also felt the training topics were inclusive to all who participated. I would like to see more of these types of training.”

“Make it longer!! Or at least provide people the option to stay another half hour for more of a discussion forum might be a good idea. We all loved it and would've stayed even longer if we could.”

“I wish taking a class like this was required in every organization - the world would be a better place.”

Second Takeaway: Employers must include workplace learning opportunities as part of employee benefits to attract talent.  
Great learning experiences make companies better places to work. Employees feel proud when their companies offer experiences that are positive, worthwhile, and meaningful.

“I am beyond happy that this was an event supported by the company. It makes me proud to be part of a workplace that strives to be inclusive and safe for each and every individual.”

“This is a great way to feel more comfortable with some of the higher ups in the firm with whom you would not normally interact. I felt comfortable in the space, and I look forward to more events like this, hopefully in person as well. This has definitely been one of my favorite sessions since starting at this company.”

“I am proud to work for a company that empowers us to learn about people/situations that aren't necessarily part of our history.”

“I loved this - I felt like a part of the organization for maybe the first time since coming on board.”

Next: When it comes to workplace learning, teams that learn together typically stay together. 
Learning, discussion, and story-sharing are a natural way to break down silos and build better relationships at work. (and yes, relationships are critical-- especially in a virtual world).

“I really enjoyed it overall. Some of our in-office team members even came together afterwards to talk about how amazing it was and also talked about our own experiences on similar topics.”

“Today was very fulfilling to get to know a deeper side of our colleagues.”

“I enjoyed the exercise where we each identified our contribution to the team - it's so important to remember that we all bring different things to the table and to take the time to figure out who is good at what so we can move a project or meeting forward while also allowing people to utilize their strengths.”

Our fourth learning: People are ready, and hungry, for workplace learning with real content. 
We are in a time of change; people are ready to talk about equity, race, gender, mental health, inclusivity, and more. The topics we learn at work matter. As the world evolves, we need to evolve, too.

“I expected a standard diversity presentation that tells me what not to say. This session was way beyond any expectation I brought with me. Not only the interaction, but the responses modeled during some of the discussion was more valuable than any format I have ever been a part of in the past.”

“Previously, I worried about my activism for the Black community seeming for false bravado. But I liked what Shaunda said, that white supremacy makes us think we need to aim for perfection instead of solidarity. It changed the way I view my activism and how I can contribute.”

“Great class. I hope we have more of these. Changing people's prejudices is something that happens over time, not just all at once, so having these things over and over again is important in my opinion.”

“I had no idea that homosexuality was criminalized in this country as recently as 1969. That was eye-opening. I also realized that it is important to be persistently and consistently mindful of trying to create an environment at work where people can feel safe to be themselves. It requires active thoughts and actions, and it can't just be a box we check where we say "yep, I'm supportive of an inclusive work environment."

And our last big learning: When it comes to workplace learning, an engaging teacher can make a big difference. 
The people teaching the classes make all the difference. Rapport, expertise, engagement and facilitation skills are paramount to making an Elective shine. Time is valuable, and we will only block off your time for learning from awesome folks.

“Monica is one of the most engaging teachers I've attended a meeting with. Like one of the participants mentioned, I could listen to her speak and speak and speak.”

“I really enjoyed Kwame's presentation style, his energy, how interactive with all of us he was, and the content that he shared.”

“Loved Robin’s energy and it was so cool to learn from an FBI agent!”

“I thought the teacher did a fantastic job at making people from all walks of life feel comfortable. She showed multiple layers and presented tangible ways for people to become more self aware of their words.”

“I loved the way the teacher presented and made the experience interactive - she is absolutely amazing and made history come alive. Thank you for putting this together!”

And last but certainly not least: Workplace learning must offer growth opportunities for employees: 
No learning experience is perfect. With every batch of glowing reviews usually comes constructive and important feedback (although not always; the homeruns are more common than we ever thought possible!). As a team, we take this feedback very seriously in order to improve the platform, each class, and each employee’s experience.

Some of our biggest areas of growth:
Teacher talk time and employee talk time always need to be balanced; employees want to interact with each other, and not just hear from the teacher.
Our teachers have done some really cool things. And their stories are amazing. Keep the stories coming!
More time for Q+A!
These topics can be scary -- and are often uncharted territory. Teachers need to be sensitive and inclusive of all opinions and all levels of experience.
Reflecting on employee feedback excites us to work with more teachers, develop more Electives, and interact with more companies and employees. Our hope is that high quality learning becomes the norm in the workplace. People at every level, in every type of company across the world deserve it; people want to learn! And companies and teams come out stronger when they address the topics that need to be addressed. Performance improves when people feel invested in--and when their brains are working and thinking throughout the work day. We are more inspired than ever to bring Electives to more people, in more companies, in more places.

CALL TO ACTION

Electives reflects on client feedback and categorizes the five major workplace learning trends from employee feedback.

Employee Perspectives: 5 Trends in Workplace Learning

Wed Jul 21 2021

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