Axonify Finds No Improvement in Corporate Training in Second Annual State of Workplace Training Study

According to Study, an Alarming One-Third of U.S. Adult Employees Don’t Receive Formal Job Training

WATERLOO, ON — (February 20, 2018) – Axonify, the most trusted corporate microlearning platform, today announced results from its second annual State of Workplace Training Study conducted in December 2017 by global market research firm Ipsos. The online survey of more than 1,000 U.S. employed adults reveals that 31% of the U.S. workforce does not receive any formal job training, up slightly (30%) from 2016. For those that do, 43% say it is ineffective.

“As the training industry is producing new and innovative technology to empower employees, it is alarming to see that companies aren’t embracing new approaches to learning as part of their overall strategy,” said Carol Leaman, CEO of Axonify.

Learning opportunities key to influencing employee engagement

As organizations continue to search for ways to improve employee engagement, they should take note of specific findings from Axonify’s State of Workplace Training. Most survey respondents (92%) say that the right kind of formal workplace training impacts their job engagement positively.

“If employees don’t have the correct training to perform their jobs properly, they will disengage. This, in turn, will result in work quality, productivity and customer satisfaction issues,” added Leaman. “One-size-fits-all training programs are no longer enough. Instead, a more individualized and continuous approach to learning is necessary to help workers develop their individual strengths which can positively impact their job success and the company’s bottom line.”

‘Fun Factor’ essential for encouraging employee participation

This year’s study validates the need to shift away from lengthy, ‘one and done’ training events, finding that more employees place an emphasis on training that is engaging and fun (90% versus 85% in the previous study). Also, 80% of workers report it’s important to receive regular, frequent training so they don’t forget the information, up from 73% in the previous year’s study.

“Training should not be a dull, isolated event, as employees loathe sitting in long, boring sessions and immediately tune out,” added Leaman. “Recent advancements in brain science demonstrate that by providing employees with continuous, enjoyable opportunities to learn, information retention improves, positioning the business for greater success. And, when learning incorporates gamified elements, participation soars.”

Industries that embrace online learning have more engaged employees

While 57% of total respondents report that training is very effective in helping them do their job well, that number differs based on the respondent’s industry, e.g., Financial Advisor/Professional Sales (66% effective), Manufacturing/Logistics (68% effective), Call Center (63% effective) and Retail (35% effective).

The study also examined the types of training organizations provide. Nearly half of employees (47%) receive training via online or a mix of classroom and online training and 15% of employees receive only classroom training. Surprisingly, 31% receive no formal workforce training at all. Additional findings include:

• Online training is especially common among adults working in professional sales (41% vs. 22% retail sales associates and 8% manufacturing employees).
• Those most likely to have received strictly classroom training include manufacturing workers (29%), call center employees (38%), and financial advisors (29%).
• Those working in professional sales are among the most likely to say training makes them feel extremely engaged (55%) – compared to those working in retail (31%) and manufacturing (33%).

Despite Generational Differences, Professionals Want Training Anytime, Anywhere

While Axonify’s State of Workplace Training Study also revealed several generational disparities, the commonalities outweigh the differences: People want training anytime, anywhere; they want it to be short; and they want to be rewarded for doing it. For example:

• More than two-thirds (67%) of employees think it’s important to receive anytime, anywhere training, up from 64% in 2016, but this varies by generation.
• Within employee age groups, Millennials (75%) and Gen Xers (72%) place a high importance on anytime/anywhere training, while it is less important to Baby Boomers (56%).
• Millennials place higher importance on short training sessions (74%), versus Generation X (69%) and Baby Boomers (58%).
• Within age groups, Millennials place far more importance on training that offers rewards (69%) than Baby Boomers (46%), with Gen Xers being in the middle (64%).

Study Methodology

Findings from Axonify’s State of Workplace Training Study were derived from an Ipsos poll conducted from November 20 to December 4, 2017. For the survey, a sample of 1,089 U.S. adults over the age of 18 were interviewed online, in English. The sample includes 811 adults working full time and 278 adults working part time.

About Axonify

Axonify is the only learning platform trusted by global business leaders to drive performance. With a proven approach that’s based in brain science, and uses adaptive microlearning and gamification to make employee learning effective and engaging, our platform ingrains knowledge deep enough to change employee behavior at work. With more than 130 customers in 95 countries around the world, including Walmart, Bloomingdale’s, Toyota, and John Hancock, Axonify makes learning personal to the individual, and impactful for the business. Founded in 2011, Axonify is headquartered in Waterloo, ON Canada. For more information, please visit www.axonify.com