With the number of workers in the office finally returning to pre-pandemic levels, employers are looking for new ways to differentiate themselves, retain talent, improve the overall employee experience (including mental health and wellbeing) and boost productivity.
Traditional wellness plans have evolved to incorporate a broader range of health benefits, recognising that mental and physical wellness are made up of many factors.
The NHS identifies connecting with others and continued learning as two of the Five Ways to Wellbeing . This ‘virtuous circle of social interaction and learning’, which we call Sociable Learning, is essential for productivity, engagement and transforming organisational culture for the benefit of individuals and the businesses they work for.
Business leaders talk about the importance of resilience, creativity and communication but knowing how to develop these attributes is not obvious. What works for one person or business may not work in a different environment. Whilst businesses face similar challenges, the solutions to those challenges will vary.
Curious Vitae Sociable Learning Programmes are designed to deliver those solutions through learning, enabling participants to meet a wide range of personal and professional development goals. Every programme is bespoke, informed by a detailed consultation on core values, organisational culture and business objectives. The programmes are flexible enough to suit a wide variety of working environments and demographics.
The right learning environment allows individuals to connect and ideas to flourish. Learning together in a friendly space brings a shared sense of purpose, identifies areas of common interest and improves communication, confidence and empathy.
Since the focus is on the process of learning, employees are free to choose from a wide range of subjects, all of which allow them to develop skills which benefit them on both a professional and personal level. For example:
Philosophy
Philosophy is a fascinating subject. It is also a way to explore complex, emotive issues in the abstract, encouraging individuals to listen, explore alternative viewpoints and reflect critically on their own views.
French
Learning languages is not only good for mental agility but includes a level of cultural awareness and empathy, having the potential to bring people together and discover those things which they have in common, rather than those which divide them.
Giving employees the freedom to choose their subject is important for the following reasons:
- Since the subject is one which has been chosen by the employee they will be genuinely interested in it and the level of engagement will be much higher, with greater overall benefits;
- Giving employees the chance to learn something of their own choosing, which they love and are genuinely interested in, signals an authentic commitment to employee wellbeing.
For all these reasons our Sociable Learning Programmes are a low-cost, high-impact solution to the many challenges faced by businesses today. Sign up and experience for yourself the way that learning at work is a great way to engage employees, offer a unique opportunity for them to do something for themselves, to improve organisational culture and supercharge performance. Whether it is French or Philosophy, Photography or First Aid, you (and your employer) will reap the many benefits derived from lifelong learning.