Lately, I’ve been thinking about the importance of social learning as a critical part of an organization’s overall learning strategy.

With more organizations moving to hybrid or remote work models, we’re seeing an increased demand for virtual learning, such as self-paced eLearning and virtual instructor-led training (vILT). Those are great options, but when it comes to true learning (versus training), the social element is critical. How can we create meaningful opportunities for social learning for dispersed workforces?

Research shows that people learn better together. LinkedIn Learning’s Workplace Learning Report 2021 found that learners who used social features spent 30 times more hours learning than those who didn’t. The report supports what most L&D pros already believe: learning is more engaging when people learn together, and it’s often more successful.

Social learning promotes engagement, growth, and a sense of community among learners. In an increasingly isolated and siloed work landscape, there’s a case to be made for intentionally building social learning into your L&D efforts.

What is social learning?

Social learning focuses on how we interact with our colleagues, peers, and experts to learn and build skills. That could mean working in small groups on a project, job shadowing and role-play, or engaging in group discussions. Social learning can also happen virtually using social features like live polling, chat, and other online tools that allow you to collaborate directly with others.

Social learning helps foster a sense of community among learners. When learners feel connected to one another, it boosts engagement and time spent on learning. High engagement and a sense of belonging drive employee retention and productivity—it’s a win-win for your people and your business.

Wondering if using tools like Zoom and Slack are enough to check the box for social learning? It’s all about how you use them. There’s a subtle difference between blasting out a long announcement on Slack and actually engaging in a discussion. Zoom and Slack are powerful communication tools, but it takes intentional planning and two-way communication to use them to drive social learning.

Cultivating togetherness in remote environments

As of September 2021, 45 percent of full-time U.S. employees worked from home all or part of the time. The advantages of remote work are well-documented, but it’s important to be proactive about the downsides of a dispersed workforce.

According to a Glint-designed survey of Linkedin members, employees are feeling increasingly isolated. Of those surveyed, 31 percent reported feeling less connected to leaders and 37 percent felt less connected to their teammates. Remote and hybrid work can decrease social interactions between colleagues and increase work silos—both of which contribute to a decline in social learning. How can we recreate the face-to-face interactions of the office to cultivate social learning opportunities for our team members?

There’s a clear craving for togetherness in hybrid and remote environments. Social learning is likely to be a popular option if you offer it to your team. At Maestro, we have a remote-first, hybrid work model and our in-person learning trips consistently earn higher engagement than many of our self-directed learning opportunities. The more social the learning, the higher the engagement—try to be intentional about planning opportunities for people to come together and learn something new.

Building cross-functional connections

Social learning often ends up going beyond the original purpose of the event. When you prioritize social learning, you’re likely to notice the many benefits that come along with it: culture building, networking across the company, and increased teamwork. Team engagement begets engaged employees who are involved in and enthusiastic about their work and workplace.

Social learning strengthens bonds in a different way than our day-to-day work, and in a much shorter period of time. Social learning helps build connections between people and across teams, and it helps connect team members to the organization itself.

When you bring a cross-functional group together to learn, people naturally support each other by sharing ideas and information. They build peer-to-peer connections and work together to build skills. They show vulnerability by admitting what they don’t know and asking others for help. That cultural connection is a big part of what makes social learning successful: it requires you to listen to others and support them.

Social learning enriches your people and culture

Social learning is fully enriching for your people and your culture. In today’s changing work landscape, a passive attitude toward social learning isn’t enough. Organizations interested in cultivating a close-knit culture of learning should intentionally build social learning into their learning strategy, and plan for in-person elements when possible.

It’s human nature: people want to collaborate with others, learn new ideas and perspectives, and work together to achieve a shared goal. Use social learning to cultivate collaboration and trust across your team, helping your people and your business to grow faster.