Article 4 of 5
This article is the 4th component of the qualitative study produced for CrossKnowledge* among a representative sample of its customers across 4 markets with different cultures and maturity levels in terms of distance training practices.
Study carried out by SpringVoice, a marketing research and strategy consultancy specializing in questions of positioning, understanding customers and purpose.
To optimize the contribution made by training and ensure it acts as a genuine springboard, it is important to understand the learner profile of each of your employees, their needs, and what motivates them. Our research helped us identify 4 of the most common learner profiles in the 4 countries we included in the study.
Motivation can vary drastically by profile
LEARNER PROFILE 1: David, the “model employee”
This is the most commonly encountered learner profile, accounting for more than 50% of the sample
Main learning motive:
“Learning helps me do my job well, stay up to date and progress in my career.”
Other motivations:
- David is always ready to learn more, while remaining aligned with the company’s vision. David learns best within a structured framework, and is able to set limits in terms of a good balance between professional and private life.
- His priority remains to do a good job and make incremental progress. To that end, training is a great way to overcome any shortcomings so that he can confidently take on new assignments.
- He is not particularly proactive in his choice of training, mainly following the goals set by the company.
- He is fairly pragmatic and focused on the medium term, so ideally each training course should enable him to progress.
Basic needs:
- To be supported and reassured that the training will be useful and help him progress
- To gain credibility and prove his value within the company
- With regard to training: David appreciates seeing tangible results through immediate practical application of the skill and/or clear progress tracking (i.e. certification, salary increase)
LEARNER PROFILE 2: Nicholas, the “ambitious perfectionist”
“I fight my way up through the ranks to take my career forward, and set myself goals to get there.”
Main learning motive:
“Developing new skills means improving yourself, staying on top and sticking to the path you’ve set”
Other motivations:
- Nicholas is constantly redefining his goals and making quick progress up the corporate ladder.
- He likes challenging his expertise with his peers and impressing his manager.
- He has more specific expectations of training: content with high added value.
Basic needs:
- To be up to date and constantly stimulated, ready to overcome new challenges
- To surpass previous goals and be evermore effective as he progresses
- To be more visible and have achievements recognized within the company while moving up the career ladder
LEARNER PROFILE 3: Romy, the “explorer of possibilities”
Main learning motive:
“Learning new skills provides the means for transformation, and refreshing new perspectives.”
Other motivations:
- Curiosity: Everything is a source of enrichment, sometimes even outside the workplace.
- More depth of knowledge: “Romy” types seek details, technical expertise, and intricacies in the subjects they cover.
- Confidence in expertise: She is more at home in support roles that highlight her field of expertise rather than in managerial or leadership roles.
- New horizons: Training becomes a component of her development in a broader, and even more personal, sense.
Basic needs:
- To assess and discover herself in order to instigate changes
- To be open to new ideas and learn from the experiences of others via social exchange
- To grow through continuous learning in more general or strategic areas
LEARNER PROFILE 4: Joseph, the “emotional leader”
This profile only represented a small part of our sample.
Main learning motive:
“Learning new skills helps me to be an inspiring leader, and to grow as I help others to grow.”
Other motivations:
- Highly involved in his work and his managerial role, Joseph has the strength of a visionary and is able to adapt.
- Learning is a pillar to cement his expertise in previously unknown applications and domains.
- Knowledge sharing is a key driver for him, a form of enrichment that can benefit others.
- Training is not only seen in pragmatic, business-focused terms, but also from its human perspective.
Basic needs:
- To discover new areas of expertise, through quality content that offers opportunities for himself and inspiration for others
- To create enthusiasm for learning and train his staff through ever greater specialization
Not everyone fits into the 4 key profiles
In addition to the main profiles described above, two more marginal learner profiles emerged.
Paul, the “minimalist”
He is not particularly motivated by his work, and relatively passive. He rests on his past achievements to get by. His goal is to stay up to date just enough to do his job, with little effort towards improvement. His participation in training courses is minimal, mainly because he doesn’t want to dedicate the time.
Luna, the “chameleon”
She looks at training as a way to transform or even reinvent herself.
“I want to change direction in my work, try something new or even do something completely different.”
Although apparently less captive, she is open to transformation and is a potential vector for change – in herself and her company. In these particularly complex times, her flexibility can be a real asset.
Your training programs should be designed for your learners
There is no such thing as “one size fits all” training. This is a very antiquated way to approach learning, given what we know about brain science. When you design your training programs, think about learner profiles: who your learners are, what motivates them, and how they learn. Personalized learning is more impactful to the individual, and ultimately more beneficial to the organization as a whole.
If you enjoyed this, continue on with the 5th article in our original research series!