Too often, employee training feels like a box-ticking exercise. Employees complete a course, tick the compliance box, and quickly forget what they’ve learned. But real training, the kind that changes behaviour and drives growth, goes beyond compliance; it sparks curiosity. I have been working on a range of new development projects recently which made me re-evaluate and take stock of how people are learning right now. Essentially, I was exploring what’s working and what’s not working in the field of learning and development. Since the big shift from face-to-face to online learning, many of us in the industry have been chasing the ‘next big development’ whether this is in terms of technology or AI. This was a necessary approach when pivoting or responding it changing L&D landscapes; however, slowing down and taking stock is also necessary to ensure we don’t miss vital clues or insights from our clients and learners. According to an in-depth study published by TalentLMS, ‘Cookie-cutter training doesn’t cut it anymore’. Employees are no longer motivated by ‘a one-size-fits-all training approach’. With 80% of employees reporting that personalised learning is important to them. Employees want training to be relevant, customised and flexible (learners want to be able to learn anywhere & at any time).
Why Compliance Alone Doesn’t Work
Compliance ensures employees attend training. But attendance isn’t the same as engagement. If the content feels heavy and arduous, retention will be low, and application of knowledge/skills in the workplace will be even lower. We hear this all the time from our learners who are openly sharing their learning preferences. Toda’s learners like to be stimulated by the learning content, so interactive methods like discussions, quizzes, case studies and problem-solving opportunities should be key features of training, whether online or face to face.
Curiosity is The Secret Ingredient
When training taps into learners’ curiosity, learning becomes active, not passive. People start asking: How can I use this? How does it make my work easier or more effective? That shift from “have to” to “want to” makes the learning sticky. This is not a new phenomenon. Check out this article on Herman Ebbinghaus’s Forgetting Curve .
How We Bring Learning to Life
At New Links Training Solutions, our experiential, applied training methods encourage learners to connect theory with real-life work scenarios. By engaging in vocationally relevant role plays, team simulations, and problem-solving activities, participants are challenged to apply their learning immediately. This approach promotes critical thinking and reflective practice, ensuring that new skills don’t just stay in the classroom but transfer directly to the workplace.
How to Spark Curiosity in Training
- Make it relevant by showing real-world examples and linking training content to daily tasks. Great trainers will draw from the experience in the room to make concepts even more interesting and relevant.
- Keep it interactive by inspiring the learners to contribute through discussions, scenarios, and problem-solving initiatives instead of just long, drawn-out lectures.
- Encourage ownership by encouraging employees to set personal learning goals or create a growth plan.
- Celebrate wins through round table discussions so that learners can share experiences where training led to real improvements. As a result, the learner feels empowered, and their confidence grows with every ‘small win’. Don’t just take my word for it – try it yourself by giving mindful feedback the next time you notice one of your team members reaching a goal in the course of their work.
Training that sparks curiosity turns learning into a culture. When it’s relevant, interactive, and celebrated, employees don’t just learn, they apply, adapt, and grow. That’s when training stops being a requirement and becomes a powerful driver of workplace success.
Janet Tumulty
5.9.25
