Can your employees “learn” hard skills With the Social Learning ?
It seems that collaborators can integrate these technical capabilities within their team and their company thanks to this training method that is Social Learning. Beedeez explains why in this article.
But first, let's go back to this concept that we Often opposed to soft skills. What exactly do we mean by “hard skills” in the professional sphere today? How does Social Learning allow learners to develop their hard skills?
What are hard skills?
Hard skills are technical skills. They are also called “hard skills.” Moreover, there is a tendency to oppose hard skills to soft skills (“soft skills”) which are more linked to human skills, useful in the professional sphere as well as in society.
“Hard” skills can be linked to analysis skills, to knowledge related to administrative management, at development of artificial intelligence, at the mastery of sales techniques, to knowledge related to digital marketing, etc.
Hard skills therefore refer to the technical skills necessary to apply for a particular position. These hard skills can be learned at school, through training or through various professional experiences. They are identifiable and measurable. Before soft skills were on the rise, “hard” skills were the main skills evaluated in interviews and the most valued on a resume.
Hard skills are more related to “know-how” That at “interpersonal skills” which is more about soft skills (examples: emotional intelligence, empathy, ability to listen, etc.) These can be learned in particular through Social Learning training.
And that's also the case with hard skills. Besides, The dichotomy between “hard” skills and soft skills is not always obvious. For example, in sales, managing or resolving conflicts can be considered a “hard” skill since it is a essential professional know-how in this sector. But conflict management and resolution can also be perceived as a “soft” skill!
Learning hard skills through Social Learning
Increasingly popular, the Social Learning method of training makes it possible tolearning with others, thanks to others And of develop your hard skills by interacting continuously. It is about deploying a learner community in a logic of co-construction of knowledge through the continuous communication of learners who are constantly developing their knowledge in contact with their employees. A learning experience qthat are often opposed to traditional training methods such as they are found in certain courses given to students in particular, where the teacher, the “knowing”, communicates his knowledge to a relatively passive class (formal training method). With Social Learning, learners truly become actors in their training and development in the world of work.
Social Learning (or social learning) helps develop learners' hard skills. Indeed, this informal mode of learning comes optimize the effectiveness of training via the connection between different learners, promoting the sharing of knowledge. Moreover, this pedagogical approach is more effective than traditional methods. The development of knowledge is wealthier, the collaborators are also learning their new hard skills more quickly.
Social Learning also makes it possible to strengthen motivation of learners and therefore, potentially, their employee commitment.
Social Learning and digital: the perfect combination to develop “hard skills”?
On a daily basis, theuse of technology and digital tools To communicate to everything naturally integrated the system dedicated to Social Learning. Thus, “chats”, instant messengers (e.g. Whatsapp), thematic discussion forums, blogs, corporate networks (etc.), are communication channels useful for the development of hard skills in the context of social learning.
Imagine that your employees are teleworking in the communication sector. They must be trained in a “hard” skill such as mastering social networks or other communication tools. They are given a 30-page PDF document to read to learn. A very tedious training method, which recalls the methods used by professors at the university.
However, it is possible to learn differently, via digital tools, social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Whatsapp. These are all networks invested in Social Learning because these resources make it possible to stimulate interactions., make them lively, attractive, motivating. Because traditional training methods do not necessarily stimulate learner motivation or teamwork.
And to motivate your employees, you can use features of Gamification aimed precisely at stimulating their involvement by introducing a fun aspect into the learning process. Interactions remain encouraged via group games, competitive challenges, etc. Moreover, Beedeez offers a “Battle” mode that allows you to measure yourself against other learners in a fun pedagogical logic.
In short, Social Learning makes it possible to promote interpersonal relationships between peers while developing hard skills in an attractive way that is much less boring than with ordinary training methods.
