Not long ago, I asked three of our partners where they learned how to do a specific formula in Excel. Each came from a different generation: Gen X, Gen Y, and Gen Z. The Gen X executive said he learned it by reading a support article from a Google search. The Millenial manager reported learning it from a YouTube video. The Gen Z employee said she learned it by searching a video in TikTok.
Needless to say, the Gen X and Millenial managers were both shocked by the response from the Gen Z manager.
The way we learn has shifted significantly over the past few years. We read fewer books and we watch less TV. Why? Because we now prefer to watch, listen and read very short pieces of content. We look for chunks of information that address our exact need as briefly as possible in the moment we need it.
Ultimately, the way we absorb information has changed and TikTok is reflective of this. Employees are busier, distractions are rampant and attention spans are shorter. Our need for just-in-time information has also increased, making engagement far more difficult to capture.
When Learning Management Systems (LMS) initially came out, they promised to revolutionize employee training – and they did in their time. But they’ve fallen short in their promise. LMS platforms now struggle to engage learners and deliver value (including a documentable ROI).
Bottom line: Your LMS is failing to engage your people and your training program is long overdue for an upgrade.
Today’s time-strapped and on-the-go workforce requires a smarter, more flexible solution. Video-based microlearning is the modern approach – backed by science – that makes training stick, boosting engagement, encouraging ongoing improvement and driving lasting change. With short, focused training delivered in quick bursts of two minutes or less, daily microlearning is not only engaging and cost effective, but also aligns with how people actually learn and retain information.
The Problem with Traditional Training Methods
For years, businesses have relied on in-person training and LMS platforms to educate employees. While these methods have had their place, they now pose serious limitations that hinder long-term learning and engagement.
1. In-Person Training: Expensive, Inflexible, Hard to Scale
Shoulder-to-shoulder or hands-on training (where the subject matter expert teaches, models, assists and tests in real-world scenarios) is the “gold standard” of workplace education. This type of personalized face-to-face interaction and direct application is immediately relevant and highly personalized. As a result, it’s very effective, but also expensive, disruptive and difficult to scale to a growing workforce.
This type of traditional training comes with significant costs. Businesses must cover expenses for instructors, travel, printed reference materials, and the loss of productivity when employees step away from their daily tasks to train. Even after investing heavily in these sessions, retention remains low. Research shows that employees forget 70% of what they learn within 24 hours and 90% within a week, especially when training is delivered in long, overwhelming formats like seminars, webinars, and professional development courses.
On top of that, scaling and standardizing in-person training is unattainable. Coordinating sessions for hundreds or thousands of employees in the same role across different locations or different time zones makes it impossible to ensure consistent training outcomes.The reality? In-person training isn’t always practical or sustainable. It may work for highly specialized skills, but for ongoing development, it’s inefficient and costly.
2. LMS Platforms: Outdated and Ineffective for Modern Learners
LMS platforms were supposed to make training accessible and standardized, but many of them haven’t evolved with the times. They still operate under the assumption that employees will sit through long eLearning courses or complete modules in one sitting. That’s simply not how people learn.
LMS engagement rates are alarmingly low, with studies showing that only 12% of employees apply new skills learned in an LMS, and most courses have completion rates below 15%. If you ask training managers, they will tell you about the headache of having to follow up dozens of times to get basic compliance training completed each year. One of the biggest issues? The content is too long and generic, which fails to hold employees’ attention.
Employees don’t have time (or patience) for hours-long webinars or 50-slide presentations. On top of that, LMS training is often a one-and-done event rather than a continuous learning experience. This leaves the learner feeling like the training was a checkbox instead of an investment or even a perk of the job. And, without regular reinforcement, knowledge fades quickly, making it ineffective for long-term skill development.
In essence, if your LMS was built before TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts, chances are it’s failing to capture attention in a world where people are used to learning in short, engaging bursts.
Why Daily Microlearning Is the Answer For Workplace Training
Unlike in-person training or traditional LMS courses, daily microlearning is designed for today’s workforce. It delivers training in bite-sized, easy-to-digest lessons, making it more effective, engaging, and aligned with how people naturally absorb information.
1. Designed for Short Attention Spans
Researchers have found that our attention spans decreased significantly over the past 20 years. In 2004, the average attention span on any screen was 150 seconds. By 2012, it was down to 75 seconds, and now the average is a mere 8.25 seconds.
Daily video-based microlearning works with this shift, not against it. Training is broken into 1- to 2-minute lessons that employees can complete on their own time, without disrupting their workflow. Instead of forcing employees to sit through long training videos, organizations can deliver high-impact lessons in minutes, and see small improvements each day add up to big wins over time.
2. Reinforces Learning Through Repetition
The forgetting curve is one of the biggest challenges in workplace training. Employees forget most of what they learn by the next day if the information isn’t reinforced. Traditional training methods fall short because they dump too much content at once and don’t provide ongoing reinforcement.
Daily microlearning uses spaced repetition – a scientifically proven method that increases retention by 200%. Employees revisit key concepts over time, making it easier to remember and apply what they’ve learned – even months later.
3. Training Fits Into the Flow of Work
One of the biggest advantages of microlearning is that it fits seamlessly into an employee’s existing daily routine. Instead of blocking out hours for training, employees can learn in small increments when and where it’s most convenient for them.
It also provides an on-demand resource when they forget. Employees can quickly find answers to real-time questions in a centralized video training library. This allows them to accomplish the task in the safest and most effective way without losing valuable focus or momentum with daily tasks. Going back and reviewing concepts creates repetition that “rewires the brain,” strengthening neural connections surrounding the learned information.
4. Increases Employee Engagement and Motivation
Employees aren’t just more engaged with microlearning – they actually enjoy it. Studies have found that completion rates are more than 50% higher than traditional LMS training. One of the key drivers of this success is engagement, which improves by 72% when gamification elements like badges, leaderboards and rewards are incorporated into the training experience.
Video-based microlearning also enhances knowledge retention by 80%, outperforming text-heavy learning materials that struggle to keep employees engaged. Because daily microlearning delivers training in fun, engaging formats, employees are more likely to participate – and more likely to retain what they learn.
5. More Cost-Effective Than Traditional Training
Traditional training is expensive. Between travel costs, instructor fees and lost productivity, companies waste millions of dollars on training each year that doesn’t stick. With daily microlearning, companies eliminate unnecessary costs and inefficiencies. There’s no need for expensive travel or venue rentals, as employees can complete training from anywhere. Hours aren’t lost sitting in conference rooms for lengthy sessions, so employees stay productive.
Plus, training is targeted and relevant, meaning workers only focus on the skills they actually need – no more wasted time on irrelevant material. Daily microlearning is cheaper, more efficient, and delivers better results – a win-win for both employees and employers.
The Time To Move On Is Now
Daily microlearning isn’t just a trend – it’s the future of workplace education. By adopting microlearning, companies can create a more effective and efficient training experience. This approach boosts employee engagement, keeping learners actively involved and motivated. It also improves knowledge retention, ensuring employees absorb and apply what they learn.
At the same time, training costs decrease, as microlearning eliminates expensive, time-consuming sessions. Most importantly, microlearning allows organizations to deliver scalable, personalized training, ensuring that each employee gets the right content at the right time. The data is clear: daily microlearning outperforms traditional training methods by making learning faster, easier, scalable, standardized and much more effective.
Want to see how daily microlearning can take your employee engagement (and profits) to new heights? Schedule a meeting to speak with a Tyfoom training consultant today.