Creating a Culture of Learning

Five Nines Team : Aug 17, 2016 4:00:50 PM

1 min read

Five Nines

TL;DR

Five Nines stays current in fast-changing tech by building a strong, company-wide culture of continuous learning.
Employees drive their own growth with certifications, personalized development plans, and access to diverse learning resources.
Learning is embedded into daily work through collaboration, tracking expertise, and leadership support.

It is no secret that the world of technology is constantly changing, notably Managed IT Services. What Five Niners have learned in technical training programs as early as last year has probably transformed and changed today. This is not only true for Five Nines but all businesses that leverage technology across the world. So how is Five Nines staying current with all of these changes? We created a culture of learning. What can you do to create a learning culture in your workspace?

Humans are biologically wired to learn and grow. The challenge becomes how to create a transformative learning culture that will not conform and stagnate but rather thrive. Whether you are looking to become the newest Five Niner or just curious how Five Nines is staying relevant in the ever-changing world of technology, check out the steps below Five Nines is taking to create a culture of learning:

Employees are encouraged to study for and obtain certifications during work hours
Knowledge levels are tracked so that:
- Employees know who is an expert in a subject
- Management can review for risks/opportunities to increase knowledge on a particular subject
Employees are able to get certifications that interest and would benefit them in their current position
Growth and Development plans are created and maintained for each employee separately
Goals are employee-driven but with the encouragement and resources from the Training & Development department
Employees are in the driver’s seat of their careers at Five Nines
Employees are provided blended resources to learn from that best suit their learning style, including:
- Auditory
- Visual
- Tactile (hands-on)

As of today, everyone at Five Nines has a training and development plan. Technical resources continue to focus on certifications to support products Five Nines offers through Cisco, Citrix, Dell, Microsoft, VMWare & Shadow Protect.

Five Nines continues to focus on these 5 Steps to create a transformative learning culture:

Everyone is encouraged to treat learning as an unbounded resource rather than a scheduled educational event
Learning is easily accessible. Slack channels are available to share knowledge and ask for peer help
Blended learning opportunities are available to account for all learning styles
Performance is evaluated based on learning and growth within every position
A training and development manager is solely focused on the individual growth and development of all Five Niners

Frequently asked questions

1. What is a “learning culture” in the workplace?

A learning culture is an environment where continuous growth is encouraged, supported, and integrated into everyday work—not just occasional training sessions.

2. How does Five Nines support employee learning?

They allow certification study during work hours, provide blended learning resources, and assign a training manager to guide development.

3. Why are certifications important at Five Nines?

Certifications ensure employees stay current with evolving technologies and can effectively support partners like Cisco, Microsoft, and VMware.

4. How do employees track and grow their skills?

Knowledge levels are tracked across the company, and each employee has a personalized development plan with goals they help define.

5. How can other companies build a similar learning culture?

Encourage continuous learning, make resources accessible, support different learning styles, tie performance to growth, and invest in dedicated training leadership.