Microlearning explained: how short & snappy training boosts engagement

What is Microlearning?

Microlearning is a way of learning designed to fit our short attention spans. Instead of long, overwhelming courses, microlearning breaks training down into small, interactive pieces that employees can easily complete. In practice, this means training courses that:

• Take about 2–5 minutes
• Can be followed on mobile, tablet, or even social media
• Use a mix of formats such as article summaries, infographics, slides, quizzes, polls, videos, links, and images

The goal is to make learning quick, engaging, and easy to access anytime, anywhere.

Microlearning with Oneteam

The most important aspect of microlearning is accessibility. Employees don’t need to log into a traditional LMS (Learning Management System) or separate platform. Instead, they can complete training directly on their phone, whenever and wherever it suits them.

Here’s a simple example: imagine a restaurant introduces a new hamburger. Employees need to know how to prepare it, what ingredients are included, and what the price is—ideally as soon as possible. Microlearning makes this easy.

You might:

• Show a video that demonstrates the preparation step by step
• Add photos of the finished product
• Summarize the ingredients in bullet points
• Finish with a short quiz to refresh their memory

In just a few minutes, your employees are up to speed and confident to serve the new menu item.

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Who is Microlearning for?

Microlearning works for every type of organization, but it’s especially valuable for companies with a large group of frontline employees. These employees often don’t have a fixed workplace or access to a desktop. All they need is their phone—making microlearning a perfect fit.

It’s also highly suitable for younger generations, like Gen Z and millennials. They’ve grown up with the internet and social media, and they expect every experience to be fast, smooth, and accessible. Microlearning matches those expectations.

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The Benefits of Microlearning for Your Organization

Using microlearning in industries like retail, hospitality, or logistics brings clear advantages:

1. Faster implementation of changes

Whether it’s crisis communication, launching a new product, or onboarding a new hire, speed matters. Microlearning lets you roll out updates quickly and keep everyone aligned.

2. Learning that’s fun and engaging

Short, interactive modules prevent boredom and keep employees motivated. Videos, images, short texts, emojis, and your own branding all help to make training something employees actually enjoy.

3. Easy to create and adjust

You don’t need to start from scratch. Microlearning content is simple to set up and just as easy to update. Add videos, PDFs, images, and quizzes with just a few clicks.

4. Quick to complete

With training sessions lasting no longer than 5 minutes, employees are more likely to finish them. They can even start a module on the bus home and complete it later. According to the 2019 Talent LMS survey, employees feel motivated and positive when they see they’ve quickly passed a training.

5. Clear insights into progress

By using an LMS alongside your microlearning tool, you can easily track progress. See at a glance who has completed training, who’s still working on it, and who hasn’t started. You can then send timely reminders.

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Are There Drawbacks?

Microlearning is excellent for short, focused training, but it isn’t always enough for larger or complex programs. For example, learning how to serve tables requires hands-on practice. In these cases, microlearning works best when combined with additional training, like on-the-job instruction.

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How to Choose the Right Microlearning Software

To make microlearning effective, the right software is key. Here are some important features to look for:

• Mobile-friendly design: optimized for personal smartphones, with a look and feel similar to WhatsApp or social apps.
• Secure environment: personal logins that keep data safe.
• Authoring tool: flexibility to create courses with text, video, images, and interactive elements.
• Progress tracking: clear stats on who has completed, started, or not yet begun training.
• Chat and notifications: send reminders or answer employee questions easily.
• Certificates: reward completion with certificates to keep employees motivated.
• Native app branding: design the tool in your company’s style for stronger brand connection.
• Knowledge testing: quizzes and tests to check what employees have learned.
• Gamification: add game-like elements such as scores or success rates to make training more engaging.
• Integrations: connect with your HR and WFM systems to automatically sync employee data.
• Support and compliance: responsive helpdesk support and GDPR-proof hosting with European servers.

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💡 Golden Tip from Oneteam: Choose an All-in-One Solution

It’s worth finding software that does more than just microlearning. An Employee Experience Platform combines training with communication and engagement in one place - ideal for frontline teams. Instead of switching between multiple systems, your employees get one integrated platform for everything they need.

👉 Want to learn more? Read our Frontline Employee Experience Guide and start improving the digital employee experience for your frontline workforce today.