Lunch and Learns: Your Recipe for an Engaged, Growing Team in 2024

Imagine this: it‘s noon on a Wednesday and your team is actually excited to head to a meeting. In fact, they‘ve had it marked on their calendars for weeks. The room is abuzz with lively conversation as people grab lunch and settle in, feeling energized and ready to learn. No, this isn‘t some far-fetched fantasy – it‘s the power of a well-crafted lunch and learn session.

In today‘s fast-paced, knowledge-driven economy, investing in continuous learning and development is no longer optional – it‘s essential. A staggering 94% of employees say they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their growth.[^1] But with jam-packed schedules and competing priorities, getting people engaged in learning can feel like an uphill battle. That‘s where lunch and learns come in.

What is a lunch and learn?

A lunch and learn is a voluntary training or development session held during lunchtime, with the company typically providing food and paying employees for their time. Sessions are usually led by internal or external speakers on topics relevant to the organization and its people, lasting 60-90 minutes. The format blends learning with social connection, creating a more informal, accessible avenue for professional development.

The benefits of lunch and learns are well-documented:

• 74% of workers say lack of training is the biggest barrier to achieving their full potential at work[^2]
• Companies that offer comprehensive training have 218% higher income per employee[^3]
• Team learning can increase organizational effectiveness and innovation by up to 25%[^4]

But to reap these rewards, you can‘t just throw some sandwiches in a conference room and call it a day. Crafting a lunch and learn that will have employees marking their calendars requires careful planning and a deep understanding of what makes learning engaging.

Lunch and learns for the modern workforce

The world of work looks quite different in 2024 than it did a decade ago. The pandemic accelerated existing trends toward remote and hybrid arrangements, digital transformation, and a deepened focus on employee wellbeing. To be effective, lunch and learns need to evolve in tandem with these shifts.

Some key considerations for the modern lunch and learn:

Inclusion and accessibility: With distributed teams now the norm, every session should have a remote participation option. This means investing in reliable virtual conferencing tools, ensuring any materials are accessible online, and being mindful of time zones. It‘s also important to provide food options that cater to diverse dietary needs and preferences.

Flexibility and modularity: While the lunch hour is still a good default, rigid 12-1pm scheduling may not work for everyone. Consider offering multiple time slots, recording sessions for later viewing, or breaking content into shorter, digestible chunks. The more flexible your formatting, the more likely you are to see sustained engagement.

Relevance and timeliness: The most impactful lunch and learn topics sit at the intersection of individual interest and organizational priority. To find that sweet spot, keep a pulse on what skills are emerging as essential in your industry, what challenges your teams are facing, and what macro trends are shaping the future of work. Don‘t be afraid to experiment with topics that may have historically been considered too personal or political for work, like mental health, diversity, or sustainability – these are top of mind for today‘s employees.

Interactivity and application: With screen fatigue at an all-time high, the last thing people want is to sit through another dry, one-way presentation. Effective lunch and learns are a two-way street, with ample opportunity for discussion, reflection, and practice. Aim for a blend of content delivery and interactive elements like breakouts, role plays, or hands-on exercises. And always close with clear next steps for applying the learning on the job.

The recipe for a crave-worthy lunch and learn

Ready to cook up a lunch and learn your team will love? Follow this step-by-step recipe for maximum engagement and impact.

Ingredient 1: A healthy serving of planning

The success of your lunch and learn depends largely on the prep work you do behind the scenes. Some key planning steps:

• Define your learning objectives: What do you want attendees to know, feel, or be able to do as a result of the session? Having clear, measurable objectives will guide your content and help you assess impact.

• Choose a format: Will this be a one-off session or part of a series? In-person, virtual, or hybrid? A presentation, panel discussion, or workshop? Selecting the right format upfront will help you design for maximum engagement.

• Enlist speakers and facilitators: Look for subject matter experts who can speak credibly to the topic at hand, but also have the facilitation chops to keep things interactive. Don‘t underestimate the power of internal talent – your own employees can be a great source of knowledge and inspiration.

• Schedule smartly: Aim for a cadence that feels regular enough to maintain momentum but not so frequent as to overwhelm people‘s calendars. Many companies find that monthly or quarterly lunch and learns strike the right balance. Be sure to send calendar invites well in advance so people can plan around it.

• Promote effectively: Don‘t rely on a single email blast to get people excited. Tease the session on internal social channels, enlist managers to personally invite their teams, and consider creative promotional tactics like desk drops or trivia contests in the lead-up.

Ingredient 2: Engaging, relevant content

Now it‘s time to design your content. To maximize engagement and retention, aim for a session flow that looks something like this:

1. Opener (5-10 mins): Start with a warm welcome and quick icebreaker or reflection question to get people talking. Clearly state the learning objectives and agenda upfront.

2. Content Delivery (20-30 mins): Share key concepts, frameworks, and examples in an interactive way. Use storytelling, visuals, and analogies to make the content relatable and memorable. Pause frequently to check for understanding and invite questions.

3. Application (20-30 mins): Give participants a chance to practice and apply the concepts to real-world scenarios. This could take the form of small group discussions, role plays, case studies, or hands-on exercises.

4. Debrief and Close (10-15 mins): Bring the group back together to reflect on key takeaways and aha moments. Leave time for Q&A and be sure to provide clear next steps and resources for continued learning.

Some tips to make your content shine:

• Focus on quality over quantity: Resist the urge to cram too much into a single session. It‘s better to dive deep on a few key concepts than to skim the surface of many.

• Make it a safe space: Foster psychological safety by setting clear ground rules upfront, using inclusive language, and acknowledging different perspectives. Encourage participation but avoid putting people on the spot.

• Embrace multimedia: Bring your content to life with a mix of slides, videos, props, handouts, and interactive elements. Just be sure to balance novelty with accessibility.

• Provide takeaways: End with a clear call to action and provide digital or physical takeaways like one-pagers, worksheets, or resource lists. This helps the learning stick and gives participants something tangible to reference later.

Ingredient 3: Nourishing nosh

What‘s a lunch and learn without the lunch? Providing food is a key part of creating a welcoming, social atmosphere. Some guidelines:

• Cater to diverse needs: Offer options for different dietary restrictions and preferences, like vegetarian, gluten-free, or halal. Use an event management tool to collect this info ahead of time.

• Make it easy to eat: Opt for foods that can be eaten without too much fuss, like sandwiches, grain bowls, or finger foods. Avoid messy or hard-to-eat items that will distract from the learning.

• Don‘t forget the remote folks: If you have virtual participants, consider sending them a food delivery or credits for a meal. This small gesture can go a long way in making them feel included.

• Encourage connection: Eating together is a powerful way to build relationships. Use the first few minutes of the session for informal networking over food before diving into content.

Ingredient 4: Continuous improvement

The work isn‘t over when the session ends! Gathering feedback and tracking metrics is essential to keep your lunch and learn program fresh and impactful over time. Some key steps:

• Survey participants: Use a quick feedback form to gather input on what worked well and what could be improved. Pay extra attention to feedback from first-time attendees.

• Track engagement: Keep an eye on metrics like registration vs. attendance, participation rates, and content downloads. If you see a dip, it might be time to switch up your format or topics.

• Assess impact: Circle back to your original learning objectives and consider administering pre- and post-session assessments to measure knowledge gain. You can also look at longer-term indicators like employee engagement scores or skill application on the job.

• Experiment and iterate: Don‘t be afraid to test out new ideas and formats based on feedback and results. The beauty of lunch and learns is that they‘re low-risk, so you can afford to take some chances.

Lunch and learn success stories

Need some inspiration? Here are a few real-world examples of companies who have cooked up winning lunch and learn programs:

• HubSpot‘s "Learn@Lunch": This monthly series features internal and external speakers on topics ranging from product updates to personal finance to diversity and inclusion. Employees can attend in person or via livestream, and recordings are made available for those who can‘t make it live. The program has been credited with boosting cross-functional collaboration and employee engagement.[^5]

• Clif Bar‘s "LUNCHology": This beloved lunch and learn series has been running for over a decade, with topics spanning nutrition, sustainability, and adventure. Employees often cite LUNCHology as one of their favorite perks, and the company has found that it helps attract and retain top talent.[^6]

• Etsy‘s "Eating and Learning": This biweekly program brings in experts from across the company to share their knowledge on everything from machine learning to user research. The sessions are designed to be interactive, with plenty of time for discussion and Q&A. Etsy credits the program with fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation.[^7]

Conclusion

Lunch and learns may seem like a small perk, but they can have an outsized impact on employee engagement, skill development, and even retention. By following the recipe outlined here and continually iterating based on feedback, you can create a lunch and learn program that becomes a cornerstone of your company culture.

The key is to approach each session with intention and a spirit of experimentation. Don‘t be afraid to try new things, even if they flop – the worst-case scenario is that you‘ve still fed your team and given them an hour to step back and think big picture.

So what are you waiting for? Get cooking on a lunch and learn program that will have your team hungry for knowledge and connection. Your people – and your bottom line – will thank you.

[^1]: 2022 Workplace Learning Report, LinkedIn
[^2]: How the Workforce Learns Report, Degreed
[^3]: The Impact of Training on Employee Performance, ResearchGate
[^4]: The Relationship Between Team Learning and Organizational Innovation, Frontiers in Psychology
[^5]: How HubSpot Uses Lunch and Learns to Keep Employees Learning, HubSpot Blog
[^6]: Clif Bar‘s Lunch and Learn Program Feeds Employees‘ Minds and Bodies, Employee Benefit News
[^7]: How Etsy Uses Lunch and Learns to Power a Culture of Learning, First Round Review