Keep it simple: How to motivate your staff to share knowledge

12 o'clock! The pencil falls, the snack is ready. But instead of chatting about the weather or the weekend, colleagues at Bayern Innovativ spend some days discussing specialist topics and sharing their expertise. Sandra Eisendraut from HR Development is also responsible for this. She shows how we regularly feed our employees with new know-how and thus cultivate a culture of knowledge.

Ms. Eisendraut, why does knowledge culture play an important role in personnel development?

The knowledge culture promotes exchange and determines how information is used. It is crucial for cooperation and the continuous development of staff - and therefore an integral part of our corporate culture. We actively support this knowledge culture in personnel development, for example through in-house seminars as well as impulse and exchange formats.

And who should take part?

Our offers are aimed at all employees and managers. In the "KNOWLEDGE Workshop", we offer in-house seminars on soft skills and method training that strengthen collaboration at Bayern Innovativ. The "LEADERSHIP workshop" complements our further training for managers.

How do you identify and research topics for your employees?

We are in close contact with managers. They know the strengths and potential of employees through feedback discussions and daily collaboration. This allows us to identify development needs together. Employees can also contribute their own topics through an anonymous annual needs survey, which are incorporated directly into our seminar planning.

With "WissensHUNGER", you create a format that is also used for private discussions. Why?

The "WissensHUNGER" is versatile: professional, private or social. All employees can suggest topics and organize a "WissensHUNGER" themselves. We coordinate the whole thing. The format brings colleagues together who share common interests outside of their usual lunch break groups. It arouses curiosity to delve deeper into topics, promotes the exchange of knowledge and at the same time strengthens cooperation and the corporate culture.

How do you draw attention to your knowledge formats?

Our internal communication focuses on teams. There is detailed information about the in-house seminars on our HR website. Voluntariness and a desire to learn are the key to success. That's why most formats are open to everyone.

When do you work with internal employees as lecturers and when do you bring in external experts?

That depends on the main topic. At Bayern Innovativ, we have many experts who can train internal topics or processes. For soft skills or methods training, we work with external trainers whose perspectives broaden our own view and are highly valued.

Keyword knowledge sovereignty! How do you know who has internal expertise on certain topics?

Managers often approach us when they want to initiate training on a specific topic. They are the first to recognize when processes are not running correctly or when there are gaps in knowledge. We provide organizational support by announcing dates and managing registrations.

What do you do if employees have different levels of prior knowledge on certain topics? Are there courses for beginners and professionals?

Our in-house seminars cover basic collaboration topics. In addition, there are different knowledge requirements in the different areas, which employees can deepen as a team or individually in external training formats - coordinated with the manager and the HR department.

Tips, mistakes, learning! What advice would you give to other HR managers who want to actively shape a knowledge culture?

Create low-threshold formats for knowledge exchange, motivate employees to participate and recognize their commitment.

And finally: Your personal tip for a vibrant knowledge culture in the company?

Lead by example and start small: In the HR team, we regularly take time to share knowledge. In a 15-minute "knowledge snack", each of us passes on new knowledge on specialist topics, processes or tips on the use of tools.