How learning can compete in the attention economy - HR Magazine

Editorial verdict

Opinion-led practitioner commentary with no empirical backing — the five principles are intuitive and directionally sound, but treat this as a starting point for design thinking, not evidence-based guidance.

Executive summary

This article addresses the challenge of low employee engagement with corporate learning and development programmes in an era dominated by highly optimised consumer digital content. The author, Charney Magri, co-founder and CEO of Do Epic Good, argues that workplace learning fails primarily because of poor design — specifically, content that is generic, lengthy, and disconnected from employees' immediate realities — rather than solely because of time constraints. The article presents five practitioner principles for improving L&D engagement: anchoring training in real employee pain points rather than platform capabilities; shortening modules to reduce commitment barriers; using storytelling to aid retention of complex topics; demonstrating immediate practical value upfront; and shifting measurement from completion rates to behavioural and performance outcomes. The author draws an implicit comparison between consumer content ecosystems and corporate learning environments to explain the engagement gap. No empirical studies, datasets, or external citations are referenced. The piece concludes that organisations are increasingly expected to treat learning as a chosen experience rather than a compliance obligation.