Question

what is the difference between knowledge worker and learning worker? what are the characteristics of a " learning worker"? (200 minimum)

Answer 1

Not a long time back, companies hired two different types of workers: knowledge and manual workers. Knowledge workers were stationed in offices and Manual workers were assigned to factories.

Knowledge workers were categorized as those who think for a living, unlike manual workers who were paid for carrying out physical tasks. As a bare minimum, most knowledge-based jobs require a college degree and their learning process doesn’t stop after they are hired. For instance, a chemist requires factual and theoretical knowledge of various medications to perform his job efficiently. The same analogy with a Sales manager who requires knowledge of his clients and his products.

But there is one major change in today’s world – the advent of technology has enabled us to learn anything, anywhere. All it requires is a smartphone with an internet connection. In the old days, knowledge was a highly valued commodity that increased the stature of an individual in an organization. Today, any knowledge is readily available on Google, YouTube, Social media and many other platforms. Modern technology has replaced apprenticeship which was, not a long time ago, the primary medium to gain professional knowledge.

The needs of an organization have drastically changed today. This is the age of Learning workers. These people have college degrees too, but what differentiates them from knowledge workers is their knowledge of how to learn. Unlike knowledge workers, rather than being dependent on a static skillset, they possess the capacity to learn new things and adapt to alien situations. This capacity to learn continuously makes them an extremely valuable asset to their organizations because of their ability to blend into a changing workplace with great efficiency.

Characteristics of a Learning worker:

1. A learning worker inculcates within himself, a habit of continuous learning. He stays vigilant towards everything that happens around him.
2. He learns thoroughly from his work experiences.
3. He keeps himself updated with the latest trends and changes in the industry.
4. He never squanders an unexpected learning opportunity that might benefit him in his professional life.
5. He does not stay in his comfort zone and is always willing to tackle problems differently.