Are you looking for interesting topics to discuss at your next lunch and learn? If so, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, we’ll share some of our favorite lunch and learn topics that are sure to get your employees engaged. From discussing the latest industry news to learning about new technologies, these topics will help you make the most of your lunch and learn sessions.
What is lunch and learn?
Companies can provide employees with lunch and learn programs to help teach skills or provide useful information relevant to their jobs. During a lunch and learn event, the business invites a subject matter expert to present while staff members eat a meal provided by the business. This is a fun substitute for business meetings and can be a time-efficient activity.
These activities increase productivity by fostering positive relationships and enhancing employee well-being, which are advantageous to both the company and the employees.
Lunch and learn topics
Lunch and learns are excellent ways for a business to build relationships with its staff, which can enhance job satisfaction and productivity. Topics for lunch and learn events can include technology and communication for business needs, but they can also cover topics like relationships, health, or life skills to help employees get better. Here are 28 ideas for lunch and learn topics:
1. Website coding
The IT division can produce a presentation to instruct beginners in basic website design and coding. Teaching elementary shortcuts, such as how to create an email header or signature, is beneficial. Employees can gain perspective and a better understanding of their coworkers’ jobs by providing educational content on this topic.
2. Social media management
A communications specialist can be brought in to instruct staff members on social media management and the best ways to utilize social media platforms. Teaching employees the best social media practices can enhance their personal lives, but social media can also be an effective tool for marketing and sales. For instance, teaching staff members how to use hashtags can help them raise awareness of their employer and its goods.
3. How to network
The ability to network effectively can help employees develop their skills and forge connections that are advantageous to the business. A career expert can provide advice on how to network effectively with other professionals, where to go to network, and what information to share about oneself when networking.
4. Public speaking skills
Employees who can use public speaking abilities for networking, presentations, and general communication will find them useful. A communication specialist can offer advice on how to prepare speeches and tips on how to speak more persuasively.
5. Email communication etiquette
Because email is a popular way to communicate with coworkers and clients, all employees can benefit from a lunch and learn event on email communication etiquette. Proper etiquette can help maintain and strengthen relationships.
6. Using productivity applications
Utilizing productivity tools like time-tracking and project management software can assist staff in achieving both professional and personal objectives. Learning how to use these applications can also improve workflow.
7. Software tutorials
A company expert could conduct a lesson on the software programs that staff members frequently use. This presentation could instruct staff members on how to maximize the use of this software or instruct staff members on software updates, for example. Job satisfaction can rise by having a better understanding of the tools they use at work.
8. Introduce each team or department
The company’s departments and teams can be introduced to employees through lunch and learn events. For instance, the sales team could prepare a presentation to introduce themselves and outline their job responsibilities to other team members. This can foster relationships among coworkers and promote teamwork.
9. Time management techniques
Everyone can benefit from learning time management techniques. Both an employee’s professional and personal lives can benefit from learning how to use time more effectively and become more productive. A presentation on time management might go over task managers that can help prioritize tasks, offer advice on how to stay focused, or show staff members how to make daily schedules.
10. Home security systems
Employee education on home security systems might be facilitated by inviting a security expert to speak on the subject. Employees can focus better at work and experience less stress thanks to home security. This is a good illustration of a lunch and learn topic that will benefit the well-being of the staff members without being specifically related to work.
11. Photography with a smartphone
For workers, learning photography techniques and how to use a smartphone camera can be entertaining and motivating. Additionally, this is a transferrable skill because photography can serve as both an inspiration for tasks like marketing campaigns and a job requirement in some professions.
12. Reading consumer reports
Professionals in sales and marketing should be able to read consumer reports, but it’s also advantageous for developers and designers to understand how to interpret customer data and apply it to their work. When workers are aware of what their coworkers do, it fosters collaboration.
13. Task management applications and methods
Project success depends on effective task management, especially when working in a team. Process mapping is one task management technique that can be used to delegate tasks, provide information on when and how to complete tasks, and facilitate team communication. Productivity can be increased by attending a lunch and learn presentation on task management tools that can automate process mapping tasks.
14. Managing your financials
It would be a wise idea for the head of the accounting division to give a presentation on how to handle personal finances. This includes, for instance, making a budget, maintaining records, and filing taxes. Employees could use financial management on the job as well.
15. Stress management techniques
Learning stress management techniques is crucial because they can keep you focused and productive at work. It would be wise to invite life coaches, psychologists, or therapists to a lunch and learn discussion on this subject. They might discuss techniques for reducing stress, keeping your composure, and mood-balancing.
16. Boosting your energy throughout the workday
An educational lunch about how healthy eating routines can help maintain energy levels throughout the day could be hosted by a nutritionist. Many employees claim to lose motivation in the afternoon, but high-protein or high-fiber snacks can help you stay motivated to get through the rest of the workday. This is a subject that can increase staff productivity while also benefiting the business by promoting employee well-being.
17. Exercises for the workplace
Learning exercises you can do at your desk or in a public area while you’re at work can help you feel more relaxed, reenergized, and creative. A good choice for an expert who could inform your staff about exercises to unwind, stay healthy, and stay active while working is a personal trainer or yoga instructor.
18. Organization for your home and office
Having good organizational skills can increase productivity and foster a more positive work environment. Because a manager from the company could share knowledge, learning how to organize your home and office to increase your happiness is a great topic for lunch and learn.
19. Goal-setting methods
Employees would benefit greatly from having a professional present about SMART goals and other goal-setting techniques. Because achieving goals can increase self-esteem, learning how to set goals that are specific, measurable, and achievable can help employees become more productive as well as possibly improve job satisfaction.
20. Volunteer opportunities
Volunteering is good for the community and can boost self-esteem. It’s beneficial for businesses to encourage volunteering by giving employees time off, hosting company-wide volunteer events, or implementing initiatives like lunch and learn, which assist staff in finding volunteer opportunities. This also shows social responsibility, which benefits a company brand.
21. Retirement planning
All employees are concerned about retirement, so it is important to think about and could be very beneficial. Setting retirement goals, advice on saving for retirement, and information on when and how to leave the company could all be covered in a lunch and learn presentation on retirement planning. Additionally, this is an opportunity to make sure that your employees are aware of any retirement benefits you provide.
22. Cooking skills
An appropriate topic for a lunch and learn event is learning how to cook. If they cook together, staff members might receive practical training that could foster teamwork. Giving a presentation on simple dinner recipes for people to prepare after work is also beneficial. This is a life skill that can assist workers in eating well in order to become healthier and happier.
23. Methods to get better sleep
Sleep is important to function well especially at work. Giving a lunch and learn presentation on ways to encourage employees to get more sleep would boost their mood, increase productivity, and create a more positive work environment. Reduce your caffeine intake, engage in a relaxing activity before bed, and establish a sleep schedule to improve your sleep.
24. Hosting book club
Lunch and learn events could be regular book club meetings. A book club or other social gathering could be helpful in fostering coworker relationships, which would enhance collaboration and communication and make it easier to meet project goals.
25. First impressions
How to make a first impression would be a good topic for a lunch and learn event because it’s important for networking, building relationships with coworkers, and advancing career opportunities. These social skills can benefit workers both at work and outside of it.
26. Skills to be a good team member
Since teamwork is crucial to increasing productivity, giving employees training on how to work better as a team could be advantageous for both them and their employer. Although a manager is a reliable source of information on this subject, an outside expert may provide objective counsel that improves managers’ ability to collaborate with others. Task management, collaboration, and communication abilities could raise the standard of work at your company.
27. Conflict resolution
Because it helps employees learn how to deal with difficulties that may arise with coworkers, conflict resolution is a popular topic for lunch and learn events. A presentation on best practices for resolving disputes at work, such as negotiation strategies, could be given by a qualified mediator. Learning conflict resolution techniques can enhance the office atmosphere and boost job satisfaction.
28. Communication skills
Being a better communicator is a great topic for lunch and learn events at work because it is a skill that is necessary for every profession and is also a useful social skill outside of the workplace. An authority could offer guidance on how to hone and use communication skills in both written and oral form. An educational presentation like this one can help employees become better team players by teaching them the necessary skills.
How to Host a Lunch and Learn
FAQ
What do you teach at lunch and learn?
- Cross-Training. …
- Product Training. …
- Employee-Led Workshops. …
- Recent or Upcoming Changes. …
- Diversity Conversations. …
- Practicing Proper Health and Wellness. …
- Developing Leadership Skills. …
- Managing Time and Meeting Deadlines.
How do I make lunch and learn fun?
- Decide What You Want to Achieve. Whether the emphasis is on team building, life skills, or business objectives, keep in mind that you’re asking your employees to skip their lunch break.
- Know the Numbers. …
- Focus on the Food. …
- Choose an Appropriate Venue. …
- Choose a Frequency. …
- Remember Remote Workers.
How do you plan a virtual lunch and learn?
Employees can access virtual lunch and learns online to hear from a speaker and learn more about a particular topic. These gatherings frequently feature a question-and-answer period and occasionally involve group activities.
