In today’s fast-paced workplace, L&D teams are under pressure to create learning that fits organizational needs and helps people thrive in an AI-driven world. According to McLean & Company’s 2026 HR Trends Report, developing leaders is HR’s top priority, followed by enabling innovation and providing a great employee experience.
As driving talent development is one of HR’s key strategic contributions, it’s clear that powerful learning tools and dynamic ways of thinking about learning are more important than ever. Interestingly, one of the most meaningful learning opportunities already exists, yet often goes unnoticed: peer-to-peer connection.
What if, to keep up in a world where skills expire faster than ever, a solution is to tap into the knowledge and skills of your current talent pool?
What is peer learning?
Peer learning is a collaborative learning approach that occurs through social interactions between peers. It helps learners connect with each other to share knowledge and skills, and it happens among employees at every level of the organization.
Think of peer learning as something that happens organically. It’s sparked through experiences like hallway conversations, discussions on team projects, and in moments of knowledge sharing during virtual chats. It’s collaborative and informal and brings people together to drive development.
HR’s most important role in peer learning is to enable this continued collaboration. Peer learning doesn’t require developing formal mentorship programs or adding large tasks and responsibilities to already full schedules. Rather, it’s about facilitating opportunities for employees to actively learn together and embedding learning in the flow of day-to-day work.
A win for everyone:
Peer learning taps into the everyday expertise and skills that already exist within the organization, and it benefits everyone.
For organizations, peer learning can greatly impact retention. In 2025, employees reporting positive coworker relationships were 2.1x more likely to also expect to remain at their organization the following year (n=142 organizations, 115,603 respondents, McLean & Company Engagement Survey). Improved retention saves organizations a substantial amount of time, effort, and money, and it means that employee knowledge remains within the organization.
Peer learning provides opportunities for employees to build new skills, create stronger networks, and feel valued for their unique capabilities. It has the potential to make everyone’s jobs easier because it means that people don’t need to know the answer to every question or be able to do everything themselves. Instead, peers are encouraged to rely on one another for help problem solving and meeting goals as part of their daily workflow. When people are given the chance to work with and learn from others, they gain a better understanding of different perspectives, building human-centric competencies like communication, emotional intelligence, and empathy.
HR benefits from peer learning too. Since peer learning leverages internal expertise and employees teaching one another, it takes some of the pressure off L&D professionals to make perfectly tailored learning content for everyone. This potential to lighten workloads is significant, as according to McLean & Company’s 2026 HR Trends Report, HR’s reported stress levels continue to steadily rise. Peer learning is also an effective tool that HR can use to support employees during times of change, as it helps foster supportive communities of learning that promote resilience and experimentation while breaking down silos.
Practical examples of where to start:
To leverage the power of peer learning, HR professionals can start by reflecting on where peer learning is already happening organically.
Onboarding, for example, is a great starting point for peer learning to flourish. HR Professionals can connect new hires with buddies who can help themgrow their awareness of the business. Here, peer learning goes both ways: Existing employees can share knowledge of institutional practices and processes, while new hires can offer a fresh, external perspective that can benefit the organization.
Beyond onboarding, development programs are another opportunity to incorporate peer learning. For example, discussion groups or forums allow learners to explain ideas to one another and share real-life examples. Or, employees can be matched with accountability buddies to help sustain key concepts from their training and ensure learning is put into action in their roles. These examples are particularly helpful when it comes to navigating new technologies like AI, where many people are starting from the same place or feeling hesitant to engage. Early adopters and people with AI experience in the organization can leverage their expertise to train others.
Conclusion:
There’s a great quote by Margaret Heffernan that speaks to the impact of teaching and learning from one another: “Bringing out the best in others helps people find the best in themselves.” Peer learning does just that. It acts as a catalyst for growth as people work together to solve challenges, apply new techniques, and prepare for changes, all of which add to the success of their organization.
If you are interested in learning more about our research and services, please reach out to jcampbell@mcleanco.com.
Work Cited:
Heffernan, Margaret. “Forget the Pecking Order at Work.” TED, May 2015.