Microlearning—short, focused bursts of training content—has officially gone from trendy to table stakes. According to a new report from the Association for Talent Development (ATD), adoption of microlearning among U.S. organizations has jumped 28 percentage points since 2017, with only 7% of companies still holding out.
For HR and L&D pros, it’s a clear sign of shifting preferences in corporate training: today’s employees don’t want hour-long webinars—they want 5-minute videos they can watch between meetings. And employers are catching on.
From Niche to Necessity
ATD’s survey of 271 talent development professionals shows that self-paced e-learning remains the top delivery method for microlearning, followed by visual and video-based formats. Think infographics, job aids, podcast snippets, and video explainers—compact content built for efficiency and real-world application.
Training areas where microlearning is especially popular? Technical training, performance support, interpersonal skills, and new hire onboarding. In other words, the nuts and bolts of how people work, communicate, and get up to speed.
The use of microlearning as a just-in-time tool—delivered at the moment of need—is also gaining traction. Whether it’s an employee brushing up on compliance rules before a client call or a developer learning a new API on the fly, microlearning is becoming the go-to method for in-the-moment skill refreshers.
Fast Learning, Slower Metrics
The appeal is obvious: microlearning is fast, accessible, and less disruptive to the workday. Employees can fit it into their workflow without blocking off an hour or attending a mandatory Zoom training. But for L&D teams, that agility comes with a tradeoff: measurement.
ATD notes that one of the biggest challenges is tracking microlearning’s impact. Traditional metrics like course completion or knowledge retention are harder to apply when content is bite-sized, on-demand, and scattered across formats.
That’s especially important as more organizations aim to connect learning directly to performance and business outcomes. Without strong data, microlearning risks becoming a feel-good initiative without proof of ROI.
Still a Small Slice of the Pie
Despite the growth, most organizations still use microlearning sparingly. The majority of respondents said it makes up less than 25% of their overall training programs. That suggests microlearning is being used as a supplement—not a replacement—for more traditional learning formats like instructor-led training or full-length e-learning courses.
But the direction is clear: microlearning isn’t a fad—it’s a functional response to how people actually learn in 2025. As work becomes more hybrid, fast-paced, and tech-driven, the demand for accessible, on-demand training will only grow.
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