From Chats to Skills: Why Slack Is Your Learning Secret Weapon
If you’re a UK SME looking for a way to upskill your team and build a culture of learning, you’re probably looking for something that’s simple, affordable, and gets results.
That’s where Slack channels come in!
Already a favourite for workplace communication, Slack is also a brilliant platform for creating and sharing learning collections.
So, what’s a learning collection?
Also known as a learning bundle or curated set, it’s a deliberately chosen mix of resources centred on a specific topic or skill: articles, videos, short learning activities, prompts, or discussion starters.
The goal isn’t more content.
It’s to make learning visible, shared, and easy to apply without introducing another platform or adding friction to the working day.
Let’s explore why Slack channels are perfect for this and how you can get started.
Why Use Slack for Learning Collections?
Slack works for learning in SMEs because it fits into work, it doesn’t compete with it.
It’s Familiar and Easy to Use
It Won’t Break the Bank
Everything in One Place
It’s Interactive and Fun
It Grows With You
Ok, so let’s take a closer look at why I think Slack is great for learning and great for your business.
It’s Familiar and Easy to Use.
Chances are your team is already on Slack, so there’s no new platform to learn. It’s as easy as creating a new channel: no fuss, no steep learning curve.
Plus, it’s accessible on both desktop and mobile, so your team can learn wherever they are.
It Won’t Break the Bank
Slack is super budget-friendly, which is great news for SMES.
Even the free plan has loads of features like file sharing and message histories, making it a practical choice if you’re watching the pennies.
Everything in One Place
No one likes hunting for resources across emails and random folders.
With Slack, all your learning materials are in one easy-to-find spot.
A quick search, and you’re good to go.
It’s Interactive and Fun
Slack’s chat-like vibe makes it easy for your team to ask questions, share ideas, and collaborate.
Learning doesn’t have to be a one-way street, it’s about sparking conversations and getting people involved.
It Grows With You
Whether you’re a team of five or fifty, Slack scales effortlessly.
You can start small and add more channels or users as your needs evolve.
It’s flexible and ready to grow with your business.
You like the idea but want to see an example?
Absolutely.
Take a quick look at a Slack channel I created.
Focused around improving meeting quality.
My brief was to create a channel with six resources- a blend of curated and custom, as a starting point for business use.
The goal wasn’t completion or consumption.
It was to help people notice their own meeting habits, pause for long enough to reflect, and try one small improvement the very next time they ran or attended a meeting.
That’s the difference between sharing resources and designing a learning experience.
How to Set Up a Slack Learning Collection
Start with Your Goals
First things first, get clear on what you want to achieve.
Are you tackling a specific skill gap?
Preparing for new regulations?
Or boosting leadership skills?
Knowing your goals makes it easier to pick the right content and structure.
Mix It Up with Content
Gather a mix of resources, some you find online and some you create in-house.
Keep it relevant and engaging for your team.
Example: If your focus is customer service, include things like:
Articles on dealing with tricky customers
Videos showing great service moments
Fun role-play exercises to practise
Keep Channels Organised
Create separate channels for different topics, like:
#leadership-skills
#compliance-training
#tech-upskilling
Simple, clear names help everyone find what they need.Add Cool Integrations
Boost your Slack channels with tools like Google Drive for shared docs or e-learning platforms for more interactive content.
Integrations make everything seamless.
Make It Engaging
Keep the energy up by sharing discussion prompts, hosting Q&A sessions, or running fun quizzes.
A little friendly competition can go a long way!
Keep Improving
Ask for feedback and check Slack’s analytics to see what’s working.
Tweaking your approach will help keep the learning collections fresh and effective.
Tips for Success
Start Small: Focus on one or two key topics to begin with. As your team gets into the groove, you can expand.
Encourage Sharing: Get your team to chip in with their own tips or resources.
Celebrate Wins: Shout out to team members who are engaging and making progress—a little recognition goes a long way.
Wrapping It Up
Slack channels aren’t powerful learning tools by accident.
They work when there’s clarity on:
what skill or behaviour you’re trying to improve
what’s currently getting in the way
and what kind of support will actually help
If you’re curious about using Slack (or Teams) to support learning but want to avoid creating another unused channel, I help SMEs step back, identify the real learning need, and design curated learning experiences that actually get used.
Sometimes that starts with a simple conversation to bring performance and priorities into focus.