27 Corporate Lunch and Learn Ideas
Finding enjoyable activities for your corporate lunch and learn isn’t always easy.
That’s why we’ve decided to put together a list of 25 ideas that will help you create your perfect lunch and learn.
Whether it’s for a small group or large group, these ideas will help to cater to all.
Contents
22 Corporate Lunch and Learn Ideas
- Harnessing Gratitude
- Health and Wellbeing Workshop
- Creating Life-Changing Habits
- Career Development Education
- Public Speaking Practice
- Goal Setting Education
- Coping with Stress
- Improving Physical Health
- Diversity and Inclusion Training
- Building Unstoppable Confidence
- Motivation Strategies
- Financial Education
- Creative Thinking Workshop
- Email Etiquette Training
- Communication Best Practices
- Leadership Development
- Work-Life Balance Workshop
- Productivity Methods
- Networking Skills
- Meditation
- How to Improve Your Sleep
- Diabetes Awareness
5 Online Corporate Lunch and Learn Ideas
- Wellbeing Webinar
- Beating Burnout
- Working From Home Best Practice
- The Importance of Taking Breaks
- Blending Remote Work and Life
What are the Benefits of a Lunch and Learn?
10 Steps to Host a Successful Lunch and Learn
How Can You Make a Lunch and Learn Fun and Engaging?
What is a Lunch and Learn?
A Lunch and Learn is an informal training session where colleagues gather during their lunch break to engage in learning about a specific topic.
These sessions, typically no longer than an hour, are a fusion of professional development and social interaction, often accompanied by a meal provided by the company.
The range of topics is broad, encompassing everything from industry-specific knowledge and skill-building to employee wellbeing and personal growth.
Experts or seasoned employees usually facilitate these sessions, offering insights and sparking lively discussions.
While participation is usually optional, these gatherings offer a unique platform for employees to network and interact with colleagues.
The flexible nature of Lunch and Learns, which can be organised weekly, fortnightly, monthly, or on an ad-hoc basis, makes them an adaptable tool for continuous learning.
Furthermore, they serve as a testament to an organisation’s commitment to fostering an inclusive and intellectually stimulating work environment.
This helps to enhance employee engagement and satisfaction.
22 Corporate Lunch and Learn Ideas
Here are 20 in-person lunch and learn ideas to help connect, inspire, rejuvenate, and motivate your workforce.
1. Harnessing Gratitude
This 1-hour workshop is designed to foster a sense of gratitude among employees.
Research has shown that those who practice gratitude live happier and healthier lives.
Talking about this in the workplace can only have its benefits.
Employees get the chance to reflect on the things they’re grateful for while learning how to reframe their thoughts to be more grateful.
Through real-life examples and practical solutions, this lunch and learn has the power to create a connected workforce in any environment.
Check out the “Harnessing Gratitude Workshop” page for more info.
2. Health and Wellbeing Workshop
Employee wellbeing is something that should be taken seriously by all employers.
Without our health, we have nothing!
When employees are sick, they can’t deliver their best work, support their families, or do the things that are important to them.
Having an expert wellbeing speaker deliver a lunch and learn session about wellbeing is a fantastic way to encourage a healthy lifestyle among staff.
Sessions can be focused around a range of topics that can help support employee wellbeing.
Check out our “Wellbeing Workshop” page for a list of topics that can be delivered at your lunch and learn.
3. Creating Life-Changing Habits
Our daily habits can have a massive impact on the way we work, our health, and the relationships we have with the people around us.
Many of us have great ideas about the positive habits we want to adopt, but implementing them is the difficult part.
Having a workshop where a facilitator can teach employees strategies to implement and stick with their habits can be life-changing.
Employees can leave the session feeling inspired and ready to implement their learnings.
Individuals who have positive habits are often healthier, have more free time, and are happier.
For more info, check out our page on “Creating Life-Changing Habits” Workshop
4. Career Development Education
Providing career development opportunities is a great way to support the progress and growth of employees.
Career development education could involve teaching industry-specific skills, offering professional courses, and more.
Delivering a lunch and learn session on the career development opportunities within your workplace can help to highlight how employees can develop.
Companies that invest in the development of their staff have higher employee retention, better job performance, and increased job satisfaction.
What opportunities do you have in your organisation and what can you highlight in a lunch and learn?
5. Public Speaking Practice
The fear of public speaking (Glossophobia) is something that affects up to 75% of people.
Public speaking can be daunting and it’s a skill that not many of us possess.
However, it can be taught and individuals can learn to overcome this fear.
Delivering a lunch and learn with tips, tricks, and methods can help employees gain confidence.
Many organisations ask staff to present PowerPoints, sales updates, etc but don’t always provide the training to help with this.
Don’t be that company. Support your workforce as best as you can.
Check out our blog on “My Journey into Public Speaking”
6. Goal Setting Education
Many of us have goals and ambitions but how many of us take the time to plan how we’re going to achieve them?
This is the same for a company’s employees.
Providing education on how to set goals, as well as the time to set out a plan, can help support the growth of a company’s workforce.
We all need that little encouragement to achieve our goals and a session to help would be beneficial.
Whether it’s reinforcing the SMART framework or providing additional actionable strategies, help your staff achieve their goals.
Check out our “Kickstart with Realistic Goals” workshop to get started.
7. Coping with Stress
Work-related stress can have a major impact on the health and wellbeing of employees in any organisation.
Providing tools and methods to help support this can help employees better cope with stressful events.
Whether it’s a simple breathing exercise or a mental framework, stress education is vital.
Less stressed employees have better job performance, improved relationships with others, and are more committed to the company.
Check out our “Coping with Stress” workshop!
8. Improving Physical Health
According to the World Health Organisation, 1 in 4 adults do not meet the global recommended levels of physical activity.
Additionally, many individuals suffer from physical aches, pains and discomforts.
However, for most people, there are simple and effective methods to support this.
Improving your physical health can have many benefits, including:
- Decreased risk of disease
- Decreased risk of type 2 diabetes
- Decreased risk of dementia
- Improved sleep
- Improved mood
- Improved strength
- And more!
Educating employees on the importance of their physical health during a lunch and learn can have a vast range of benefits.
Check out our “Improve Your Physical Health” Workshop
9. Diversity and Inclusion Training
One of the ways to promote a more inclusive work environment is through diversity and inclusion (D & I) training.
D & I training can raise awareness, help to reduce conflicts, build empathy, and reduce discrimination.
According to eduMe, inclusive companies are 1.7 times more likely to be innovation leaders.
They also state that diverse companies are 70% more likely to capture new markets.
So why not organise this as part of your lunch and learn to educate your workforce?
10. Building Unstoppable Confidence
Most of us have struggled with confidence at one point or another.
In fact, according to Psychology Today it is estimated that 85% of people worldwide suffer from low self-esteem.
Helping employees to build confidence can help them perform better in their job roles.
Whether it’s the confidence to make suggestions, teach others, or motivate colleagues, it’s a great skill to have.
Delivering a lunch and learn on building confidence can be a great idea to help with employee self-esteem.
Check out our “Building Unstoppable Confidence” Workshop
11. Motivation Strategies
Motivation is amazing we have it. But what about when we don’t?
Finding ways to motivate ourselves can often be difficult.
However, with the right strategies and methods we can create ways of unleashing our motivation to get the best results.
Employees who are more motivated are more productive, have fewer sick days, increase others’ morale and more!
Why not provide a lunch and learn to help colleagues utilise motivation to their advantage?
Check out our “Unleashing Motivation” Workshop.
12. Financial Education
With the cost of living crisis impacting many, financial education is more important than ever.
According to the UK parliament, inflation reached a high of 11.1% in 2022 then dropped to 6.7% in September 2023.
However, the inflation percentage doesn’t necessarily reflect the increased costs of essentials.
Some household essentials have increased in price by as much as 300%.
A tin of Tesco sweetcorn used to be 0.35p in 2021, in 2023 it’s now 0.90p. Almost a 300% increase.
With all this being said, it’s a great time to educate staff on looking after their finances, and delivering this in a lunch and learn could be a good start.
13. Creative Thinking Workshop
Creative thinking can lead to a range of benefits for both employees and employer.
With creative thinking, processes can be made more efficient, costs can be reduced and new ideas can be created.
Creative thinking isn’t just about developing new ideas.
It’s about adapting to change, improving efficiency, and driving innovation.
Why not deliver a session on this for your next lunch and learn?
14. Email Etiquette Training
Have you ever received an email and thought “That was a bit blunt”?
Many of us have, and the majority of the time the sender doesn’t mean for it to come across in this way.
Emails can often be misunderstood.
Without the ability to hear the tone of an email, it’s possible it can be taken the wrong way.
Some individuals may also lack professionalism in their emails.
According to Get Response 67% of their survey respondents believe you shouldn’t be using emojis in business emails.
So why not provide some education on what’s expected within your work environment?
15. Communication Best Practices
Communication is extremely important in any working environment.
If messages are not communicated properly, they can cause a whole range of issues.
Equally, when communication is efficient, it can have a positive impact on an organisation.
Each company has its own policies and ways of communicating.
Why not deliver a lunch and learn reminding everyone of the communication best practices?
Try to make it fun by teaching new skills and telling funny stories about when communication has gone wrong.
16. Leadership Development
Leaders play a vital role in a company and it’s a good idea that they’re being developed and trained to support the business as best as possible.
Leadership development also shows current employees a company’s commitment to ongoing support.
Leaders who feel supported and valued are more likely to work towards better developing the company.
Delivering this in a lunch and learn makes it less formal and less intimidating for those who might not sign up for formal training.
17. Work-Life Balance Workshop
Work-Life balance is about ensuring that employees are able to manage and enjoy both their work duties as well as the demands of their personal lives.
Sometimes the lines can be blurred between work and home life and It can be hard to switch off.
It’s important to educate staff about their boundaries, ensuring they are not working when they do not need to be.
If individuals don’t get the balance right, this can lead to stress, and burnout, potentially resulting in time off work.
Providing a session on how to manage work and life duties can go a long way in supporting any company’s workforce.
18. Productivity Methods
In any working environment companies want their staff to be productive.
Providing tools to do this can not only increase productivity but also the quality of work.
Whether it’s education on methods like the Pomodoro technique, or training on the latest software, a lunch and learn on productivity methods could benefit many.
Equipping employees with these tools can create efficiency and continuous improvement.
It can also enhance job satisfaction and morale.
19. Networking Skills
Networking is something that many people find awkward.
However, it can be extremely beneficial.
According to Zippia, 85% of jobs are filled via networking with personal and professional connections.
With this being said, what are the networking best practices?
Tips and training on how to network is a great lunch and learn topic.
Colleagues can learn from each other while being shown typical best practices.
Individuals may be able to share experiences of times when networking has benefited them and how they were able to take advantage of it.
20. Meditation
It is estimated that up to 500 million people meditate around the world.
Meditation has been shown to be a great tool for reducing stress, calming the mind, and improving focus.
All of which can be beneficial in a working environment.
However, not everyone knows how to get started with meditation or how to implement it effectively.
Hiring a meditation expert to come and talk about meditation can be a great lunch and learn idea.
The expert can talk through best practices while explaining the benefits of using it during a working day.
Find your local meditation facilitator to get started.
21. How to Improve Your Sleep
Sleep is a part of everyone’s day.
In fact, lack of sleep can have a massive impact on our ability to concentrate and our cognitive functions.
According to the Sleep Council, one third of adults sleep less than 7 hours a night and 4.8/10 people say they are regularly tired during their working day.
With statistics like these, education on sleep can only be beneficial.
Delivering a workshop on key methods to get better sleep can help employees turn up to work feeling their best.
A facilitator can talk about the negative impact of afternoon coffee, as well as other tips, and methods to help aid sleep.
22. Diabetes Awareness
Type 2 Diabetes is one of the biggest preventable health conditions worldwide and individuals need to know how to stop it.
In the UK over 4 million people are now living with diabetes.
Diabetes can cause blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, strokes, and more!
The good thing is, that with the right education, individuals can work towards reducing their chances of getting diabetes.
Delivering a lunch and learn highlighting the impact of diabetes may help to encourage employees to live a healthier lifestyle.
A healthy employee is more likely to be a productive employee.
With this list of lunch and learn ideas, you’ve got plenty to choose from to help employees live happier and healthier lives.
5 Online Corporate Lunch and Learn Ideas
Supporting virtual employees can be difficult but with these 5 online lunch and learn ideas you can work towards supporting those who work remotely.
1. Wellbeing Webinar
Wellbeing webinars are a great way to support remote workers and are fantastic delivered as a lunch and learn.
A webinar can range from 30 – 60 minutes covering a range of topics.
From coping with stress to improving physical health, highlighting employee wellbeing helps to show your remote teams that you care.
2. Beating Burnout
According to Gallup, burned-out employees are 2.6 times more likely to be actively seeking a different job.
Aside from not wanting employees to leave, companies should be working towards creating an environment that reduces the chance of burnout.
Whether working remotely or not.
Organising an online webinar on “Beating Burnout” is a great way to help provide some of the necessary tools to support employees.
3. Working From Home Best Practice
A study published in the National Library of Medicine found that individuals working from home had increased lower back pain.
This is not the only discomfort that can increase for individuals who work from home or work remotely.
This is why education on working-from-home is so important.
With all the information available online, many individuals are still working remotely with bad habits and poor working positions.
Providing a remote lunch and learn session on this can help prevent aches, pains, and discomforts.
4. The Importance of Taking Breaks
When individuals work remotely, they can often end up stationary for far too long.
Whether it’s longer lunch breaks or regular microbreaks scheduling breaks while working remotely is important.
When we’re sat down for too long our muscles can stiffen and tighten.
Taking active breaks helps to get the blood flowing and reduces some of this stiffness.
Educating remote employees about the importance of breaks is another great online idea to support staff over the lunch period.
5. Blending Remote Work and Life
When individuals work remotely it can often be difficult to shut down and separate work life from home life.
Working in the office typically provides a clear cut-off from work, as you have to go home at some point.
However, working remotely, especially from home can mean that you can end up working into the evening and impacting your personal time.
Providing an online workshop on how to manage this can be a fantastic lunch and learn topic for staff.
What are the Benefits of a Lunch and Learn?
Lunch and Learn sessions offer several advantages to both employees and employers. Here are some of the key benefits:
Enhanced Skills and Knowledge
Lunch and learn sessions provide employees with an opportunity to learn about new topics, acquire new skills, or enhance their understanding of specific areas.
These new skills and knowledge can be utilised throughout a working day.
Improved Employee Engagement
By offering a more relaxed and informal setting for learning, Lunch and Learns can boost employee engagement.
Employees often feel more valued when they see investment in their professional and personal growth.
Building New Connections
These sessions allow employees from different departments to interact and network.
This can lead to improved communication, collaboration, and understanding across the company.
Colleagues from different parts of the office may form new relationships that are beneficial to morale and belonging.
Increased Productivity
By integrating learning into the workday, employees can develop skills without significantly impacting their work schedule.
This can lead to greater productivity both in the short and long term.
Can be Cost-Effective
Lunch and Learns are typically more cost-effective compared to formal training sessions.
They often utilise internal resources and expertise, reducing the need for external trainers or resources.
However, in some cases providing an external trainer allows for detailed expertise on particular subjects.
Encourages a Learning Culture
Regular Lunch and Learn sessions can help to foster a culture of continuous learning.
By regularly organising these sessions a company shows its commitment to learning and development
Employees who are continuously learning are an asset to any company.
Support Employee Wellbeing
Topics on health, wellness, and work-life balance can contribute to supporting employee wellbeing.
When employee wellbeing is taken seriously, companies can reduce sick days, improve morale, productivity and more!
Easily Adaptable
The format of Lunch and Learns is easily adaptable.
Topics and can be tailored to meet the specific needs or interests of the employees.
Companies can put out surveys or questionnaires to find out what’s of interest.
Inspire Innovation and Creativity
Exposure to diverse topics and discussions can spark new ideas and creative solutions to work-related challenges.
Employees might learn about new trends, new technology, and new ways of thinking.
Feedback and Interaction
These sessions provide a platform for employees to ask questions, provide feedback, and engage in discussions.
Employee feedback which can be invaluable for the growth of a company.
Recognition of Internal Talent
Utilising internal speakers can recognise and value the talent within the Company.
This can not only boost morale and internal reputation of that individual, but encourage other colleagues to deliver a session themselves.
When individuals see their direct peers doing something challenging, it helps to build confidence that they can do it too.
10 Steps to Host a Successful Lunch and Learn
Hosting a successful Lunch and Learn session involves careful planning and execution. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you host an effective and engaging Lunch and Learn:
1. Identify Objectives
Before you host your lunch and learn, start by defining what you want to achieve.
Are you focusing on skill development, knowledge sharing, employee wellbeing, or something else?
Having clear objectives will guide the planning process.
Think about why these objectives are relevant at this time.
2. Choose a Relevant Topic
Select a topic that is relevant and interesting to your audience.
It should align with the objectives and be of value to attendees.
Consider conducting a survey to understand employees’ interests and needs.
Topics can align with seasonal events or
3. Select a Speaker
Choose a speaker who is knowledgeable and engaging.
This could be an internal expert, a team member with a unique skill or experience, or even an external speaker, depending on your budget and resources.
If your focus is on wellbeing, why not consider a wellbeing speaker.
4. Schedule the Session
Pick a date and time that is most likely to encourage maximum participation.
Lunchtime is ideal since it’s less likely to conflict with other work responsibilities.
Ensure it doesn’t exceed an hour to respect employees’ time.
5. Organise the Room and Logistics
Choose a comfortable room that is accessible to all participants.
Ensure the space is equipped with necessary audio-visual equipment if needed.
Also, plan the logistics of providing lunch.
Whether it’s an external caterer or in house canteen, plan accordingly.
6. Promote the Event
Communicate about the Lunch and Learn well in advance.
Use emails, intranet postings, or physical posters to create awareness.
Clearly communicate the topic, speaker, time, and location.
If possible, use a short video to encourage attendees to sign up.
7. Facilitate Networking and Interaction
Encourage interaction among participants.
This might involve starting with an icebreaker activity or organising seating to mix departments.
A good host will have a range of interaction elements within the session.
8. Provide Good Food
If the budget allows, provide lunch for the participants.
This could be something simple like sandwiches, salads, or a buffet.
Make sure to consider dietary restrictions and preferences.
Typically, companies provide food at a lunch and learn.
However, if you’re unable to, make sure attendees are aware so they can plan accordingly.
9. Gather Feedback
After the session, collect feedback from the attendees.
This could be through a simple online survey or a feedback form.
Take notes of verbal feedback and thank attendees for coming.
Use this feedback to improve future Lunch and Learn sessions.
10. Follow-up
If necessary, share any additional resources or materials related to the session.
If there were action items or suggested next steps, make sure to communicate these clearly.
Following up also provides another opportunity to gather feedback for those who may not have completed the survey yet.
Following these steps will help you on your way to hosting a successful lunch and learn that attendees won’t forget.
How Can You Make a Lunch and Learn Fun and Engaging?
Making a Lunch and Learn session fun and engaging is key to its success and the participation of employees.
Here are several strategies to achieve this:
Make it Interactive
Instead of just a lecture, use interactive formats like workshops, discussions, or Q&A sessions.
This can involve the audience and make the session more engaging.
Use games or quizzes, if necessary. This not only makes learning fun but also helps reinforce the information shared during the session.
Incorporate videos, infographics, or presentations to make the session more visually appealing. Visual aids can help explain topics and keep the audience engaged.
Utilise interactive technology like live polls, online collaboration tools, or social media to engage participants.
This also allows for instant feedback and participation.
Use Engaging Speakers
Invite speakers who are not only knowledgeable but also dynamic and engaging.
The enthusiasm and passion of a speaker can be contagious and keep the audience interested.
A good speaker will deliver the session in an engaging and lively manner that can help captivate attendees and make learning more fun and easier to understand.
Keeping attendees engaged is no easy task but with the right speaker you can make this possible.
Themed Sessions
Align the session with a theme, like a holiday, season, or popular event.
This can make the session more exciting and relatable.
For example, if it’s January, why not host a session kickstarting with realistic goals.
This could help attendees create a clear goal plan for the start of their year.
Alternatively, if it’s stress awareness month, why not deliver a session on coping with stress.
Aligning sessions with relevant themes can help to make sessions more impactful and relateable.
Use Real-World Examples and Case Studies
Real-world examples or case studies can help to bring a lunch and learn to life.
When real world examples are used, it helps to make the session more relatable.
Storytelling is a great way to get important messages across.
Stories help to captivate the mind, keep individuals engaged and make it more interesting.
Fun stories can bring laughter and joy to a session when told in the right way.
Create a Relaxed and Comfortable Environment
Ensure the setting is comfortable and informal.
A relaxed atmosphere can help to make participants feel more at ease and open to learning.
Welcoming individuals as they arrive can help to break the ice and make them feel at ease.
Use comfortable seating, and make sure the room temperature is just right.
Creating a comfortable and relaxed environment makes attendees more likely to engage and interact, making the session more fun.
By incorporating these elements, you can make your Lunch and Learn sessions informative, fun and enjoyable.
In conclusion, lunch and learn sessions are a versatile and valuable tool for company development.
These gatherings not only enhance knowledge and skills but cultivate a collaborative and continuous learning culture.
Integrating relevant topics, engaging speakers, and interactive elements, offers a unique approach to professional growth and employee engagement.
So why not got started on your next session and if you need any help, get in touch to see how our employee workshops can be a part of your next lunch and learn.
Author
Tyler Lowe – Health & Wellbeing Speaker
BSc Sport & Exercise Rehabilitation
Tyler is the founder of Loving Life and has helped support dozens of companies with their lunch and learn session by delivering fun, engaging and interactive sessions that align with company objectives.
