What is the 70:20:10 framework and how does it work?
According to the 70:20:10 framework, employees gain up to 70% of new skills from on-the-job experience, up to 20% from asking colleagues and sharing knowledge, and about 10% from formal training. Together, those three sources cover how learning actually happens at work — not just in a classroom.
The 70 20 10 learning model works because it reflects real behavior. Employees learn when they do their jobs, when they ask a knowledgeable colleague, and when they complete structured training. A learning strategy that addresses all three keeps people developing without pushing everything through a single channel.
Applying the 70 20 10 rule in learning and development means giving employees performance support at the point of need, space to share what they know, and access to well-structured formal courses. That combination produces better retention and more consistent performance than formal training alone.
Why Employee-generated Learning fits the 70-20-10 framework
Many organizations that rely on a central learning team, third-party suppliers, or off-the-shelf content run into the same problems: content takes too long to produce, costs too much to maintain, and quickly goes out of date.
That happens because the people who hold the knowledge — the subject-matter experts in your teams — are not the people creating the content. Bringing those two things together is one of the most practical ways to put the 70-20-10 rule to work inside your organization.
The approach is called Employee-generated Learning (EGL). Employees capture what they know and share it with colleagues — as informal resources like templates, how-to guides, and short videos, or as structured e-learning for formal training. Because the content comes from the people doing the work, it stays current and reflects how things actually get done.
The 70:20:10 framework is a learning model that splits employee development into three parts: 70% from on-the-job experience, 20% from social learning and knowledge sharing, and 10% from formal training. Employee-generated Learning (EGL) maps directly onto all three parts, because when employees create and share knowledge, they cover experiential learning, peer collaboration, and structured course content at the same time.
Here is what combining EGL with the 70:20:10 rule in learning looks like in practice:
- 70% – build an internal knowledge base where employees can find answers, best practices, and lessons learned without waiting for L&D to produce something.
- 20% – create a culture where asking colleagues for help and sharing what you know is normal and easy.
- 10% – let subject-matter experts in your business author the formal training courses, so the content reflects how work actually gets done.
That is what makes Employee-Generated Learning a practical way to implement the 70:20:10 framework: the content comes from the people doing the work, so it stays relevant, gets updated faster, and costs less to produce.
6 tips for applying the 70:20:10 framework with Employee-Generated Learning
Applying the 70:20:10 learning framework alongside Employee-Generated Learning takes some groundwork. Getting people to contribute knowledge regularly is a cultural shift, not just a process change. These six tips are based on what has actually worked for the L&D managers we talk to.
1. Find the people who make others want to participate
Start small. The L&D managers we speak with at large companies consistently say the same thing: identify a handful of people who are genuinely enthusiastic about sharing what they know and who others naturally listen to. Run a pilot with them first. When the knowledge-sharing process is built on real relationships and internal credibility, the rest of the team is far more likely to join in.
These early contributors set the tone. They show colleagues that sharing knowledge is a normal, valued part of the job, not an extra burden L&D has dropped on them.
2. Make contributing worth the effort
Organizations that recognise knowledge-sharing tend to get more of it. You don’t need an elaborate rewards program. Small, consistent recognition goes a long way: a mention in a team meeting, a badge in your platform, or including contribution as a topic in performance conversations.
What matters most is communicating clearly that employees’ knowledge has real value to the team. Without that message, contributing feels like extra work with no payoff.
Keep the bar low for how employees contribute. If capturing and sharing knowledge feels too formal or time-consuming, people will skip it. The goal is to make it feel like a natural part of how the team works, not a separate project.
Gamification elements like leaderboards or badges can help add a bit of friendly competition and make contribution more visible across the team.
3. Name the roadblocks before they slow you down
Any new way of working meets resistance. The 70:20:10 framework and Employee-Generated Learning are no different. The most common objections are lack of time, unfamiliarity with authoring tools, and uncertainty about whether the content will be good enough.
Address these early and openly. Ask employees directly what concerns they have. When people feel heard, they are more willing to try something new. Having clear, honest answers ready before the objections come up saves a lot of time later.
4. Protect time for creating and sharing knowledge
If you want employees to contribute to the 70:20:10 model, they need time to do it. That means making it explicit that creating resources is productive work, not something to squeeze in between real tasks.
This matters especially in consulting or client-facing roles, where people track their time in billable hours. If contribution time is not acknowledged as legitimate, it will not happen. Some organizations block out dedicated knowledge-sharing days or protect time in project plans. Either approach works. The point is to make it official.
5. Choose tools employees will actually use
The tools you choose can make or break the 70:20:10 approach. If employees find authoring tools difficult or time-consuming, they will not use them. The tool needs to feel accessible on day one, with no prior technical knowledge required.
Content also needs to be engaging to work. Nobody learns from a downloaded PDF or a static presentation they have to scroll through.
Look for tools that let employees create visual, interactive content without a steep learning curve. Easygenerator, for example, lets employees design courses, how-to guides, and performance support resources quickly and without needing help from L&D or IT.
6. Start now, even if it is imperfect
The best time to start is before everything is in place. Your team already has the knowledge that the 70:20:10 learning model depends on. The job is to build an environment where sharing it is easy, expected, and appreciated.
Begin with one team, one knowledge area, or one course. Learn from what works and adjust as you go. Early wins, even small ones, build the momentum that makes the whole program stick.
Putting the 70:20:10 framework into practice
The 70:20:10 framework works because it reflects how people actually learn at work: mostly by doing, partly by talking to colleagues, and partly through structured training. Employee-Generated Learning makes it easier to act on all three because the people closest to the work are the ones creating the content.
When employees create and share knowledge, learning becomes faster, more relevant, and less dependent on a central L&D team to produce everything. The right tools lower the barrier to contribution. A clear cultural signal that knowledge sharing is valued keeps it going. Neither of those things requires a large budget or a long implementation timeline.
