Bloom’s Taxonomy is a six-level learning framework that helps HR professionals, trainers, and managers develop employees from basic knowledge to critical thinking, decision-making, and innovation. Developed by psychologist Benjamin Bloom, it works particularly well for workplace training and adult learning. The six stages—Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating—provide a structured approach to developing employees’ knowledge, skills, and workplace performance.
Bloom’s Taxonomy at work
- Remember → retain information
- Understand → comprehend concepts
- Apply → use learning
- Analyze → solve problems
- Evaluate → make decisions
- Create → innovate and lead
This article is part of our Corporate Training Strategies & Models learning hub, where you’ll find additional workplace learning instructional models.
What Is Bloom’s Taxonomy?
Developed by psychologist Benjamin Bloom in 1956, this is a framework that uses 6 stages that build on top of each other, i.e., as a hierarchical structure.
The model was later adapted further, and the six stages are:
Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create.
The bottom stage, ‘to Remember,’ comes at the bottom of the hierarchy and is the base whereby employees (if we use this framework for the workplace) remember and recall basic information.
Each subsequent stage builds on the previous one, i.e., in stage 2 ‘Understand,’ we then need to be able to understand the intricacies and actual meaning and value of the information, and so on.
The value of Bloom’s taxonomy lies in the fact that it helps us to better understand the skills we need in order to learn and move forward, so that we can progress in our learning and use it effectively and meaningfully.
6 Stages of Bloom’s Taxonomy in the Workplace Explained
1. Remember: Laying the Foundation for Knowledge Retention
The Remember stage focuses on helping employees retain and recall essential workplace knowledge, providing the foundation needed before they can understand, apply, or analyze new information.
The stage sits at the bottom of Bloom’s diagram, and at a basic level, we expect (or hope at least) that employees can recall basic information.
We need employees, for example, to understand important things related to safety from any compliance training we ask them to do.
Likewise, information related to induction training, such as on any specific workplace rules and policies, requires the employees to remember and understand.
This is core information that we need employees to remember, so simple recall exercises and some repetition can help them take in this base level of information.
The basic important information is the foundation on which we can build, before providing more complex training for employees.
2. Understand: Ensuring Comprehension
The Understand stage ensures employees comprehend the meaning, purpose, and importance of what they have learned so they can perform their roles more effectively.
Ideally, employees will not just remember the details of the information and facts we have provided them with, but now we need them to also understand and comprehend the meaning and value of this information.
This stage, thus, is all about making sure employees genuinely understand the concepts and ideas.
A workplace example:
- Situation: Bob is a new marketing assistant, and he needs to understand how his duties, such as social media marketing, Cost-per-click advertising, and media outreach, integrate with what his company needs for its overall marketing strategy.
- Training for Bob: HR decided that Bob would benefit from being involved in a couple of the management meetings where marketing is due to be discussed. It’s also decided that a mentor could be useful, so he is paired with the customer service manager for a week, so that he can better understand the product and the typical questions they are asked about the product. Bob is also sent for a week to the factory to further truly understand the products he is trying to market.
Stage 2, in essence, is about ensuring that the employee in question has a reasonable understanding of their role in order to be effective.
3. Apply: Translating Knowledge into Action
The Apply stage requires employees to use their knowledge and skills in real workplace situations, turning learning into practical performance and results.
After employees have been provided training in the concepts and information they need in order to do their jobs successfully, it’s time to apply this understanding in a real-world manner.
Applying the knowledge might, for example, mean that an employee now becomes involved in the decision-making processes.
They might now get to manage/work with an LMS (Learning Management System) or other digital platforms and get to perform important tasks that are central to their role.
Continuing our example:
- Situation: Our employee Bob now takes control of the social media marketing, and he uses the product matter expertise he has gained from shadowing the customer service manager and from all he learned during his time at the factory, where he gained strong product knowledge.
- Training for Bob: If HR were to continue Bob’s training, at this stage training could include topics such as how to use i) specific tools that can help him such as social media analytics and reporting software, ii) marketing automation tools such as Mailchimp for sales funnel emails, iii) and to send him on a course on influencer market so that he can consider taking the company into this area of marketing as a new direction in the future.
At this stage, the employee should ideally be gaining confidence as they develop new, useful, and practical skills that they can use in their role.
4. Analyze: Developing Critical Thinking
The Analyze stage helps employees evaluate information, identify patterns, solve problems, and develop stronger critical thinking skills for workplace decision-making.
They are now at the stage where their level of expertise means that they are not just learning but can start developing new ideas, strategies, and become critical thinkers.
Our Example:
- Our employee Bob is now becoming highly knowledgeable about social media marketing, CPC, and media outreach to the point that he has a good understanding of industry and market trends, and has started to see some new and interesting opportunities for growth that are as yet untapped by his company. Furthermore, the CPC campaigns he has been working on are starting to produce good sales leads.
- Training for Bob: At this stage, Bob might benefit from being given more data analysis tasks and training, and he could benefit from being involved in team-building workshops to further push and guide him so that he can be involved with problem-solving exercises to deepen his ability to think critically.
5. Evaluate: Making Judgments and Decisions
The Evaluate stage enables employees to assess information, make informed decisions, and exercise sound judgment when solving workplace challenges or leading others.
Employees are now reaching a management level in terms of their understanding of key information, processes, and the inner workings of the company.
The level of expertise and knowledge they are now developing at this stage might mark them for future management roles.
Our example:
- Bob is now highly skilled in social media marketing and has taken the company to a new level in terms of customer engagement online, and this is producing great leads. Bob is getting great returns for the budgets he has at his disposal for paid marketing. He is now arguably at the same level (and even more skilled now in some areas of marketing) as his existing manager (who will soon be leaving the company).
- Training for Bob: Bob could certainly benefit from leadership training at this point because he is now seen as a potential manager in the near future. He could, for example, benefit from Inclusive Leadership training and Change Management and leadership training.
For managers and leaders, this stage is related to increasing levels of accountability and high-level decision-making that impact the business.
6. Create: Innovation and Leadership
The Create stage encourages employees to develop innovative ideas, improve existing processes, and contribute strategically to business growth and organizational success.
Our example:
- Great news! Bob is the new marketing manager, and he’s been moved to the headquarters in Amsterdam, Holland, because his innovative thinking has led higher management to see him as central to further developing the sales growth and future business strategy. Things are going well for Bob.
- Training for Bob: Bob is extremely happy to have the opportunity for further management training. He might benefit greatly from this advanced management training and from being involved with higher-level meetings and decision-making, and attending brainstorming sessions.
This stage is quite closely aligned with the development of leaders and new and future managers.
To ‘Create’ at stage 6, in this example, means contributing to the creation of a brand new strategy for the marketing department.
Why Bloom’s Taxonomy Is Useful in the Workplace?
In the workplace, to use Bloom’s Taxonomy, you might wish to see it as a roadmap for designing and structuring training for employees.
One thing to consider is that there are different ways of applying Bloom’s taxonomy, in that it can be interpreted in different ways.
As you will have seen from the example above, I have taken the 6 levels and related them to progress through the company.
You could also, though, create the 6 levels in a much more simplistic way, i.e., the levels could relate simply to teaching one specific topic to an employee, so you could apply the taxonomy as follows:
Marketing Training Course
This is an example of using the taxonomy for a one-day training session on marketing:
- Level 1: Teach an employee the key terms and absolute basics of online marketing, and to remember these basics.
- Level 2: The trainer could then focus on the understanding stage and how these basic marketing terms relate to marketing. For example, rather than understanding what Instagram is at level one, in this stage 2 level, we are now teaching them how Instagram can be used for a company’s marketing strategy.
- Level 3: In the training, to apply level 3 and the apply aspect of Bloom’s taxonomy, you could now provide explanations on actual techniques and ways to implement, i.e., set up an Instagram account for business, and maybe get the participants to actually do this.
- Level 4: In the analysis level, when providing training, for our Instagram marketing example, we might now teach the participants about analytical tools for measuring social media analytics and data.
- Level 5: In the evaluation stage, we could next teach participants how to make informed decisions on Instagram for business using the analytics we learned about in Level 4.
- Level 6: The create stage in this scenario in the training room would be about teaching participants how to create new strategies and creative thinking around maximizing the return on investment spent on the social media campaigns.
As you can see from the example above with the 6 stages, and with the previous example of Bob progressing through the company, we are able to use the 6 stages of Bloom’s taxonomy in different but equally useful ways to understand how to provide workplace training.
Using Bloom’s taxonomy in the workplace, in essence, means providing structured training.
| Bloom’s Taxonomy Stage | Typical Workplace Objective |
|---|---|
| Remember | Recall key facts, procedures, and workplace policies. |
| Understand | Explain concepts and understand their purpose. |
| Apply | Use knowledge and skills to perform workplace tasks. |
| Analyze | Solve problems, identify patterns, and think critically. |
| Evaluate | Make informed decisions and exercise sound judgment. |
| Create | Develop innovative ideas, strategies, and solutions. |
Another useful instructional design framework is Gagné’s 9 Events of Instruction, which focuses on structuring the delivery of training sessions.
4 Reasons to Use Bloom’s Taxonomy in the Workplace for Training
The taxonomy, through the 6 stages, provides us with a structured way for employees to develop their learning, i.e., because the framework takes the learner from having a basic level of knowledge, through the analysis and evaluation stages, to creative solutions and ways of thinking.
Here are 4 benefits to using Bloom’s model:
1. Improves Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
As touched on previously, the later stages in the taxonomy involve critical thinking and creativity, and these are certainly valuable skills in the workplace.
Bloom’s model helps us as managers, business owners, or HR departments to guide employees toward developing workplace skills that they can use to progress through the company.
2. Tailored Training and Development
One of the aspects of Bloom’s model that I personally find useful when it comes to staff training is the fact that you can better guide employees in their learning by evaluating first what level of the taxonomy they are presently at, and then creating training for them that suits the level they are at.
An employee, for example, who is more experienced and already has a decent understanding of the topic could be directed toward the ‘Analyze’ level rather than needing to focus on the ‘Remember’ stage.
Bloom’s model, in other words, can be used to better personalize employee learning, and this can be a great time saver and also keeps employees more motivated in their learning.
3. Encourages Continuous Learning
The taxonomy is also great in that whatever way you use or interpret the model, it is developed such that it helps promote continuous improvement through stages of learning and understanding.
4. Fosters Innovation and Leadership
At the top of Bloom’s Taxonomy, Create means that employees are encouraged to progress and take on more responsibility and aim high.
If you are a company that strives to develop and train new managers and to help talented individuals succeed, Bloom’s taxonomy can be helpful.
As employees become more reflective and capable of challenging existing assumptions, they may also benefit from Transformative Learning approaches.
It can help guide you toward seeing what stages of training an individual is ready for, according to which level of the taxonomy you feel they are at.
FAQs
What is Bloom’s Taxonomy in the workplace?
Bloom’s Taxonomy is a six-level learning framework that helps HR professionals, trainers, and managers develop employees from basic knowledge and understanding through to critical thinking, decision-making, and innovation. It provides a handy way for training designers to create training.
Why is Bloom’s Taxonomy useful for employee training?
Bloom’s Taxonomy helps trainers build learning progressively, ensuring employees first understand essential knowledge before applying it, analyzing situations, making informed decisions, and developing innovative solutions. This can improve learning outcomes and workplace performance.
How can HR professionals use Bloom’s Taxonomy?
HR professionals can use Bloom’s Taxonomy to design training programs, write learning objectives, assess employee development, and create activities that progressively build knowledge, skills, and leadership capability across the organization.
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