In the ever-evolving landscape of business, the importance of learning and development (L&D) cannot be overstated. As the famous quote by Alvin Toffler goes, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” In this article, we delve into the key findings from LinkedIn’s 2019 Workplace Learning Report and explore how these insights can shape the future of your organisation.
1. The Rise of Talent Development 📈
The report highlights a significant shift in the L&D industry. Talent developers are now playing a more strategic role, thanks to increased budgets and executive support. The number of talent developers citing ‘limited budget’ as a top challenge has decreased from 49% in 2017 to 27% in 2019. This shift is paving the way for L&D teams to focus on more strategic and proactive efforts.
2. Closing Skills Gaps: The Top Priority 🎯
The number one focus for talent developers in 2019 is to identify, assess, and close skills gaps. This is being approached in various ways, including internal skills gap assessments (74%), monitoring business KPIs/key metrics (66%), and attending meetings with executives/senior managers (61%).
3. Embracing Marketing Tactics 📣
Talent developers are starting to think like marketers to increase learner engagement. Email marketing is proving effective, with 65% of talent developers using it and 61% of employees discovering learning programs through it. However, there is an opportunity to leverage managers more, with 69% of talent developers using managers to promote learning, but only 46% of employees discovering learning programs through managers or leadership.
4. Adapting to the Modern Learner 📱
Talent developers are adapting their L&D programs to accommodate the preferences of all learners, including the incoming Gen Z workforce. Mobile learning is on the rise, and 74% of talent developers are planning to make changes to their L&D program to accommodate Gen Z workers. Additionally, 75% of employees would take a course assigned by their manager, indicating that manager involvement is an effective way to reach learners.
5. The Shift to Online Learning 💻
There has been a shift in the allocation of L&D budgets from instructor-led training (ILT) to online learning. Since 2017, 59% of talent developers are spending more of their budget on online learning, and 39% are spending less on ILT.
In conclusion, the landscape of workplace learning is changing rapidly. As business leaders and aspiring managers, it’s crucial to stay ahead of these trends and leverage them to foster a culture of continuous learning in your organisation.
Here are three calls to action:
- Invest in L&D: Recognise the strategic role of L&D and allocate sufficient resources to it.
- Close the Skills Gap: Make it a priority to identify and close skills gaps in your organisation.
- Embrace Online Learning: Leverage the power of online learning to provide flexible and accessible training to your employees.
Remember, “The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice.” – Brian Herbert.
#workplacelearning #talentdevelopment #skillsgap #onlinelearning #continuouslearning #upleashed 😊👩🎓👨🎓🌐
Highly recommended read: https://learning.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/business/en-us/amp/learning-solutions/images/workplace-learning-report-2019/pdf/workplace-learning-report-2019.pdf