Learning and development (L&D) may have started within human resources (HR) decades ago, but the major tenet remains the same: training is vital for organizational success and employee retention.
L&D programs are essential for company growth and employee success. According to the report The State of L&D in 2022 by TalentLMS, 76% of employees are more likely to stay with a company that offers continual training. Apparently, companies realize how vital employee training is, as the report found that 67% of HR managers anticipate that their L&D budgets would increase in 2022.
As an L&D professional, you have a unique opportunity to evolve with the training industry. Read on to learn about 10 things that can give you, and your organization, a competitive edge.
1. Personalize Learning Experiences
Workplace learning can no longer just be “one size fits all.” Employees want training experiences that align with their job responsibilities as well as their career goals. If these aren’t provided by an employer or if current offerings are inadequate, learners will look to the seemingly endless options online. As an L&D professional, it’s up to you to offer individual learning plans that can help employees grow in their careers and at your organization. Be sure the training you provide accounts for generational differences and different learning styles.
2. Offer Remote Learning Options
The trend toward online learning has accelerated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Employees don’t just want flexible learning options, they demand it. This includes 24/7 access to training, short modular training sessions and mobile device compatibility. By providing on-demand training for company-wide training courses that each employee must complete, you can help make corporate training on topics like compliance and security feel less like a chore and more like an opportunity to learn.
3. Address Skill Gaps
As most training professionals are aware, it’s less expensive to train current employees than hire new ones. Training and promoting from within increases employee retention and addresses skills gaps in your organization. In fact, according to the TalentLMS study, more than one-half of companies are facing a skills gap, and one-half of those are addressing it by training existing employees. It also may be beneficial to develop a training or internship program for new graduates employed at your company. By giving them the necessary skills to jump-start their careers, you cultivate loyalty to the company.
4. Offer Means for Collaboration
In many cases, it’s beneficial to incorporate ways for learners to interact with one another. This provides opportunities for peer collaboration and discussion of important learning points. Online forums, employee-driven wikis, interactive group training and mentorships are some of the ways you can add this interaction to your organization’s L&D initiatives.
5. Select the Right Training Partner
Check to see what options an external training partner will provide. Some have off-the-shelf training only while others offer training customized to your company needs. Some training companies will offer training at your office, a company training facility, or live online. Check on the credentials of the trainers, the certifications they hold and the amount of time they spend training and working in the fields they teach. Check their history to ensure they are a reputable company that will be around for your training.
6. Manage Key Performance Indicators
It’s important to monitor, measure and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for several reasons. Understanding trends in L&D at your organization can help to shape future training, as it can show what experiences were most popular — or most confusing — for learners. For example, if employees keep dropping out of a course, you can examine the data to see where improvements may be needed. KPIs also can demonstrate the benefit of L&D in a tangible way to other leaders at your organization. This can help to obtain buy-in from senior leadership regarding future learning strategies.
7. Include Security and Compliance Training
Untrained or inadequately trained employees not only impact overall productivity, but also put your organization at risk for lawsuits, government fines and other detrimental factors. Therefore, be sure you understand what types of compliance training your organization needs and which roles need which types of compliance training. For example, people who work in HR may need training on HIPAA laws and security, and sales professionals at companies that do business in Europe may need training in GDPR. Additionally, training in certain areas, such as cybersecurity and data privacy, is imperative for everyone in an organization.
8. Optimize the L&D Budget
Even though many organizations are raising their L&D budgets, it’s still important to maximize the value of every learning initiative you deliver. As an L&D leader, you are expected to deliver training that drives business results. So, spend your training dollars wisely so that you can deliver training that clearly benefits the business.
9. Include Life Skills
Not all learning directly correlates to specific applications, job duties or programs. According to the LMS study, 78% of employees find it important to receive life skills training, such as coping with stress, communicating effectively and thinking critically to solve problems. Attract and retain quality talent by providing training that helps your employees be successful both at work and in life.
10. Seek Feedback and Incorporate Improvements
Developing L&D training should be a collaborative process between employees and L&D professionals so the latter can make improvements. It’s essential to view training modules as products that your employees can help improve by providing user feedback. This allows you to customize training to precisely what your organization’s employees need. Continually research new L&D strategies and methods, particularly those that may strike a chord with your employee audience.
As L&D continues to move into the spotlight at many organizations, it will play an increasing role in employee recruitment, satisfaction and retention. In many cases, it could mean the difference between the success and failure of an organization. Continue to seek out opportunities and partners that can help you deliver training that benefits both learners and the business.
