Not learning in a modern world? Think again
Industry leaders know that in today’s ultra-competitive world, knowledge workers have the edge. Moreover, the strength of an organization’s learning culture can be the single biggest driver of business impact. L&D professionals are on the front lines of making sure knowledge workers have a learning environment that works for them. Learning tools are as critical as other tools and resources required for people to do their jobs. In this culture, employees’ learning needs are met, and in real time. They develop their leadership and technical skills, and advance their careers.
LinkedIn recently surveyed 500 L&D decision-makers in the US and Canada. 60% of them are C-suite executives. They report that their organizations’ executives (80%) agree developing employees is the top priority. Ninety-two percent of executives believe there is a skills gap that L&D can and should address. Leadership, however, is having trouble seeing quantifiable impact and return on investment on their learning programs.
This situation puts L&D professionals themselves in a dynamic learning environment. Off the shelf “solutions” offered to employees are no longer enough. The best L&D professionals become trusted advisors, partnering with work teams. They master the art of listening, ask probing questions, and foster clarity about the challenges that must be addressed. They act as internal consultants to provide the most relevant and impactful solutions. They experiment and collect data to know what is working best, and eliminate what’s not working. Recommendations are data based, and results are tracked, quantified, and tied to organizational goals.
Learning is greatest when “molecules” of knowledge permeate the organizational atmosphere, and people learn best when the acquired knowledge addresses an immediate challenge. Learning the solution to a problem often creates an “aha moment”, which is rarely planned, and cannot be scheduled. The answer might come from an article, a colleague’s tutorial, a YouTube video, or structured existing learning tools. Effective L&D professionals see that learners are evolving faster than the programs available, and that an immediate online learning solution is increasingly important. Today, a full 67% of learners use mobile devices, yet 50% of organizational learning occurs in a classroom, and usually does not relate to immediate problems. Companies and institutions are catching on to this reality; 70% of the organizations surveyed are incorporating video-based training.
Like any investment, learning programs must prove their value, and organizational leadership should require it. A direct causal relationship between a learning solution and the economic outcome can provide data that employee and manager surveys of qualitative impressions cannot. Measures like quantifiable skill improvement, or promotions that occur after relevant training are good examples. Furthermore, improved employee engagement and reduction in employee turnover can provide hard data that managers seek. A learning culture is proven to boost engagement, and disengagement is expensive. Gallop estimated that 17% of employees are seriously disengaged, and that disengagement wastes about 34% of that person’s compensation.
Lowering turnover has dramatic ROI. Recruitment for replacement of positions is expensive even before lost institutional knowledge is taken into account. SHRM estimates that entry-level employees cost 50% of base salary to replace, and technical and leadership personnel replacement costs 250%. Moreover, talented employees desire learning that helps them advance their careers, and often leave if they don’t get it. Overall, smart L&D programs can demonstrate ROI, drive employee personal growth, increase satisfaction and engagement as well as support the business outcomes you seek.
