COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the way organisations approach learning and development and forced a rethink on training strategies and budgets. This blog post explores some key shifts and why employee development is being reimagined.
Organisations are currently doing the hard yards with strategy and budget planning – so what does this mean to employee development? 2020 brought unprecedented challenges to businesses large and small and forced the hand of employers to reimagine the way in which their teams will learn and develop.
Many scheduled training and events that seemed to be a ‘given’ each year are now off the table and leaders are not only questioning what development will occur, but how it will be accessed. There is no doubt that the annual conference was great for development and networking – but this can no longer occur if there is a compromise to health and safety.
2021 will see the employee learning experience reimagined – so what are some of the changes to expect?
The word ‘budget’ may be disliked – but it is a necessary tool to ensure that organisations can remain viable and competitive. When so many employers were forced to reduce headcount, shifts and resources – it was only a matter of time before the training budget took a hit. In some cases, organisations have needed to not only stop external training, but reduce their own Learning and Development (L&D) teams and internal programs. In the 2021/22 financial year, some industries will see a decrease in training budgets and resources.
At the beginning of 2020 leaders developed L&D plans for each of their direct reports. These identified needs were genuine at the time that they were written but many are now irrelevant. As business models shift to respond to a changing landscape, development plans will also need to adopt a more agile approach as workers are now required to demonstrate different skill sets.
Whilemost employers have always understood the need to support leaders by providing mental health training, in 2021 this is no longer an ‘optional extra’. Leaders have tried to walk side by side with employees who are genuinely struggling with their mental health as a consequence of COVID-19 but more help is needed. Pleasingly, many employers are already juggling their budgets to ensure that this offering is a non-negotiable.
Attending classroom learning or physical seminars has been challenged by the requirements of social distancing. This has seen many L&D providers pivot their training options to include online courses and seminars, virtual instructors and classrooms, remote mentor models, and group work via videoconference. In addition, mobile and blended learning options will lead the way using social platforms to create unlimited development options. These changes will require employers to invest in creative tools to engage employees remotely.
COVID-19 provided employers with a unique need that saw many reviewing the functionality of their Learning Management System (LMS) to utilise existing online capability. The LMS offering provides the employer with a fit for purpose platform fortailoring development to the needs of individuals, teams and the broader business. The capacity for the learner to access relevant and timely training from home is a key business enabler – as is the ability for employers to measure the completion and accuracy of learning.
Sales and customer service training isn’t going away – however there will be a new focus that supports the ‘whole’ person and not just the technical and soft skills. Employers will create online and collaborative learning modules about how to optimise remote, enablewellbeing, supportmental health, and buildand bindtalent. Diversity and inclusion training has been prominent in recent years butthere will be an increase as employers have experienced the need and benefits (e.g. in areassuch as inclusive leadership and unconscious bias).
Online learning may have previously taken a back seat to the face to face experience; now it is growing in popularity and demand due to a huge spike in remote work. This is a perfect opportunity to promote digital learning as a tool to connect coworkers and to empower employees to manage their own learning. Offerings such as Skillshare and Mass Open Online Courses (MOOCs) use some of the most successful learning technologies and still enable a multi-sensory learning experience.
It is critical that leaders don’t give up the fight for the training dollar and that L&D ensure that they have a seat at the table so they can align business goals with development needs. All leaders will have a challenge ahead to creatively meet the development needs of their talent on a reduced budget. This is where peer coaching programs, mentoring and stretch projects will be vital to retaining and developing high value employees.
The term ‘learning culture’ is not new. Yet perhaps it is only in life during a pandemic that we truly understand how integral it is to create and maintain a dynamic and agile learning culture that is enabled by technology and supported by senior leaders.
The rise in the gig economy, digitalisation and a newfound reliance on soft skills have led to a shift in how important it is, to businesses and the people within them, to create meaningful, targeted and engaging learning experiences. Employee development must be reimagined to meet the needs of tomorrow and to ensure that learning is aligned to strategy and never an afterthought.
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Georgina is Senior HR Content Editor – Publications at Ai Group. She is an accomplished Human Resource professional with over 25 years of generalist and leadership experience in a broad range of industries including financial services, tourism, travel, government and agriculture. She has successfully advised and partnered with senior leaders to implement people and performance initiatives that align to business strategy. Georgina is committed to utilising her experience to create resources that educate and engage and is passionate about supporting members to optimise an inclusive workforce culture that drives performance.
