They say, ‘Change is the Only Constant’, likewise, in the process of Development, Learning is the only Constant. Having said that, the pace at which outlets of Learning & Development have been advancing, the possibility of transforming the sea of opportunities into categorized talent pools, has become evident.Therefore, connoting that the only way to develop is through learning is justified all by itself. The transformation of the traditional culture of working from physical offices to remote working here is and can be considered as the most relatable anecdote in this case. Surprisingly, the workforce geared up very well to adapt to the new normal, indicating that the development of a stronger mindset is subject to the fact of being apt on learning.

However, during the process employees sometimes tend to fall prey to holding out for foreseeing or becoming the “perfect” resource thereby making the mistake of thinking that the “top gun” employees in the respective field are necessarily the best to look up to. Usually, it is a misguided effort.

It is during such times wherein the organizations should step in and look out for a tangible or intangible solution. Amidst the reoccurrence of such an event, the custom of fixating on talent can be parked aside and the focus can be driven towards investing in the Learning & Development of their employees; Skilling & Re-skilling. Learning and development is not an option in 2021, in fact the new work era calls for a new work culture and redesigning the old playbook to make it palatable for today’s learner.

Learning & Development has been at the forefront and center of addressing some of the key challenges - surrounding higher performance, leadership skills, uncertainty, and teamwork. COVID-19 accentuated this need further. Around 20% of the skills that the workforce possesses today will be relevant in the next 3 years and 1/3rd of the same cluster would have learned something new that didn’t exist perpetually. Is this a blessing? Yes, for the organizations who take into account investing in skilling and reskilling their workforce. It’s also been observed 78% of people experience minimal training impact. This is scary enough to keep CEOs awake at night. 

Any employer interested in creating an engaged, empowered, and skilled workforce knows that investing in learning & development is a priority and not an option. Like how a win is backed by a sack of fallouts & failures, expecting challenges in the way forward for investing in the concept of skilling & re-skilling is certain in organizations. A way to overcome a challenge as such in the work fronts for Learning & Development is combining the emphasis on technology with the need to humanize it; marrying digital fluency with personalization because we have been witnessing a massive rise and demand for on-demand learning.

The new organizational learning landscape has likewise hurled the test of consolidating remote work, diversity, equity, and inclusion while accepting new plans and standards, styles, and advancements. Innovative learning patterns have arisen, which have altered how individuals learn and create at work.

Fast Learning

New-age learners are looking for crisp, bite-sized, and contextual content

Long term learning

In contrast, learners are also in the search of long-term learning.

To exemplify, beginners often look for (Massive Online Open Courses), deeper learning experiences, and the broadening of their learning base

A New Landscape of learning

In the new landscape of learning, while coaches and mentors play a big role, it's the learners and their medium of learning which is significant to understand. The role of the learners is massive. Learners are now eager to not only co-create content but also to choose and control what they want to learn. Experiencing technology is the flavor of these times.

Skill enhancement

Skilling and reskilling have taken center stage and we have seen the massive rise of learning outfits that have mushroomed in 2020-21 supporting the very demand

Upgrading digital tools:

Now that the world of work has completely changed and the hybrid work model is now a reality, organizations need to re-look at their digital learning strategies.

Returning to a pre-pandemic work-life will definitely take more time, but that does not stop us from understanding and building a varied ecosystem where learners work remotely. With the latest technology and digital tools at our disposal, investment in Learning & Development is definite in supporting the growth of employees' on professional fronts, no matter wherever they operate.

It is for the recruiters to consider that while screening for the right fit for their or any organization, rather than settling on the context of “Does the candidate already know how to do what is required?”, looking out on the lines of “Can the Candidate learn about what is required for this job” would speed up the process and broaden the recruitment horizons.

As we face a future of great uncertainty where most of us are still looking for solutions to these demands, the ones who can learn new skills, and that organization that places a higher premium on various learning methods - signature pedagogies to on-demand learning-will be among the most successful individuals & companies. Great employees are made, not found.

Here is a quick checkpoint to consider while investing enough in the Learning & Development techniques & method:

1. Building a culture of learning
2. Invest in the best technologies
3. Identifying transform-able skills to train & recognizing the desired habits
4. Building partnership with Learning & Development partner
5. Allowing employees to shape their own development goals
6. Humanizing digital learning with gamification
   
   

With this, to conclude, are we ready to embrace the new world?

Join People Matters L&D Conference 2021 and get more insights on creating a learning framework that works for your business.