The pandemic has changed the landscape for L&D professionals, providing them more influence in the workplace than before.
A radical change is afoot for employers and employees and most of it is a result of living with a pandemic over the past two years. The folks at Linkedin call it the "Great Reshuffle" and their new 2022 Workplace Learning Report indicates how a massive transformation is changing with learning and development (L&D).
The report says that L&D leaders are themselves learning to pivot to employee calls for growth and purpose, while at the same time grappling with the challenge of future-proofing their organizations. In fact, 81% of executives are changing their workplace policies to offer greater flexibility to their workforce, notes the report.
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There are three takeaways for L&D leaders with respect to how they can better embrace the Great Reshuffle and the ongoing transformation.
Understand opportunities and challenges – Issues like digital transformation and an increasing skills gap, as well as employee retention and wellbeing are all new challenges L&D leaders should have on their to-do lists.
Add new thinking about the convergence of HR disciplines – It's important to break HR silos as L&D innovators focus on the convergence of talent development, skill-based planning and internal mobility.
Unlock the keys to success – Simply, L&D leaders need to collaborate more with HR, budget, listen to learners, activate managers, stay close to stakeholders and continue to learn themselves.
The pandemic has changed the landscape for L&D professionals, providing them more influence in the workplace than before. Seventy-four percent of those surveyed agree that L&D has become more cross-functional while 72% agree they have become a more strategic function at their organization.
"Employees expect opportunities to learn and grow without limitations, managers who understand individual working styles and environments, and companies that offer flexibility as a standard of employment," notes Gogi Anand, Senior People Science Consultant with Linkedin.
A staggering 87% believe they had either some or a great deal of involvement in helping their organization adapt to change while 82% agree that L&D is focused on rebuilding or reshaping their organization over the coming year.
Worldwide, L&D leaders expect their budgets to grow – an indicator that priorities are shifting. In North American 51% believe budgets will grow, while in Europe, Middle East and Africa 40% believe budgets will increase, and in Asia-Pacific 57% have that same belief.
Moving forward, L&D leaders need to think about ways to be part of the conversation now that others have invited them to the table. Things like making learning a shared experience, enabling personal transformation, and harnessing the power of tech and data are all tips of the trade that will propel L&D learners' message throughout their company's culture and operations.
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