
Today, learning also contributes to employability. Traditionally, learning focused solely on improving productivity. Please email us at: Attract and retain talent. If you would like information about this content we will be happy to work with you. We strive to provide individuals with disabilities equal access to our website. Nick van Dam, 25 Best Practices in Learning & Talent Development, second edition, Raleigh, NC: Lulu Publishing, 2008. L&D’s strategic role spans five areas (Exhibit 1). One of L&D’s primary responsibilities is to manage the development of people-and to do so in a way that supports other key business priorities. The ACADEMIES© framework, which consists of nine dimensions of L&D, can help to strengthen the function and position it to serve the organization more effectively. An essential component of this effort is a comprehensive, coordinated strategy that engages the organization and encourages collaboration. To get the most out of investments in training programs and curriculum development, L&D leaders must embrace a broader role within the organization and formulate an ambitious vision for the function.
The main source of learning on the job is professional#
Our efforts highlighted how the L&D function is adapting to meet the changing needs of organizations, as well as the growing levels of investment in professional development. We undertook several phases of research to understand trends and current priorities in L&D (see sidebar, “Learning and development-From evolution to revolution”). As they commit more time and money, companies must ensure that the transformation of the L&D function proceeds smoothly.Īll of these trends have elevated the importance of the learning-and-development (L&D) function. Such innovations will require companies to devote more resources to training: our survey revealed that 60 percent of respondents plan to increase L&D spending over the next few years, and 66 percent want to boost the number of employee-training hours. With the growth of user-friendly digital-learning platforms, employees will take more ownership of their professional development, logging in to take courses when the need arises rather than waiting for a scheduled classroom session. In addition to updating training content, companies must increase their focus on blended-learning solutions, which combine digital learning, fieldwork, and highly immersive classroom sessions. Unsurprisingly, our research confirmed our initial hypothesis: corporate learning must undergo revolutionary changes over the next few years to keep pace with constant technological advances. However, the pace of change continues to accelerate McKinsey research estimates that as many as 800 million jobs could be displaced by automation by 2030.Įmployee roles are expected to continue evolving, and a large number of people will need to learn new skills to remain employable.


The main focus of L&D has been on upskilling. Historically, the L&D function has been relatively successful in helping employees build skills and perform well in their existing roles. We also interviewed 15 chief learning officers or L&D heads at major companies. In 2016, we added 120 L&D leaders at 91 organizations to our database, gathering information on their traditional training strategies and aspirations for future programs. We began in 2014 by surveying 1,500 executives about capability building.
