Learning and Development - A Case for Company Success

 

Learning and development is a methodical process to improve an employee’s skills, knowledge, and competency giving rise to better performance in a work setting.

•         Learning is concerned with the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

•         Development is the broadening and deepening of knowledge in one's development goals.

The strategic role of Learning and Development

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. 

Attract and retain talent.

Today learning also contributes to employability. Over the past several decades, employment has shifted from staying with the same company for a lifetime to a model where workers are being retained only as long as they can add value to an enterprise. Workers are now in charge of their personal and professional growth and development. A lack of L&D is one of the key reasons people cite for leaving a company.

Develop people capabilities.

When knowledge becomes outdated or forgotten, the value of human capital declines and needs to be supplemented by new learning and relevant work experiences. Companies that make investments in the next generation of leaders are seeing an impressive return

Create a values-based culture.

As the workforce in many companies becomes increasingly virtual and globally dispersed, L&D can help to build a values-based culture and a sense of community. Millennials are interested in working for values-based, sustainable enterprises that contribute to the welfare of society.

Build an employer brand.

An organization’s brand is one of its most important assets and conveys a great deal about the company’s success in the market, financial strengths, position in the industry, and products and services. Investments in L&D can help to enhance company’s brand and boost its reputation as an “employer of choice.” For this, companies need to communicate their brand strength openly through an employer value proposition.

Motivate and engage employees.

Research suggests that lifelong learning contributes to happiness. When highly engaged employees are challenged and given the skills to grow and develop within their chosen career path, they are more likely to be energized by new opportunities at work and satisfied with their current organization.

Employee Development Methods

Employee development occur on the job, with the manager or an experienced co-worker leading the development activity in the actual work environment or at training facilities or other locations. Organizations also use online methods to develop employees.

Coaching

Coaching involves a more experienced or skilled individual providing an employee with advice and guidance. The coach will work with you to help you build your self-confidence to master new abilities or enhance your current ones.

Mentoring

Mentoring matches less experienced employees with more experienced colleagues through formal or informal programs. They will offer guidance but won't be hands-on in assisting you in make decisions.

Individual development plans

This will list down an employee's intentions and learning outcomes as well as support necessary to meet his or her tangible growth goals.

The 9-box grid

This evaluates the employee's current and potential levels of contribution to the organization. The 9-box grid provides a visual reference that can include appraisal and assessment data to allow managers to view employees' actual and potential performance.

Cross-training

Cross-training refers to training employees to perform job duties other than those normally assigned. Cross-training can be a short-term or ad hoc fix, or it can be an ongoing, planned process and  does not result in immediate advancement.

Stretch assignments

These are projects or tasks that is currently beyond your level of knowledge or skill. Such assignments serve to “stretch” you developmentally by placing you in a challenging position in order to learn and grow.

Job enlargement and Job enrichment

Job enlargement involves expanding the employee's job by adding more tasks and duties, typically at the same level of complexity. Job enrichment builds more depth to an employee's job through more control, responsibility and discretion.

Job shadowing

Shadowers view the organization from a different perspective and learn first-hand about the challenges facing workers in other departments. This perspective helps employees realize the impact their decisions have on other groups.

Job rotation

Job rotation is the systematic movement of employees from job to job within an organization. Typically, formal rotation programs offer customized assignments to promising employees to give them a view of the entire business.

Succession planning

Succession planning identifies long-range needs and develop internal talent to meet those needs. Succession plans typically focus on a one- to three-year process of preparing employees—not preselecting them—for new roles in the organization.

 Assessment centers

Assessment centers usually take place over one or two days and can involve several employees or candidates at a time. Evaluators rate participants based on standardized activities, games and other simulations to predict the candidates' future performance. This help take decisions on filling jobs, promoting employees or identifying employees for placement in succession planning programs

Online employee development

Online training allows self-directed, just-in-time, on-demand instruction. Employees in e-learning situations have more control over their time than they have in a classroom.

Re-directing Talent Strategies

As the market continues to change, organizations must change their talent strategies to recruit and retain employees who have become a little more choosy about things like culture, flexibility andthe opportunity to grow their skills and careers.

What kind of skills are most important to employers and employees alike? LinkedIn’s recently released Most In-Demand Skills list breaks down the most desired skills of 2023, in both general skills and technical competencies.

Developing Skills

Soft skills that AI can’t duplicate—such as management, communication, leadership and teamwork—are high on the list. On the hard skills list, technical abilities dominate the scene, including skills needed to build products as well as manage and process the data that informs innovation and service.

Upskilling for all

This area is becoming increasingly important to business leaders looking to become more agile and adapt to today’s changing economic landscape. Data shows that since 2015, skill sets for jobs have changed around 25%, and, by 2027, this number is expected to double.

L&D for retention

It is critical to get the right person in the right role, right at the beginning whilst retaining the workers already in employment. Not only are these employees more productive than someone new to the role, but the upfront expense of recruiting new talent can come with a high cost not just in money, but also in morale.  “81% of recruiting professionals say they need to work more closely with L&D as their responsibilities expand to include internal mobility, skills-first hiring and employee retention.”

The L&D function in transition

Over the years, we have identified and field-tested nine dimensions that contribute to a strong L&D function. 

References

Perna, M.C. (2023) In the war for talent, may the best learning & development cultures win, Forbes. Forbes Magazine. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/markcperna/2023/03/21/in-the-war-for-talent-may-the-best-learning--development-cultures-win/?sh=151f800a3be2 (Accessed: April 21, 2023).

Toolkits (2022) SHRM. Available at: https://www.shrm.org/ResourcesAndTools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/Pages/default.aspx (Accessed: April 21, 2023).

Brassey, J., Christensen, L. and Dam, N.van (2019) The essential components of a successful L&D Strategy, McKinsey & Company. McKinsey & Company. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-essential-components-of-a-successful-l-and-d-strategy (Accessed: April 21, 2023).

Vulpen, E.van (2023) Learning and development: A comprehensive guide, AIHR. Available at: https://www.aihr.com/blog/learning-and-development/#What (Accessed: April 21, 2023).

- Rangana Prasad Naotunna