Trending: Align & Measure Learning & Development Impact
Learning & Development’s (L&D) stock is on the rise, bringing more focus to the training function as well as greater possibility. As the rate of change has risen significantly – by more than 183% over the past four years alone – business leaders are reimagining the operations and structures of their organizations, which affects the role of talent development in the company.
42% of C-suite leaders say that skills shortages are among the top three challenges that would hold their organizations back from responding to transformation. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more integrated into the workplace, training will be even more imperative. Many pundits have spoken about the danger of AI taking jobs away. The more significant challenge that Korn Ferry found was that there simply wouldn’t be enough skilled workers to hire for the roles of tomorrow. They estimated that 85 million jobs could go unfilled by 2030, heightening the need to invest in ongoing growth.
Beyond navigating evolving environments, it’s important that businesses prioritize training to attract and retain employees. I recently read a study from Culture Amp, revealing that the main reason individuals left their positions was not their managers. It was a lack of continuous and meaningful learning. Additionally, employees who are looking to switch jobs in the next 12 months are twice as likely to consider upskilling opportunities as a critical factor in their decision.
These shifts have created a powerful moment for L&D professionals to seize as they positively transform their companies. To support this change, I recommend focusing on two trends:
- Alignment to Business Needs
- Measurement of Impact
Alignment to Business Needs
L&D teams can maximize their programming by working with executives and department leaders to understand their intentions and targets. Start with the C-suite and gain a clear understanding of the:
- Vision for the organization
- Changes expected to the strategy or operations
- Objectives for the business
- Challenges and gaps in achieving those goals
- Pain points across the operation
Once data has been collected, spend time evaluating the identified opportunities with department leaders and employees to get a more complete picture of the organization’s needs. You’re likely to discover insights into the day-to-day challenges of employees the C-suite may not fully understand.
It’s likely through this process that you will turn up potential wins than can be realized in one year, so spend time assessing:
- What will most significantly affect the long-term vision and goals?
- Where will the greatest day-to-day impact be felt?
- Which needs or gaps affect employees the most?
- Where can you get the highest return on your investment?
As priorities rise to the top, reconnect with executives to refine your plan and clarify how these elements will support the company’s objectives. That way, L&D teams and leadership are fully united on next steps.
For more tips to plan your approach, read these two posts detailing how you can uncover and prioritize employee needs as well as expand your influence with the C-suite.
Measurement of Impact
Demonstrating the influence of learning investments is especially important to receiving continued support from leadership and staff alike. As professionals, we want to be able to prove the effectiveness of our initiatives and optimize areas that need continued improvement.
To determine your measures, revisit conversations with executives to explore what matters most to the business and pinpoint the connections that exist between those targets and training. For instance, if organizational agility is a priority, L&D may choose to assess metrics like new skills gained by the workforce, internal mobility as well as performance evaluations. One of my favorite blog posts can also offer more examples of how you might draw connections between development and common corporate goals.
Once metrics have been determined, take your work a step further by adding a financial component. To continue with the example above, evaluate the impact made on new skills or internal mobility and compare those gains with the cost of bringing on a contractor or hiring a new full-time employee to illustrate the bottom-line benefits of your programs.
Be mindful to consider how technology may support you. Your company is likely collecting more data than ever before. If it has been a while since you’ve evaluated the information available to you, take stock of what new sources can support your measurements.
Make sure to share progress towards your metrics on at least a quarterly basis. In doing so, executives will see the significance of your work and recognize the value L&D provides in advancing corporate objectives.
Taking the time to align efforts with the C-suite and consistently reporting on impact will empower L&D teams to make their mark on 2025. If you’re seeking more inspiration to improve your training programs, I invite you to explore our latest resource: 11 Learning & Development Priorities for 2025. By understanding these trends, you will be well on your way to a more positive, productive year!
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