HR and L&D professionals are seeing a surge in employees eager to learn new skills. Becky Wallace examines how this trend is transforming talent development in the workplace 

Employees have an increasing appetite to learn on the job and develop their skills. No longer relying purely on a university education to secure a career, they’re proactively seeking out employers that offer comprehensive and tailored learning and development opportunities.  

Skills development has become more of a focus recently due to a marked increase in employee retention 

According to recent UK research, only 31% of workers believe that a university degree is as essential for a good career as it was a decade ago. The study also cites that 79% of employees think it’s important to learn new skills in the next 12 months to improve their career prospects – higher than the proportion who said getting a promotion would improve their career trajectory (67%). Skills development has also become more of a focus recently due to a marked increase in employee retention as workers choose stability in the face of global uncertainty.  

Tapping into this increasing desire for self-improvement can help build a more skilled and motivated workforce to drive success, create a thriving workplace culture, and maximise employee retention. However, it requires effective integration of business goals, HR and L&D strategies to deliver the right development programmes to meet employee expectations, as well as achieve the required outcomes for an organisation. 

Dovetailing HR and L&D 

Taking a unified approach starts with HR and L&D teams collaborating closely to devise strategies, aligning standards and metrics for recruitment and development. It’s essential to ensure a learning strategy supports specific HR goals, for example, if employees are leaving to improve their chances of career progression, then upskilling and development initiatives could become a priority to reduce staff turnover. By communicating regularly with HR leadership, L&D can fine-tune training opportunities to respond to particular requirements, and then work together to encourage employee participation.  

Organisations that take time to invest thought and effort into development programmes can help coach employees towards career advancement, which many workers now see as an entitlement of employment. Explicitly, individuals want tangible evidence they are making progress to help their job prospects, reaching milestones that are in line with their intended development track. The support L&D teams provide should help employees become proficient in their current role, as well as prepare them for the next one they may take on. Success can be measured in terms of how well a workforce is acquiring new skills and furthering existing ones. 

One size doesn’t fit all 

Determining the distinct requirements and attributes of each role within an organisation is vital, before assessing the most relevant skills for an individual to master. Most employers have a range of disparate functions requiring their own tailored approach, so it’s definitely not a case of one-size-fits-all. This involves L&D advisers gaining a deep understanding of every team and the aspirations of each individual. In conjunction with their line manager, this can be turned into a plan for learning that is not only relevant and valuable to the employee, but also interesting and pertinent.  

It’s important to consider a mix of training content appropriate both to the job and the individual. As an example, for technical teams, the focus may be on accreditations and certificates, but could also include soft skills such as teamwork, communication and time management. Whereas teams such as sales and customer service may benefit more from broadening their negotiation skills, combining face-to-face role-playing with online learning.  

The value of constructive feedback 

Creating a company culture that embraces feedback at all levels is critical for effective learning and development. Employees must feel comfortable asking for and receiving feedback from others, whether that’s peers, managers or other departments. It’s vital that leadership sets the tone by encouraging constructive input at all levels and stages of development. Giving positive feedback and highlighting areas for improvement in a safe, nurturing environment will pay dividends for both employee and employer. It creates a way of working and learning built on trust and two-way communication that promotes retention and loyalty, helping organisations plan for the future with a more stable and motivated workforce. 

Becky Wallace is Head of People at LearnUpon