Despite the market constantly changing, organisations have not allowed the pandemic to press pause on learning and development programs. And I believe that learning and development holds the key to building a future-ready organisational culture that thrives on agility, automation and innovation.
In fact, up-skilling has been a primary focus for a wide range of learning initiatives that organisations have undertaken for their employees. In the not-so-distant learning and development (L&D) future, employee development, including well-being, will become critical functions.
Agile Learning Is Here To Stay
L&D will need to undergo a significant revamp in order to design and drive a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) approach to learning. For example, given the current scenario, group learning sessions might become less significant, thereby making way for a LIY (Learn-It-Yourself) approach to address core functional capabilities. Designing and driving L&D for employees will require a prominent focus on digital literacy across functions. Technology is here to stay and one way or another, organisations need to up-skill their employees who are not particularly ‘tech-savvy’ in order ensure proficiency, productivity and continuous development. The best way to optimize this process is to have a digital strategy head who examines the entire learning journey of an employee from point A to point Z.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning are taking precedence over traditional learning platforms, leading to increased agility and automation. On the plus side, learners will have access to ‘instant’ support and personalized experiences that are tailored to meet their needs.
Optimizing learning management systems for content creation is the next step towards building sustainable L&D platforms. In my opinion, L&D will embody not only the culture of an organisation but also take create technologically advanced learning experiences across devices, apps and platforms. With learning becoming even more decentralized, workplace learning will become a part and parcel of an employee’s workday and not just something that they do sporadically. As a matter of fact, since the Godrej Housing Finance Sales team is constantly on the go, they can access bite-sized learning at the drop of hat when they engage with the Any Time Learning App on their tablets. Any Time Learning is part of our Learning Management System to up-skill employees internally and enhance their e-learning journey.
Now, while L&D has always had a fairly decent hold on digital learning, the pandemic has forced organisations to accelerate learning to implement vital growth strategies in order to expand their pool of potential talent beyond local geographies.
What does the future of L&D look like?
Did you know that 70% of information is lost in 24 hours and 90 percent within a week!
It is imperative that learning practices need to evolve in such a way that information becomes accessible to employees in bite-sized formats so that they can absorb content even without having to complete a full e-learning course. The fact of the matter is that the new generation is looking for slick content that they can learn from and adapt to their own needs. Traditional learning program are on their way out and the ideology of “work to learn” instead of “learn to work” is what will drive L&D teams to provide consistent up-skilling and reskilling opportunities for employees across the board.
With a majority of teams working from home, it is up to the L&D function within an organization to guarantee quality learning opportunities in less time-consuming formats. And we are no exception. Every quarter, we arrange a ‘Manager’s Check-In’ with the sole purpose of catching up with team members to discuss feedback on our leadership development framework -Godrej Capability Factors. Since this is not goal-oriented, it helps us align employees with the Godrej Capability Factors (GCFs) framework across 3 pillars – Leading Self, Leading Others and Leading Business. These help define the critical capabilities and expected behaviors for employees at different levels of the organization.
The Digitalization of Learning and Development
Appealing to the next generation of learners will involve using gamification, leadership training, virtual scavenger hunts, flexible scheduling and a mobile-friendly focus. The ultimate in L&D convenience rests with automation, technology and bite-sized learning that increases retention.
But it is important to note that the buck doesn’t stop just with the L&D teams. In fact, they are also relying on leaders to provide continual reinforcement through relevant communication before, during and even after programs take place. In order to promote knowledge retention for employees even while working from home, learning needs to be empathetic, experiential and active. Information needs to be explained through relevant examples and in multiple formats. In organisations that are leading the way with learning and development, managers are actively involved in the learning process. They influence experiences, promote learning and identify areas that need attention. For example, at Godrej Housing Finance, our continuous aim is to create a learning space where the focus is on building employee’s capabilities. Our leadership development framework engages with every single member of the team, right from the executive level to the CEO level. I would encourage other organisations to adopt this style of leadership development because it has a positive impact on an employee’s growth, right from the day they join a company.
Frankly speaking, it is no surprise that L&D is quickly becoming one of the most essential departments within an organization.
Ruhie Pande 