Corporate Learning Predictions For 2022

Corporate Learning Predictions For 2022
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Summary: Corporate Learning and Development in 2022 will be all about engaging and retaining employees in a way that suits their individual lifestyles.

People-First Strategies

The world changed rapidly over the last two years. Since 2019, we have seen significant shifts in how we live and work. While it’s safe to say we all hope that 2022 will be a slower, less volatile year, I believe we will continue to see rapid growth and changes in various elements of our everyday lives.

One of the most significant changes I foresee in the next year is a shift toward more understanding, empathetic, and compassionate leadership in the workplace. The pandemic forced leaders to reevaluate how they see their employees, how they understand their team members’ needs, and how the company should support its people.

The future of work will rest on leaders’ abilities to merge the businesses' development goals with the businesses' cultural goals. Company leaders can no longer afford to view their team members as cogs on the wheels of corporate production. Every member of a corporate team must be seen as an individual person with individual needs, who participates in a work environment but who also has a life outside of work.

As the CEO of a company I co-founded, I know this is a radical shift. It is easy for leaders to focus on production rates and the bottom line without considering the cultural aspects of running a business and how these affect your team every day. But we must make this change because it is the only way to build a future for our companies.

To me, corporate learning is impacted by workplace culture. This is why my predictions for the corporate learning world in 2022 correspond to a set of cultural values that center around this concept of more empathetic leadership. My main trend prediction for corporate learning in 2022 is that it will become more focused on the employee, and this will transform how we work.

3 Predictions About The Corporate Learning World In 2022

1. Learning Will Be Flexible And Personalized

I believe the future of work will be location-independent, meaning that we will only see more and more instances of hybrid and remote work styles. Thanks to the major shifts in the last year, companies and employees are less tied to geographic locations. We’ve begun to think about work through the lens of location independence, and this will only continue to increase.

That said, if we are less likely to be in the office, we have a new set of challenges to address. With location-independent work, we need more flexible digital tools. In the corporate learning world, we need digital Learning Management System (LMS) platforms that can operate from a desktop or mobile device, online or offline, and with synchronous and asynchronous course content. Learning Management Systems should meet the needs of the employees using the tools, and this means that they must be flexible and adaptable in 2022.

One way to prioritize flexibility and adaptability is to develop a Learning Management System that will function offline or online, on a web browser or within an app, and on mobile and desktop devices. That means that an employee who works from home could also complete a training course while they are in the waiting room for an appointment or on a train ride to or from another commitment.

Alongside flexibility, corporate learning will be more personalized in 2022. Artificial Intelligence and machine learning are more sophisticated and provide an integrated, easy-to-use way for training managers to engage learners with courses that fit their needs and interests. For example, within an LMS platform, learners could receive personalized course recommendations based on their unique job title, their interests (as learned by the AI), and the courses that their peers are taking. Personalization is more attainable and practical when technology like Artificial Intelligence is integrated into the learning platform.

2. Training, Learning, And Upskilling Will Help Us Future-Proof Our Companies

Training is an essential component of the onboarding process. Learning is a vital tool to keep employees up to date on certifications or industry standards. Upskilling is an asset company leaders can offer to boost retention rates and encourage engagement. In 2022, I believe leaders will start to see how corporate Learning and Development can help us future-proof our companies. Few companies were prepared for the pandemic, largely because they lacked adequate or functional digital tools. It’s safe to say that very few leaders want to be in that position again.

That’s why I believe we will see a resurgence in focus on Learning and Development strategies in 2022—it’s become an essential element of a healthy workplace. With this in mind, companies must prioritize their L&D budgets at the beginning of the year so that they are equipped with the right tools and resources to manage learning needs.

We’ll hear more about the term "upskilling" as the year progresses. While some leading researchers, like McKinsey, have covered the topic of upskilling in the last year, we will see this idea become more widely accepted and valued. Companies will devote time, effort, and dollars to developing engaging courses and training initiatives to help their employees explore their careers, expand their knowledge, and upskill within their industry.

3. Training Will Be Data-Driven

No corporate initiative survives without data to back it up—you simply won’t get the funding that you are hoping to receive without data to prove why it’s important. In 2022, as companies invest more dollars in their Learning and Development spending, we will see an increase in the value of data-driven technology. This does not mean high-level, overview-type data. We will see a greater value for highly detailed, specific, and insightful data points. Companies will want regular reports on compliance, course completion, and insights into the types of content that their employees, partners, and customers are choosing to engage with.

Companies will spend more on Learning and Development in terms of finances, and they will spend more time on L&D projects as well. It naturally follows that they’ll put more effort into measuring the success of their programs. For Learning and Development managers, it will be essential to track the progress of each team member. Invest in an LMS platform that provides actionable insights into learning progression.

Learning and Development are critical to the success of businesses in the next year. This sector of business will help companies embrace this new priority of compassionate leadership because they are creating new ways to engage with their employees, show them value, and support their careers. We will continue to see the value of Learning and Development grow beyond 2022 because it has become a critical component of employee engagement. As corporate leaders accept more socially responsible management styles—leadership that treats every employee as an individual, not a cog in the wheel—an investment in Learning and Development is a practical way to show team members that the company is committed to their growth and their success. Learning and Development trends in 2022 will lead us closer to a responsible, compassionate, engaged, and proactive workforce.