What's Wrong With L&D In Present Times?
What is the reason behind organizations not employing the trending, requisite technology and strategies in their workplace even though they see evidence of the advantages they could provide them? The problems can be summarized into 4 points, which are as follows:
- Employees find it hard to make time for lengthy eLearning courses or classroom training. Even when technology is introduced in the fray and employees get webinars delivered to their computers, they find it hard to squeeze time between work and life.
- Organizations, as well as employees, view Learning and Development as an optional activity, which, although considered a desirable and advantageous thing to have, is not considered a part of work experience. Continuous learning isn’t a part of everyone’s mindset.
- Organizations are not too proactive in identifying their future skill requirements or assessing the capabilities of their existing workforce. As a result, they are a bit iffy when it comes to investing too much time, effort or money in the latest L&D technology and strategies.
- Organizations have been using traditional learning methodologies for such a long time that they are hesitant to adopt newer digital learning methodologies, and are unable to understand why older strategies don’t work anymore. Without the modern tools, tactics or strategies required to pivot employee focus and foster agile, personalized skill development, their L&D has stagnated.
What Can Be Done?
Well, primarily what corporate organizations must do is embrace modern digital learning strategies and methods. This change must be led by their L&D managers, and they must learn to make a case to the stakeholders as to why they need to digitally transform their L&D program. Without an L&D leader to lead the change in every organization, there is little that can be done to improve the L&D situation in corporate organizations. Let us now focus on each of the above-mentioned problem points and discuss how they can be solved.
1. Use Mobile Microlearning
For those employees that find it hard to make time for L&D, mobile microlearning seems like the best option. Mobile microlearning consists of 5-minute learning bits that can be consumed by learners on their smartphones, whenever and wherever they want. No more excuses about not being able to find the time.
2. Constantly Upgrade Skills And Knowledge
L&D managers in organizations need to create awareness in their respective organizations about how L&D is not an optional activity, but an essential part of every organization. And not just that, if employees do not keep upgrading their skills and knowledge, there will soon come a time when their skills will become obsolete, and they’ll be left without a job.
3. Predict Future Needs
Once again, it is the L&D managers who are responsible for making the stakeholders aware of the importance of identifying the skills they’ll require in the future, as there are volatile times ahead where multi-skilled and fast-learning employees will be required. Thus, they must invest in building a modern digital learning program to continuously assess present skills and develop new skills and knowledge in employees.
4. Explain The Benefits Of Modern Tools
Further, L&D managers also need to explain to shareholders why traditional learning methods such as classroom training don’t work anymore, and show them studies and reports corroborating their statements. They need to explain why having a stagnant L&D strategy is damaging and harmful for the organization and that investing in modern tools, tactics or strategies is an essential requirement for survival and growth.
Leading digital transformation in an organization isn’t easy and will likely require long shifts, as well as a lot of focus and effort from the L&D team. Although stakeholders are slowly realizing that ongoing skill development is a requirement in the modern workplace, the much-needed push will have to come from the L&D managers.