Learning transformation: Steps L&D can take for a resilient workforce of the future

In the new corporate landscape dominated by remote and hybrid work, L&D teams are facing challenges in terms of constant upskilling, budget constraints, and catering to a digital workforce.

This is the time to focus on helping employees develop new age skills’ centred around content curation, personalized learning, knowledge sharing and collaboration to enhance the learning and development process.

Future of work at our doorstep

While the pandemic accelerated the transition to the future of work, businesses have been forced to undergo digital transformation rapidly. Amidst such disruptions, it is upto L&D to upskill employees, especially on the virtual system of working, as quickly as possible.

There is also an urgent need to ensure that the workforce is well accustomed to emerging trends like Artificial Intelligence(AI) and Machine Learning (ML) which are revolutionizing the ways of working. With all these changes on the path to the future of work, it is now imperative for L&D to undertake constant strategic upskilling and reskilling initiatives to build a resilient workforce for the future.  

Let’s deep dive into the steps that can be followed in the training and development process to ensure that employees are future-proofed:

# Implement Virtual Learning

It’s an understatement to say that virtual learning has become a very dominant norm in the new normal. According to the Deloitte and National HRD Network(NHRDN) report titled ‘Future of learning in the wake of COVID-19’, organizations have said that virtual learning will constitute at least 40 percent of the formal learning structure, with some even expecting this figure to reach as high as 90 percent. Josh Bersin Academy reports that there has been an increase in the consumption of online learning in most organizations.

Bottom line is: to be successful in the new normal, it is necessary that every employee is comfortable playing in the new digital sandbox. Even for those who are digital natives, making efforts for improving digital fluency is a must. Of course, not all technologies may be relevant to a particular business, so it is important for L&D to identify the emerging digital technologies.

# Leverage Content Curation

This is the time to consider an AI-powered learning platform that has the ability to analyze and curate all the content in order to ensure that the right recommendations are made to a particular learner. AI-powered platforms automatically put content that is relevant to the learner in front of him or her, in the process filtering the unnecessary ones. Such platforms also have a proper understanding of various aspects like needs or the learners, their roles, industries etc. on which they create and curate the appropriate style of learning course with the help of historical results.

# Harness the power of Personalized Learning

At a time when personalization has become an integral part of daily life, L&D too can benefit immensely by adding personalization in the learning experiences. They can provide a personalized learning experience through the LMS or LXP to re-engage workers, irrespective of their locations during this time of remote/hybrid working.

Employees appreciate learning that is specifically tailored to their needs, interests and goals. They also find such kind of learning more relevant and useful because it engages them better and helps them improve their daily work experiences.

# Focus on Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration.

This is the time to hone digital platforms and encourage knowledge sharing at every level in the workforce. Employees need to have the opportunity to share the lessons they learnt and their insights with their peers through a common platform of knowledge and best practices. Besides, in this stressful remote work landscape, they can benefit a lot by interacting with their colleagues in an informal environment.

Many LMSs have components that can be leveraged as a collaborative knowledge base. L&D can use these tools to harness the power of social learning and knowledge sharing while fostering a culture of sharing.

In conclusion

Even as remote working and virtual learning are here to stay, L&D needs to design learning strategies to build a resilient, intelligent, and empathetic workforce. Moving forward, L&D will have to look at a learning ecosystem that makes the best use of technology to provide anytime-anywhere learning as they lead the workforce of the future.