Learning and development have gained much traction in the past couple of years. Mobilizing the workforce from office spaces to homes means that upskilling, reskilling, and multitasking have become critical in staying competitive.
With the rapid digitization and data analysis, organizations can better understand and predict the behavior of learners and measure learning outcomes of L&D training programs.
“Our people are not only employees; they are valuable team members. There is no doubt that our employee-centric culture drives our company’s success.”
- Brandy (Rosner) Zimmerman, Vice President of People Operations at TaskUs
2022 will see more organizations taking an employee-centric approach with a focus on competencies rather than qualifications. They will move away from traditional classroom learning to more blended learning classrooms with an emphasis on contextualized interactions.
So what are some of the
learning and development trends that you must keep up with?
Micro-learning
Microlearning is a concept that has been around for quite some time now. It is also a great way to maximize learning by training learners in the most immediate and relevant material.
The idea is to teach employees periodically what they need to know instead of training them the whole module at once. People take in information better when it’s broken into small chunks that are easy to digest. Some of the most compelling benefits of microlearning are:
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The opportunity for learners to revisit content as needed
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Self-paced learning in a digestible format
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Ability to track the number of sessions required to learn a particular set of skills
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The ability for organizations to measure retention and Return on Investment (ROI)
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Creating bite-sized learning modules that address the most urgent skill gaps in an organization is the route many forward-looking HR teams will be taking in 2022.
Customized Upskilling
One of the most needed learnings and development trends. Customized upskilling is the process of adjusting training to individual needs. It can be done through one-on-one meetings with an expert, or by providing online resources tailored for the person’s needs. When organizations consider what type of upskilling they want to do, they should consider three factors: whether the learner has the necessary skill set, whether they have time for training, and whether they have motivation. Customized upskilling is becoming more popular as it allows companies to keep their employees engaged and trained in their skillsets. As technology advances, this will be an essential part of workplace
Incentivized Learning
In the past, organizations needed to design courses and lessons for learners to follow manually. But now, with incentivized learning, they no longer need to plan individual steps- students can decide for themselves what they want to learn and then get rewarded for their effort. Incentivized learning is a reward-based system that motivates employees through incentives. It is used in an e-learning setting, and it has shown excellent results in many companies. It is important to note that while incentivized learning can show outstanding results in the workplace, it may not be suitable for other settings such as schools or universities where incentivizing could damage other aspects of education such as socialization or creativity.
Integrated Learning Ecosystems
By 2022, the need for an organizational-wide integrated learning ecosystem will have increased. Integrated learning ecosystems are created when different systems are designed to work in tandem with one another. One example is utilizing a Learning Management System (LMS) system in conjunction with an
HR management software and a business intelligence application. These systems must be capable of working together and providing the best experience for the end-user. Learning and Development are becoming increasingly important in HR. This integration of tools ensures organizations have a 360-degree view of their employees’ skillsets and how they can improve on them.
Social Learning
More organizations are beginning to adopt the idea of social learning, or collaborative learning, as a way to keep employees engaged and up-to-date. Social learning is seen as more effective than traditional forms of training because it allows people to learn from each other interactively. This is also more cost-effective for companies because they can help their employees learn on their own time and their terms. As organizations look for new ways to train their staff and stay competitive, social learning is taking precedence over other forms of learning. In addition to promoting lifelong learning, it cultivated interdepartmental collaboration and allowed employees to share ideas and learn about each other's workflows.
Gamifying the Learning Process
Gamification of learning uses AI to incorporate game-like elements to engage learners more entertainingly. It can be done through webinars, ebooks, videos, etc. The growth of gamification in the workplace has been fueled by mobile gaming, collaborative social games, and so much more. These games have created a culture of gamification that employees embrace as an essential part of learning and upskilling. Today the field of AI gamification has grown tremendously and has become vital for an organization’s learning and development strategy. It has proven to be a fun and effective way to enhance
people’s engagement with learning content.
Letting L&D Outgrow HR
Learning and Development are becoming increasingly important in HR. The integration of tools, gamification of learning, and enhancing learning methods in line with new tech are in focus because organizations want to stay ahead of the curve and empower their employees with better training and career progressions. However, the latest trends also indicate that development training may just be outgrowing HR. C-suite leaders are encouraging the growth of dedicated L&D departments. A two-way exchange between senior leaders and L&D teams is shaping decision-making as well. This is a significant development as HR will play a supervisory role and dedicate resources to more strategic HR management.
To Reiterate
The future of learning and development centers on an entirely new approach. Traditional e-learning courses are becoming less popular as employees are getting more demanding. Instead, they want something that can be delivered on their own time, in a personalized way with little or no interaction with the outside world. The traditional world of learning and development is evolving to offer employees more flexibility, personalization, and support. HR teams must keep up with these significant trends in learning and development.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has L&D become so important in 2022?
Employees are not just assets for companies anymore - they are the company itself. Therefore, the future of organizations depends on how effectively they can nurture their workforce.
What are some of the L&D tools that organizations use?
Learning and development tools come in different shapes and forms. For example, there are psychological tests, personality tests, skills assessments, learning management systems (LMS), virtual reality (VR) simulators, gamification tools like achievement points for completing specific tasks like reading books or taking online courses.