Although we would all rather not hear about the pandemic again, it’s important to address the lasting impact it has had on the Learning and Development sector. Covid-19 forced a large portion of the working world to adapt to remote working as the ‘norm’. Although all restrictions were lifted, they certainly left a mark on the workplace, and we can safely say that it will likely never be the same again.
The sudden call for us to adjust to home offices and learn new technological systems overnight has led us into a new world of work, with high digital demands, a hybrid working environment, and a culture that relies on online communication. This has had a significant impact on both skills development within organisations, and also learners who are entering the working world for the first time.
It is critical that L&D responds to these new and lasting trends with opportunity in mind.
Why is Learning and Development Critical in the New Working World?
Although skills development isn’t often top-of-mind amongst the many challenges that the pandemic left behind, I would go as far as to say that putting L&D strategies in place is essential to solving these challenges and driving the success of organisations.
There are two new objectives that L&D teams should be setting their sights on:
- Providing solutions that allow teams to learn without disrupting work-flow.
- Providing organisations with tools that encourage skills development in a remote working environment.
L&D teams must focus on equipping learners with tools that set them up for success in a changing work environment. This will ultimately result in improved productivity and morale.
What Are the Learning and Development Trends for 2023?
Reviewing L&D going into the new year, many trends have evolved from 2022 and continue to carry through into 2023. Here are a couple of trends that I want to highlight:
Microlearning
I am a strong believer that smaller, bite-sized lessons have a more effective impact on learners than lengthy, drawn-out lessons that challenge concentration. Looking at the top trends for 2023, it seems that most L&D teams seem to agree.
Microlearning has become an incredibly popular method of delivering training and development in the workplace. Although it increases the number of lessons delivered, it reduces their individual length and makes it easier for staff to adjust their learning into a flexible and accommodating routine.
Digital Learning
Making learning accessible across multiple devices is critical in today’s world. The pandemic forced L&D to make training available online, and it proved to be a more effective delivery solution than before.
This shift became the catalyst for most L&D trends that have followed. Businesses need to continue to digitalise their operations, including skills development.
Shared Learning
Remote and hybrid working has led employees to experience more individual and unique learning journeys. It is, however, important that staff practice shared learning so that solutions can be spread amongst the team. It is unlikely that a problem that one employee comes across won’t be a problem that other employees face in the future.
Collaboration through online platforms is a positive trend we are seeing going into 2023. Businesses are encouraging teams to share their learning experiences through videos, narratives, scenarios and other creative methods, with the intention that teams continue to grow together.
Data-Centric Learning
More and more, I see businesses seeking out numbers and tangible results that prove ROI, and quite frankly, I feel this is a great move forward. Collecting learning and performance data to assess growth is a key trend going into 2023.
We need to analyse each individual learner’s development so that we can create unique learning journeys that are shaped into specialised and personalised learning approaches.
Learning Management Systems
Businesses who have yet to adopt LMS’s for skills development are likely to drastically fall behind. LMS has been the foundation of the transformation to learning digitisation that makes planning, delivery, management, data collection and employee engagement possible.
We are starting to see Human Resources take the opportunity to use their LMS’s to assess employees’ individual performances, gaining insight into where there may be potential for leadership. This allows HR to map career development based on valuable data.
To wrap up this year, I can truly say that it has been a great one for the L&D sector, and I believe that we can expect a prosperous year to come. If you aren’t feeling fully prepared to stay ahead of skills development trends going into 2023, be assured that we are. Contact Summit today and let’s get your team ready to kick off the year strong!