Building a learning and development plan for post-Covid success
The events of the past six months have been undeniably testing for many businesses but as leaders adapt and adjust to new ways of working, it’s vital that employee learning and development doesn’t take a backseat.
This is a time when many organisations will be evaluating the changing needs of both clients and employees and as they look to recover and reshape in a post-Covid environment, investing in employee growth will be critical to their success and competitive edge.
A well-thought through Learning and Development strategy has the power to foster new ways of thinking, drive innovation and creativity and better prepare employees to overcome the challenges that this unprecedented period will undoubtedly give rise to.
Empower and engage employees
Professional growth and development have long been a core motivator for many of us at work, with LinkedIn’s 2018 Workforce Learning Report finding that 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if they were given the opportunity to invest in their career.
Organisations that invest in their people make them feel valued and integral to the business and this will be particularly important in a post-Covid workplace. The crisis has impacted people both personally and professionally on a level that would have been previously unimaginable and has led many of us to question our sense of purpose and achievement.
Interestingly, the search for online courses soared by 192% between February and March, while time spent on LinkedIn learning content increased by 73% in March alone, as people adapted to their changing circumstances. According to LinkedIn, three times as many people watched stress management courses in March compared to the previous month, while the most popular course focused on leveraging the connection between wellbeing and productivity.
Yet, despite this, a large number of businesses continue to overlook the importance of investing in their employees’ development. Research from Allica Bank found that nearly half (46%) of small businesses only provide training for employees once a year or less, while a separate report by LinkedIn revealed that only a quarter (27%) of CEOs actively champion learning.
Some businesses may see it as an added expense or low down the priority list during what is an already financially turbulent time but as with any investment, leaders must ask themselves whether they can afford not to have a Learning and Development programme in place. All industries are undergoing change as a result of Covid-19, so embracing a culture of continuous learning and empowering employees with greater skills, knowledge, confidence and motivation will help future-proof the business.
Finding the right programme for you
JourneyHR recently partnered with Allica Bank to produce a webinar around the importance of regular training and help break down some of the reservations that companies may still have. The key to success is understanding the right programme to benefit the overall business strategy and not offer training for training’s sake.
For a culture of learning and development to build, there needs to be buy-in from leaders so it’s important they revisit the business goals and consider what they want to achieve. Will the investment into training staff lead to new business opportunities? Is the business looking to venture into new revenue streams? Or are training opportunities created to reduce turnover by engaging employees in their development? This purpose should be communicated to employees. If everyone understands the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’, it will encourage them to get on board and feel more motivated and engaged within the business.
Leaders should also be open to embracing different ways of learning. With more people working from home than ever before, competences such as software skills and time management are likely to be in greater demand. Equally beneficial to organisations as they navigate their way through this ‘new normal’ will be soft skills, equipping managers with the right training to improve communication or motivate their teams while working remotely.
Another key area that can be really useful for all employees right across the business is mental health training. While headlines have been dominated by the physical effects of the pandemic, we must not forget that it has also had a huge impact on our mental wellbeing and it’s therefore vital that businesses, big and small, take steps to protect the wellbeing of their employees.
Fortunately, the last few years have seen an abundance of different approaches beyond the traditional training sessions which means there are lots of engaging methods to suit individual learning styles. These include online self-learning courses, podcasts, webinars and TED talks.
It’s also worth considering the skills within the business - who are the go-to experts for certain tasks? Putting together a list of ‘internal champions’ to provide training to their colleagues can be a great way for people to gain extra skills without needing to dive into the Learning and Development budget every time someone needs training and can be helpful to build even stronger relationships internally.
Measuring results
Whichever method leaders decide upon, businesses need to make sure the learning opportunities are readily available and accessible for employees. It can become easy for leaders to feel they are responsible for everyone’s development, but employees should be encouraged to take ownership of their own learning and create a culture where everyone understands and champions their own personal growth.
In practical terms this means placing value on learning – asking people to share what they’ve learnt that week in team meetings, sharing feedback around performance on a regular basis and rewarding those who put effort into their development.
Any investment by the business should be measured and leaders can do this by ensuring that the content people are learning can be easily applied in the workplace and regularly looking at the resulting behaviour change and performance improvement in employees.
Ultimately, a Learning and Development programme is not a box-ticking exercise, it’s about creating an culture that encourages and supports continuous learning and development to motivate and engage employees, attract new talent and place the business in the best possible position to capitalise on new opportunities in a changing world.
“94% of employees would stay at a company longer if they were given the opportunity to invest in their career”