The growing emphasis on corporate growth and development and the prerequisite to meet organizational objectives is creating a pressing need to employ specialized L&D talent immediately.
While the right resources are available globally, hiring or retaining a learning and development team can become challenging. A report by PWC states that 77% of executives feel that recruiting and retaining the workforce is the most vital growth driver in 2022. Is there a way to bridge the skill gap and find the right L&D resources? The answer lies in the Talent-As-A-Service or TaaS model, which is quickly becoming the go-to strategy for successful firms across the globe. Through this model, a company can connect with instructional designers, facilitators, learning administrators, digital course designers, or managers to ramp up L&D initiatives across the organization. Here’s how companies can future-proof their L&D teams while accomplishing business goals.
Access on-demand experts
One of the critical lessons the pandemic has taught us is to be prepared for the unexpected. Companies must embrace a flexible L&D team structure that can accommodate quick changes according to business requirements. The TaaS model allows businesses to get training initiatives off the ground as it allows unlimited access to a go-to workforce with specialized skills. Further, recruiters are not limited to local L&D resources as digital learning has opened up the niche to include talent from different quarters of the world. Therefore, employees can benefit from expert training without being restricted to the classroom.
Accept a new mindset
Changing business landscapes have altered the future of L&D in more ways than one. For instance, in addition to goals such as compliance and performance, companies need to focus their initiatives on resilience, adaptability, inclusion, agility, culture, innovation, and sustainability. In order words, there needs to be a shift from merely focussing on workforce ‘readiness.’ Today, employees have greater expectations from employers. An impactful learning strategy can help meet these expectations when coupled with other industry-best business practices.
Embrace a blended model of learning
While there is no doubt that technology has transformed the L&D space, successful firms know that even the best things in life need to be used in the right measure. Adapting a singular focus or strategy can be dangerous as it can lead to lopsided results. On the other hand, an experienced learning and development team will take the time to understand and create customized learning initiatives geared to benefit each unique learner. For instance, specific learners may prefer a more personalized approach with virtual classes, while others may prefer a group setting with hands-on activities and instant rewards.
Get the best return on investment
Thanks to technology, scalability has become easier to achieve, and it helps companies keep tabs on their training budget. However, the future of L&D doesn’t lie in just churning out inexpensive and poorly curated online content; it lies in creating high-quality, industry-specific, and modular content that learners can access at their own pace and in their preferred format. Further, the best returns on investment happen when content is regularly updated in line with changing trends, so learners are exposed to relevant material and don’t fall prey to digital fatigue. Monotonous content presented to disinterested learners could do more damage than good. At the same time, intelligently-curated content creates day-to-day improvements that can enhance organizational productivity.
Create a culture of learning
Investing in L&D also means analyzing whether there is organization-wide improvement and willingness to change. This can only happen when learning is collaborative and proactive. A workplace learning report by LinkedIn Learning reveals that 74% agree that L&D strategies have become more cross-functional. Therefore, this may require flipping the existing L&D team structure on its head and changing its framework. Are teams ready to take on new responsibilities at short notice? Do they view L&D as a hurdle or as an opportunity for growth? Does the management support or oppose new initiatives? Answers to these questions will provide insights into a company’s preparedness to execute timely programs.
Creating a flexible and scalable L&D team may require changes to the existing system. Still, the long-term benefits can significantly impact the effectiveness of training programs and their acceptability across the company.
