How to create a successful learning and development strategy in 5 simple steps

Over the past few years we’ve been witness to dramatic change in the business landscape. The main reasons for this include the digital revolution (that has transformed all sectors), ever-increasing competition, and the emergence of a diverse, multigenerational workforce, with different expectations, skills and work styles.

All of these factors pose new challenges for companies, who have quickly learnt that adapting to change, embracing new technologies, and applying innovative solutions is key to remaining relevant and competitive. Learning and development (L&D) strategies play a fundamental role in this process, as they not only drive employees to develop new knowledge and skills, but crucially, also enable companies to survive and thrive in a volatile and unpredictable business environment.

Understanding the role of L&D

Learning and development (or L&D), is the division of HR responsible for managing employee development in a way that supports a company’s business priorities. What does this mean in practice? Well, one of its main functions is to provide employees with the skills, knowledge and resources they need to enhance their performance, take on new roles within the company, and grow professionally.

But this is not the only purpose of this department. L&D also takes care of other key processes such as attracting and retaining talent, fostering a culture of learning, developing a company’s reputation, and building its brand.

In order to achieve all of this, it’s vital to design and implement a learning and development strategy – one that supports both the professional growth of employees as well as the wider company. Next, we’ll fully examine the basic purpose of an L&D strategy, before exploring how to implement it.

The purpose of an L&D strategy

A learning and development strategy is a well-structured plan designed to improve the skills, competencies and knowledge of an organization’s employees. This isn’t simply about offering a handful of training courses, but rather forming a comprehensive plan to align the development needs of staff with the company’s strategic objectives.

The main purpose of the strategy is to close any skills gaps within the organization, ensuring that employees have the skills they need to perform their current and future roles. Additionally, it aims to create a synergy between these skills and the specific training programs that will help to develop them.

The benefits of a successful learning and development strategy

According to Gartner, organizations with clearly-defined L&D strategies are 46% more likely to be leaders in their respective industries. Through a successful training and development strategy, it becomes possible to enjoy a host of benefits for both employees and companies. Here, we take a look at these from both sides of the coin:

Benefits for employees

• Professional development: Employees gain the opportunity to improve their skills and knowledge, allowing them to further their careers and assume roles of greater responsibility.
• Increased confidence: Proper training increases employees’ confidence in their ability to perform tasks and overcome challenges. This improves their overall performance.
• Satisfaction and commitment: According to McKinsey, lifelong learning contributes to increased happiness. In the same vein, more professional development opportunities contribute to greater job satisfaction, and therefore greater commitment to a company.
• Flexibility and adaptability: Training programs help employees to become more flexible and adaptable, preparing them to face changes in the work environment, as well as the arrival of new technologies.
• An improved work environment: A focus on continuous development helps to nurture a more positive and collaborative work environment, allowing employees to feel valued and supported.

Benefits for companies

• Improved productivity: Well-trained employees tend to be more productive, efficient, and confident in providing innovative solutions to complex problems. Additionally, research suggests that companies who invest in developing leaders during times of transformation are 2.4 times more likely to achieve their performance goals.
• Greater talent retention: Organizations that actively invest in the development of their employees are more likely to retain talent, reducing costs associated with high employee turnover.
• Alignment with strategic objectives: A well-implemented L&D strategy ensures that employees’ skills and knowledge are properly aligned with their company’s objectives and needs.
• Sharper market competitiveness: The ability to respond quickly to changes, and continually innovate, gives companies a competitive advantage in the market.
• Helps to develop a culture of learning: Fostering a culture of continuous learning can drive creativity, collaboration and growth within the organization, helping to shape a more dynamic and proactive environment.

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What elements influence the direction of an L&D strategy?

Given the importance of learning and development strategies to the success of a company, it’s crucial to consider all the factors that can have an influence on their design, development and implementation. Two of the most important of these are strategic direction and operational factors. Let’s take a closer look:

Strategic direction

Strategic direction refers to the objectives and goals that guide an organization. These can be related to both internal and external issues, for example, business performance on one hand and market conditions on the other. Strategic objectives should always be closely aligned with the L&D strategy, to ensure that employee training and development contributes to the wider success of the company. Important factors to consider within strategic direction include:

• Organizational objectives: The learning and development strategy should support the organization’s long-term objectives, whether these are improving performance, driving innovation or improving the customer experience. For example, a company seeking to lead in the field of technological innovation could focus its training on new and emerging technologies, and agile approaches to using them.
• Vision and mission: A company’s vision and mission set the framework for its L&D strategy. For example, if a company’s mission is to become a leader in sustainability, then its L&D strategy should focus on developing sustainable skills practices, and building environmental knowledge.
• Alignment with priorities: It’s crucial that all L&D initiatives undertaken align with the needs and priorities of the company carrying them out. This ensures that resources are being used efficiently, and that training activities have a direct impact on the desired results.

Operational factors

Operational factors are the practical and logistical aspects that influence the implementation of any learning and development strategy. These can include:

• Skills gaps and workforce needs: Identifying skills gaps and understanding the specific learning needs of individual employees helps to focus L&D strategy on key development areas. For example, a company may discover that it needs to improve its employees’ data analysis skills in order to stay competitive in an information-driven market.
• Industry trends: Keeping on top of industry trends and emerging technologies is vital. Companies must identify which skills their employees will need in order to remain competitive and adapt to market changes.
• Budget and resources: The availability of both human and financial resources hugely influences the scope and implementation of a learning and development strategy. For example, a company with a limited budget might opt for online learning solutions instead of more expensive in-person training.
• Organizational culture: Company culture also plays a key role in a workforce’s acceptance of an L&D strategy, as well as its success. A culture that values continuous learning and fosters personal improvement will be a better environment for the implementation of learning and development programs.
• Technology and training tools: Choosing the right training platforms and tools is critical to the success of your L&D strategy. Technologies such as artificial intelligence and e-learning platforms can significantly improve the learning experience, as well as make it more accessible. For example, using artificial intelligence to generate subtitles or descriptions can make learning more inclusive for those with disabilities.

5 key steps to build an effective learning and development strategy

Learning and development teams must endeavor to opt for new L&D strategies that not only align with business objectives, but also motivate and meet the expectations of employees – who are increasingly looking for more from the companies they work with. Beginning with that approach, we explore the 5 fundamental steps to create your own effective learning and development strategy:

Step 1: Know where you are going

The first step to creating an effective learning and development strategy is to have a clear understanding of the direction in which your organization is headed. Based on its mission and vision, aim to establish clear, measurable objectives that align with company goals. With a well-defined direction, it becomes possible to design training programs that not only improve the skills of employees, but also directly contribute to the success of the organization’s strategic goals.

Step 2: Carry out an internal skills gap analysis

What is the best way to identify specific areas where employees need to focus their training efforts? A skills gap analysis. There are several ways to carry this out, including through surveys, performance reviews, and interviews with both managers and employees. Once you have identified any gaps, you can then set about designing training programs to address the issues and help improve your organization’s performance.

Step 3: Identify learning and development priorities

With skills gaps identified, it’s time to determine which are the most important, and prioritize them. This will involve evaluating the impact each has on business objectives, so you can decide which to address first in order to maximize return on investment.

Step 4: Create student profiles

Developing profiles of the employees who will participate in your L&D programs – based on their background, current skills, and learning styles – can help you customize training according to their individual needs and characteristics. Breaking training down in this way will result in training programs that are more relevant and meaningful to each individual – and therefore more effective.

Step 5: Know what success looks like

Defining what constitutes success is key to properly evaluating the effectiveness of your learning and development strategy. This will involve establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) and other assessment methods that allow you to measure the progress and impact of training programs.

You may also want to look at how well L&D initiatives are aligned with the company’s priorities, as well as whether these initiatives are stimulating change in employee behavior and performance. You could also establish results-based metrics, such as individual performance, team effectiveness, internal process improvement, and even employee engagement.

CASE STUDY

How Puerto de Cartagena improved its training and engagement strategy

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Trending L&D strategies: examples

Once you’ve completed the steps above, you’ll be ready to design your learning and development strategy. At this stage don’t forget that, because the L&D landscape is constantly evolving, it’s vital to keep on top of the latest trends in training and development. Below, we share some of the most important current trends, so you can choose the one that best suits you:

• Learning during workflow

Learning during the flow of work is fast becoming standard practice in modern companies. Integrating learning into employees’ daily activities allows training to be taken not as an interruption, but simply a normal part of their routine. Training and communication apps, as well as microlearning modules, play a key role here, as they help to make educational content available whenever and wherever it is needed.

• Taking advantage of innovative technologies

The use of innovative technology can radically transform employee training and development. Collaborative e-learning platforms give employees access to online courses and resources anytime, anywhere, encouraging autonomous learning. Learning management systems (LMS) also help to organize and track training progress, providing instructors with valuable data to measure the effectiveness of programs.

• 70-20-10 Training Strategies

The 70-20-10 learning strategy is built on the idea that 70% of learning should come directly from work experiences, 20% from social interactions, and 10% from formal training. Implementing this strategy can help to make training more effective and relevant to employees.

By focusing on work experience, employees learn directly in the workplace, applying and refining their skills to real-world situations. Social interactions, such as coaching, mentoring, and peer feedback, provide valuable learning opportunities through observation and collaboration. Finally, formal training, although it represents only 10% of this methodology, is crucial to providing a solid and structured theoretical foundation.

• Methodologies inspired by startups

Startups are known for their agility, innovation, and focus on rapid growth, which can serve as an inspiration for the development of new training and development strategies. Adopting agile training methodologies, such as continuous feedback and interaction, can help create dynamic programs that are more responsive to the changing needs of both employees and the wider organization.

Fostering a culture of continuous learning and experimentation, where employees feel motivated to learn and try new things, can also lead to faster, more effective development.

The role of e-learning platforms in learning and development strategies

E-learning platforms play a crucial role in implementing L&D strategies, providing flexible access to training resources and stimulating self-directed learning. According to McKinsey, companies that use e-learning platforms effectively benefit from a 25% increase in knowledge retention. So what are these platforms?

• Learning management systems (LMS): An LMS is a platform that allows organizations to deliver and manage online training programs. They offer a range of features, from publishing content to tracking employee progress.
• Social learning platforms: These platforms focus on collaborative and social learning, encouraging employees to share knowledge and resources with one another.
• Authoring tools: Used to create, manage, and deliver educational content, these are ideal for organizations seeking to develop their own training content.
• Microlearning platforms: Microlearning works by providing small ‘doses’ of educational content, breaking knowledge down and making learning easier within the daily workflow.
• MOOC platforms: These allow employees to access high-quality courses offered by renowned international universities and organizations.
• Mobile learning platforms: Platforms designed for use on mobile devices, allowing employees to learn at any time, in any location.

Exploring the various e-learning platform options available to you can help create a training and development strategy fully adapted to the needs of your employees. So, do you want to take your training and development strategy to the next level? Then we invite you to discover isEazy’s wide range of e-learning solutions. With our incredible software, that’s quick to configure and easy to use, we make it easy for you to solve any training need. Contact us today and discover an end-to-end experience for your corporate training.