Top 5 Trends in Workforce Learning and Development
Summary
This article shows the emerging trends shaping workforce learning and development, highlighting the growing importance of technology, personalization, and continuous learning in driving employee engagement and business success.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
The adoption of digitalization and the aftermath of the COVID pandemic have forced businesses across industries to rethink their priorities towards workforce Learning and Development.
These factors not only necessitated the need for digital technology implementation but also boosted the shift to hybrid or remote work models. This has impacted the workforce and their ability to excel and led several businesses to losses while enhancing the need for upskilling through training.
It has thus become critical for businesses to harness their proven skills and stay relevant in this emerging landscape. Organizations must be equipped with trending skills to stay ahead of the curve in such a dynamic marketplace.
For businesses to be prepared for the upcoming job market, their employees should be well-versed in the latest trends in workforce learning and development to stand out in today’s challenging and unpredictable times.
Against this backdrop, what should we expect to see from learning and development trends in 2022? Let’s examine the 5 trends to look out for.
Top 5 Learning and Development Trends in 2022
1. Design Training for a Hybrid Workforce
The COVID pandemic led to the emergence of the remote workforce. The number of employees working from home is now higher than ever.
The first workforce learning and development trend that businesses should thus consider is the training design for the remote work or hybrid workforce.
In 2022, we will see more and more people developing and learning skills to get a remote position and leverage its advantages. This is happening both externally and internally.
A study found that 30% of employees regarded themselves as a hybrid workforce, whereas 35% of employees worked remotely. This percentage is sure to rise in the future.
This trend can be a major challenge in delivering knowledge due to several issues, such as device or platform compatibility, employee distraction, and internet connectivity. It has inspired developers to develop digital tools such as Zoom or Google Meetings for a streamlined process.
2. Upskilling and Reskilling for the Digital Workplace
There is no doubt that technology is evolving faster than ever. Developing future-focused skills should thus be the top priority of all businesses. Another trend that organizations should concentrate on is reskilling and upskilling for the digital workspace.
Due to the pandemic, many businesses have experienced the “Great Resignation” phenomenon, as companies could not get the needed talent through the doors. Employees want a handsome salary, flexibility, more benefits, and more career investment.
In the past few years, we have also seen the digital transformation boom due to the effect of 4.0 technology. Businesses need to reskill their current workforce to integrate digital tools and processes.
Upskilling and reskilling is the process that involves unlocking the full potential of employees:
- Reskilling: It is the process of learning a new skill to switch to a new job role. Reskilling is an effective method that helps businesses restructure while holding on to the current talent.
- Upskilling: It is the process of improving the existing skills of employees. Upskilling involves leadership training, with most companies aiming to promote within. It allows businesses to bring more value to their position and prepare them for a promotion.
Since employees value learning at par along with any other benefits components, businesses need to shift their focus to providing a better library of courses to enhance their employees’ skills.
With this, organizations can build a highly-skilled talent pool ready to take their business to greater heights. Further, reskilling and upskilling will be embedded in the organization’s DNA to dominate the digital era and current marketplace.
3. Microlearning
Microlearning divides learning and development into bite-sized lessons, which are usually about 5-15 minutes long.
There is no doubt that employees prefer training that is fun and engaging. Gamification can thus assist businesses in driving employee engagement.
Integration of gamification into microlearning will allow learners to get knowledge through engaging activities such as playing games on their mobile devices. It helps them retain more knowledge during the training.
Businesses can also offer personalized learning paths and support by capitalizing on analytics and AI. AI can help learners pick articles from a curated content pool to ensure that learners will come back for more even after completing a particular course.
Also read, The impact of microlearning on employee performance in the USA
4. Content Repurposing
Repurposing can help organizations make the most out of their content, whether it is a trendy topic or something that was previously unsuccessful.
Content repurposing is using an already-covered topic to enhance its engagement and reach. It is a convenient process of providing new content without any additional sources. Organizations can maintain content quality by adding associated content to simplify the stretched parts.
The primary goal of content repurposing is to provide current content with new momentum and fresh clicks.
Several formats make content repurposing more efficient:
- Images: Image-centric formats have gained quite a lot of popularity lately. The information provided through infographics is much easier to comprehend, even if they show complex aspects of subjects.
- Audio: Using blog articles to make podcast series is an efficient way to keep learners hooked to the content. Podcasts are popular due to the convenience they have to offer. Plus, people often listen to podcasts while they are occupied with their daily tasks.
Presenting the content in text, images, videos, and audio can help draw more attention. In addition, it helps people digest content in their preferred format.
5. In-App Experiences
You might have noticed that digital transformation is the core theme across learning and development trends.
In-app experiences are indispensable when adapting to the digital world. This process enables learning and development teams to create training content and provide overall support embedded in the digital tools. It allows employees to learn while working without leaving their digital tools behind.
In-app experiences also empower employees with the appropriate support at the right time. They streamline the learning journey while enhancing the productivity of workers.
Conclusion
These are the top 5 learning and development trends that organizations should consider in order to stand out from the crowd and take their business to greater heights.
Whether it is an adaptation to remote work or a focus on work efficiency, the learning and development trends of 2022 can elevate teams into the strategic position that employees strive for.
How Can Hurix Help?
Hurix is a leading company that can help businesses across industries achieve their business goals by providing them with future-ready e-learning content solutions, content transformation, cloud platforms, and technology services.
Hurix has customized products and solutions to fulfill the needs of all organizations across the sector. If you want customized business solutions, write to us at contactus@hurix.com.
Performance, Results, Growth, and Life-Long Learning define my professional life. I am passionate about making workplace learning planful, purposeful, and impactful. I take pride in partnering with clients and bringing them the best in learning design and creating solutions that address business challenges.
