Learning and Development May Be 2022’s Answer to the Great Resignation
Beating the Great Resignation with Better Learning Opportunities
In June of 2021, professional services firm PwC found 88% of business executives reporting that their companies were seeing higher-than-usual employee turnover, and 65% of workers looking for new jobs.
Those conclusions were echoed in Media Partners research that revealed staff shortages to be the top stumbling block in organizations’ efforts to provide excellent customer service in 2021.
Concerns about talent retention, attraction, and staffing capabilities continue to plague companies worldwide as we step into a new year.
How to...
- appeal to job candidates,
- engage current employees, and
- ensure the workers needed to drive organizational performance and business results
are challenges weighing heavily on the minds of company leaders and talent professionals.
Overcoming the Great Resignation
If you are among those learning and development (L&D) or human resources (HR) pros to whom employers are turning for answers, you may be encouraged by a new report from Udemy Business on workplace learning trends which suggests that training could be a powerful strategy to help overcome the talent exodus dubbed the “Great Resignation” (while also helping companies ensure that their employees have skills needed for current and future jobs).
Across onsite, remote, and hybrid (a combination of remote and onsite) work models, the report says, providing “continuous learning opportunities will pay dividends in 2022 and beyond. Investing in workforce development facilitates employee productivity, keeps employees engaged and satisfied in their work, boosts employee retention, and supports the innovation needed to grow revenue.”
The research underscores the importance of soft skills that drive communication, collaboration, stronger leadership capabilities, employee well-being, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and much more. Perhaps most importantly for L&D and HR, the publication notes that training teams are tailoring learning content to organizational needs while also designing programs to enhance engagement of workers.
"Investing in workforce development facilitates employee productivity, keeps employees engaged and satisfied in their work, boosts employee retention, and supports the innovation needed to grow revenue."
Kick the New Year Off Right
Those conclusions about training design are wake-up calls for HR and L&D. To realize the potential benefits of development opportunities as effective tools in attracting and retaining top talent in the shadow of the Great Resignation, purposeful action is needed now. Here are three things you can do:
1. First, ensure that your function understands your company’s business plans and talent needs for 2022. A grasp of those two key pieces of information enables development of training content and delivery methods that align with organizational needs and current realities.
2. Because COVID-19 and its variants continue to cause unexpected virus surges and resulting disruption, many organizational leaders are delaying decision-making or being forced to change plans in mid-stream. For HR and other talent functions, a clear vision of the path forward may be elusive, too. If uncertainty complicates or delays planning, try focusing on the broader skills every organization and individual consistently needs – those that enable effective collaboration, better communication (especially across hybrid work settings), leadership and workforce agility, technology proficiencies, and other capabilities that drive success in stable and unstable times.
3. Look ahead more broadly to imagine the next several years. What are your company’s long-term growth strategies? What changes are predicted for your industry? What skills will be needed to meet new demands? What learning and development opportunities will your organization need to offer in order to attract new talent? What do employees (and potential job candidates) want to learn? What steps can your team take now to ensure that your training initiatives are fresh, timely, and compelling?
Do those new-year to-dos sound daunting?
Expert guidance on training that enables HR and L&D to build skilled workforces and positively affect company cultures is a hallmark of Media Partners. Our solutions and services empower your teams to customize and deliver engaging and relevant training when and where it is needed most. Let us help you meet your business needs and respond to the Great Resignation with powerful development options in 2022.
