Learning & Development

5 challenges of innovative L&D

Times have changed. We have been observing a huge and multi-dimensional change of the role HR in organizations. HR has transformed from pure administration to a multi-discipline area that collects inspiration and develops competences in such fields as marketing (Employer Branding), IT (agile HR) or digital transformation.

Things are similar with Learning & Development. Before, it aimed at developing employee competencies. Today, innovative L&D is becoming an employer branding tool that has a great influence on employee motivation and satisfaction.

Challenge 1: Motivate or fail

Employee Experience is a sum of employee experiences at each stage of contact with an organisation – from the recruitment to the exit interview. A positive employee experience is linked with employee motivation, engagement, attractive work environment, and growth opportunities – which for the Generation Y (now dominant on the labour market) are equally important as remuneration.

Responsibility for employee experience forces organizations to look for innovative and attractive solutions – both in the area of technology as well as methods. The most innovative organizations take advantage of the innovative L&D platforms that influence on employee motivation and retention of talents at a company. Szymon Janicki, CEO at HCM Deck – an employee development system used by organizations such as Lionbridge and , says: “Good L&D platform should contribute to the development, support knowledge-sharing and focus on employee ambitions. It should be attractive and flexible so it can be adjusted to the work dynamics and habits of users.”

Challenge 2: Build a competitive advantage on the employee market

HR directors and managers have no doubts: L&D may (and must) become a tool for building a positive employer image (99% respondents) but only one in three organisations knows how to implement innovative L&D activities to the Employer Branding strategy. How do you build a competitive advantage on the employee market? First of all: educate. Investing into employee development is actually investing into potential ambassadors of your brand. Secondly: promote your solutions. Access to an employee development platform and dedicated growth budgets are a bargaining chip in fighting for the biggest talents on the labour market that is more demanding than ever.

Challenge 3: Learn how to learn (independently and on a team)

A learning organisation is a place where people develop their skills and knowledge to achieve results on an a continuous basis. The process of acquiring knowledge at such companies is ongoing, systematized and related to each employee at every development level. Transfer of knowledge is both formal and informal. This is what happens at Lionbridge – a company that has developed a real culture of a learning organization. At Lionbridge, employees distribute knowledge and share good practices between one another. HCM Deck helps to organize training sessions (both classroom and e-learning) which are shorter but organized more often. The platform also enables employees to provide peer to peer learning with video and other files. Effects? More in-house training and reduced external costs.

Check our HCM platform

Challenge 4: Measure, analyse, draw conclusions

People Analytics (or: data-driven HR) has been the hottest trend in the recent years. Data-powered HR involves gathering information about development and L&D activities of employees in one place (system). Thanks to access to data, HR departments possess comprehensive knowledge about all development programmes. Better data means more accurate conclusions and smarter decisions. Such information allows to pick natural leaders (high potentials) who will take your organisation to a next level.

Challenge 5: Transfer HR software to a cloud

SaaS Model (Software as a Service) means that the system is ready for use practically at the point of its purchase. This helps to save time and costs related with implementation, configuration and to ensure safety. The advantage of the SaaS model is fixed maintenance costs: hosting, technical support, system updates. Thanks to the SaaS tools, companies do not have to worry about such things as implementation or system updates. Users get access to the system via a web browser from anywhere in the world. No need for using internal IT resources which simplifies organization.

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