SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 08, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Degreed and Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning surveyed 772 employees, managers and business leaders from all over the globe to gain insight on the current state of workforce learning and development. The resulting data highlights workforce learning habits, obstacles limiting their growth, and what support they need from employers.
This new research shows that the businesses making a positive learning experience a priority have healthier, more productive cultures, and more engaged, better performing, more adaptable workforces. In fact, those workers who recommend their company’s learning opportunities are 27% more likely to have moved into a new role on another team in the last three years, a signal they’re more flexible and adaptable.
Unfortunately, only 21% of the people in the study would recommend their employers’ learning and development experience, while 47% are dissatisfied. This dissatisfaction is a result of organizations focusing on traditional learning — the transferring and retaining information without resulting in application, instead of learning for impact or skill-generation.
“It is to every business leader’s advantage to give people the skills to stay competitive; now is the time to put the learner first,” said Chris McCarthy, CEO at Degreed. “Our research shows that today’s workforce is concerned about their future and thrives in an environment that teaches skills that lead to rewarding, life-long careers. It is possible to create a L&D program that is a consumer-focused and also enterprise-class.”
Create Better Learning Conditions, Not More Content
Just 50% of respondents took any kind of live class or online course last year. And those who did only did so every three or four months. Most learning, meanwhile, happened independently or with close colleagues. The study also found that development needs to be better integrated with the workforce’s day-to-date work, with 86% reporting their learning happens in short bursts of 45 minutes or less.
“Competitive advantage in the future of work will no doubt increasingly be defined by talent,” said Ian Fanton, senior vice president and head of Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning. “To ensure our talent can develop the critical capabilities they require for success, it is vital to understand their needs, motivations, and expectations to design the kinds of learning experiences that can enable both continuous learning and active engagement. This research shows that L&D has an important opportunity to impact future growth by aligning critical capabilities to business strategies and providing highly engaging, learner-centric development experiences.”
Aligning Learning to Skills
As more people become worried about their own skill deficits, there is an increased demand for learning aligned with skill development that leads to future career growth. When asked what L&D can do to be more helpful, 48% responded they’d like assessments to find out where they need improvement, and 61% requested learning that aligned to their individual skill gaps.
To access the full study and learn more about how companies can maximize their L&D efforts, up-skill employees, and improve business results, click here.
About Degreed:
Degreed helps you build the skills you need next. We integrate and curate all the resources people use to learn, all in one place — including learning management systems and millions of courses, videos, articles, books, and podcasts from thousands of sources. Then we use behavioral and data science to continuously analyze everyone's skill-sets, and to automatically personalize development based on their unique skills, roles, and goals.
Learn more about Degreed: Website | Facebook | Google+ | YouTube | LinkedIn | Twitter
About Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning:
Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning partners with Global 2000 companies to co-create engaging leadership development solutions that align with strategy and engage learners. An affiliate of Harvard Business School, we leverage faculty, Harvard Business Review, industry experts, technology, and a collaborative mindset to help clients discover something new and deliver dynamic learning experiences from highly focused executive leadership programs to enterprise-wide engagements for thousands of global employees. Learn more at www.harvardbusiness.org, on Twitter @HBPCorpLearning, and on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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Media Contacts:
Sarah Danzl
Director of Communications, Degreed
sarah@degreed.com
Bill Daddi
Daddi Brand Communications (for Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning)
bill@daddibrand.com