July 6, 2024
Do you think a quiet transformation is taking place in the L&D function? If yes what are those developments and how should their importance be understood? BR Short answer yes. The best way to appreciate what is changing is to look at both the supply and consumption side. Let me speak of the supply side here. On the supply side, providers are enhancing offerings both on content and technology. In technology offerings for user and admin access, apart from LMS/LXP possibilities, there are changes in areas like online simulations, and integrated platforms that sit on top of HRMS or stand alone as independent platforms to deliver value. Technology also plays a big part in content creation and generation. In the content area, there are two parts. The production of content is now enhanced by technology tools- be it video, chat GPT type applications, or AI tools that support agility, type of content, and integration. The second aspect in content is the topics/subjects. There are some core and some new emerging topics. There are providers who are experimenting with size, type, and depth of content-what really makes meaning in the learner's context. In my opinion, design of learning still remains the biggest challenge, as tools and content can support L&D if the design and what it is expected to deliver is clear and experts are able to deliver this. The rest follows. Why this function matters more now than ever? Can you underline a few reasons? BR Think about relevance of a individual in their role/career, and even skills required to lead a meaningful life. Higher life expectancy and turbulence in our environment means that everyone has to learn new skills all the time, and perhaps for a very long time, consistently. Everything is changing around us and at a pace that was unimaginable a few years back. The role of this function must enhance itself to help people learning to learn. The better equipped employees are in terms of learning new skills, and understanding the shifts that may be coming to impact them, positively or not so, the better prepared they will be. It is also imperative that they learn about how they learn; they should be able to make the best use of available resources. Some of the other roles that the function will have to look at as part of the broader agenda are. L&D for gig workers, and how that fits into the overall L&D and organisational capability strategy. How and where to create a strong link between L&D effort/spending and business performance and sustainability. Educating employees about emerging careers and career paths, and helping them with managing these, which are likely to be very different in the future. Help provide a world view that balances organisational and personal wellness. How has increasing technology use impacted L&D Function in the new world of work, and what challenges do you foresee for L&D function? BR This is the biggest area of disruption. There are three clear use cases here that the L&D function must consider, apart from the access and content areas in L&D we spoke about earlier. These are areas where L&D can create a huge impact, and these are also significant challenges. The learning and application of technology tools by an employee to her own job, collectively adding up to organisational performance. As things change, including a difference between each individual's desire and capability to learn, this itself is a big agenda for L&D. Collaboration tools and technologies and their use. How value can get created collectively, remotely, and virtually? How does one best enable collaboration between a permanent workforce, a gig workforce of all sizes and shapes, AI, and even other organisations. The generational shifts. Given the evolution of tech, a generation of workers is changing every 3 or 4 years, may be even faster. How do you help the 'ageing' generations? And redundancy due to lack of technology education? As AI and related applications gather pace, there will be a huge mass of under-educated workforce who have to be made relevant and productive. Why is it important to Integrate L&D interventions into HR processes and how can it be done? BR Depends on the definition of L&D but the best way to perhaps look at people is to take an employee life cycle view-at an individual level. And consider the collective as well. An individual journey would typically move from pre-recruitment to exit, and may be the alumni period. The collective would be to look at any cohort going through a single process-for example, increments for everyone on a given date or the PMS process. L&D must address both-the individual and the collective. What this would mean is then to integrate L&D with HR at both the individual level and a collective level. As an example, an individual's development planning through a platform. L&D offerings are tailored to and available to an individual and integrated with that individual's journey in the organisation and her life cycle. This would naturally talk to employee data, roles she has held, manager/s, etc. Collectively, the process of training identification, for example, needs to be driven for everyone and linked to say PMS and job rotation. Even rewards and recognition systems could be linked to learning. At a more strategic level, the L&D agenda has to be derived from the Business aspirations and goals and the People Strategy. Where do organisations go wrong in L&D Initiatives and how should it be ensured that it remains purposeful? BR There are some critical challenges for the function I see, and all are linked to mindset more than anything else. Underestimating the shifts happening in society and impacting the individual. This has huge implications on learning ability, career paths, aspirations, the definition of collaboration etc. As a simple example, there is still very little learning related to personal well-being, even though there is enough evidence that the productivity of organisations is directly linked to employee health (physical, mental, emotional). Underestimating the pace of change, especially on the technology side. This is self-evident. Trying to do everything in house and not collaborate with partners, or learn from the external sources available. Learning from the outside in is one of the best ways to accelerate one's own understanding and encourage innovation. Not experimenting enough and failing fast. Many professionals tend to be risk-averse. In today's world, the tried and tested of the past may not be the best strategy to follow. In terms of technology, content, partnerships, delivery mechanisms, there are many opportunities today that can be explored and tried out. What is your perspective on the L&D function of the future? BR It will most likely be characterised by the following : Manned more and more by non-HR professionals, more folks from line organisations. Design of intervention focussed on learners. L&D practitioners will be a lot more strategic and bring deep design thinking skills into play. Smaller internal teams and a strong partner network, where specialists in various areas including design, technology, and content can be roped in. More technology platforms focussed on L&D independent of clunky HRMS systems. More experimentation on the UI side, basically the learner becoming the centre of the function's existence. Segmentation of learners for deep personalisation of offerings at one end, and mass scaled by offerings 'learning for everyone, anywhere, anytime'.

L&D Agenda Has to be Derived From the Business Aspirations

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Bimal Rath

Reshaping L&D Function

July 2024

Reshaping L&D Function - July 2024

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