Provo, UT – Nearly half of employees say their organization doesn’t provide them with learning and development opportunities they truly value, according to a June 2022 survey of more than 1,000 learning leaders and employees conducted by Crucial Learning, a learning company with courses in communication, performance, and leadership.
While 9 out of 10 surveyed employees say L&D opportunities are vital to their job satisfaction and 90% say L&D opportunities are important when choosing a new job, just 46% say they find value in their organization’s available training opportunities.
“The study shows that the 2022 learning landscape requires more than a check-the-box approach to learning and development,” says Emily Gregory, chief growth officer at Crucial Learning and coauthor of Crucial Conversations. “With the number of job openings higher than ever and top performers on the move, if you aren’t prioritizing your people’s well-being, you are at risk of seeing them walk out the door for an organization that does.”
With workers’ increased desire for better work/life balance and greater flexibility, L&D is no longer just about improving professional skills. But while survey respondents clearly have a desire for holistic learning, their employers appear to be slow to respond. Eighty-five percent of employees expressed a desire for L&D that applies to both their professional and personal life, but only 48% say their employer provides both.
When asked what L&D opportunities they value most, employees’ top choices all touched on holistic skills. Employees’ top five most valued skills were:
- Leadership skills
- Interpersonal/communication skills
- Conflict resolution skills
- Habits/behavior change skills
- Personality/character insights
Even when L&D opportunities are available, many employees feel their organization’s leadership is simply giving lip service to employees’ efforts to upskill. One in three respondents say their manager doesn’t support or encourage their participation in L&D while nearly half (43%) don’t feel supported to take time away from their job responsibilities to participate in extra training.
For companies looking to retain or recruit top candidates, a lack of commitment to providing personal and professional L&D opportunities can be crippling – a resounding 90% of employees say L&D is important when choosing a new job, while 93% state they’re more likely to stay or take a job that offers L&D experiences.
In addition, employees expressed almost equal liking for any method of L&D delivery:
- Virtual learning – liked by 76% of the workforce
- On demand – liked by 71% of the workforce
- In person – liked by 67% of the workforce
“It doesn’t matter how you offer upskilling opportunities to your employees,” Gregory says. “What does matter is that you’re providing crucial skills your people can use on the job and while building relationships with their family, friends and themselves. A culture of learning is one of an organization’s greatest competitive advantages.”
Gregory offers five tips to help managers successfully provide L&D that both improves employees’ professional and personal lives and helps their organization stay productive and profitable:
- Show support from leadership – If employees are too scared to take time and money to learn, it doesn’t matter what courses are offered. Establish and communicate repeatedly the organization’s commitment to employee learning.
- Provide holistic learning opportunities – The days of providing strictly technical training are over. Employees are starving for L&D that will improve all aspects of their lives.
- Promote your L&D program – Whether speaking to current or prospective employees, ensure everyone clearly knows the L&D opportunities available. A culture of learning is one of an organization’s greatest competitive advantages.
- Learn together – Advocate for a team approach to L&D to promote unity and continued application of skills. New habits are much more likely to stick when a team is working together. It also promotes team commitment and engagement.
- Don’t worry about the “how” – Employees aren’t worried about whether they’re learning virtually or in person, so organizations shouldn’t worry about it either. Find quality courses that match employees’ personal and professional needs and move forward.
About Crucial Learning
Crucial Learning improves the world by helping people improve themselves. We offer courses in communication, performance, and leadership, focusing on behaviors that have a disproportionate impact on outcomes, called crucial skills. Our award-winning courses and accompanying bestselling books include Crucial Conversations® for Mastering Dialogue, Crucial Conversations® for Accountability, Influencer, The Power of Habit™, and Getting Things Done®. CrucialLearning.com.
CONTACT: Jordan Christiansen +1-801-995-5458, jordan.christiansen@cruciallearning.com