The hybrid headache – Making sense of Learning and Development in an ever changing world
I think we can safely say that things will never be the same again! And not a truer word has been spoken either for the Learning and Development sector. The headaches have been severe and never ending for catering to this hybrid, almost nomadic, new working way of life for so many.
How we continue to face these challenges in L&D will be a true testament to our character and stamina within the L&D sector. From the new ways of remote onboarding and training to available online learning not being suitably tailored to the individual or business needs, and of course L&D not being seen as a very high management priority. All this on top of IT support and compliance issues with a sometimes unreliable IT infrastructure coupled perfectly with a scattered workforce – It can be a corporate nightmare.
Here are some top tips to guide you through...
1. Give the team a virtual hug – Let’s please just stop for a moment and look at just how hard staff have worked throughout the past two years. In addition to many carving out space in their own homes to continue working diligently, they were teachers, entertainers, gym instructors, therapists, and life coaches too. So, before we do anything on a corporate level, lets just take that in – We made it!
2. Diverse Training Delivery – Now, we can all agree that pretty much everything has changed, and that eLearning or remote training is now a real thing to be taken very seriously! They are no longer simply ‘toolbox talks’ to be brushed over, but tangible learning and development tools for a brighter future. Invest well in what you are providing your staff and how they are receiving it! And include your freelancers and consultants too. If everyone is on the same page, things run smoothly, even from a distance. When you provide the tools to understand and respond to the work environment more effectively it all works well.
3. Face the Skills Shortage – Lets look to train the entire talent pool! In addition to your full time workforce, are you reliant on freelancers, or the more diverse in the team? Ensure that you devote some of your funding and resources for employees who may be part-time contractors or even consultants. Again, same page, better results, higher yield, win-win etc.
4. Reconnect with the Mothership – Hello, can anyone hear me? Staff retention is paramount. We have all ridden the pandemic wave and have proved ourselves to be excellent surfers. Let’s reward those Olympic performances. Not necessarily with financial gains, but with additional training, staff development, and personal development too. Listen to your workforce and their wants and needs for L&D and you too will be rewarded with a dedicated and focused team of winners.
5. Learn from the past / present – What works? There is now sufficient data to show reasonably clearly what works and what doesn’t for remote workers, as well as those who battled through in the workplace setting. There should also now be sufficient data available to you to confirm what should be invested in for the all-important Learning and Development part of the business. Take stock of the recent past and ensure that you are investing wisely in the next tentative steps of commerce.
Want to know more about how you can face these Learning and Development challenges, forearmed and ready for a brighter future, then please get in touch.
I’m here to help!
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