What is a learning and development strategy?

Learning and development is an essential part of how employees, and thereby the business as a whole, manages to develop professionally and personally in a job. Training courses and opportunities to gain new knowledge and close skills gaps are an integral part of learning and development. To get maximum out of the efforts being put in, you need to establish a learning and development strategy, which can take form in many ways. In this article, we give you a run-down of the 4 steps to creating a learning and development strategy.  

What is learning and development?

Learning and development is a function within a company or organisation which is responsible for encouraging and facilitating internal upskilling. Learning and development is present and active in ensuring that all employees are developing their knowledge and skills. 

By investing in the employees’ personal and professional growth, the company is indirectly influencing the business development. The business will likely thrive, garner success and perform better by having people who increase their knowledge, strengthen their capabilities and learn new skills. 

What is the difference between learning and development? 

Learning and development is a core area within human resources management, but there are some key differences between them. 

Learning new things 

The purpose of learning is for the employee to acquire new skills and expand their knowledge. In many ways, this is expected of the employee. When you start in a new position, who are expected to put in the work to develop professionally, become more independent and contribute to the company. 

Development professionally 

Development is related to upskilling, where you challenge yourself in your position to move towards professional, individual goals. Therefore, you can say that development is related to career progression. Instead of being expected, it is something the employee chooses to do. This demonstrates eagerness and determination. 

Why is learning and development important?

The likelihood of succeeding and overcoming challenges within your company is reliant on the colleagues and employees. If you have competent people who run the ship, then you can weather any storm. According to the CIPD, the L&D department is under pressure and to use learning sessions proactively is more important now than ever. After all, knowledge and upskilling is a vital part of ensuring competent people who are learning new skills and increasing their knowledge continuously. 

When you invest in learning and development, you will: 

• Attract new and retain existing colleagues: Most people want to improve and develop within a role, and many actually choose to leave a position if they feel they cannot learn anything more or new.  
• Boost the company engagement among employees: Learning and development will inspire and motivate employees to show initiative and pursue avenues of knowledge.   
• Bridge skills gaps within the company: Reskilling and upskilling is necessary in a workplace, especially to not rely on certain talents who will at some point leave the company.  
• Empower future leaders: Employees who get more knowledgeable are more prepared to take on new responsibilities and leadership roles. Your company will save many resources by having a longer employee fill a vacant leadership position compared to recruit a new employee.  

Engagement is key to developing in a position, for which the L&D department should facilitate.

Examples of how to implement learning and development in practice 

There are various methods for implementing learning and development at the workplace. Oftentimes, it takes shape as a learning or training process, which consists of both informal work-based training, coursework or formal training, and social learning. 

Learning 

Formal learning is a goal-oriented method, being led by an instructor and held as a lecture. Informal learning is less structured and takes place organically, for example by conversing or reading. It can happen in a physical space or digitally, or combine both traditional classroom methods with online learning. 

Explore this further: Blended learning: The advantages of combing learning methods  

Training 

Targeted training, which combines formal and informal learning methods to close specific skills gaps, is an efficient method for meeting individual learning needs. Remote training is an online form of training, which can take form as an online course, webinars or pre-recorded sessions. 

Mentoring and coaching 

Employees learn much from observing what their colleagues do. Social learning, which is interactions with peers or leaders in the workplace, help them gain many insights to best practices. This will help them develop and improve in the company. 

Informal mentoring or coaching is a good tool for structuring the development path for the employee. Peer mentoring, where co-workers help each other out and can bounce ideas between each other, is a great way for employees on the same level, but with different degree of experience to learn from each other. There are also formal leadership programs or courses that the employee can take part in. 

Discuss with your colleagues and use their knowledge and skills to develop in your position.

The L&D strategy

The learning and development strategy (L&D) is most effective when it is linked to the broader business strategy. The L&D strategy must be attainable and in line with the other requirements set forth by the business strategy. 

What should the L&D roadmap look like? 

The L&D roadmap differs from company to company, but generally it should outline the plan for how you as an organisation will develop the skills and knowledge within the company. A learning and development strategy outlines the steps necessary to reach the goals of closing the skills gaps. The roadmap functions as a tool for you to identify the gaps and opportunities in order to take actions to enhance the performance individually and collectively in the business. 

A L&D example 

There are many example of a L&D strategy, and it can be implemented in various forms: 

1. Online learning: Use online platforms to host webinars, share videos and include chat rooms where participants can learn and develop in a professional, digital setting.  
2. Mentorship programs: Junior and senior employees can help each other, where the senior employee gains pedagogical knowledge in teaching the junior employee, while the junior gets access to key business insight. It is also a way for the senior to develop and gain traction towards another promotion. 
3. Social learning: Employees move between departments and gain a stronger and more comprehensive understanding of the business overall. 
4. Personal development programs: Tailored programs being offered to the employee based on their personal goals, role and learning preferences.  

The purpose of a learning and development strategy 

It is essential to establish a learning and development strategy that defines what, why and how you are going to do internal upskilling in the organisation. The strategy will be the foundation for creating a synergy between leadership and HR, to ensure that both parties are on the same page. Leadership might have different priorities and different insights, for instance budgets, which is crucial for HR to know about. This will help them to design training courses and collaborate on development programmes.  

This is why many argue that a learning and development strategy is part of a broader business strategy. A successful learning and development strategy produces employees with higher levels of knowledge and capabilities which will enable them to improve performance overall in the organisation. 

How to create a learning and development strategy 

1. Establish a vision 

Ask yourself what you want to achieve by upskilling colleagues. You should define goals and metrics, where you outline the numbers for how you define success. You need to clarify requirements and consult with relevant stakeholders to ensure that everyone is aware of the expectations each party has to each other. 

2. Assessment 

Make an inventory of which resources you have on hand and which you want to develop further. Oftentimes, the business goals and strategic considerations impact which learning and development strategy should be implemented. Operational factors, like budget, existing capabilities and leadership, also impact it. 

1. Business landscape

It is important to align business strategy with the learning and development strategy. Whether you want to enhance performance, expand operations or pivot to a new product, these business strategic considerations will impact which skills you need to improve, customer needs we need to meet, or changes in the market that the employees must handle. 

2. Employees’ capabilities 

There are several factors to consider when assessing the employees’ skills gaps. For one, you need to identify where there are shortages and where there are growth opportunities. Secondly, you need to consider what budget you have to introduce new training sessions or courses, which technology you can use, the time frame, and if they have access to correct material. 

3. Choose tools and plan for upskilling 

Once you know which processes that work and which do not, you have an overview of which processes to add to, modify or cancel. Use this to plan and develop for upskilling, like training programmes. You need to design learning journeys and establish a framework for each role that determines the required skills and knowledge, in addition to a step-by-step development sheet. 

Oftentimes, this requires investing in learning and training solutions. A learning management system (LMS) is a great option to opt for. In the learning platform you design courses that people can watch, engage with and explore anywhere, anytime. A LMS enables you to create a virtual online sphere for training and learning, which gives you the ability to offer your colleagues flexible training sessions. Therefore, you should take time to find a LMS vendor in this step. 

4. Implement the plan and track the performance

After you have designed the learning journey, you need to implement it and take it from the drawing board to the real word. When you go from theory to practice, it is important to evaluate the training continuously, as well as tracking the performance. You should also analyse the effectiveness of the training offer, based on the feedback and performance, and adjust the offer accordingly. 

The framework of a learning and development strategy 

You should base the success of your learning and development strategy on the KPIs you have set. Oftentimes, training effectiveness is the most relevant KPI. Training effectiveness is the degree to which training courses meet the objectives and produce value for the employee. But there are also other KPIs to consider as guiding metrics for how well you have implemented the L&D framework: 

• Employee productivity rate: The value that employees generate within a certain period of time. 

• Revenue growth: The increase in revenue in a certain time frame. 

• Net profit margin: The percentage of revenue that is profit.  

Lifelong objectives and individual focus 

It is important to note that the KPIs of a successful learning and development strategy should not only be a quantitative measure, it should also take into account the benefits that are intrinsically valuable. A key element to this is to consider learning and development as a lifelong process. 

Additionally, the L&D strategy should promote the well being of employees and be consciously implemented to the benefit of the employee and thereby the company, but not the other way around. The individual goals and objectives should improve the business performance, but the business strategy should not negatively impact the individual employee. 

The importance of a thoughtful learning and development strategy 

Learning and development is a surefire way of doing everything you can to safeguard your talent. At the same time, you ensure success and performance in the business. When the L&D strategy is aligned with the business strategy, you can see and enjoy the fruits of your labor at every point. 

For the employee 

• Engagement: It creates a positive culture, where the employee feels and experiences that the employer cares about their development and well-being. 
• Job security: When employees feel more valuable, they become more confident that they contribute in a valuable way- This increases their job security.  
• Internal mobility: Employees can transition to new, lucrative and exciting roles within the company. 

For the employer

• Performance and productivity: The quality of the work improves parallel with the employee getting better, freer and happier in the position.  
• Retention: Slow down the revolving doors of employees and ensure that talent stays longer and contributes more productively.  
• Resilience: All employees can pivot and adapt quickly to changes if need be. They have the toolkit necessary to act fast and ensure good lines of communication. This makes the entire company more resilient to changes on the market.  

Summary of how to create a L&D strategy

1. Define goals and metrics for the upskilling of employees 
2. Align business goals and resources allocated to learning and development. Consider the business landscape and the skills gaps among employees. 
3. Choose relevant training programs, invest in learning management systems, and find a LMS vendor that offers tools for upskilling. 
4. Implement the strategy and the plan for learning and development. Remember to track the performance and make adjustments. 

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