The 5 Top Rated L&D Research Reports of 2018
The number of generous organisations providing top notch research in the learning & development, talent management and HR industry continues to grow.
Here are the top 5 recent research reports that I would recommend anyone in the industry should read.
LinkedIn found that training for soft skills is the number 1 priority for talent development teams. If soft skills is key – then learning transfer must also be high on the agenda! The research found that talent developers are depending on online solutions more than ever before. It seems time is a big issue. Finding time is the number 1 challenge for employees who are engaging with learning. As talent development professionals we must ensure that employees are equipped with the means to prioritise their learning, even in busy times. LinkedIn also found that Manager involvement is critical for employee engagement in learning. 56% of employees said they would invest more time in their learning with their manager’s direction and support. Talent development professionals must equip managers to understand the impact they can have on employees with their learning.
Launched late last year, Good Practice together with ILP has looked at how organisations down under are making use of different learning technologies to support and enhance their learning offerings. The report examines the impact of different learning technologies and uncovers some of the challenges organisations face as they seek to implement these technologies. I found it interesting that for many, LMS implementation is in a state of flux, and that the uptake or mobile learning, AR, VR and AI has been underwhelming so far. Nevertheless the report talks about a “climate of experimentation and a drive for change” so I’m sure we will be seeing a much higher adoption of experimental and innovative technologies over the next few years. Check out the report for much more on this and some best practice examples. (They have also got some great other pieces of research available such as “Learning Technologies: What Managers Really Think”, “The Secret Learning Life of UK Managers” and “New Perspectives on 70:20:10″. Download any or all here.)
This year’s report from Towards Maturity found that the top performing learning teams are continually evolving their learning strategy in line with business needs. The report identifies a series of transformation curves that signpost the journey towards organisational learning maturity, with guidelines to help identify what needs to be done, why and how to make the change. With over 700+ L&D leaders from around the globe contributing to the Benchmark research, this report explores our industry’s current state of play. As ever, a solid piece of insight from the wonderful Laura Overton and the Towards Maturity team.
Supported by the ATD and Colombia Business School, I found this research an interesting observation into learning trends in the US from a survey of 100 L&D professionals and interviews with high performing, innovative learning professionals. There is a fascinating observation that 100% of the companies who had grown in the last financial year said they tracked the ROI of training. They also found a correlation between coaching as a form of workplace learning and increased revenue growth – music to my ears of course as most of my reader’s will know about my passion for coaching. The report takes an interesting stance on the difference between a learning culture and a training culture, and wraps up with some top tips on how to calculate meaningful ROI from L&D initiatives. A good read!
This report showcases the rise of what Deloitte are calling the “social enterprise”. With more than 11,000 HR and business leaders involved this is the largest longitudinal study of its kind. Erica Volini, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP states that “This year’s report is a wake-up call for organizations to look beyond their own four walls and reimagine their broader roles in society. Integrating the C-suite to build a more social enterprise will be a differentiator for businesses to attract the right talent, drive customer loyalty and sustain long-term growth.” The report found that companies that are focusing on collaboration among executives are one-third more likely to be growing 10% more than companies whose leadership operates in silos. Deloitte say that companies must rethink how they invest in their employees on a personal level. Employees and customers are holding companies to higher standards than before, and rewarding those who demonstrate socially-conscious behaviour with their loyalty. A read that will stretch your thinking.
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Of course, as useful as it is to learn from all the research that is out there – your organisational maturity will have a huge impact in the possible effectiveness of learning strategies. Measure the maturity of your organisation’s learning and development HERE.