As a business owner or HR professional, creating an effective plan for learning & development (L&D) can be challenging and time consuming.
That is why in her latest article Trainee HR Advisor, Francesca Dixon discusses what is meant by L&D and how you can develop a strong approach to delivering impactful L&D strategies in your business.
What is meant by learning & development?
Learning & development is the processes a company puts in place, which actively encourages and facilitates the process of learning at individual, team and organisational level, usually supported by HR-driven initiatives, which help employees grow and develop their skills and knowledge to improve their overall performance at work.
What is an example of L&D?
Learning & Development can be incorporated in many different ways depending on the organisation.
A larger organisation may formalise the process of L&D by carrying out an organisational wide learning needs analysis. This could include, providing mandatory training for all employees across the organisation, including IT training, health and safety, manual handling and supervisory training to first line managers.
This could and is also likely to be expanded to specific leadership and development initiatives including the development of coaching and mentoring skills for senior leaders.
However, a smaller organisation may offer learning and development opportunities on a less formalised and more ad hoc basis focusing on the learning needs of a specific role with less focus potentially on leadership competencies, coaching and mentoring at c-suite level.
What is the role of L&D?
The role of L&D is to facilitate the growth and development of your employees across the organisation. This should form an essential part of your overall L&D strategy, ensuring that you can achieve against the overall goals and objectives of the business.
Why is L&D Important?
Investing in learning & development is essential for both employee engagement and long-term success within your organisation.
Some industries require employees to complete a certain amount of training to comply with their regulatory standards. In these cases, you must ensure that all employees receive the necessary certifications. It is also recommended that you maintain training records as evidence of compliance with the regulations.
Having a focus on continuous development will help create an environment that supports learning. This allows your organisation to remain competitive and agile in an evolving and increasingly competitive market.
What makes a good L&D Strategy?
The formulation of a strong L&D strategy starts with a clear and systematic process of identifying relevant learning and development needs and how these relate to any perceived performance gaps across the organisation.
What does a good learning & development strategy include?
A key component part of any good L&D strategy is the introduction and maintenance of an organisation wide learning needs analysis. This allows the organisation to identify and track skills gaps and make informed decision on training initiatives which align with your organisation’s strategic goals. This might include:
- Role-specific technical training,
- Leadership development programmes,
- Compliance-related courses
You should document training plans and ensure they are tailored to the needs of each individual and team.
Some organisations may include training repayment agreements where they are funding high value qualifications for their employees. It is important to make sure that the terms of these agreements are reasonable and agreed upon in writing.
You must also ensure that you offer equal access to training opportunities for all, as required by the Equality Act 2010, to help avoid discrimination claims.
You can read my colleague Chris Dobbs article on discrimination here.
What are the benefits of learning and development in organisations? / What are the benefits of training and development?
Providing access to effective L&D interventions can provide employees and employers alike with many benefits.
What are the benefits of L&D for employees?
From an employee perspective, access to relevant learning and development opportunities can offer substantive benefits including:
- The enhancement of skills,
- Career progression,
- Increased levels of confidence,
- Improved job satisfaction and
- Personal growth
What are the benefits of L&D for employers?
For employers the benefits can include enhanced levels of:
- Productivity,
- Innovation and,
- Retention
All of this offers the business a competitive advantage, because the business can position itself more competitively within the market it operates in. As it will have a highly skilled and agile workforce.
How do you develop opportunities for learning and Development?
Beyond formal training, L&D should include opportunities for personal and professional growth, such as:
- Coaching
- Mentorship
- Participation in cross-functional projects
- Secondments
- Multiskilling
Providing these opportunities not only enhances skills but also demonstrates your commitment to your employee’s career progression.
You can incorporate regular reviews of L&D to help ensure they are effective and that your investment is paying off.
Comprehensive Employee Lifecycle Guide
If you found this article useful, you can find out more about the employee lifecycle in our all-new top-level guidance ‘Employers’ Handbook’. This acts as a perfect tool for all business owners and HR professional, you can download your FREE copy here.
Specialist Learning & Development experts
”An effective L&D strategy enables your team to identify their development needs and supports them to grow in their roles — driving job satisfaction, productivity, and retention. In today’s modern workplace, this is essential if you are to achieve a sustained competitive advantage.” Francesca Dixon, Trainee HR Adviser.
If after reading this article you have any questions and would like to speak to one of our HR Experts, please get in touch on 01202 499255 or by filling out the form.
We offer all new clients a free initial chat, to understand your needs and meet the team you will be working with. You can find out more about all our HR Services here.
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