A CLO is a Chief Learning Officer and is often referred to as a Training Director, Head of Learning and Development, or something similar. Over 90% of CLOs have 10 years or more of corporate experience.
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CLOs are predominantly found in larger organizations, and also in the following industries:
- Education Management
- Professional Training
- Human Resources
- Management Consulting
- Hospitals/Health Care/Pharma
- E-learning
- Government Administration
As the popularity of e-learning continues to grow, expect to see even more CLOs across various industries and within companies that have multiple departments and partners. And if you want to do one or more of the following things within the next few years, you’ll want to consider having a CLO for your organization, too.
Update Your Learning Technology, Courses, or Programs
If you’re going to revamp or add an entirely new training program or learning technology to your organization’s repertoire, you’ll want to consider hiring a CLO. CLOs are responsible for handling large-scale changes and will work with other members of the C-suite to ensure your new training programs always remain aligned with the overall goals and initiatives of your organization. They’ll be able to effectively promote the programs across the organization, as well as to external stakeholders. And they’ll be aware of market challenges and internal resource allocation challenges that may affect the success of your new programs.
CLOs will be especially helpful for developing mentorship, internship, and apprenticeship programs because they will be able to accurately gauge their value both inside and outside your organization.
Understand the ROI of Your Learning Courses
CLOs will work hard to continuously understand how your training programs can yield the highest return on investment possible for your organization. They’ll do research and conduct in-depth analyses for all programs and courses to discover what technologies, processes, procedures, learning content, and personnel will be able to develop the most impactful learning experiences. They’ll ensure each course not only meets a business need but also is attractive and effective for learners. And they’ll be able to effectively communicate this information to internal and external stakeholders.
Implement a Learning-Driven Culture Across Your Organization
As CLOs work with others across their organizations to develop the most ideal courses and training programs, they’ll be initiating a learning-driven culture that permeates every single facet of their businesses. Everyone from the IT department to the marketing department will become acquainted with their organization’s learning initiatives and understand their value. This will prompt them to engage in more programs themselves and empower them to explore their own learning paths.
Bottom line, CLOs will expand and perfect your organization’s training and learning initiatives to make them profitable for your organization.