Employees have always had the need for ongoing learning and development, and organizations have always taken steps to provide them with the tools and training needed to get their jobs done. But, in an environment of increasing complexity, globalization, and rapidly emerging technology, the need for ongoing education and development has likely never been higher—or more challenging.
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Training for Jobs That Don’t Yet Exist
One of the challenges that today’s training and development professionals face is training employees to be ready for jobs and tasks that don’t even exist yet! It’s an environment that demands a state of readiness likely not previously seen.
One expert shared five key priorities being driven in this environment from Catalant’s “Reimagining Work 2020” report:
- From addressing business needs to enabling enterprise performance solutions
- From providing service to the organization to being strategic influencers of the business
- From training employees with new skills to building sustained learning habits
- From providers of learning to being “architects of continuous development”
- From being a service provider to being a business and talent adviser
This is a shift that is requiring a more strategic approach from training and development pros whose past focus may have been on offering training on an as-needed basis—driven by specific talent gaps or regulatory requirements.
Today’s employees, though, increasingly need to be trained not just on tasks and concepts—but in competencies that will serve them well in a shifting environment.
An Evolution in Thinking
As experts point out, preparing for all of these changes requires a whole new level of thinking and an evolution in our ways of working
This requires, more an ever, a strong connection between training and development staff and senior leaders, and a strategic approach that is aligned with the future competitive and market needs of the organization.
Developing an understanding of where the company, industry, and market is headed can help training and development leaders identify the areas of potential need. Based on this awareness, they can begin working with leaders and management staff to craft a plan for both recruiting and developing employees to align with these needs.
It’s an environment focused more on “what ifs” than “what is” that not all will be comfortable with. But for leaders who can clearly see the future and take steps to prepare employees for that future in ways that are relevant and aligned with business imperatives, it can be a very exciting time.