Whether or not you’re ready for it, digital technology is transforming workplaces and learning and development (L&D) departments worldwide at an accelerated pace.
Research continues to show that most employees prefer digital methods for learning and working and that most senior executives believe that emerging digital technologies will change the nature of work and human-centric skills moving forward.
Here’s what you need to know about digital transformation and L&D.
L&D Should Support and Promote Organizational Digital Transformation
L&D initiatives and programs should be designed to promote the digital transformation of your entire organization, not the other way around. Your L&D programs and initiatives should focus on the digital skills and training that your employees will need to remain competitive and productive on a rolling basis.
But your L&D programs shouldn’t consider technology an afterthought or implement technology that has no bearing on your employees’ work environments. In other words, don’t update and implement technology so intently that you don’t take into account the technology-related training and skills your employees will need to implement, manage, and use that technology to complete their work.
Digital Transformation in L&D Is Pivotal to an Organization’s Success
According to research, 70% of organizations claim they lack the necessary “digital skills” to remain competitive, and nearly 50% of employees claim that they would leave their organizations if another offered them more and better digital skills development and training opportunities.
In today’s workplace, employees expect and demand L&D experiences that are driven by digital tools and environments, and they expect workplaces themselves to be driven by technology.
So, organizations must invest heavily in digitally transforming their L&D programs and initiatives if they want to be successful. Otherwise, they will continue to lose productive employees and fall behind their competitors.
Data Are Vital to Digital Transformation and L&D Success
The successful digital transformation of your L&D initiatives and programs—and your entire organization—is impossible if you don’t pay attention to your organization’s data. L&D’s success in an era of digital transformation looks different in each individual organization.
Companies need to look at their own data to decide which digital skills their employees need to learn and which digital tools they need to implement. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to digital transformation within organizations or for L&D strategies, initiatives, and programs.
Organizations must look at their goals, objectives, customer data, revenue data, employee data, learner data, etc., to determine how they want to embrace the digitization of their L&D programs and their companies.
Keep the information highlighted above in mind as your organization tackles digital transformation.