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2022 Workplace Learning Report
The Transformation of L&D
Learning leads the way through the Great Reshuffle
Chapter 1
L&D in Transition
agree that L&D has become more cross-functional
agree that L&D has become a more strategic function at their organization
“It’s unsurprising that we see more and more progressive companies naming chief learning officers — as was the case with chief diversity officers when diversity was no longer an HR topic but a business advantage. Learning is not an HR topic; it’s a business topic.”
Andrew Saidy
Vice President, Global Talent, Ubisoft
L&D’s transition by the numbers
- Adapting to change
- Climbing the ladder
- Growing demand
of L&D pros had some to a great deal of involvement in helping their organization adapt to change
L&D pros saw 15% more promotions this year, compared with their HR counterparts
Demand for L&D specialists increased 94% in July – September 2021, compared with April – June 2021
Whether helping their organizations adapt to change or reimagining the future, L&D pros are seizing their opportunity to lead. Now they need to figure out how to prioritize their responsibilities to stay out front.
That may be easier said than done.
Chapter 2
New Challenges
Compared with other active learners on LinkedIn, L&D learners spent 23% less time learning in 2021
Compared with HR colleagues, L&D learners spent 35% less time learning in 2021
Finding time to learn is not a new problem. But there is new urgency around it. And while learning leaders have adapted in many ways, it’s clear there’s still some work to do.
“Make sure your learning is aligned with business skills. Rather than looking at hours of learning and course-completion rates, instead focus on identifying what skills are lacking in your organization. With that alignment and clarity, L&D can create a skill-building program that’s in lockstep with your business strategy.”
Lori Niles-Hofmann
Senior EdTech Transformation Strategist, NilesNolen
Challenges like upskilling an entire workforce can’t be solved with a single class — not even a really good one. This means moving beyond feedback forms and course counts. It means working collaboratively with cross-functional partners to understand the organizational impact, not just the classroom experience.
And it means aligning L&D programs with business priorities — like internal mobility and employee retention
Chapter 3
Rethinking Skill Building
“We really need to change and think about more productive and sustainable ways to help connect talent to opportunity, and our view is that that's going to be done through a skills-based approach.”
Ryan Roslansky
CEO, LinkedIn
- Employee retention
- Career pathing
- Internal mobility
Companies that excel at internal mobility retain employees for an average of 5.4 years, nearly twice as long as companies that struggle with it, where the average retention span is 2.9 years
Employees who feel that their skills are not being put to good use in their current job are 10 times more likely to be looking for a new job than those who feel that their skills are being put to good use
of L&D pros agree that internal mobility has become a higher priority at their organization since COVID-19
However, many L&D leaders haven’t made this connection yet. While 46% of L&D leaders said upskilling or reskilling was a top focus area this year, internal mobility and career pathing as well as employee retention fell toward the bottom.
Retention and internal mobility aren’t at the top of L&D’s to-do list.
Top 10 focus areas of 2022 L&D programs
And that’s not all. People managers reported the top reason they recommend learning opportunities to their team members: “I want to help my direct report(s) grow in their career.”
Building long-term, synergistic career-development programs is what will move learning from a series of onetime courses to an impactful, sustainable business imperative.
Chapter 4
How L&D Succeeds
Percent of L&D partners working closely or somewhat more closely with cross-functional peers since last year
“We’re partnering with other HR functions to ensure we are ultimately facilitating a performance life cycle that fits employees’ aspirations — from talent acquisition and onboarding to overall increased engagement and thriving within an inclusive culture.”
Jodi Atkinson
Senior Director of Global Learning, Deltek
* Note that past surveys included more granular categories of budget increases. This year’s question simply asked whether L&D pros expect their budget to increase, decrease, or remain the same.
The percentage of L&D leaders who expect to have more spending power has reached a six-year high.*
The Takeaway
“Once the curators, designers, and executors of learning content and curriculum, L&D is primed to evolve as the connector of people, resources, and experiences that provide continuous growth and success for the employee. From onboarding to career development to exit, L&D will merge business needs with employee needs and create relevant ways for employees to stretch themselves daily throughout their entire career.”
Alyson DeMaso
Founder and CEO, Raising Beauty
A Global Perspective
Methodology
Using an internal LinkedIn sample, we surveyed 1,444 L&D Professionals and 610 Learners in November 2021 in English, French, German, and Portuguese. The full list of places we surveyed includes the US, Canada, Brazil, the UK, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Austria, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, India, Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Hong Kong. We also collected self-reported data from an internal LinkedIn sample of over 2,000 LinkedIn members in November and December 2021. For the full methodology, please see the PDF report.
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