It is not always easy to measure the impact of learning on your business but there are definitely seasons when it is possible to do so. Take for instance the period right after a pandemic – since most organizations are operating below capacity, training and development programs are pushed to the sidelines. The direct effect of this is a decline in the overall quality of customer service. Another way to look at it is through the Great Resignation lens.
When employees are pushed into a hybrid or remote working model, they immediately start adapting to it. Many will find it an inconvenience to go back to regular hours if recalled to work pushing them to look for better opportunities that offer similar or better pacts. For an organization, this means that there is a need to hire urgent replacements of untrained staff.
Why Learning and Development Must be Taken Seriously?
Whichever way one looks at employee relations issues, it is obvious that the human resources department is deeply intertwined with the Learning & Development department. While HR is affected by a ton of external forces, L&D has a lot of factors under its control. Whether the team is in-house or remote, core and essential skills required to successfully deliver a productive workforce can be continually supported and developed. Since the nature of L&D is continuous, there is no excuse for an employee falling before standard during the duration of their tenure.
The concept of customer service for instance varied from one organization to another based on how they interact with their customers. A successful training session on customer service is meant to instill a code of operation within each employee – they must apply the skills instilled in them even when they are not feeling like it.
Learning and Development in the Face of Economic Uncertainty
If the recent pandemic has taught us one thing, it is that economic uncertainty is always around the corner. While is impossible to predict tough times ahead for your business, it is certainly possible to prepare ahead. Here are the steps to take to develop an adaptable learning framework for your business;
- Develop a proactive learning strategy that aligns with the operational expectations and mission of the company.
- Develop a risk management strategy around your learning and development strategy to cushion the business against unforeseen needs and requirements in the business. The contingency plan should be both tactical and guerilla.
- Leverage your learning program on available technology to enable real-time access to employees whenever they need it.
The role of learning and development in the growth of a business cannot be overlooked. The best way to measure the level of need for your organization is to assess the response of your customers before and after a few sessions. Your customers will obviously stick around if you treat them as per their expectations. Find out what these are and incorporate them into your learning and development strategy.