Leaders in human resources have identified some top trends in employee development that should capture the attention of training administrators, managers, and supervisors across all industries. The over-arching theme of trends points to one thing: learning is powerful. This is true not only as it applies to individual employee development, but the strength of your workforce as a whole as well.
Trend #1: Millennials Value Training
As more millennials join the workforce, they are raising expectations of training departments. For employees in this age group, training isn’t something they have to do, it’s something they want to do. A survey by The Bersin by Deloitte Future of Corporate Learning reported that training and development was the employee benefit ranked most important by millennials.
Trend #2: E-Learning Still on Top
E-Learning continues to dominate the training industry, and that’s really no surprise. The benefits of e-Learning span an entire company, from front-line employees to top-level execs. With training budgets often stretched thin, off-the-shelf e-Learning programs delivered through a strong Learning Management System are gaining in popularity.
Trend #3: Blended Learning a Must
E-learning alone won’t bridge the knowledge gaps in any workforce. Blended learning strategies use e-Learning courses to set a strong foundation for training, then follow that up with on-the-job training, coaching, and mentoring.
Trend #4: Emergence of Microlearning
There’s an interesting dichotomy at play in workplaces today — attention spans are getting shorter while the need for attention to detail is getting stronger. The solution to this challenge may be in microlearning. This trend presents focused training topics in short bursts with a emphasis on must-know details that employees need to perform their essential job functions.
Trend #5: Coaching over Control
Today’s employees don’t want to be managed, they want to be coached. They crave feedback and opportunities for growth. To keep up, managers and supervisors often need training to learn how to deliver productive feedback and be effective mentors.
