McLean & Company, one of the world’s leading HR research and advisory firms, shares a newly updated four-step process to help HR implement a strategic approach to learning and development (L&D) programs and initiatives that support long-term success as organizations prepare for 2025.
TORONTO, Canada, December, 2024 – Global HR research and advisory firm McLean & Company explains in the newly updated Create a Learning and Development Strategy blueprint that in a future of work where economic uncertainty will persist but skills will be more important than ever, L&D must be viewed as an investment that impacts the organization’s bottom line. The firm emphasizes that without a robust L&D strategy, career development opportunities are lacking, resulting in skills gaps and performance stagnation. These detrimental effects further hinder the ability of organizations and their employees to thrive. To avoid such outcomes, research from the firm suggests that future-focused HR leaders must identify the gaps between the current state of L&D within their organizations and the desired future state to translate these gaps into clear, strategic goals that support enduring success.
“An organization that embeds L&D into its culture leads employees to trust in its ability to support their development goals. This includes socializing and prioritizing L&D at all levels of the organization in a way that fuels and builds a sustainable learning culture,” says Jodi Callaghan, director, HR Research & Advisory Services at McLean & Company. “It’s also important to remember that the implementation of a long-term L&D strategy can and should be done in a way that supports both employees and the organization.”
According to the updated research from McLean & Company, developing a learning and development strategy involves more than just designing learning solutions, requiring the alignment of resources, culture, and learning solutions to support the organization’s strategic direction and drive success. (CNW Group/McLean & Company)
To guide HR leaders through the process of developing an effective L&D strategy that supports both employees and the organization, McLean & Company has created a four-step plan, as outlined below:
Step 1: Complete a current-state analysis. As a first step, the firm advises that HR leaders need to identify the key players and establish a project team, review strategic documents to uncover the organization’s direction, and analyze organizational data to understand the current state of L&D. A scan of the external competitive environment is crucial to evaluate and summarize the effectiveness of the L&D approach to discuss the current state with internal key players.
Step 2: Define the future state of L&D. Step two requires HR to define the desired future state of L&D within the organization, identify gaps between the current and future states, and recognize constraints on the future state of L&D before translating identified gaps into L&D goals and metrics.
Step 3: Build L&D strategy. The third step involves identifying and prioritizing activities to attain goals, mapping out governance of L&D, determining L&D capabilities, and creating an action plan and roadmap for prioritized activities.
Step 4: Implement and evaluate. In the fourth and final step, HR leaders prepare to articulate the L&D strategy using a communications plan tailored to the needs and goals of various audiences, provide resources to support the achievement of L&D goals, and plan to continuously monitor, review, and iterate as necessary.
McLean & Company advises HR leaders that assessing the internal environment is not enough to understand L&D’s current state. Organizations must consistently scan the external environment to align L&D solutions with market demands and trends, ensuring relevance in the constantly evolving workforce.
McLean & Company pairs evidence-based research and immediately applicable tools with deep HR expertise to position organizations to meet today’s needs and prepare for the future. The global HR research and advisory firm’s member organizations enjoy comprehensive resources, full-service diagnostics, workshops, action plans, and advisory services for all levels of HR professionals, from executive leadership to HR leaders to HR team members, that help shape workplaces where everyone thrives.
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