Research Digested: Workplace Learning Report 2024, Linkedin Learning
A snapshot of useful research for L&D and workplace professionals.
Why read this report?
This report has become one of the few annual industry reports that charts the trends in workplace learning. As such it is an important piece of research for anyone working in corporate learning and development.
About this research
LinkedIn Learning surveyed 1,636 L&D and HR professionals with L&D responsibilities who have some influence on budget decisions, and 1,063 learners. The survey covered North and South America, Asia-Pacific and Europe.
Standout Stats
The report is full of too many useful data points to include here, so we have pulled out some of the stats that caught our eye. The top five areas of focus for L&D teams remain similar year on year except the arrival of career development, something younger generations in the workforce are more focused on.
Top 5 L&D focus areas for 2024
- Aligning learning programs to business goals
- Upskilling employees
- Creating a culture of learning
- Helping employees develop their careers up from No.9 last year
- Improving employee retention
The research shows that 90% of organisations are concerned about employee retention and providing learning opportunities is the number one retention strategy.
And the research suggests that a strong learning culture leads to better levels of employee retention and internal mobility.
However, only 33% of organisations have internal mobility programs and only one in five employees has strong confidence in their ability to make an internal move. There is a long way to go on internal mobility. And it is worth noting that a learning culture is not something that can develop overnight. It is linked to organisational culture and L&D will need a far more strategic role to influence and impact that from the top of the organisation.
And when it comes to upskilling programs, progress is slow with 41% still at the planning stage. Skills maybe flavour of the month but progress is slow.
The next two stats stood out because they show the power of learning within an organisation. This is the type of insight L&D teams should be using to communicate to the C-suite the value of learning.
- 7 in 10 people say learning improves their sense of connection to their organization.
- 8 in 10 people say learning adds purpose to their work.
And when it comes to measurement, it’s interesting to see how L&D pros who do track business impact actually do it.
- Performance reviews 36%
- Employee productivity 34%
- Employee retentions 31%
- Business impacts (deals closed, customer satisfaction) 30%
- Closing workforce skills gaps 27%
- New skills per learner 16%
Finally, AI did get a mention . . . 4 in 5 people want to learn more about how to use AI in their profession. It is a hot topic.
Final Word
This report shows the hugely positive impact of learning on retention, which is something L&D teams need to recognise and amplify internally. The same goes for the power of learning to give a sense of connection to the organisation as well as adding purpose to work. Internal mobility should be an area of focus as should skills and upskilling, which remain a challenge currently.
Report reading time: 15 minutes
Format: PDF
Link: https://learning.linkedin.com/resources/workplace-learning-report
