6 Learning & Development Trends That Will Make an Impact in 2022

It’s now safe to say that most organizations have adapted to the post-pandemic world in their own way. Amidst challenges, L&D teams have led through the forefront implementing innovative ways to handle remote onboarding and training programs, enhancing workforce productivity in the virtual setting and finding newer ways to support a hybrid workplace.

In fact, with the way L&D teams have risen up to the challenges, maintaining their seat at the C-Suite table, organizations want them to drive digital transformation even in 2022.

So, as investments in L&D programs continue to flourish, it’s time to look at 6 key Learning & Development trends that will make a mark in 2022.

1. Upskilling/Reskilling For the Hybrid Workforce

With hybrid likely to be the norm even in 2022, there will be an increased need to upskill and reskill the workforce towards constantly updated digital processes and tools. This process may mean that some traditional jobs will have to be automated to avoid them from becoming obsolete. That can lead to leveraging more opportunities and technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML).

Apart from general reskilling towards new skills, there will also be a need for renewed focus on other types of upskilling including Leadership Training, Compliance Training, Role-specific Training and Company Culture Training. All through this, robust learning management platforms will play a seminal role in delivering learning to scattered workforces spread across the globe.

2. Microlearning

Microlearning, a form of learning focused on creating bite-sized, easy-to-consume learning solutions that are typically about 60 to 90 seconds long, will continue to be in the limelight in 2022 as well. A successful Microlearning program is agile, accessible and on-demand which allows employees to choose what they want to learn, where they want to learn and how they want to learn. It can take the form of short videos, interactive modules, and multiple other L&D modes.

Studies has shown that Microlearning can enhance knowledge retention by as much as 80%, while also improving learner engagement by 50%. This type of content is easier to repurpose and refresh, which can then be offered to employees to reinforce what they have already learnt.

3. Social Learning

Employees have a natural tendency to connect, interact and share knowledge in their workspace. However, with remote working largely being the norm, many are missing the regular, face-to-face interactions they previously had with their colleagues. In 2022, it will be good to include Social Learning capabilities in your learning platform (if you haven’t already) so that learners can adopt continuous learning into their working.

Social Learning features such as live chats, social streams, and private groups can play an important role in keeping employees’ spirits high and helping them stay connected to feel a sense of purpose within the organization. Tools such as instant polls, screen capture, audio, and video sharing, discussion boards can create flexible, easy-to-use forums for employees to post queries to their co-workers, seek responses, share, and comment.

4. Gamification

Gamification is hardly a new concept, but it started gaining more uptake during the pandemic as L&D teams explored innovative ways to upskill the workforce. It’s a known fact that Gamification takes employee engagement levels to a new high and can transform dull and boring training content into engaging experiences by encouraging friendly competition among colleagues.

Moving forward, Gamification will continue to play a crucial role in helping develop skills such as leadership, communication, stress management, teamwork, and negotiation. In the absence of a regular office environment to interact with colleagues and pick new things from them, gamification will continue to help employees apply lessons into real world like situations to bring the subject matter to life and retain the knowledge better.

5. Just in Time Learning

Another trend that is likely to stick around in 2022 is Just in Time Learning which is much more effective than traditional training, since it offers employees with learning support in the flow of work. This kind of learning allows workforces to become more productive as they invest their time in the learning they actually require instead of spending time on “what-if” training and development.

During the pandemic, there has been an accelerated shift to personalized training programs that offer just in time learning, giving learners exactly what they need and nothing more or nothing less. Just in Time learning allows learners to retain more knowledge, since it is focused and interactive, allowing them to find a connect between their problem and the solution they are being given.

6. Learner Analytics and Reporting

At a time when nearly all operations and training are being done digitally, it’s important that L&D teams should be able to collect data and learning analytics related to different factors of their employee training. This will include tracking learner activities like daily log-ins, curriculum completions, performances and so on.

As personalized learning will continue to be a buzz word in the coming year, learning analytics will gain even more traction. Given that each learner is different in the way s/he learns, learning analytics enable L&D teams to tailor their approach towards each learner’s academic aptitude. An LMS with an inbuilt reporting and analytics feature is your best bet to track user progress status for all the learners in the organization.  

In Conclusion

As we move into 2022 on a more positive note, L&D teams will continue to be front runners in adapting to the constant changes in the corporate landscape. They will maintain their focus on employee development through upskilling and reskilling while finding newer ways to meet the challenges on the way.

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