Developing a L&D Strategy in an Organization

 

L&D’s main responsibilities is to manage the development of people in a way that supports the business priorities or goals (Majid et al., 2012). L&D strategy captures how learning and development of the employees of an organization is going to contribute to a sustainable business performance. While there is no doubt that people are key assets of an organization, L&D strategy of the people will determine the future growth in the long run (Edwards et al., 2015).    

Developing an effective L&D strategy, one that is aligned with the objectives of the organization is not an easy task, but this is KEY while building employee capabilities to develop the strategy that makes both the company and the employees competitive (Holton, 2002). There are a variety of organizational goals and those who are developing an effective L&D strategy need to remain structured as well as flexible to adapt to unexpected situations and challenges.

The steps mentioned below can be taken to develop and L&D strategy in an organization.

1.     Create a flexible L&D structure

A learning and development strategy should be flexible. It should also be evaluated from periodically to stay relevant continuously analyzing and improving to remain competitive in the market (Holton, 2002).

2.     Assessing the organizational goals and priorities

L&D strategy needs to be an organizational priority where the management needs to promote the participation of L&D programs throughout all levels. Developing a strong and effective L&D strategy for an organization means L&D programs to fit the goals and objectives to set the company apart from the competition such as recruitment and retention, and fostering innovation (Holton, 2002). Furthermore, L&D strategy needs to be aligned with the overall business strategy.

 

3.     Adopt a tailored approach to learning

A ‘one size fits all’ approach is not suitable for a strategic L&D plan (Kumpikaitė, 2008). This needs to take into consideration individual needs and assess gaps in skills and competencies to tailor the programs to bridge these gaps.  

 

4.     Improve employee recruitment and retention 

Recruitment and Retention go together. If employees are given the opportunity to learn and develop, they are more likely to stay in the organization in the long run Campion et al., 2019).

 

5.     Engage Key Stakeholders

 Top Management – This team needs to understand and see the impact of L&D programs on bottom line and how it helps talent acquisition and retention (Edwards et al., 2015).

Department Heads – These individuals need to translate the overall business strategy into specific skills for job roles (Edwards et al., 2015). The department heads need to learn the areas they need for skill development of their respective teams.

Employees – Support them with L&D programs that not only help the organization but also help them grow professionally. Employees want L&D. however these programs need to be interesting, relevant and valuable if not employees will view it as a waste of time.

 

6.     Select programs that offer high value at low cost

An effective organizational learning and development plan should convince the stakeholders that L&D programs offer unparalleled value compared to the costs involved. Choosing the correct methods of learning (Ex: Distance learning, On-the-job learning, Coaching) to integrate the L&D strategy is vital. When developing a L&D strategy the management needs to decide if employees will gain more from an internal program or a custom-made program run by an outsourced trainer based on the size of the organization as well as other factors (Csillag et al., 2019).

 

 

7.     Examine future requirements 

 Running the same L&D programs every year is not L&D strategy. Given the current post-pandemic reality, the L&D strategy needs revamping to set the organization on a sustainable profitable growth. An organization needs to adapt to the future by predicting the market trends and developing the L&D strategy to evolve accordingly (Kumpikaitė, 2008).

 

Benefits of developing a learning and development strategy are highlighted in Figure 1.0.

 

Figure 1.0- Benefits of a L&D Strategy

 

(Dam, 2008)

 

In conclusion a winning L&D strategy means cost-effective, high value programs, investing in the human capital of its employees, to gain the benefits of increased employee performance, and boost employees (Csillag et al., 2019). In Naturub, L&D structure is a flexible where most employee have the opportunity to learn and develop on the job. If programs are offered it would be programs that would benefit majority at a lower cost. This way an employee is self-motivated to learn and grown in the organization.

List of References

Campion, M.C., Campion, E.D. and Campion, M.A. (2019) “Using practice employment tests to improve recruitment and personnel selection outcomes for organizations and job seekers.,” Journal of Applied Psychology, 104(9), pp. 1089–1102. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000401.

Csillag, S. et al. (2019) “What makes small beautiful? learning and development in small firms,” Human Resource Development International, 22(5), pp. 453–476. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2019.1641351.

Edwards, G. and Elliott, C. and Iszatt-White, M. and Schedlitzki, D. (2015) 'Using creative techniques in leadership learning and development : an introduction.', Advances in developing human resources., 17 (3). pp.279-288.

Holton, E.F. (2002) “The mandate for theory in human resource development,” Human Resource Development Review, 1(1), pp. 3–8. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484302011001.

Kumpikaitė, V. (2008) “Human resource development in learning organization,” Journal of Business Economics and Management, 9(1), pp. 25–31. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3846/1611-1699.2008.9.25-31.

 

Majid, S. et al. (2012) “Importance of Soft Skills for education and career success,” International Journal for Cross-Disciplinary Subjects in Education, 2(Special 2), pp. 1036–1042. Available at: https://doi.org/10.20533/ijcdse.2042.6364.2012.0147.

Nick Van Dam (2008) “25 Best Practices in Learning and Talent Development” Second Edition. Raleigh NC: Lulu Press