Despite clear challenges, it is positive that those surveyed understand what L&D must deliver. Our 2023 survey shows that learning functions are foremostly driven by the need to aid business transformation, talent acquisition, retention and onboarding, as well as capability development. Indeed, over eight in 10 respondents from 1000-5000 person businesses said that delivering for ongoing transformation was their top L&D strategy driver.
However, this delivery is happening on a VUCA landscape. Businesses are challenged by economic uncertainty and hybrid structures — coupled with learning practitioners' own engagement, budgetary, worth-showcasing and newly-prioritised skills-delivery issues — which is further complicated by the need for learning structures which can deliver amidst ongoing digital transformation. 50% of firms say they are still planning to do this and it means learning functions can’t stay still.
Yet whilst over half of the respondents think agile learning is extremely important — incumbent within this view is the belief it could be the right solution to keep delivering within so much uncertainty and change — fewer say they are implementing learning culture initiatives than in 2022 and there is a growth in the number of respondents trying to define what agile learning culture means.
One area for development is that L&D isn’t carrying out widespread measurement of the work it does. Despite 35% of respondents stating that measuring learning impact is very important, there was only a five per cent year-on-year growth in the number of respondents measuring learning outcomes.