Corporate L&D teams have been developing digital learning solutions and deploying digital learning for decades. Most L&D managers had multi-year digital transformation plans, as the majority of corporations were unprepared to transition to digital learning overnight. There were still significant clusters of co-located employees, which enabled businesses to deliver live learning events and classroom training. However, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in drastic changes, and it essentially ensures that the L&D digital revolution is here to stay.
The Big Reset Is Underway
Josh Bersin, a longtime thought leader, and L&D trends guru, recently held a webcast with many of the world’s leading HR executives. These leaders stated that COVID-19 disrupted their organizations and created what Bersin calls the “Big Reset.”
Bersin highlighted how many multi-year digital transformations were shortened to weeks due to the pandemic. Virtually overnight, all of the moving parts of systems, processes, tools, and platforms had to work well together. The HR executives referred to the pace of this transformation in military terms: “mobilizing for this crisis.“
Also, Bersin stated that we have arrived at the “end state“ of digital transformation. As Bersin put it: “Every decade or so there is a crisis that pushes learning on to the next level – this is one of those. It is going to advance online learning by another order of magnitude.“
Most Organizations Are Changing Their L&D Strategies Due to COVID-19
Research from the Fosway Group showed that 94% of organizations are changing their L&D strategies in light of COVID-19, with two-thirds making significant changes to what they do and how they do it. David Wilson, CEO of Fosway Group, observed that “from the types of solutions that L&D teams are finding the most successful, to the ways people are now choosing to learn – some of which have been talked about for years, under the guise of ‘digital transformation‘ – have happened almost overnight.“
The Fosway Group research showed the following changes to L&D strategies are likely to remain in place after the pandemic:
- Digital Learning: 82% reported that the demand for digital learning has increased from senior stakeholders, while 71% have experienced an increased demand for digital learning content from learners themselves.
- eLearning: Traditional eLearning shows signs of decline both in terms of adoption but “significantly in terms of perceived success.” Video content was the highest rated in supporting organizations throughout the COVID-19 crisis to date, closely followed by curated content. “Custom e-learning, off-the-shelf courses, and blended learning are all reported to be less successful.“
- Collaboration: As employees become accustomed to working remotely and in virtual teams, collaboration is becoming a key priority for businesses. “84% of L&D leaders think it is more important to integrate digital learning into other corporate platforms like Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Trello, for example.“
Choose a Leading Staffing Agency to Help Drive Your L&D Organization’s Digital Revolution
At LTS, we can help you transform your L&D strategy. We offer access to experienced and skilled practitioners. Plus, L&D is all we do, and we do it well. To learn more, please contact us today.
