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As we move closer to 2025, now is the perfect time to reimagine how your Learning & Development (L&D) initiatives can better support your employees. Gone are the days when one-off workshops or expensive consultants drove meaningful learning outcomes. These traditional methods no longer deliver the long-term results today’s workforce needs. Instead, modern L&D programs must embrace flexibility, personalization, and technology to remain relevant. With remote and hybrid work models becoming the norm, reskilling, upskilling, and internal mobility have never been more essential. Research shows that 88% of employees would stay with a company if they had opportunities for career growth. However, over 60% have left a job because they didn’t see a path to advancement. Furthermore, 66% of talent professionals expect their L&D budgets to either stay the same or increase, underscoring the growing reliance on internal development. So, how can you transform your L&D strategy to fit the future of work? Here are five key strategies to get started. 1. Embrace On-Demand Learning Traditional, in-person workshops no longer fit the needs of today’s fast-paced, often remote, work environment. Employees want learning experiences that they can access anytime, anywhere—whether they’re at their desk, on their phone, or working from home. On-demand learning integrates training into employees' daily workflows, making it more relevant and easier to retain. Studies show that employees who control their own learning schedules retain 60% of what they learn, compared to just 8% in traditional settings. By offering bite-sized, accessible learning modules, you allow your workforce to continuously improve their skills at a pace that works for them. 2. Personalize the Learning Experience Employees today expect a learning experience tailored to their specific needs, just as they do in their everyday digital interactions. Personalization has become a driving force in L&D, allowing individuals to take learning paths that align with their career goals, preferred learning styles, and areas of interest. Using AI-driven platforms, you can deliver customized content and adaptive learning paths that reflect each employee's unique journey. This approach not only improves engagement but also encourages a deeper investment in professional growth. 3. Focus on Agile, Cost-Effective Learning With the constant evolution of technology and industry trends, learning must be agile and adaptable. Outdated content and slow development cycles are no longer viable. To remain competitive, organizations need platforms that enable them to quickly deploy relevant training. Agile L&D programs allow you to respond to changes in real-time, whether it’s a new software rollout or shifting market demands. By delivering up-to-date content swiftly and cost-effectively, you keep your workforce equipped with the latest skills. 4. Build a Feedback-Driven Culture Learning should be an ongoing process that is supported by continuous feedback. Gone are the days when feedback only came during annual performance reviews. Modern L&D programs incorporate 360-degree feedback, pulse surveys, and real-time performance management into daily operations. By fostering a culture of feedback, you create a system where employees can regularly assess their progress, address skill gaps, and refine their development goals. Moreover, feedback platforms give managers the data they need to offer personalized coaching, which strengthens team dynamics and boosts engagement. Studies show that 87% of highly engaged employees are less likely to leave their jobs. 5. Scale Learning for Sustained Results How often have employees returned from training programs with certificates but without the tools to apply what they learned? For most companies, this is a common issue. Within an hour of training, employees often forget more than half of the content unless they can apply it immediately. To address this, invest in technology that brings learning into everyday workflows. Tools that offer opportunities to practice new skills in real-time can dramatically improve retention and help employees seamlessly integrate their new knowledge into their roles. This not only ensures sustained learning but also enables scalability, as the learning becomes part of the business's ongoing operations.Final Thoughts: The Future of L&D is Here The traditional approach to employee development, leadership training, and team collaboration is rapidly evolving, and companies that embrace these modern strategies will see higher engagement, retention, and overall performance. By offering personalized, on-demand learning, fostering a feedback-driven culture, and integrating learning into daily workflows, you can create an L&D program that not only meets today’s needs but is also ready for the future of work. If your budget is shrinking, and you can’t hire enough people to train and develop your entire workforce, AND you're not getting consistent post-workshop application of content, then consider an AI-driven assessment tool like Humantelligence. 🚫Your Grandfather’s Assessment: Out-of-date assessments, one-time workshops, expensive external consultants, and traditional classroom learning don’t deliver sustained results. You can’t track them well. And they’re counter intuitive to employees’ need for personalized learning. 🗝️The Future of Assessments: AI-driven tools that allow you to scale, reinforcing the traditional assessment experience by building self-awareness for employees and integrating assessment insights right into their workflows for use every day – for daily development and improvement…low cost and at least 1,000 uses per employee per year. Check it out!

2025 is just a few months away, so now is the perfect time to start planning what your learning and development programming should look like for employees next year. This might be a hard pill to swallow, but if you’re thinking workshops and consultants, you’re going to miss the mark! Mandatory one-time workshops, expensive external consultants, certifications, and traditional classroom learning are simply dead on arrival. They don’t deliver sustained results. You can’t track them well. They don’t take your learners into consideration. And they’re counter intuitive to today’s need for personalized learning. The amount of people who work remotely at least once per week has grown by 400% since 2010, and as many teams now settle into remote or hybrid work models, a much-needed transformation in traditional learning & development is underway. This shift better supports people in how they now learn today, as reskilling, upskilling, cross training, and internal mobility continue to prove new and up until now, often untapped, sources of power for companies. Research from Lighthouse Research & Advisory shows that 88% of employees said they would stay at a job if they had career and growth opportunities ahead, but more than 60% have left a job in the past because they didn't see any way to advance. In addition, nearly 50% of talent professionals who responded to a LinkedIn survey said they expect their recruiting budget to continue to decrease, while 66% anticipate their L&D budget to increase or stay the same. This suggests employers will continue relying on building their workforce through internal mobility programs tied to reskilling initiatives and/or engage contingent talent instead of hiring externally. In this post, we’ll share suggestions--through the lens of pandemic-driven shifts--for leveraging technology and AI to implement and scale development programs with new ways of learning that aren’t just customized, but that also cross silos and aid in retaining and motivating employees to want to learn more.  Yes, technology that improves training efficiency, results, adoption of concepts, and on-going usage within workflows of employees. Key Features of the Modern Corporate Learning Experience Operating a successful business boils down to ensuring your workers are productive, happy, and actively engaged with activities that move the business forward. Chief Learning Officer at Allencomm -- a global learning developer and provider of custom content -- Anna Sargsyan recently told Human Resource Executive: These new demands of hybrid and remote work are tasking us with being much more intentional about learning design. Employee expectations around more human-centered learning are creating a need for more personalization within L&D, while leaders also have to be proactive to help distributed employees learn from one another despite the distance, create innovative approaches to non-classroom learning and ensure learning is accessible everywhere—in different formats and to all employees. In addition to supporting the employee experience, there’s enough evidence now to demonstrate that companies that promote a culture of learning perform better. Take this LinkedIn Learning course (quoting a McKinsey report) that shows companies offering comprehensive training programs have higher income per employee by as much as 200 percent. And for millennials, learning opportunities at a company are now the top metric in their likelihood to stay at a company. A PwC study found the same -- that “the current workforce is more motivated by personal and professional growth than they are by earning more money.” Critical to the success of any L&D program today, new digital tools have dramatically altered how, when and where we learn. Here’s a handful of the key features you should consider when launching or leveling up to a modern corporate learning experience. On-demand learning The brick and mortar professional development course is done. Instead of the rigid classroom model, learning should be part of employees’ daily workflow - at their desks, on their mobile phones, or from wherever they work. They’re much more likely to develop and retain information when they decide on the timing of their training, not when it is dictated by a mass group class. Let’s look at some statistics. Employees who have more control over the learning process and the opportunity to revisit training demonstrate retention rates of up to 60% vs that of 8% for in-person training. In addition, research shows that bite-sized learning makes the transfer of learning from the classroom to the desk 17% more efficient -- encouraging employees to further develop and retain the training, which maximizes effectiveness and value of the training you have delivered. Consumerization of learning Just as apps have changed the way we call cabs or watch movies, new digital learning tools also offer the same intuitive, engaging, and easy-to-use experience for people at work. Agile, cost-effective learning In an era of rapid technological change, learning has become critical for companies to stay up to speed. A modern learning platform accelerates learning program delivery to ensure the most up-to-date training reaches your employees quickly and efficiently. Self-awareness & coaching With a better awareness of team dynamics (aka a team’s culture), L&D leaders are working to understand individuals -- and ultimately creating and delivering programming that leverages a psychometrics-based platform to improve managers’ coaching, increase understanding of their teams, pave a pathway to building a stronger, better-connected team for purposes of more meaningful collaboration -- which leads to increased productivity and strong employee engagement. Consider this:66% of all employees are disengaged (Source: Gallup) 87% of highly engaged employees are less likely to leave (Source: The Muse) Only 25% of employers have an active engagement strategy (Source: The Muse)According to Smarp, companies that do have a high level of employee engagement are more profitable by a factor of 21%. So to more deeply understand what drives the engagement of your people, aside from skill building and growth opportunities, you also need to provide people with a centralized place to both give feedback to others and better understand themselves. Consider employee engagement suites that incorporate self-assessments designed to empower people with a better understanding of their work behaviors, motivators, and work energizers. When investing in engagement solutions, look for a centralized solution that consolidates key feedback-focused areas, such as: Career & development feedback Knowing that coaching and feedback are key to ongoing performance management and engagement, provide an easy way for employees to obtain and manage peer, 360-degree, subordinate and manager feedback more frequently. Pulse survey feedback Pulse your employees on important topics and get instant and consistent feedback to help you make informed operational, policy, programming, or strategy decisions. Be sure you can analyze data by different populations, as well as  product, territory, and functional groups. Performance management tracking Use a centralized learning or action management system to track performance and provide actionable content and assignments to help employees track performance, growth, and any new performance management processes. When you have psychometrics behind your AMS -- that is, a clear understanding of what motivates each and every team member and how he or she learns best -- you’re able to further individualize the content and activities, as you align employees around specific strategic goals, tasks, and actions. You can do this by company, by division, by territory, or by function – enabling you to deliver fast, measurable business results. Scalability & sustained results Finally, let’s talk results. How often have your employees come back from training only to pin some certificate in their cube without ever implementing what they learned in a meaningful way? The answer is a lot! In fact, within one hour of any training, most people retain less than half of what was presented. Then you spend your time figuring out ways to reinforce and re-engage those team members in what they already learned. It can feel like an exhausting never-ending cycle--making it difficult to scale your programming. The truth is, if participants can’t flex their muscles and practice what they have learned on an on-going basis after the training, they will most certainly forget it and revert to their old ways. But technology exists today that can bring your team’s development program learnings into the participants’ daily workflows, allowing them to practice what they have learned in a real live work situation without breaking away from their work. This ability is a game changer for post-program adoption and retention. It's AI that operationalizes the application of what has been an in-person, workshop-based, self-service eLibrary model into each employee's day-to-day work. The result: watch ROI go from 1-2 uses per year of content to 200-300 times per year. Think what Grammarly did to vocabulary and grammar usage for individuals, but with insights within workflows for self-development, understanding, and all the soft-skills needed for better leadership, training, and team effectiveness. The needs of the global corporate training and learning market will continue to evolve, and in the increasingly complex world of the Future of Work, individualized, adaptive training journeys, including tailored and scalable micro-courses with real-world practice opportunities built into employees' everyday workflows, will help people thrive in remote and hybrid work environments.

In today's workforce, collaboration -- specifically collaborating with Gen Z -- is key to achieving success. And as organizations become more diverse, it is essential to understand and effectively work with team members from different generations. In particular, Generation Z (Gen Z), which refers to individuals born between 1997 and 2012, has unique characteristics and work styles that require HR professionals and team leaders to adapt their strategies. From embracing AI tools to providing training tailored to Gen Z, this article will help you navigate the challenges of working with Gen Z team members and foster intergenerational dynamics for a more collaborative and productive workplace. Understanding the Gen Z mindset Understanding the Gen Z mindset in the workplace is crucial when it comes to collaborating with Gen Z. As digital natives, Gen Z individuals have grown up surrounded by technology, which has had a profound impact on their thoughts and behaviors. This generation values instant gratification, diversity, and individuality. They are known for their entrepreneurial spirit and desire for meaningful work. Understanding these characteristics will enable HR professionals and team leaders to tailor their approach and create a collaborative environment that resonates with Gen Z team members. One way to understand the Gen Z mindset is by recognizing their desire for continuous learning and growth. This generation thrives on new challenges and opportunities to acquire new skills. By providing ongoing training and development programs, organizations can harness the full potential of Gen Z team members. Moreover, acknowledging their preference for a diverse workplace will foster an inclusive and collaborative environment. In the next section, we will delve deeper into strategies for effectively communicating with Gen Z team members and how to leverage their digital skills to drive collaboration. Stay tuned for an in-depth exploration of the Gen Z mindset and practical tips for working collaboratively with this generation. How to create a collaborative work environment Creating a collaborative work environment is essential for effectively working with Gen Z team members. This generation thrives in environments that promote teamwork, communication, and collaboration. Here are some strategies to foster collaboration:Encourage open communication: Gen Z team members appreciate transparency and value open communication. Create an environment where they feel comfortable sharing their ideas, opinions, and concerns. Regularly schedule team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and one-on-one check-ins to facilitate open dialogue. Embrace flexible work arrangements: Gen Z individuals value work-life balance and appreciate flexibility. Consider implementing flexible work arrangements, such as remote work options or flexible working hours. This will help them feel empowered and motivated to contribute their best work. Utilize technology tools: Gen Z team members are tech-savvy and comfortable with various digital tools. Leverage technology platforms and collaborative software to streamline communication, project management, and document sharing. This will enhance productivity and efficiency. Foster a supportive culture: Create a culture of support and empowerment, in which team members feel valued and encouraged to contribute their unique perspectives. Recognize and reward their achievements, and provide constructive feedback to help them grow professionally.By leading with these strategies, you can create a collaborative work environment that engages and motivates Gen Z team members, leading to increased productivity and better outcomes for your organization. Leveraging technology for collaborating with Gen Z Leveraging technology is paramount for effective collaboration with Gen Z team members. This generation is highly skilled in utilizing digital tools and expects to have access to the latest technology in the workplace. By incorporating technology into your collaboration efforts, you can enhance communication, streamline project management, and foster a sense of connectedness among team members. For example, it is wise to invest in a psychometric-based tool that helps teams better understand each other so they can collaborate and connect more meaningfully in meetings, on Slack, or via email. Utilizing technology doesn’t only bridge the generation gap but also makes the younger generation feel valued and needed in the workplace. Investing in collaboration platforms and applications will also enable real-time communication and document sharing, eliminating the need for back-and-forth emails and increasing efficiency. Gen Zers are accustomed to instant messaging and video conferencing, so consider implementing tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams for seamless communication. Fortunately, it’s also easy to leverage AI tools to kick your training and internal communication up a notch. Say you have a new Gen Z hire that needs to email the head of sales, John, every week with reported leads. The problem is, they hardly know John, and have no idea how John likes to consume information. With an AI tool that utilizes your company's previously recorded psychometric data, the new hire can use pre-supplemented suggestions to ensure their emails are comprehensive and useful for John, despite having never interacted with him before. This AI-fueled approach to “on-the-fly” training can extend beyond emails to all communications, ultimately helping Gen Z employees learn new skills and making their contributions to the business more impactful. Additionally, project management tools such as Trello or Asana can help keep everyone on track, assign tasks, and monitor progress. By utilizing technology in these ways, you can create a collaborative work environment that aligns with the preferences and expectations of Gen Z, ultimately leading to improved teamwork and successful outcomes. Communication strategies with Gen Z team members Effective communication is essential for successful collaboration with Gen Z team members. This generation has grown up with instant messaging and social media, and they prefer quick and concise communication methods. Here are some strategies to enhance collaboration through communication: First, establish clear expectations regarding communication channels. Discuss with your Gen Z team members which platforms they prefer for specific types of communication, such as formal emails for official updates and instant messaging for quick questions or updates. Second, encourage open and transparent communication. Gen Z team members value authenticity and appreciate when their opinions and ideas are heard. Create a safe and inclusive space where they can freely express themselves. Lastly, don’t underestimate the power of visuals and multimedia in your communication. This is, after all, the video generation! Gen Z team members respond well to visual content, so consider incorporating infographics, videos, and images to convey information in a more engaging way. By implementing these communication strategies, you can foster a collaborative environment where Gen Z team members feel valued and can contribute their best work. Nurturing a culture of inclusivity and diversity Nurturing a culture of inclusivity and diversity is crucial when working effectively with Gen Z team members. This generation values equality and appreciates a diverse and inclusive work environment. Here are some ways to promote inclusivity and diversity within your team: First, educate yourself and your team on the importance of inclusivity and diversity. Understand the different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences that each team member brings to the table. Encourage open dialogue and discussions about diversity-related topics. Second, establish inclusive policies and practices. Consider implementing initiatives such as unconscious bias training, diverse recruitment strategies, and equal representation in decision-making processes. Celebrate and recognize the contributions of every team member. Encourage a culture of appreciation and respect for diversity by giving credit where it is due and acknowledging the unique skills and perspectives that Gen Z team members bring. By creating an inclusive and diverse work environment, you can foster collaboration with and innovation among Gen Z team members, leading to better overall team performance. Recognizing and appreciating Gen Z contributions Gen Z team members are incredibly talented and innovative individuals who bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the table. Recognizing and appreciating their contributions is essential for fostering collaboration and maintaining a positive work environment. Here are some ways to ensure that Gen Z team members feel valued and appreciated: Firstly, provide regular feedback and recognition. Gen Z employees thrive on feedback and appreciation for their work. Take the time to acknowledge their achievements and skills, whether it's through a simple thank you note or a public commendation in team meetings. By doing so, you are not only boosting their morale but also motivating them to continue delivering exceptional results. Next, provide opportunities for growth and development. Gen Z employees are keen on continuous learning and professional development. Offer them opportunities to attend workshops, conferences, or training programs. This investment in their growth will show that you value their career advancement and are committed to their long-term success. Lastly, involve Gen Z team members in decision-making processes. Their fresh perspectives can offer valuable insights and innovative solutions. Encourage them to participate in brainstorming sessions or include them in projects that require creative thinking and problem-solving. By doing so, you are empowering them to contribute to the team's success and instilling a sense of ownership in their work. Acknowledging Gen Z team members for their contributions is crucial for creating a collaborative and productive work environment. By offering feedback, providing growth opportunities, and involving them in decision-making, you are not only fostering their professional development but also maximizing their potential to drive innovation within the team. Overcoming challenges working with Gen Z While Gen Z team members bring immense talent and a fresh perspective to the table, it's important to acknowledge that there may be some challenges in working with them – just like any generation that’s entered the workforce. Understanding and addressing these challenges can significantly enhance collaboration and teamwork. One common challenge is the need for constant feedback and validation. In fact, new studies show that at least a couple of times a week, more than half of Gen Z, 54%, want praise from bosses for their efforts at work, according to data by Australian research firm McCrindle. Almost three in five Gen Zers seek constructive feedback about how they can improve in their role at least a couple of times per week. Gen Z is also accustomed to receiving instant gratification and may expect constant praise for their work. As a leader, it's crucial to set clear expectations and provide constructive feedback regularly while balancing praise to maintain motivation. Another challenge lies in effectively managing their technological reliance. Gen Z employees are highly tech-savvy and prefer digital communication channels. It's important to establish clear boundaries and guidelines for communication to ensure effective collaboration while also providing opportunities for face-to-face interactions to foster stronger relationships within the team. Additionally, Gen Z employees value work-life balance and prioritize flexibility. To ensure their productivity and satisfaction, consider offering flexible work hours or remote work options whenever possible. By addressing these areas, leaders can create a collaborative environment that maximizes the potential of Gen Z team members while maintaining productivity and teamwork. The benefits of effectively collaborating with Gen Z In the end, collaborating effectively with Gen Z team members can bring numerous benefits to an organization. Harnessing their unique skills and perspectives can lead to innovative solutions and fresh ideas. Gen Z employees are often tech-savvy and can offer valuable insights into utilizing digital tools and platforms to streamline processes and enhance productivity. By encouraging collaboration, leaders can tap into the creativity and resourcefulness of Gen Z team members, leading to increased efficiency and problem-solving capabilities. Furthermore, effective collaboration with Gen Z team members fosters a positive and inclusive work culture. By embracing their need for constant feedback and validation, leaders can build a supportive environment where individuals feel heard and valued. This, in turn, boosts morale, motivation, and engagement among Gen Z employees, resulting in higher job satisfaction and decreased turnover rates. Embracing collaborating with Gen Z for organizational success Collaboration is an essential component for organizational success in today's fast-paced and evolving business landscape. This is especially true when it comes to working effectively with Gen Z team members. In this article, we have explored the numerous benefits that come from collaborating with Gen Zers in the workplace, along with different tactics that can empower you to build successful partnerships with this talented generation.From their tech-savviness and ability to offer valuable insights into digital tools and platforms, to their creativity and resourcefulness, Gen Z team members bring a fresh perspective that can enhance productivity and problem-solving capabilities. By embracing their need for constant feedback and validation, leaders can create a positive and inclusive work culture that fosters high morale, motivation, and engagement. We have also discussed the challenges that may arise when collaborating with Gen Z employees. However, armed with the actionable strategies and techniques, you will be well-equipped to overcome these challenges and unlock the full potential of collaboration with Gen Z team members. If you’re looking for ways to tailor your onboarding, training, and collaboration strategies for Gen Z, we can help.