The LinkedIn Learning 2020 Workplace Learning Report: L&D Taking the Strategic Long View

Remember when 2020 seemed like a year that was a million miles away? Well, that future has arrived for all of us and L&D leaders are busy preparing for whatever the next decade will bring. 

In the 2020 Workplace Learning Report, we surveyed 1,675 L&D professionals, 2,932 people managers, and 2,000 learners in 18 countries about their priorities, challenges, and what really inspires them to learn. We also talked to L&D executives at Kraft Heinz, Verizon, MGM Resorts International, Kellogg’s, LinkedIn, and Novartis about how some of the key insights in the report come to life in their organizations.  What we found may surprise you.

In last year’s report, we found that 2019 was the breakout year of the talent developer. It was the landmark year that learning leaders finally had the budget and executive buy-in to supercharge their programs and become even more strategic partners to the business. 

Good news. In 2020, L&D budgets continue to grow—and shift to online learning—while executive buy-in remains strong. Talent developers are still laser focused on meeting the business needs of today by driving learner engagement, activating managers, and measuring the impact of learning. Simultaneously, they are looking ahead, preparing for the upskilling and reskilling revolution coming in the next 3-5 years, when digital transformation and automation are expected to have a greater impact on the workforce globally. 

This future-forward worldview is placing L&D in a much more strategic place in the business. L&D agreed that if critical skills gaps are not closed, then it will have a significant impact on their organizations including a negative impact on revenue, customer satisfaction, and innovation.

In this report, we explore the answers to four questions:

1. How are learning leaders resourced to scale learning and engage executives to create a culture of learning?

2. How do L&D pros measure the impact of learning and define learner engagement?

3. What can talent developers do to transform managers into learning champions and create a culture of learning?

4. How are your peers upskilling and reskilling employees to prepare for what’s ahead?

Each chapter is packed with interesting insights we found in our survey data, LinkedIn Learning platform data, relevant courses, video case studies and learner stories, and ends with commentary on the insights from L&D executives. It includes data on what your peers are doing, key takeaways, conversation starters, and practical advice that you can put to work immediately. 

Download the full report at lnkd.in/learning-report.

We can’t wait for you to explore the report and share what you think on LinkedIn.