L&D powers the AI future
The AI era is here, and leaders across learning and talent development have a new mandate: help people and organizations rise to opportunity with speed and impact.
As AI reshapes how people learn, work, and chart their careers, L&D sits at the center of organizational agility, delivering business innovation and critical skills. This report combines survey results, LinkedIn behavioral data, and wisdom from L&D pros around the globe to help you rewrite your playbook for the future of work.
Read on for data, advice, and bold ideas.
L&D powers the AI future
The AI era is here, and leaders across learning and talent development have a new mandate: help people and organizations rise to opportunity with speed and impact.
As AI reshapes how people learn, work, and chart their careers, L&D sits at the center of organizational agility, delivering business innovation and critical skills. This report combines survey results, LinkedIn behavioral data, and wisdom from L&D pros around the globe to help you rewrite your playbook for the future of work.
Read on for data, advice, and bold ideas.
Chapter 1
The state of L&D
Career development joins business impact as a critical focus area.
In a world awake to AI’s impact, skill building is no longer simply a perk for employees — it’s a priority for organizational success. So it’s no surprise that aligning learning to business goals is L&D’s top focus area for the second year in a row.
At the same time, a new priority demands attention. In a single year, helping employees develop their careers climbed from No. 9 on L&D’s priority list to No. 4.
This year’s research will take a deeper look at how career development drives business impact.
Show all top 10 focus areas
Show all top 10 focus areas
Additional L&D focus areas for 2024
6. Supporting employees through organizational change
7. Improving learner engagement
8. Measuring the success of learning programs
9. Ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion
10. Promoting employee well-being
AI skills and career development fuel success.
Moving forward, organizations will succeed by embracing growth as a virtuous cycle. Employee growth, through learning and career development, spurs company growth. Likewise, company growth, through business innovation, energizes people to stay and grow even more.
Three points tell the story:
• People crave AI skills.
• They’re motivated by career progress.
• Companies must embrace both AI skills and career development to energize and retain talent.
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Global perspectives on AI
“As a talent leader, your impact can define tomorrow’s success. Will you simply adapt, or will you lead your organization into the future?”
Dr. Terri Horton
Work Futurist & Global Advisor at FuturePath, LLC -
Global perspectives on AI
“In the age of AI, senior leaders must create more room at the executive table to align talent strategy and business strategy — it’s not something you can simply hand off to HR.”
Jennifer Shappley
VP, Talent at LinkedIn -
Global perspectives on AI
“The greatest things in history have come from disruption. I am excited to see how AI will challenge us to be more strategic, more creative, and more innovative.”
Naphtali Bryant
Chief People & Culture Officer at Lucas Museum of Narrative Art -
Global perspectives on AI
“If a company invests in learning today, they will have more engaged and impactful employees ready to tackle tomorrow’s challenges.”
Sara Dionne
VP, Learning & Development (CLO) at Comcast -
Global perspectives on AI
“AI will change the skills needed to do the jobs of the future. It’s up to us to create an environment of curiosity and inspire employees to operate with agility and a growth mindset.”
Ekpedeme “Pamay” Bassey
Chief Learning and Diversity Officer at Kraft Heinz -
Global perspectives on AI
“AI will be a paradigm shift for the world of work by both democratizing and individualizing learning and reaffirming employee growth as the ultimate goal.”
Guillaume Delacour
Global Head of People Development at ABB
The C-suite wants to talk.
The door to the C-suite keeps opening wider. Learning is critical in the age of AI, and L&D is well-positioned to lead important conversations about business impact.
Likewise, company leaders are aware that learning is a worthy investment. According to the LinkedIn Executive Confidence Index, in the next 6 months, 9 out of 10 global executives plan to either increase or keep steady their investment in L&D, including upskilling and reskilling.
The business case for learning is clear.
When it’s time to meet with executives, L&D pros can cite new LinkedIn research that demonstrates how learning drives desirable business outcomes. This analysis uses LinkedIn platform data to score companies on a learning culture index based on:
• Size of L&D team
• Rate of employee skill development
• Volume of learning-related posts on the LinkedIn platform
It then assesses the companies’ performance on critical talent metrics. The findings are striking. Companies with strong learning cultures see higher rates of retention, more internal mobility, and a healthier management pipeline compared to those with smaller levels of commitment.
Learning amplifies connection and purpose.
Another talking point: learning is a secret sauce for camaraderie and meaning. As organizations continue to grapple with how best to engage dispersed and diverse teams, learning enhances people’s sense of connection and significance in their work.
In short, organizations that invest in learning will reap the reward of having people who are more invested in their organization’s success.
Chapter 2
Skills agility
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