Training and Development - Trends

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Training and Development - Trends for 2023

The training and development industry is evolving more and more. New trends are emerging, some are disappearing completely from view, while others are transforming into other forms (example - LMS into LXP into an online training platform!).

Please note that these trends are positioned toward organizations that do not have huge budgets for L&D. Often many of the trends are completely inaccessible to most L&D departments, which is why we have positioned our forecasts with small and medium-sized enterprises in mind.

Every year we speak with many professionals in the field of L&D and, combined with our own knowledge and industry research, we have compiled a list of training and development trends for 2023.

 Would you like us to help you create training? You can contact us by phone: +359 878 685 304, e-mail: office@nitbg.com.

Current topics  in training and development

1. Learning along the path of professional development

Much has been said about self-learning or learning at the workplace. But what about career development? L&D specialists should simultaneously consider the skills each employee needs to become more effective in their role and the skills they need to acquire or develop for their future career aspirations.

When an employee can see a tangible benefit at the end of the training - for example, something that will help their own development or career development - then they will be more motivated to learn.

Training along the path of professional development should be on the agenda whenever online and offline upskilling opportunities are being considered.

 Improve your skills with courses suitable for your profession.

2. Instead of looking for the number of completed trainings and statistics, it is better to look for the purpose and results of training

Are you using a distance learning system, to help develop your employees?

If you are, then perhaps you have felt guilty about focusing on these questions:

"How many courses have we delivered to employees this year?"
"How many times has each employee logged into the system?"
"How many minutes / hours of training did everyone complete?"
"How many learners have not logged into the system in the past month?"

Some L&D professionals are obsessed with system usage and statistics, when they should be more obsessed with the intentions, outcomes, and impact of the training strategy.

Who benefits most from the training platform in the following example?

Learner A, who attends 10 courses a month and is at the top of the engagement leaderboard. They love learning and cannot wait to take the next course. They have not reported many benefits from the training they have taken.

Or

Learner B, who is at the bottom of the usage statistics, but the training they took led to retaining two people on their team due to some newly acquired knowledge about coaching and performance management. In addition, they secured a contract renegotiation with a supplier, which resulted in a reduction of total fees by 20,000 BGN. Both outcomes can be directly attributed to methods that were included in the training.

It is important to understand what success means for you and what is most important. Is it the need? Is it the transfer of learning to the workplace? Or is it the impact and outcomes?

Our trend for 2023 is to focus on the impact of your training systems rather than just their usage.

 We can help you choose a training platform. Contact us by phone: +359 878 685 304, e-mail: office@nitbg.com.

3. Personalized training

Personalized training is a lasting trend, as more and more L&D professionals become familiar with what it involves. Choosing a learning path and the learning experience during training is a key prerequisite for achieving the set goals in changing employees' skills.

4. Resources, not just courses

Before the development of online learning, teams were given a brochure with courses delivered by external training providers, from which they could choose the course(s) they were interested in.

For many businesses that have not updated their training processes, unfortunately this is still the case.

In 2023, we need to think more about offering training resources, not just courses.

These resources may include, but are not limited to:

- Online learning

- Content for e-learning

- Videos

- Blogs

- Audio recordings

- Podcasts

- Virtual training

- Assessments and quizzes

- Infographics

- Conferences

- Mentoring

- Coaching

- White papers

- Whether they are in an e-learning platform or not, think resources, not just courses.

5. Mobile learning

The reason mobile learning is included in our list is due to the decline in desktop computer usage in communication, especially among millennials, where it is reported that 20% use ONLY their smartphone to communicate.

This figure will continue to grow. Just look at how teenagers around us avoid TVs and laptops in favor of their phones. That is how they prefer to learn and consume information, and I do not expect that to change.

Mobile learning has its pros and cons. It all depends on your preferences and where you prefer to learn.

Our forecast for 2023 is that companies will need to consider more carefully how they can incorporate mobile learning into their training programs, enabling employees to train on the go or wherever is convenient for them.

6. Hybrid learning

Many organizations are moving to a hybrid work model, so it is quite natural for hybrid learning models to begin to emerge as well.

It is important to understand the difference between hybrid and blended learning, which are actually very different concepts.

Blended learning is when the learner chooses or participates in a program that combines e-learning and traditional classroom seminars.

Hybrid learning is when the learner chooses to attend the same learning event in person or online. So there may be four people in a room in front of a facilitator and five people at work across the country participating online.

In 2023, businesses need to make sure they offer their learners hybrid learning options. In other words, the opportunity to join in person or remotely, so they can learn in an environment that matches their preferred learning style.

7. Learning through testing and assessment

Something that is often overlooked is the meaning of memorization, where it is about understanding a given topic based on repetition.

Traditionally, learners take an exam in the form of a test after covering the theory and content of a given topic, whereas in test-based learning it is exactly the opposite.

The test-based learning approach can be divided into two ways:

- Intensive use of tests

Imagine that your LMS has a section dedicated to tests. There is no training there, only test after test. The topics can range from leadership styles to your organization's internal processes.

In this approach, your learners take the tests, receive a grade and feedback on the questions they answered correctly and incorrectly, and can take them again and again until they get all the answers right.

- Testing first, then self-study

The learning process follows a similar pattern to the scenario above, but learners are told the correct and incorrect answers, and then they must research and discover the answers through the content in their LMS. This can be compared to a flipped classroom, but for tests.

In 2023, L&D specialists should consider introducing test-based learning in the workplace to mix learning styles and ensure that learners fully understand the ideas being taught.

8. The rise of infographics

A picture is worth a thousand words. There are organizations that still force their learners to read documents, workbooks, and similar materials when a simple infographic would do the job perfectly.

Many learners think in images and prefer to absorb information this way, so it is important to take that into account.

If you have an LMS, make sure you have a section dedicated to infographics and images that can be used as standalone materials as well as included in online and offline programs.

Top 9 trends in learning content

9. Trends in learning content for 2023

This next and final trend focuses on key factors you should consider for 2023 when creating learning content for your team. These are taken from the custom e-learning requests our team has received over the past 12 months.

Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity is based on the premise that people have different ways of thinking, behaving, and learning. There is no right or wrong way for them - it is simply a different version of the world.

Neurodiversity is about educating your people on this topic and ensuring that your learning content is accessible and suitable for people with neurodivergent conditions.

Some examples of neurodivergent conditions include:

- Autism

- ADHD

- Dyspraxia

- Dyslexia

- Dyscalculia

- Dysgraphia

- Tourette's

Resilience

The challenges your employees face at work and outside it are constantly increasing. The cost of living, the ongoing uncertainty brought by epidemics, war, the economy, inflation, and many other factors mean that our employees have a lot to deal with.

Your organization has never needed to be so flexible in terms of ways of working and the different business models being adopted.

There are many changes, which means resilience training is in high demand. Resilience training will provide your employees with techniques and strategies to cope better, so the changes they face become more manageable and help protect against mental health and wellbeing issues.

 

Hybrid work

Before the epidemic, the number of hybrid workers who came to the office on some days and worked from home on others was small.

Today, hybrid work is becoming an expectation for job candidates and for building a flexible and healthy workforce.

But along with that come challenges for your employees and their direct manager.

Some of the main challenges include:

- Communication;

- Connection and belonging;

- Collaboration with other people on projects and work;

- Creativity and brainstorming ideas;

- Feeling part of and contributing to the culture;

- Managing remote workers.

Learn the techniques for managing virtual teams.

 

Mental health

In combination with resilience, mental health training can have a positive impact on your employees so they can cope with the daily demands they face.

Mental health training has the following benefits:

- It challenges the stigma of mental health - no one is immune to it;

- It builds and raises awareness of what it is and what its signs are;

- It provides coping techniques and strategies to help;

- It develops empathy in your organizations;

- It creates a culture of support for everyone;

- Managers will care much more about their employees' wellbeing.

 

Equality

Equality means fairness (sometimes called equity), diversity, and inclusion.

Our working world has never been so diverse, so it is important that we can raise awareness and promote equality in the workplace.

Some of the benefits of this include:

- Creating a happier and more harmonious workforce;

- Increased levels of motivation due to a sense of belonging;

- Preventing legal issues such as:

   o Discrimination

   o Harassment

How many of these training and development trends for 2023 are part of your current training and development strategy or are in the planning stage? If none of them are, that does not mean your organization is failing. Chasing the latest trends is not always a guarantee of improving the skills of your people or your organization, and you should always do what is best for your organization.

These trends are intended to provide L&D professionals and organizations with inspiration and food for thought on how they can improve and adapt their training strategies to the current times.

If you need assistance with training your staff or choosing a distance learning system, contact us. Our distance learning platforms are translated into Bulgarian, as are their manuals. For your convenience, we can also add video training or live training for working with the LMS system.

See which factors determine success in training in our article Factors that determine success in the training process