7 Convincing Reasons To Connect Learning Initiatives To Business Objectives

Why You Should Align Learning Initiatives To Business Objectives

“Knowledge has to be improved, challenged, and increased constantly, or it vanishes.” -Peter Drucker

Learning initiatives for businesses are important as it boosts productivity, efficiency, and results. L&D leaders often find themselves at the crossroads of convincing the management and employees. While employees look for transferable skills across organizations, management looks for results propelling growth.

Here are 7 convincing reasons to connect learning initiatives to your business objectives.

1. Bridging The Gap With Learning Initiatives

Businesses profit when the system is efficient. Be it a supply chain or a large trading organization, efficiency gaps can often slow the flywheel of business. You can discover the skills gaps through surveys and assessments, which help benchmark your employee performance. Based on this assessment, you can bridge the gap by creating personalized modules to help your employees overcome their workplace handicaps. This will also boost employees’ morale and confidence at the workplace, thus accelerating your organization’s business objectives.

2. Reducing Frequency Of On-The-Job Errors

If your employees lack the knowledge to execute a particular task, it can lead to several on-the-job issues. This means, there will be a lot of revisions and retries, which cost time and money. In cases involving compliance and regulations, mistakes can often lead to lawsuits and hefty fines, or even endanger the lives of those who are involved in the process. A good learning module is always designed towards reducing on-the-job mistakes. Learning programs also ensure that your employees pay keen attention to detail relating to the subject and its implementation with requisite certifications and gamification tools.

3. Developing People Capabilities

According to LinkedIn Learning’s 5th Annual Workplace Learning Report 2021, 66% of L&D professionals globally now agree that they are focused on rebuilding and reshaping their organizations in 2022. Constant investment in human capital through learning initiatives helps in boosting the next generation of leadership, which unlocks your business objectives. Learning platforms like CALF™ provide features like checklists, assessments, surveys, and assignments, which help you benchmark your employees and design requisite training programs based on their knowledge level.

4. What You Need Is What They Want

When an L&D program sees the light of the day, there’s always this question that arises in an employee’s mind; “What is in it for me?” Employees work in teams, which in turn help the clock rotate. An employee with redundant or forgotten skills not only hurts their team but also their own career potential. When you deploy your learning initiatives, they should reflect the needs of your employees. Understanding a learner’s requirements ensures that it not only helps you in your short-term goals but also the future career options of your employees.

5. Better Customer Experience

Have you ever wondered how much learning interventions can boost your customer experience? Customers and CX points are the core of your business objectives. Whether your company wants to grow among unique customers or provide a better experience to your current customers, you need to ensure that your employees are equipped with the people skills and product/service knowledge of your company required in the current scenario. History has been evident to the fact that lack of customer satisfaction spreads faster than any marketing campaign.

6. Motivating And Engaging Employees

“It is a human tendency to do something that constantly energizes you.” -Mel Robbins

Remember your employees are human beings and hate being in monotonous routines. According to LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report 2021, 76% of the Gen Z workforce believes learning is the key to a successful career. Lack of challenges or growth hurts employee motivation a lot. Learning interventions provide employees with a break from stagnation and offer them a reason to grow. This skyrockets their morale and confidence which has positive effects on their reliability. This also allows you to discover hidden gems inside the rock.

7. Employee Retention And Hiring

As previously stated, employees find L&D initiatives an important part of their careers. Prospective talent too is enticed by the learning interventions of your company that help them develop their careers. Lack of L&D initiatives may force employees into looking for different opportunities elsewhere and demotivate potential talent from entering the system. The main business objective which should relate to your learning programs should be that of ensuring your employees have requisite skills which help them progress long term internally. The upward progress of the current workforce helps your company grow, which leads to more unique talent being hired.

Conclusion

It is important to align your learning interventions with your business objectives. Your organization’s clarity on this subject also affects key components like hiring, employee motivation, branding, growth, profits, and related dynamics. This also helps employees bridge the gaps not only between current performance and job expectations but also helps them grow to their future potential.

Download the eBook Demonstrating True Business Impact: How To Measure And Maximize Your Learning Outcomes to drive L&D initiatives in the right direction and achieve your desired business outcomes. You can also join the webinar to learn whether your L&D initiatives really align with the organizational objectives. The webinar also explores how to leverage the full capabilities of CALF™️, the learning platform that measures the behavioral and business impact of your learning interventions.

References

2021 Workplace Learning Report