Top 7 Learning And Development Podcasts You Must See
500 million. That’s the number of people watching podcasts every single day across the world.
The medium is hot for the depth and variety it can offer. Podcasts are a savior and the right commute buddy for an increasingly busy world. The same goes for learning and development podcasts, a niche that has quietly built up into a great repository of valuable content.
In this blog post, we will explore some of the top learning and development podcasts that you should keep an eye on.
Staying updated on the newest trends and ideas in L&D is very important for your success. Learning and development podcasts are a simple and easy way to do this. They have interesting talks, expert interviews, and inspiring content. These podcasts offer a lot of useful knowledge for L&D workers at all stages of their careers.
If you are an experienced L&D expert or just starting out, adding these podcasts to your learning routine will boost your knowledge and keep you motivated. Listen to these L&D podcasts to discover the latest strategies, best practices, and innovative approaches to talent development and growth in organizations.
Many podcasts invite people to talk about their episodes on social media and online forums. This helps listeners connect with each other. It also gives you chances to network and learn together as L&D professionals.
So, let’s dive straight in:
#1 RiseUp Radio
by Risely, with Ashish Manchanda
Why should you watch this?
The RiseUp Radio podcast brings experts and practitioners to talk about leadership development and effective L&D. It brings actionable advice from people who have been through the challenges you are facing today.
Must watch episode:
Developing leaders, featuring Kelli Dragovich, This episode combines a personal journey with valuable lessons and advice to shape up for L&D journey.
The RiseUp Radio podcast offers learning and development insights in two exciting formats. First, we have topical episodes that focus on specific areas within HR and L&D, such as building empathy at work. The second format takes deep dives into leaders’ professional journeys, like this episode with Harjeet Khanduja, the SVP of HR at Reliance Jio. This brings in experience and expertise for your consideration.
You can watch all the episodes on YouTube.
#2 L&D Plus
by 360Learning, with David James
Why should you watch this?
The L&D Plus podcast discusses topics beyond “learning” and “development.” Your impact is in areas like growth, employee enablement, and operations. This podcast explains the what, why, and how behind it.
Must watch episode:
L&D Plus Talent, which breaks down how the two teams can build an impactful collaboration.
The L&D Plus podcast is a great tool for any professional not ready to remain limited to a strict job description. It prompts you to think beyond the word “learning and development.” Instead, you consider connections across marketing, sales, operations, and many other areas. David James brings in practitioners to tell their stories of building these connections.
You can check out all the Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts episodes.
#3 The Overnight Trainer
by Sarah Cannistra
Why should you watch this?
This weekly podcast is made with love to support you in the journey of achieving all your professional goals in L&D.
Must watch episode:
Upskilling for the L&D of the future, which breaks down what future ready skillsets for L&D professionals look like.
The Overnight Trainer podcast takes you on the upskilling journey amid busy schedules. It offers interesting takes on problems that you would resonate with, such as searching for the next role in your career or keeping up against rapidly changing skill demands in the market.
You can discover The Overnight Trainer podcast on Spotify.
#4 The Learning Xchange
by Matthew Brown
Why should you watch this?
Matthew Brown’s Learning Xchange podcast addressed issues beyond the conventional ones, such as building a diverse network and tackling trauma in workplaces.
Must watch episode:
The Importance of Evaluating Systems Implemented for Learning. This episode urges L&D to not just do things, but also review them as time passes for maximum impact.
This podcast focused on learning in the digital world and provided a lot of practical value due to the host’s experience as a Chief People and Culture Officer. As a result, it proved to be a valuable resource for L&D professionals carving a space of their own in a rapidly evolving field.
The Learning Xchange podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.
#5 All Hands
by Lattice, with Katelin Holloway
Why should you watch this?
People success is business success – that’s the core mantra echoing through all episodes of the All Hands podcast, where experts join in to break down their playbooks for people success.
Must watch episode:
Building strong CEO-CPO relationships with Melanie Naranjo, that breaks down how to connect across the table and lead your team to success.
The All Hands podcast has completed four seasons, with amazing guests sharing insights on how they have built successful people functions. The topics are diverse, ranging from thoughts on adopting an intersectional lens to using AI the right way with your organization.
The All Hands podcast is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
#5 Learning at Large
by Kirstie Greany
Why should you watch this?
The Learning at Large podcast is the perfect resource for L&D professionals building online learning practices. It features stories from some of the most successful organizations.
Must watch episode:
Delivering Decentralized Learning, where Geraldine Murphy shares how to deliver learning to 90,000+ people.
The Learning at Large podcast discusses questions that matter to your growth, such as meaningfully implementing AI in L&D practices, preparing and fighting for budgets, and rethinking old practices for innovative L&D strategies. These insights come from people who have been there, experts who understand where you are and how to move forward.
The Learning at Large podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
#6 Coaching Real Leaders
by HBR, with Muriel Wilkins
Why should you watch this?
Led by an executive coach backed by years of experience, the Coaching Real Leaders podcast helps leaders and C-suite executives tackle professional challenges.
Must watch episode:
How do I avoid a career plateau in mid life, which talks of an all-too-common challenge many professionals face.
The insights from the Coaching Real Leaders podcast are useful for the people in your organization and, at times, would resonate with your challenges, too. As an L&D professional reaching new heights, you would find many questions relevant and helpful to your journey.
This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
#7 HR Happy Hour
by Steve Boese and Trish McFarlaney
Why should you watch this?
As the longest-running HR podcast in America, HR Happy Hour has proven to be a valuable resource for professionals, as it takes up issues that impact your everyday work.
Must watch episode:
The ROI of kindness at work, which calls you to be a little more deliberate about being nice – because it matters a lot.
Beyond this show, the HR Happy Hour network carries many more useful conversations for HR and L&D professionals, including content on leadership development, HR technology, and management. HR Happy Hour is also an old player in the field, running since 2009 and constantly evolving with the industry.
This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
Wrapping Up
The information from these podcasts can greatly help your L&D career. When you keep up with trends, best practices, and new technologies, you make yourself more valuable to your organization.
The advice and examples shared by industry experts build your credibility. This helps you add real value to your company’s L&D strategy. By engaging with these podcasts, you show that you care about professional development and continuous learning. This can help you stand out in the L&D field.
Deeksha, with a solid educational background in human resources, bridges the gap between your goals and you with valuable insights and strategies within leadership development. Her unique perspectives, powered by voracious reading, lead to thoughtful pieces that tie conventional know-how and innovative approaches together to enable success for management professionals.
Develop people managers of your organization into impactful leaders.
Check out Risely, your AI copilot for people management, with a free trial today.
Horse Leadership Training: A New Approach to Leadership Development Leadership development and training is suffering heavy stress under today’s business…
This blog outlines top assessment tools for learning, emphasizing practices that enhance communication, accelerate skill development, and align individual progress with company goals.
Best 360° Assessment Tools for Learning and Development
Your teams thrive on consistent, constructive feedback essential for adaptation and growth. Traditional evaluation methods often fall short, delivering limited insights into individual contributions and development needs. Assessment tools for learning capture diverse perspectives, enabling the identification of skill gaps, strengthening of capabilities, and fostering of accountability. These tools not only measure performance but also create invaluable learning experiences that support both your team and organizational growth.
This blog outlines top assessment tools for learning, emphasizing practices that enhance communication, accelerate skill development, and align individual progress with company goals.
What Key Features Should You Look for in an Assessment Tool?
Selecting the right assessment tools for learning demands a focus on fostering genuine learning and skill development rather than mere data collection. Prioritize these essential features to maximize your assessment strategy:
Advanced Customization Capabilities: Tailor assessments to your team’s specific goals. This customization generates actionable insights crucial for hiring and summative assessments, ensuring feedback aligns with organizational objectives.
Actionable Reporting and Analytics: Choose tools with robust analytics that enable quick identification of trends and skill gaps analysis. Comprehensive reporting facilitates tracking development outcomes over time, allowing adjustments to training programs while demonstrating value to stakeholders.
Integration with Existing HR Systems: Seek tools that seamlessly connect with your HRIS, LMS, and other platforms. Such integration ensures feedback aligns with performance reviews and goal-setting, offering a holistic view of employee growth while eliminating data silos.
User-Friendly Interface and Accessibility: An intuitive design encourages participation from employees with varying tech proficiency. Tools compatible across multiple devices foster consistent engagement, with accessibility features ensuring all team members contribute effectively.
Support for Diverse Learning Needs: Opt for tools accommodating various learning preferences to enhance feedback quality. Flexible formats like video responses or interactive assessments foster an inclusive environment, enriching the overall experience.
By concentrating on these key features, you will be able to select a comprehensive assessment tool that aligns with your team’s and organization’s objectives, nurturing a culture of continuous learning.
Top Assessment Tools for Learning and Development
With a range of available assessment tools for learning, you have options to suit your organizational goals and support data-driven decision-making. Below are some of the leading assessment tools for learning tailored to the needs of your team:
1. Risely
Risely is an AI copilot for leadership development that offers personalized learning journeys that cater to each team member’s unique needs and challenges while seamlessly integrating into daily workflows. The platform stands out by aligning development plans with your company values and focusing on team dynamics, ensuring that growth is both relevant and impactful.
Key features:
AI Coaching with Merlin: AI Coach Merlin provides personalized, AI-driven guidance that adapts to your team’s actions and needs.
Tailored Learning Journeys: Daily learning nudges are designed to support individual growth while seamlessly integrating into their workflow.
Comprehensive Self-Assessments: Evaluate 30 key skills with detailed analysis reports.
Team Feedback & Admin Dashboards: Gain insights into leadership strengths and opportunities for improvement through team feedback.
Focus on Team Dynamics: Aligns leadership development with organizational values and team needs.
Risely empowers L&D professionals like you, to cultivate a continuous learning culture, enhance cross-functional collaboration, and reduce stress and turnover, enabling managers to lead teams effectively toward high-quality results.
2. Qualtrics
Qualtrics is a training evaluation tool that leverages surveys to gauge the efficiency of training. It uses specialized AI that uncovers insights from mountains of data and prioritizes actions that drive results.
Key features:
Customizable Surveys and Workflows: Designed for flexibility, this tool adapts to various organizational roles, streamlining development programs across the organization without overburdening HR resources.
Comprehensive Reporting and Dashboard: Robust reporting capabilities provide you with a clear view of performance trends, knowledge gaps, and progress, connecting development outcomes with business metrics to demonstrate ROI.
Personalized Development and Confidentiality: Empower employees to manage their growth with personalized reports linked to learning resources, ensuring actionable insights are instantly accessible in a safe, confidential environment.
Qualtrics enables you to target skill gaps effectively, linking individual development efforts to broader organizational goals and fostering scalable change.
3. SurveyMonkey Enterprise
SurveyMonkey Enterprise stands out as a robust, scalable solution for gathering team feedback with precision.
Key highlights:
User-Friendly Interface: An accessible experience encourages engagement across experience levels. Pre-built templates and AI assistance help craft insightful surveys, enhancing response quality and uncovering actionable insights rapidly.
Comprehensive Multi-Survey Dashboards: Aggregate data from multiple surveys in one dashboard, simplifying the monitoring of key metrics and trends over time, allowing teams to identify and act on performance patterns.
Scalable Feedback Programs: Centralized administration streamlines user management and survey distribution, ensuring your team members have the insights they need via various channels, including offline and SMS.
SurveyMonkey Enterprise’s intuitive analytics and flexibility make it an excellent choice for prioritizing efficient feedback collection while adapting to evolving organizational needs.
4. Lattice
Lattice offers a comprehensive platform for L&D teams dedicated to long-term performance growth.
Key features:
Continuous Feedback Options: Real-time insights enable you to track progress continuously, making it easier to pivot strategies as needs evolve.
Enhanced Productivity for Managers: Tools like auto-suggested agendas and structured performance reviews empower managers to lead effectively and boost team productivity.
Streamlined HR Operations: Integrations reduce administrative time by 78%, allowing HR to concentrate on strategic growth and employee engagement.
Lattice aligns performance management, engagement, and HR operations, making it invaluable for organizations committed to high-impact, data-informed growth.
5. Culture Amp
Culture Amp focuses on building a supportive, values-driven culture through data-informed feedback and development tools.
Key features:
Open Dialogue and Collaboration Support: Structured feedback mechanisms promote open communication and team cohesion, reinforcing a robust feedback culture.
People Analytics: Provides actionable insights that turn data into intelligence, assisting you in identifying trends and areas for improvement while connecting engagement, development, and retention metrics.
Employee Development: Personalized development tools enable your employees to set and track growth goals, fostering a scalable, measurable approach to development that aids in talent retention.
Recognized by top companies, Culture Amp integrates engagement, development, and performance tools to help organizations cultivate a thriving culture.
6. Cornerstone OnDemand
Cornerstone OnDemand focuses on enhancing workforce agility and closing readiness gaps through tailored learning.
Key highlights:
Customizable Learning Paths: You create learning paths that support role-specific skill enhancement, aligning with overall performance goals.
Cross-Device Accessibility: Let your team learn anytime, anywhere, with mobile compatibility increasing engagement and enabling consistent development.
Workforce Agility Tools: Cornerstone Galaxy enhances agility, helping employees adapt to rapid changes and offering insights into readiness gaps for proactive planning.
Cornerstone’s unified platform enhances L&D effectiveness while preparing organizations for a rapidly evolving workforce landscape.
7. BambooHR
BambooHR streamlines employee engagement and essential HR processes with an all-in-one platform.
Key features:
Comprehensive HR Management: Covering the entire lifecycle of your employees, from hiring to payroll, reduces HR costs and saves time, allowing focus on strategic goals.
Extensive Customization for L&D Needs: Customizable assessments help tailor development plans to team skill sets and growth areas.
Actionable Progress Analytics: Real-time insights aid in tracking growth and adjusting learning strategies, fostering a data-informed culture.
With a user-friendly design and robust analytics, BambooHR simplifies HR processes while enhancing employee engagement and development.
8. Reflektive
Reflektive is designed to enhance employee development through continuous conversations and analytics.
Key features:
Performance and Engagement Solutions: Ongoing feedback and public recognition promote team excellence and motivation.
Targeted Progress Tracking and Real-Time Analytics: Custom assessments enable proactive interventions based on insights, while dashboards gauge sentiment and drive improvements.
People Analytics and Retention Tools: Integrates with existing HRIS for comprehensive performance insights, revealing trends critical for talent retention.
Reflektive’s intuitive design fosters a culture of continuous feedback, maximizing your team’s satisfaction and performance.
9. Trakstar
Trakstar connects every stage of the employee lifecycle, focusing on continuous skill development.
Key highlights:
Targeted Skill Development and Customization: Detailed assessments align training with departmental needs, ensuring effective, personalized skill-building.
Seamless Multi-Device Accessibility: Supports inclusivity and high participation across devices.
Data-Driven Reporting and Insights: In-depth analytics lead to informed decision-making, resulting in reduced disengagement and turnover.
Trakstar streamlines processes while achieving measurable improvements in engagement, retention, and development of your team.
10. Peakon (by Workday)
Peakon is an employee voice platform that combines robust analytics with comprehensive feedback options.
Key features:
Comprehensive Performance Evaluation: Employs diverse assessment techniques for a holistic view of capabilities and growth areas.
Real-Time Insights for Engagement: Provides immediate feedback to understand engagement, identify turnover root causes, and forecast risks.
Tailored Growth Plans: Supports customized development plans that align your team member’s growth with organizational goals.
Peakon’s employee-centric approach leverages extensive datasets for deeper insights and fosters a culture of continuous learning.
Select an assessment tool that aligns with your team’s goals, fosters an environment of continuous learning, driving engagement and professional development. By implementing well-suited tools, you create a supportive atmosphere that contributes to organizational success.
Benefits of Implementing Assessment Tools for Learning in Your Organization
As L&D leaders, you transform feedback into a strategic asset through assessment tools for learning. These tools propel team development, yield impactful learning outcomes, and cultivate a data-driven culture of growth.
Enhanced Engagement Through Constructive Feedback
A robust feedback system lays the groundwork for trust and collaboration. By implementing multi-perspective feedback from peers, managers, and cross-functional partners, employees gain essential insights into their strengths and areas for improvement. This approach leads to:
Building Trust and Motivation: Employees feel recognized and motivated to grow, reinforcing their dedication to the organization.
Fostering Cohesive Team Dynamics: Feedback aligned with growth goals enhances communication and teamwork.
By encouraging transparent and constructive feedback, you empower your teams to embrace development proactively, resulting in a workforce that is more engaged and aligned with organizational objectives.
Data-Driven Development for Targeted Learning Interventions
Assessment tools provide powerful insights that enable informed decisions about learning and development. You will be able to:
Identify Skill Gaps: Utilize analytics to pinpoint specific competencies that are lacking, allowing for strategic training prioritization.
Customize Learning Interventions: Design targeted learning paths that address your team’s distinct requirements.
Measure Training Effectiveness: Establish feedback cycles to evaluate training initiatives and continuously refine programs.
This data-driven strategy empowers you to back your development initiatives with solid insights, ensuring that your learning objectives are well-aligned with broader organizational goals.
Embedding a Culture of Continuous Improvement
A comprehensive 360 assessment tool fosters a culture of continuous learning and growth. Regular feedback promotes:
Self-Directed Learning: Employees take charge of their professional development.
Integration of Learning into Daily Practices: Continuous feedback reinforces development as a priority.
Agility and Adaptability: Employees iterate on their work, aligning with team goals.
When feedback becomes an integral part of your organizational culture, you cultivate a commitment to growth and excellence that enhances both individual and organizational performance. The implementation of assessment tools for learning not only drives development but also positions your organization as a leader in fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Conclusion
Implementing assessment tools for learning transcends mere feedback gathering; it creates a culture of continuous learning, intentional growth, and empowerment for every team member. Selecting tools offering customization, in-depth analytics, HR integration, and a user-friendly experience positions your organization for long-term success. Thoughtful implementation, clear communication, and actionable follow-up transform assessments into a powerful driver of meaningful development. Leverage these insights to highlight your team’s strengths, pinpoint areas for growth, and foster an environment where learning is integrated into daily operations. Start today with tools that unlock higher engagement, valuable insights, and new levels of success across your team.
Avantika holds an undergrad degree in Political Science and Psychology, bringing a unique blend of analytical and psychological insight to her writing. With extensive experience in content creation and research, she crafts engaging and well-informed content that resonates with readers and drives meaningful conversations.
Horse Leadership Training: A New Approach to Leadership Development Leadership development and training is suffering heavy stress under today’s business…
This blog post will discuss the case study of horse leadership training. We will also reveal how HR and L&D heads like you could benefit by incorporating this seemingly unconventional yet highly effective training into your leadership pipeline.
Horse Leadership Training: A New Approach to Leadership Development
Leadership development and training is suffering heavy stress under today’s business environments. HR and L&D professionals like you are constantly pursuing new, efficient, and innovative ways of emotionally intelligent and authentic leadership. Here is one such very effective transformative approach gaining popularity under the name of Horse Leadership Training. It is a hands-on, experiential method, based on the natural wisdom of horses, that helps leaders sharpen their communication, emotional intelligence, and teamwork skills in an absolutely unique way.
In this blog, we will dive deep into Horse Leadership Training with insights from Janis Cooper, the director of Leadership and Staff training at Best Friends Animal Society.
In the 14th episode of Risely’s podcast- RiseUp Radio, Janis explains how to craft effective learning experiences through Horse Leadership Training or what she calls, Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL). EFL has become increasingly popular for training as it engages all of a person’s senses. It is a profound and memorable method that supports immediate change.
Horse Leadership Training, or Equine-Assisted Learning (EAL), offers a new and experiential approach to learning leadership, the type that never happens in the classroom. Because horses are very sensitive and social animals, they can read human body language and emotions a great deal of which people ignore. The idea behind this method, as Janis mentions, is the way people or teams complete the task provided to them with the horse reflects how they’re actually doing things in the workplace.
As an HR or L&D leader, you know how important it is that your team members really experience leadership and not just learn about it. EAL makes this happen by allowing participants to work directly with horses, where they immediately see how their behavior influences others.
Through some carefully designed trust-building exercises, your team will learn how to communicate with the horses without using any words. This very unique experience makes you a very clear communicator nonverbally, helps you calibrate your emotional responses appropriately, and understand how your actions affect others. It is a journey that builds trust and self-awareness while providing an increase in respect and, along with these, strengthening core leadership skills.
What is The Science Behind Equine Leadership Development?
Dogs are known for their loyalty and friendliness and monkeys are the closest living relatives to humans. So, why horses?
The success of equine-assisted experiential learning on leadership development isn’t built on experience alone but is supported by sound science in both animal behavior and human psychology. As an HR or L&D leader, you understand the importance of blending practical learning with evidence-based insights. Horses are social animals that naturally herd together for survival. This characteristic makes them highly sensitive to minute changes in their surroundings, and to the feelings of their acquaintances, making them an excellent partner for leadership training.
An Equine-Assisted Learning (EAL) session provides participants with immediate, unfiltered truthful feedback from the horses. The way a horse responds to them reflects their own emotions, intentions, and leadership style—like looking in a mirror. The raw feedback provided reveals blind spots, biases, or behaviors that most likely are holding them back from being totally effective leaders.
Observing how horses interact within their herd provides powerful lessons on teamwork, conflict resolution, and the importance of setting clear boundaries and expectations. These can easily be applied to the workplace to help your team improve their communication, collaboration, and overall performance.
The Core Principles of Horse LeadershipTraining
At the center of Horse Leadership Training are a few key principles that help develop important leadership skills:
Authenticity & Congruence: Horses can easily notice when a person’s words and actions do not match. This helps people show their true selves and align their thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Clear Communication & Boundaries: Horses are prey animals. They need clear communication and set boundaries to feel safe. During EAL sessions, participants learn how to communicate their goals clearly and set healthy boundaries to build trust and respect.
Emotional Intelligence & Regulation: Horses excel at reading human emotions. This means participants need to have emotional intelligence and know how to regulate their feelings. They learn to develop self-awareness, empathy, and manage their emotions well, especially in tough times.
What Makes Horse Leadership Training Effective for HR/L&D Professionals?
For HR and L&D professionals like you, Horse Leadership Training is a powerful way to create real, lasting change in your organization’s leaders. Unlike traditional methods that often focus on theories and simulations, this training puts your team in real, hands-on situations where they must lead, communicate, and adapt—right in the moment. Working with horses requires leaders to step out of their comfort zones and sharpen their emotional intelligence, decision-making, and communication skills.
What makes this especially valuable for you is how deeply it engages participants. They aren’t just sitting through another lecture—they’re immersed in an experience they’ll remember long after the training ends. The immediate feedback from horses shows leaders exactly how their behavior impacts others, which helps them understand and adjust in real time.
Janis shared a story of someone seeking help with leadership skills. This person was paired with a horse named Andrew, with the task of leading him from point A to B without touching or bribing him—she had to rely solely on influence. Initially, Andrew followed her, but midway, he stopped. When asked why, she admitted that she’d begun doubting herself at that moment. She realized that the same thing happens at her workplace; people don’t follow her because she lacks confidence.
This kind of direct, memorable learning experience leads to real behavioral change that sticks, making your leadership development efforts much more impactful when your team faces tough situations back in the workplace.
Implementing Equine Leadership Development in Your Organization
Incorporation of Horse Leadership Training in your company’s human resources and learning and development strategy can be a game-changer, and it’s more flexible than you might think. You begin by taking your employees to a one-day workshop and introducing them to the core principles of horse leadership training. That way, they are able to experience this unique interpersonal link between leadership and working with horses, which will come in very handy for them in their respective roles.
Participants working with horses during an Equine-assisted learning program. Image by Forbes
For an even more comprehensive experience, you may integrate horse leadership training into your existing leadership programs. Single multiple-day retreats or even continuing coaching sessions offer the best chance for traditional leadership training and the application of equine activities through a very potent combination that appeals to most learning styles. Such programs deepen the learning experience through a more engaging and impactful method for the team.
It doesn’t matter what you choose, but it would be advisable to ensure that the sessions are conducted by a certified expert or professional who has a strong background in leadership development and working with horses, the idea is that your team receives a well-rounded, professionally guided experience truly delivering results.
Horse Leadership Training: A Strategic Development Tool
Organizations like yours are increasingly recognizing the strategic value of incorporating equine leadership programs into their talent development initiatives. These programs offer much more than individual growth—they create stronger teams, improve communication, and foster a more positive, productive work environment.
Here’s a concise comparison of traditional leadership development approaches and equine-assisted learning:
Working with horses encourages authenticity and emotional intelligence in a manner that traditional methods often miss. Exercises for building trust carry through to equine partners but come directly into how those members then interact with their colleagues. Doing so helps foster a culture in which your team feels supported and connected—that’s an essential ingredient for long-term success in any organization.
Conclusion
Horse Leadership Training offers a refreshing approach to leadership development, utilizing horse-related principles to enhance your team’s skills. As an HR or L&D professional, you can leverage the Equine Leadership Program to foster genuine change and elevate teamwork within your organization. Safety during training sessions is crucial, so implementing solid measures will ensure a positive experience for everyone involved. By embracing this innovative method, you’ll cultivate strong leaders and a culture of collaboration and growth—transforming your organization for the better!
Avantika holds an undergrad degree in Political Science and Psychology, bringing a unique blend of analytical and psychological insight to her writing. With extensive experience in content creation and research, she crafts engaging and well-informed content that resonates with readers and drives meaningful conversations.
Avantika Anand
Take the next step toward empowering your team today!
At Risely, we provide personalized solutions to help you build strong, empathetic leaders and create a culture of growth.
Horse Leadership Training: A New Approach to Leadership Development Leadership development and training is suffering heavy stress under today’s business…
In this blog, we explore thirteen training and development programs for employees and the key benefits of investing in your employees’ growth, including boosting productivity, enhancing job satisfaction, and reducing turnover.
Empower Your Workforce: 13 Training and Development Programs For Employees
Skilled and adaptable employees are the key to succeeding in this highly competitive business world. As an L&D leader, you can understand the value placed on investment through holistic training and development programs for employees that drive growth professionally and enable your employees to do their jobs well by acquiring the necessary skills and knowledge while making your organization stay ahead in a fast-changing industry. Your efforts are crucial in building an ideal workforce that can meet the critical challenges of tomorrow.
Training and development programs for employees aim to boost their skills, knowledge, and capabilities. You are well aware of how crucial aligning these programs with personal and organizational goals is to assess and eliminate skill gaps and develop a learning culture.
Choosing the right training and development program is essential in building your L&D strategy. You need to figure out which program aligns with your organization’s needs and culture. Effective programs focus on more than just technical skills. They focus on building soft skills like communication, teamwork, and leadership.
Offering your team growth opportunities through the right training and development program improves their productivity, satisfaction, and capacity to adjust to changes and new technology.
1. Orientation and Onboarding Programs
Orientation is the crucial first step in training and development programs for employees as it welcomes new hires, and gives them an understanding of your company’s culture, policies, and processes. A well-structured orientation will leave them confident and informed from day one, setting the right tone as they meet other members of the team and learn about your company’s mission and values.
Onboarding upgrades this process, providing new employees with the tools, training, and support they need to fit into their roles well. From job-specific training to working hands-on with key applications, onboarding programs are important in facilitating new employees’ transition into meaningful, productive members of the team. New hires who feel supported are more engaged, perform at a higher level, and are more likely to stay committed to the company long-term.
2. Compliance and Ethical Training
Compliance and ethical training make an organization aware of the standards that would be used during their working hours, which are regarded as both lawfully and industrially standard-based. As an L&D leader, you understand that such training and development programs for employees equip them with awareness about different laws, regulations, and company policies pertinent to them, be it anti-harassment, data security, workplace safety, or ethical conduct.
This will create a compliance and ethics culture that complements the elimination of risks coming from potential lawsuits or penalties. It will create a safe and respectful workplace. Employees will be able to participate in the organization if they understand ethical standards and are empowered to speak up, thereby encouraging transparency and a sense of accountability that will reflect favorably on the company’s reputation with clients, partners, and the community.
3. Technical Skills Development
With the progressing technology scenario, one must keep oneself updated with emerging technical skills. As an L&D leader, you must identify and bridge the gap in the skill set with the appropriate training from learning new software packages, coding languages, data analysis, or any other industry-specific tool, among others.
This competitive advantage can only be sustained by introduction of learning culture that encourages the employee to acquire certifications and to attend industry events and online courses for sharpening technical skills.
Technical skills development is considered an investment in your people, which then develops the ability to innovate from your company side and to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. A technically skilled workforce is a building block of enhanced efficiency and future growth.
4. Leadership and Management Training
Leadership and management training focuses on developing leaders who lead teams and advance organizational effectiveness. This can be achieved by the development of communication skills, delegation, decision-making, and conflict management skills to make for a more solid pipeline of leadership.
A good leadership development process, in most cases, consists of workshops, coaching, mentoring, and online courses that facilitate one choice after another wherein leaders could apply their knowledge to real-life situations.
Aligning leadership development to your organizational objectives will help in increasing the level of engagement in the workforce, improving morale, and therefore resulting in longer-term successes through empowered future leaders.
5. Communication and Interpersonal Skills Enhancement
As an L&D leader, you understand that in today’s workforce, strong communication, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution capabilities foster better teams and fewer conflicts in the workplace.
You should train your employees to be more vigilant, use non-verbal communicative expressions, empathize with others, and express themselves assertively. Training in conflict resolution is also essential since employees constructively address their disputes and create a harmonious working environment. Soft skill training has the added advantage of better teamwork, increased output, enhanced customer care, and reduced workplace conflicts that usually damage the organization.
6. Customer Service Excellence Training
Enhanced customer service is the success of an organization. As an L&D leader, you provide customer service training to your teams for the effective delivery of response support, quick resolution of issues, and building good relationships with customers. Product knowledge, good communication, conflict resolution, and creating real connections with a customer are some of them.
Promote a customer-centric culture with your employees to empower them for that extra push. Such an approach not only improves the satisfaction level of the customers but also increases loyalty. Offering customer service excellence is the training and development program for employees that sets your organization apart; you build brand loyalty and ensure that customers keep coming back.
7. Sales and Marketing Mastery
Sales and marketing are essential to generate revenue and make your business prosper. Trainable sales skills help your employees in lead identification, lead qualification, objection handling, negotiation, and closing a deal. In addition, it assists them to be updated with the latest trends and developments of the industry, strategies of the opponent, and present-day techniques on sales.
Skills in marketing include research, targeting the audience, and developing a strategy for digital marketing campaigns. It makes marketing professionals equipped with skills for the design of an effective campaign. Continuous investment in sales and marketing training will help your company increase revenue, expand its customer reach, and gain an edge over its competitors.
8. Project Management Fundamentals
Project management skills are important for leaders and those involved in project planning and execution. As an L&D leader, offering project management training ensures that your team will know the basics of starting, planning, executing, monitoring, and successfully completing projects.
Good teamwork, open and clear communication, and problem-solving are essential for effective project management. Such training could highlight the need for transparent communication, regular updates, and a collaborative resolution of problems to be on top of things and achieve the objectives.
Investing in project management learning and development is essential for your organization can improve outcomes, optimize the use of resources, and bring to fruition objectives more efficiently.
9. Innovation and Creativity Workshops
Innovation and creativity are at the core of the modern business model, and the rapid pace at which innovation is happening today means being ahead of competition is crucially important. As an L&D leader, offering workshops on innovation encourages your employees to think outside the box, generate fresh ideas, and solve problems creatively.
The magic happens by tapping into the innovative potential of your team by encouraging a culture that values and rewards creativity. Providing time, tools, and support to employees to explore new ideas and collaborate on innovative projects motivates growth and success.
10. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives
Creating a workplace that values diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is important for success. DEI training emphasizes people’s understanding and respect for individual differences. This program’s focus includes the reduction of unconscious bias, promotion of cultural sensitivity, and inclusive leadership. In sum, this all helps build a fair and inclusive work environment.
You should develop a culture in your organization where everyone feels welcomed, respected, and appreciated. You can do this by using inclusive hiring practices, forming employee resource groups, and leading DEI initiatives. This way, all employees can feel like they belong, no matter their background, beliefs, or identities.
11. Health and Wellness Programs
Employee well-being correlates to productivity, engagement and overall job satisfaction. The strongest predictor of employee wellness as a productivity enhancer is demonstrating an organization’s investment in the health of its employees. These might include a location-based gym, yoga classes, healthy meal options, and even ergonomic assessments for personal body well-being.
Additionally, mental health support, such as counselling or mindfulness workshops, also plays an important role in fostering emotional well-being. Health and wellness create a workplace employees want to be valued in, making for happier, healthier, and more productive teams.
12. Digital Literacy and IT Skills
The term digital literacy refers to the ability to effectively use the internet, computers, and other digital technologies in daily life. It is quintessentially important today in almost every job function to bridge the digital skill gap in the workplace. You must ensure that your employees have a sound basis in all basic computer skills, internet use, data security, and online communication tools required to thrive in a technology-based work setting.
Beyond the basics, you should also build specialized training in areas of advanced technical expertise for some job roles including data analysis, cybersecurity, cloud computing, or software development areas that are rapidly emerging in lines of business today.
Education of your employees in digital literacy and IT skills benefits their productivity and enables your organization to adopt new technologies more easily, helping to drive greater efficiency.
13. Financial Literacy and Budgeting
Financial literacy is the best possible way an employee can make informed decisions that aim to reach financial goals. As an L&D leader, you should provide financial literacy and resources to your workforce so they can better manage finances and reduce stress related to finance.
Some recommended topics related to this include budgeting, saving, investing, debt management, and planning for retirement using workshops or online courses. By equipping your employees with financial knowledge, you not only enhance their well-being but also foster a more focused, less stressed, and potentially more loyal workforce, impacting retention and overall productivity.
Why Training and Development Programs Matter Beyond Basic Benefits?
Training and development programs for employees are essential for any organization that wants to stay innovative, flexible, and competitive. Fundamentally, these programs have indisputable advantages: they enhance employee performance and productivity, boost job satisfaction and morale, reduce turnover, and encourage continuous improvement. Employees who are encouraged to grow are naturally more involved and dedicated, which further strengthens your organization.
Although the benefits are evident, L&D leaders face the difficulty of transforming these initiatives into focused, highly effective solutions that stick to budgetary limitations. This calls for a culture of continuous learning, technology use, a mix of in-house and outsourced training, and smart prioritization. Here are some tips on how to go beyond the basics and turn training into a real factor in the success of your company:
Prioritizing Training Needs When Budgets Are Tight
Determining which training and development programs for employees will yield the greatest return on investment is essential when the budget is limited. Begin by performing a skills gap analysis, which compares your team’s present competencies with the organization’s goals. By setting priorities in this way, you ensure that every training dollar is used on initiatives that are directly related to the main goals of the organization, thus increasing its impact.
In-House vs. Outsourced Training
One frequently asked question is whether training should be managed internally or outsourced. When it comes to company-specific values or internal procedures, in-house training is beneficial. However, for technical skills, soft skills, or leadership development, outsourcing to specialized providers offers greater expertise and perspective.
How about blended solutions? You manage basic training in-house while collaborating with outside specialists to deliver specialized, high-skilled programs. This balance can be achieved by using a hyper-personalized platform like Risely- your AI Copilot for Leadership Development, which provides tools to support both external and internal training. Regardless of the training source, Risely helps you stay consistent by offering scalable resources and monitoring engagement.
Securing Buy-In from the C-Suite
One of the biggest hurdles in implementing effective training and development programs for employees is securing buy-in from the C-suite. Building a strong business case is essential. Use metrics from pilot programs or case studies to highlight how training directly contributes to the organization’s strategic objectives. You are more likely to gain their support by framing training as an investment rather than an expense.
Leveraging Technology to Streamline and Personalize Training
For learning and development professionals who want to accomplish more with less, technology is a game-changer. You can tailor learning courses according to each employee’s progress and preferred method of learning, with tools like Risely’s Leadership Learning Journeys, and AI coach, Merlin. Real-time tracking, feedback, and insights are also made possible by technology, letting you determine which training and development programs are effective and which require modification.
What are the challenges in executing a successful training program?
Even though investments in training yield many benefits, a lot of companies struggle with factors such as inadequate budget and time. The solution to this is securing buy-in from the C-suite by building a strong business case through pilot programs and case studies.
Designing engaging training and development programs for employees that meet the diverse learning needs of employees is another great challenge. Keeping the content relevant and accessible boosts retention and impact. Improving future programs through feedback and assessments ensures that the specific goals are targeted more effectively.
CHALLENGE
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Budget
Securing adequate financial resources to cover the costs of training programs, materials, and potential external trainers.
Time
Dedicating sufficient time for employees to participate in training programs without overburdening them or disrupting their regular work schedules.
Engagement
Designing training content that is engaging, relevant, and caters to diverse learning styles to maximize knowledge retention and application.
Relevance
Ensuring that training content aligns with current job roles, business objectives, and industry trends to ensure its practicality and impact.
Evaluation
Establishing clear metrics for measuring the effectiveness of training programs and tracking their impact on employee performance, productivity, and organizational goals.
Technology
Choosing appropriate training delivery methods and leveraging technology effectively to enhance the learning experience, whether through online platforms, virtual simulations, or mobile learning options.
Buy-in
Obtaining buy-in from both management and employees regarding the importance and value of training and development initiatives.
Follow-up
Providing ongoing support and opportunities for employees to apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills to ensure long-term retention and transfer of learning to the workplace.
Conclusion
Investing in training and development programs for employees is very important for helping your team. These programs cover technical skills and leadership training. They improve employee performance and boost morale. They also help keep employees from leaving their jobs. By creating a culture of continuous improvement with various workshops, you help build a talented team. It is important to solve challenges in program execution for these initiatives to succeed. Providing regular updates and custom approaches can meet changing needs well. Small businesses can gain a lot from such programs too. They help grow and build a strong and flexible team. Focus on employee growth, and your organization will thrive.
Avantika holds an undergrad degree in Political Science and Psychology, bringing a unique blend of analytical and psychological insight to her writing. With extensive experience in content creation and research, she crafts engaging and well-informed content that resonates with readers and drives meaningful conversations.
Avantika Anand
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At Risely, we offer tailored solutions to help your employees grow and excel through personalized leadership and development programs.
Horse Leadership Training: A New Approach to Leadership Development Leadership development and training is suffering heavy stress under today’s business…
Learning analytics are critical to answering several questions for L&D teams. You need them to support the overall learning and development strategy, define the business case, and prove your impact. But there’s a lot of noise when measuring L&D initiatives. As a result, we must ask what the right sources of learning analytics are for us. In this blog, we will try to uncover learning analytics sources that make your L&D practice data-driven.
Learning analytics is a field that connects learning and data science. It involves measuring, gathering, analyzing, and sharing data from your employees. This data includes information about learners, like their backgrounds, job challenges, engagement, and learning styles.
Apart from simply telling you who’s performing well and who is not, learning analytics also measures the health of your L&D function. Primarily, the various sources of learning analytics answer questions like:
Are we moving the needle? – Thinking in terms of positively impacting the business and the people.
Where are people getting stuck? – Problem solving for your team.
Which skills need urgent attention? – Determine priorities.
Is our learning approach working? – Support consistent improvements.
Are we spending wisely? – Ensure cost-effectiveness of L&D.
What do people actually use? – Understand and meet the needs of your people.
Where’s our biggest impact? – Gather your strategic impact.
The growth of learning analytics is closely tied to the improvements in data mining methods. Now, workplaces are leading the way in using learning analytics to strengthen learner retention, personalize learning paths, and boost overall employee success through their L&D strategies. More teams are adopting integrative approaches to make data-driven decisions when it comes to learning and development of their people. This marks a big change from old ways of making decisions based on gut feelings. Instead, it shifts towards a model that relies on solid evidence.
What Sources of Learning Analytics Should You Track?
Now that we have looked at learning analytics, let’s check where this useful data comes from. Learner data comes in different forms. Each form gives special insights into the learning process. By using various data sets, you get a clear view of learner engagement and how well they are doing overall.
Engagement Data
These sources of learning analytics will primarily report the engagement level with learning content. It helps you track how your learners navigate the systems, mostly collected through LMS and similar platforms. It includes metrics like:
Course completion rates
Time spent per module
Assessment scores
Drop-off points
Login frequency
Resource downloads/views
These sources of learning analytics are mainly found in learning platforms. A few examples are LMS reports (Cornerstone, Moodle, TalentLMS), LinkedIn Learning analytics, and Udemy Business dashboards. If you have a custom solution for L&D in your team, your dashboards will help you find this information.
Skills and Competency Data
The second set of learning analytics sources is data about skills and competencies that your people are working on. These are measured through assessments and evaluations, which can come from multiple sources, including platforms’ in-built assessment systems, feedback from managers, and job performance, etc. to name a few. Others include:
Pre/post assessment results
Certification rates
Skill gap analysis
Performance reviews
Manager feedback
Self-assessments
Program Efficiency
The third area, tracking the efficiency of learning and development programs, helps you evaluate and improve L&D practices. Based on these, you can make improvements, such as enhancing the content quality or cutting down on administrative tasks by automating functions. It includes tracking of learning analytics metrics such as:
Cost per learner
Time to competency
Resource utilization
Admin time spent
Support tickets
Technical issues
Business Impact
The last sources of learning analytics we are highlighting include conversations about the business impact of learning and development. The metrics in this section track impact across many vital business areas. Importantly, we also consider the impact on customer interactions, going beyond the scope of L&D teams and learners. This section is vital because it relates directly to the budgets and resources you can avail yourself of for your L&D plans.
Performance metrics before/after
Error rates
Customer satisfaction
Employee retention
Promotion rates
Project success rates
HRIS data (Workday, SAP, Oracle) helps understand these sources of learning analytics. Performance review systems, succession planning tools, and skills frameworks are useful for employee-facing metrics.
Descriptive analytics and diagnostic analytics are basic methods in learning analytics. They help us understand what has happened and why. Descriptive analytics looks at past data. It summarizes this data to find trends and patterns. For example, it can show which courses have the most learners or which learning resources people use the most. This helps us see past behavior and make better choices for the future.
In contrast, diagnostic analytics digs deeper into the data. It looks for reasons behind trends or patterns. For instance, if descriptive analytics shows that students are less engaged in an online discussion forum, diagnostic analytics can help find out why. Is it because the topics are uninteresting? Are there technical problems with the platform? Or is the forum not matching how students like to learn?
Predictive analytics goes beyond learning analytics by using past data to predict future results. In L&D, this helps find employees who may struggle or those who could do very well. By looking at trends in previous learner data like test scores, engagement, how they engage with learning platforms, we can spot important signs of employee success.
For instance, if a predictive model shows that learners who often score low on early quizzes tend to have more trouble in their work, trainers can use this to help those employees earlier. Research keeps looking into how predictive analytics can help with challenges such as keeping employees engaged, creating personalized learning paths, and making effective programs for employees or skills at risk of falling out.
Prescriptive analytics builds on what we learn from descriptive, diagnostic, and predictive analytics. It recommends actions to help improve the learning process. It does more than just point out problems or predict what might happen; it offers specific steps educators and schools can take to boost results.
For example, if predictive analytics show that some learners might struggle, prescriptive analytics might suggest solutions like personalized tutoring or pairing employees with peer mentors. It could even recommend the best time and way to provide these interventions based on each employee’s unique learning style.
Some concerns in using learning analytics data
The use of learning analytics is getting more common, but it comes with challenges and important ethical questions. L&D professionals must deal with these issues in a responsible way. You need to think about data privacy, security, and fairness. It is essential to avoid any biases that may arise.
First, workplaces are responsible for protecting learner data. You must keep this information private and safe. You should also use what they learn from learning analytics to create fair and inclusive learning spaces for every employee. Being open about data use is key. Employees should know what data is collected, how it is used, and why. Safe data storage is also very important.
Predictive analytics can be very useful for helping employees do better. However, it also brings up some ethical concerns that we need to think about. One major worry is bias. If the historical data used to create predictive models shows biases that already exist in the learning and development strategy, these models might repeat or even worsen those biases. For example, if a model often flags learners from certain socioeconomic backgrounds as “at risk,” it could generate unfair or wrong predictions. This would only add to the existing inequalities.
Wrapping Up
The area of learning analytics has many success stories. Companies are now using analytics tools and learning analytics systems to check how well training works. They help improve how content is shared and make the learning experience better for workers.
By looking at how employees engage with training materials, testing what they remember, and collecting feedback on the training, companies can find ways to improve. They can adjust content to fit specific job needs or skill gaps.
Learning analytics dashboards give valuable insights into how employees learn. This helps training and development teams create more engaging and effective programs that support business goals. As companies rely more on data, the use of learning analytics to improve worker training and growth will keep increasing.
Deeksha, with a solid educational background in human resources, bridges the gap between your goals and you with valuable insights and strategies within leadership development. Her unique perspectives, powered by voracious reading, lead to thoughtful pieces that tie conventional know-how and innovative approaches together to enable success for management professionals.
Ready to elevate your team’s learning and development journey?
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Horse Leadership Training: A New Approach to Leadership Development Leadership development and training is suffering heavy stress under today’s business…
This blog lists the top six learning and development models-
1. 70:20:10 Framework
2. ADDIE Model
3. The 5As Framework
4. Bloom’s Taxonomy
5. Kirkpatrick’s Four Level Training Model
6. Gagne’s Nine Events
6 Learning and Development Models For Employee Growth
As the HR or L&D leader, you know that learning and development models are not only frameworks anymore but the key to unlocking employee potential and tying it to business objectives. With all the learning and development methodologies, from social learning to experiential practice, you now have your network of learning and development techniques that can help diverse learning in your team. With mobile learning and virtual reality evolving as part of digital, training is now not a chore but an engaging way to upskill.
Mastering these learning and development models gives you the capacity to build a continuous learning culture, so your employees are constantly developing, ahead of the curve, and prepared and able to keep up with the rapidly changing work world today.
Exploring Key Learning and Development Models for Employee Growth
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to learning and development. Several approaches have been developed over time, each intended to meet unique business requirements, employee preferences, and learning environments. Selecting a model that aligns with organizational ideals and employee aspirations is crucial because the right model depends heavily on a company’s unique goals, culture, and team dynamics.
Let’s explore a few important models:
1. The 70:20:10 Framework for Learning and Development
The 70:20:10 framework was created by Morgan McCall, Michael M. Lombardo, and Robert A. Eichinger. This framework shifts how we think about learning and development, focusing on what really helps employees grow. It breaks down learning into 70% hands-on experience, 20% learning from others, and 10% formal training. Most of the learning happens on the job—through real tasks, problem-solving, and facing challenges head-on (the 70%). Then, there’s learning that happens socially—through conversations, feedback, and collaboration with colleagues (the 20%). And finally, formal training, like workshops and courses, fills in the gaps (the 10%).
Picture one of your team members taking on a new project. They’re learning most of what they need by doing the work itself, figuring out solutions as they go (70%). Along the way, they check in with a mentor or colleague for guidance or insights that help them improve (20%). And when they need to deepen a specific skill, they attend a short course or workshop to round it out (10%).
Using a template for 70:20:10 development is a good start to this method. By embracing this learning and development model, you ensure that learning happens daily, in the right work flow.
2. ADDIE Learning and Development Model – Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation
The ADDIE learning and development model makes planning training programs feel straightforward and manageable, taking you through five steps: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. The concept was created in 1975 by the Center for Educational Technology at Florida State University for the U.S. Army. Shortly after its inception, the ADDIE training model was adapted by the U.S. Armed Forces. It’s a great way to ensure your training hits the mark.
Analysis: This is where you identify what learners need to know and what gaps exist. It’s about digging deep into your team’s current skills and the challenges they face.
Design: Based on that analysis, you map out the structure of the program—what content to include, how it will be delivered, and what activities will engage your learners.
Development: Here, all the training materials, modules, and resources are created. This is where your content comes to life, shaped by your earlier design.
Implementation: This is the exciting part where the actual training takes place—whether through in-person workshops, e-learning, or other formats. It’s where your employees get hands-on with the training.
Evaluation: Finally, after the training is delivered, you measure how effective it was. Did it achieve the learning objectives? Were the learners engaged? What can be improved for next time?
For instance, let’s say your company introduces a new software system. During Analysis, you’d figure out who needs to learn what and how deep their understanding needs to be. In Design, you’d plan an interactive workshop plus some hands-on practice. Then, in Development, you create the content—tutorials, exercises, and tips. Once you roll out the training (Implementation), you gather feedback in the Evaluation phase to see how well it worked and make improvements where needed.
3. The 5As Framework: Assess, Analyze, Attract, Adapt, Apply
The 5As framework helps you design development programs that really stick, guiding you through five key steps: Assess, Analyze, Attract, Adapt, and Apply. It’s about making sure you’re not just checking boxes but delivering training that genuinely makes an impact.
Assess: This is where you take stock of the current situation. What skills are lacking? What challenges are your team members facing? It’s about identifying gaps so you can target the right areas for development.
Analyze: After the assessment, you dive deeper into the data. What do the results tell you? This step helps you understand the root causes and where your efforts should be focused to create meaningful learning outcomes.
Attract: Engaging employees in their learning journey is crucial, so you need to ensure the program resonates with them—whether through real-life examples, interactive content, or clear connections to their daily roles.
Adapt: Every organization is unique, and so are its learning needs. In this step, you adjust your plan to fit changing needs or specific challenges. Flexibility is key here—whether you need to tweak the content, delivery methods, or pacing to make sure it aligns with your learners’ circumstances.
Apply: Finally, it’s time to put everything into action. You roll out the program, ensuring that the learning translates into real-world applications. At this stage, it’s not just about delivering the training, but ensuring that employees can apply what they’ve learned in their roles effectively.
For instance, if your goal is to boost leadership skills among managers, you start by Assessing their current challenges—maybe they’re having a hard time with giving feedback. During Analyze, you realize this is affecting team morale. You then Attract them to the program by making it practical, relatable, and showing how it can improve their day-to-day work. As things evolve, you Adapt by adding new content on managing remote teams. And when you Apply the program, you ensure it’s making a real difference by checking in with managers as they start using their new skills.
4. Bloom’s Taxonomy Applied to Corporate Training
Bloom’s Taxonomy, by Benjamin Bloom, is like a roadmap for creating meaningful corporate training experiences. It guides you through six levels of learning—Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating—to help your team not only learn new skills but use them effectively in their roles.
Remembering: This is about recalling basic facts and concepts. In corporate training, it could mean teaching employees the fundamental principles of a new software tool.
Understanding: At this level, learners comprehend what they’ve learned. For instance, once your team knows the basics of the software, they should be able to explain how its features work in their daily tasks.
Applying: Here, employees use their knowledge in real-world scenarios. They begin to use the new software tool to solve day-to-day challenges at work.
Analyzing: This step encourages employees to break down information and identify relationships or patterns. For example, they might analyze how using the tool improves efficiency across different departments.
Evaluating: At this stage, learners can assess and make judgments. Your team could evaluate the effectiveness of the new software by comparing it with previous systems and determining if it meets their needs.
Creating: The highest level, where employees combine their knowledge and skills to create something new—like developing workflows or systems that maximize the software’s potential in your business.
Imagine you’re rolling out a training program for a new project management software. In the Remembering phase, employees memorize key functions. At the Understanding level, they explain how to use these functions in their specific roles. In the Applying stage, they actively manage their tasks using the software. Then comes Analyzing, where they assess how the software impacts team collaboration. In Evaluating, they might compare different features and determine which are most effective for your business needs. Finally, in Creating, they design custom workflows to improve project efficiency across the board.
5. Kirkpatrick’s Four-Level Training Evaluation Model
Kirkpatrick’s Four-Level Training Evaluation Model is a simple yet powerful learning and development method to help you see the real impact of your training programs. It’s broken down into four levels: Reaction, Learning, Behavior, and Results—and each one helps you understand how effective your training really is.
Reaction: This is all about how participants feel about the training. Were they engaged? Did they find it useful? For instance, after a leadership development workshop, you might gather feedback from managers on what they thought of the content and delivery.
Learning: Next, it’s essential to measure what participants have learned. Are they walking away with new knowledge or skills? For example, you could give employees a quick assessment after the session to see if they’ve grasped key concepts like conflict resolution or team management.
Behavior: This stage looks at whether employees are actually applying what they’ve learned back in the workplace. Are managers using the new leadership techniques? Have they made changes in how they communicate with their teams? Behavior change is a critical sign of training effectiveness.
Results: Finally, you evaluate the impact on business outcomes. Did the training lead to measurable improvements in productivity, employee engagement, or revenue growth? For example, if the leadership training helped reduce employee turnover, that’s a clear sign of success.
Let’s say your organization has started a training program for customer service skills. At the Reaction level, you gather feedback and find that employees enjoyed the training and felt it was relevant. For Learning, you assess participants and see that they’ve gained knowledge on handling difficult customers. Moving to Behavior, you observe that employees are now using these techniques in real customer interactions, leading to fewer escalations. At the Results level, you measure a 10% increase in customer satisfaction scores—a clear indication that the training has positively impacted the business.
6. Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction for Effective Learning Programs
Robert Mills Gagné‘s Nine Events of Instruction are like a roadmap for creating engaging and effective training programs. Each step helps you guide your team from learning new information to applying it confidently in their jobs.
Gain Attention: Get your team’s attention right from the start. Whether it’s with an interesting fact or a surprising question, make them curious about what’s coming next.
Inform Learners of Objectives: Make it clear what they’ll learn and why it matters to them. Maybe you’re helping your managers improve their communication skills—let them know they’ll leave the session with practical tools to handle difficult conversations more effectively.
Stimulate Recall of Prior Learning: Connect today’s training to what they already know. Ask them to share how they’ve managed tough conversations before or recap lessons from previous sessions.
Present the Content: Now, it’s time to teach. Keep it engaging by mixing up how you present the material—use videos, examples, or even stories to make the learning stick.
Provide Learning Guidance: Offer helpful tips and tricks along the way. Show them how to approach a tough conversation with a simple, step-by-step guide they can use in real life.
Elicit Performance: Let them practice what they’ve learned. Role-plays are great for this—your team can try out their new communication skills in a safe space, getting feedback without the pressure of real-world consequences.
Provide Feedback: Give them constructive feedback. Point out what they did well and what they could improve. This helps build confidence and clarity.
Assess Performance: See how well they’ve learned the material. You could do this with a quick quiz or by asking them to handle a real conversation and report back on the results.
Enhance Retention and Transfer: Make sure the learning sticks by offering follow-up resources or setting up short refresher sessions. Encourage them to keep practicing, so these new skills become second nature.
In a leadership communication training, you could Gain Attention with a statistic on how leadership impacts engagement. Then, Inform Learners of Objectives by highlighting key takeaways like handling tough conversations. Help them Recall Prior Learning by reflecting on past communication training. Present Content through relatable scenarios and offer Learning Guidance with a clear communication framework. Have them Elicit Performance through role-plays, and then Provide Feedback on their approach. Assess Performance with a short exercise, and ensure retention by sharing follow-up materials for ongoing practice.
A Table Comparing All the Learning and Development Models
Learning and Development Model
Key Elements
Application
Strengths
70:20:10 Framework
70% experiential, 20% social, 10% formal learning
Continuous learning through work, collaboration, and formal training
Emphasizes on-the-job learning, real-world application, and peer interaction
Sequential approach to delivering learning experiences
Ensures engagement, skill practice, and feedback to reinforce learning
This table compares the learning and development models based on their key components, strengths, and applications, helping you choose the most suitable framework for your employee development programs.
How Can You Choose the Right Learning and Development Model?
Choosing the right learning and development model can be a game-changer for both your organization and your team. As an L&D head, you start by connecting with your team to understand their unique needs and aspirations. Take the time to assess the specific skills gaps within your group, and don’t hesitate to have open conversations about their learning preferences—some might thrive on hands-on experiences, while others may prefer a more structured approach.
Grab your free copy of Risely’s skills gap analysis framework now!
Consider incorporating modern tools that resonate with your team, such as AI-driven personalized learning paths, microlearning modules for quick skill refreshers, or even virtual reality for immersive training experiences. These tools can make learning not just effective but also engaging.
Remember to align your chosen learning and development model with your organization’s broader goals, ensuring that learning becomes a natural part of the daily workflow rather than an isolated activity. Most importantly, foster an environment of continuous feedback and improvement. By being adaptable and responsive to your team’s evolving needs, you create a high-performing culture where everyone feels supported in their professional growth, driving both individual and organizational success.
Conclusion
In conclusion, trying different learning and development models is very important. This helps organizations grow and innovate. By using both old and new learning and development methodologies, companies can meet various learning styles and the specific needs of their employees. Improving learning and development strategies with new tools and technology helps with skill growth. It also keeps employees engaged and helps them stay. Going forward, focusing on personal learning paths and getting ongoing feedback will be key for making L&D efforts more effective.
Avantika holds an undergrad degree in Political Science and Psychology, bringing a unique blend of analytical and psychological insight to her writing. With extensive experience in content creation and research, she crafts engaging and well-informed content that resonates with readers and drives meaningful conversations.
Horse Leadership Training: A New Approach to Leadership Development Leadership development and training is suffering heavy stress under today’s business…
In this blog post, we dig deep into five different training design models, exploring how each one works with real-life examples and showing you how they can work for you in your organization toward increased learning and development.
5 Training Design Models You Need to Know in 2025
Effective training is no longer a luxury in this fast-paced business environment but a necessity for being successful. More and more companies have realized how well-formed training design models can transform the learning experience to be enjoyable and impactful.
In this blog post, we dig deep into five different training design models, exploring how each one works with real-life examples and showing you how they can work for you in your organization toward increased learning and development.
The goal of training design is to create a learning environment that directly addresses the specific needs and difficulties faced by your team. It involves outlining every component—content, delivery, and assessments—so that they are not only efficient but also interesting and relevant to your employees. Clear learning objectives, coherent content flows, and engaging elements which make learning stick are all part of training design.
As an L&D leader, your strategic vision is realized through training design. This process converts high-level organizational goals into tangible, meaningful learning experiences that develop the competencies your team need. In addition to filling skill gaps, a well-designed program fosters an attitude of constant learning, enabling employees to advance in ways that complement their professional goals and the organization’s objectives.
Discover the 5 Essential Training Design Models
Training design models are like roadmaps that guide you in helping to craft an effective learner experience. They give direction for designing the training programs that engage the learners and ensure that they have acquired and applied the knowledge they learned. Using these models, you create clear, practical, and impactful training.
1. ADDIE Model: A Staple in Training Development
The ADDIE training design model makes planning training programs feel straightforward and manageable, taking you through five steps: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. It’s a great way to ensure your training hits the mark.
Analysis: This is where you identify what learners need to know and what gaps exist. It’s about digging deep into your team’s current skills and the challenges they face.
Design: Based on that analysis, you map out the structure of the program—what content to include, how it will be delivered, and what activities will engage your learners.
Development: Here, all the training materials, modules, and resources are created. This is where your content comes to life, shaped by your earlier design.
Implementation: This is the exciting part where the actual training takes place—whether through in-person workshops, e-learning, or other formats. It’s where your employees get hands-on with the training.
Evaluation: Finally, after the training is delivered, you measure how effective it was. Did it achieve the learning objectives? Were the learners engaged? What can be improved for next time?
For instance, let’s say your company introduces a new software system. During Analysis, you’d figure out who needs to learn what and how deep their understanding needs to be. In Design, you’d plan an interactive workshop plus some hands-on practice. Then, in Development, you create the content—tutorials, exercises, and tips. Once you roll out the training (Implementation), you gather feedback in the Evaluation phase to see how well it worked and make improvements where needed.
2. SAM (Successive Approximation Model): Agile Response to Design Needs
SAM, or the Successive Approximation Model, is a dynamic training design model idealized for its flexibility and responsiveness in today’s working scenario. It focuses on feedback loops and continuous improvement to ensure that the programs you develop are always relevant and effective. With SAM, you’re not just using a training design model—you’re building a flexible, responsive learning experience that adapts to your organization’s specific goals and ever-changing needs.
How does SAM make a difference?
Iterative Process: Unlike traditional models that follow a strict linear approach, SAM allows you to revisit and refine steps as training needs evolve, ensuring the final product is always aligned with current demands.
Collaborative Design: SAM thrives on teamwork, encouraging input from various stakeholders to create well-rounded and tailored training solutions.
Rapid Prototyping: Instead of waiting until the end to test, SAM encourages quick builds and frequent testing, so you can identify what works (and what doesn’t) early on.
Adaptability: As training needs change, so does the design—making SAM perfect for organizations facing fast-paced industry shifts or unexpected challenges.
Imagine a tech company launching a new software tool. After the first training session, employees struggle with key features. Using SAM, the L&D team gathers feedback, quickly revises the materials, and tests improvements in real time. This flexible approach ensures the training adapts to employees’ needs, speeding up software adoption and boosting productivity.
Bloom’s Taxonomy, developed by Benjamin Bloom, is a training design model essential for organizing learning objectives. It outlines six progressive levels of thinking that help learners deepen their understanding over time. These levels are:
Knowledge: Recalling facts and basic concepts.
Comprehension: Understanding and explaining ideas.
Application: Using information in new situations.
Analysis: Breaking down information and finding relationships.
Synthesis: Combining elements to create something new.
Evaluation: Making judgments and decisions based on criteria.
By structuring training content to cover each level, learners gradually build from simple knowledge to more complex, critical thinking skills. By following Bloom’s Taxonomy, you ensure that your team members not only grasp the basics but also develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills needed for success.
Say, you’re designing a leadership training program. At the Knowledge level, participants might learn about leadership theories. In the Comprehension phase, they explain these theories in their own words. When they reach Application, they start using leadership techniques in real-world scenarios. As they move to Analysis, they evaluate the outcomes of different leadership styles. In the Synthesis stage, they develop their own leadership framework. Finally, in the Evaluation phase, they assess the effectiveness of their leadership style and decide how to improve.
4. Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Training Evaluation
The need to determine effectiveness in training is essential because this determines whether your learning objectives are being translated into real-life actions. Kirkpatrick’s Model has emerged as one of the more popular training design models because it breaks down the evaluation of training into four levels. Analyzing these helps your organization determine how well a training program is working and gives you opportunities to make data-driven improvements to future sessions, thus maximizing their return on training investment.
Reaction: Measures learner satisfaction and engagement with the training. Did participants find the training relevant, enjoyable, and engaging?
Learning: Assesses how well learners have absorbed the intended knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Did they actually learn what was taught?
Behavior: Examines if learners are applying their new skills and knowledge in the workplace. Are they changing the way they work based on the training?
Results: Evaluates the training’s impact on broader organizational goals and KPIs. Is the training leading to measurable improvements in performance, productivity, or other key areas?
Consider a company implementing a customer service training program. At the Reaction level, employees report high satisfaction with the interactive format. At the Learning level, tests show they have successfully absorbed new techniques for handling difficult customers. After a few months, at the Behavior level, managers observe employees using these techniques on the job. Finally, at the Results level, the company sees a measurable improvement in customer satisfaction scores and a reduction in complaints, showing the program’s direct impact on key performance indicators.
5. Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction
Robert M. Gagné‘s Nine Events of Instruction is a systemic, learner-centered approach toward designing interactive and effective learning experiences. Based on how humans process information, these nine steps help guide learners through each phase of the learning journey toward better understanding and retention. By following this training design model, you create a well-rounded, interactive, and personalized learning experience that helps learners effectively absorb and apply new skills.
Gain Attention: Start with a question or story that grabs their interest.
Inform Learners of Objectives: Let them know what they’ll achieve by the end.
Stimulate Recall of Prior Learning: Connect the new material to what they already know.
Present the Content: Share the material in a way that resonates, whether through visuals or hands-on activities.
Provide Learning Guidance: Offer tips and examples to make it easier to understand.
Elicit Performance (Practice): Let them practice through exercises.
Provide Feedback: Give immediate, helpful feedback.
Assess Performance: Measure how well they understood and applied the content.
Enhance Retention and Transfer: Encourage them to use what they learned in real situations.
Imagine you’re designing a leadership development workshop. You begin by gaining attention with a powerful story about a leader who overcame significant challenges. Next, you inform learners of the objectives, say, they’ll be able to handle difficult conversations by the end of the session. You then stimulate recall by asking them to reflect on past experiences with tough conversations. After presenting the content with effective communication models, you guide by breaking down the steps. Learners then practice these techniques in role-play exercises, and you provide feedback on their performance. You assess their progress through a quick simulation and finally, enhance retention by offering follow-up materials they can use on the job.
How to Enhance Learning Outcomes with Effective Training Development Models?
Being an L&D leader, you know you need to provide training programs with real business outcomes. The value of training design models is to work as a roadmap that will help you align the content around specific learning objectives; in this manner, your programs would both be engaging and effective. With the use of the right model, following the needs of your organization, you could make learning experiences impact performance and business outcomes.
Leveraging Technology in Modern Training Design Models
Technology is revolutionizing training delivery, making it more economical, flexible, and customized. You are able to connect with your team members wherever they are thanks to technologies like Learning Management Systems (LMS), immersive VR/AR for lifelike simulations, and mobile platforms for short, bite-sized learning. This is particularly helpful in the modern remote and mobile workforce, where learning takes place anywhere, at any time.
Why is technology so effective in L&D? Initially, it enables you to scale your training initiatives, reaching your team wherever they are. Because tech-enabled training design is so flexible, it is possible to instantly modify the content to meet the changing needs of your team. Additionally, it provides a consistent learning experience for everyone, whether your team is local or spread across the globe, while often bringing down costs by minimizing the need for in-person training resources. At the forefront of this tech-led shift, Risely- an AI-powered copilot for leadership development combines all these benefits in one holistic solution providing personalized and scalable coaching for your leaders.
Integrating Soft Skills into Training Programs
Beyond technical skills, one needs to develop soft skills in a way that the leaders you are developing within the organization are well-rounded, effective, and ready to face any situation. As an L&D leader, you understand that without good communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills, effectiveness in any role cannot be guaranteed; hence, adding a soft skills training component to your programs through role-play training, case studies, and interactive discussion enables your employees to develop such skills in a relaxed atmosphere, prepare them to deliver in their roles, and contribute to the success of your organization as a whole.
With effective training models, the usage of technology, and a keen interest in soft skills, you will develop training programs for your organization that not only match but well surpass your learning goals.
Future Trends in Training Design Models
As an L&D professional, you would realize that the ways of training are continuously changing with the pace of technology, evolving expectations from learners, and increasing requirements for more personalized learning. The future trends of microlearning, personalized learning paths, adaptive learning technologies, and bringing in AI will form new patterns for planning impactful training programs. Success demands embracing these trends so that your strategies in workforce development will be future-proof.
The Rise of AI and Machine Learning in Training DesignModels
AI and machine learning are changing the scenario of training and making it highly personalized. It analyzes the associated data of your team members, such as their preferences and performance, and adjusts accordingly. The platform suggests tailored content to its users, gives real-time feedback to them and adjusts the paths of learning to avoid your team being bored or stuck. Incorporating AI in the workplace and into your training programs can make learning more personalized and data-driven, boosting overall effectiveness.
Personalization and Adaptive Learning Pathways
No two learners are alike, and organizations have long abandoned one-size-fits-all training. Using adaptive learning platforms, such as Risely’s personalized Leadership Learning Journeys, adapt content and pace to every learner’s performance and style. This means your team will stay engaged, and what they learn will stick. With adaptive pathways, you meet your team’s individual learning needs, leading to more skilled and adaptable employees.
Conclusion
To succeed in the changing world of training, it is important to know and use the right training design models. The five essential training development models for 2025 give a range of tools to improve learning and meet your ever evolving needs effectively. It’s also important to include technology and the development of soft skills in today’s training programs. When picking a training design model, make sure it aligns with your business goals and consider the learners’ needs. Embracing trends like AI, machine learning, and personalized learning will influence the future of training and development. Stay ahead by using these models to create engaging and effective learning experiences.
Avantika holds an undergrad degree in Political Science and Psychology, bringing a unique blend of analytical and psychological insight to her writing. With extensive experience in content creation and research, she crafts engaging and well-informed content that resonates with readers and drives meaningful conversations.
Horse Leadership Training: A New Approach to Leadership Development Leadership development and training is suffering heavy stress under today’s business…
This blog covers the 7 learning and development companies leading the way in transforming L&D for your team. These companies include: Risely, Innovito, Global Development Experts, NextGen, Alpha Apex Group, AllenComm and Unboxed.
7 Learning and Development Companies You Need to Know
Learning and development of employees is crucial for organizations to grow and adapt. As HR or L&D professionals, you know that talent management has come a long way from old-school HR practices. Top learning and development companies are now focused on creating dynamic, engaging learning experiences that bring out the best in employees. They provide the tools to overcome challenges, foster continuous growth, and elevate team performance.
This blog covers the 7 learning and development companies leading the way in transforming L&D for your team.
What are the Top 7 Learning and Development Companies?
Following is a list of the top learning and development companies, known for their creative ideas and commitment to changing how people learn at work and providing them the leadership development they need. They offer various services, like Risely’s Merlin – an AI Leadership Coach and custom learning platforms, to meet different needs.
Each learning and development company listed has been chosen based on its reputation in the industry, positive client feedback, and focus on good learning results. Whether you run a small business or a big company, this guide will assist you in finding the right L&D partner to reach your business goals.
1. Risely- AI Copilot for Leadership Development
Risely is an AI copilot for leadership development, designed to meet the unique needs of every manager while fitting effortlessly into your daily workflow. By offering personalized learning journeys and aligning development plans with your company’s values and team dynamics, Risely ensures that leadership growth is not just relevant, but impactful. It is the learning and development company you need to build the people leadership skills your managers require.
The State of Leadership Development Report 2024 states that 42% of managers need to take frequent follow-ups while 38% of managers struggle with difficult conversations. Risely’s AI-driven approach, powered by Merlin- an AI Leadership Coach for managers, addresses issues like these and makes sure your team’s growth aligns with the goals that matter most to your organization.
With features like comprehensive self-assessments covering 30 key skills and real-time team feedback, you’ll have all the actionable insights needed to fine-tune leadership performance. Your team gets to learn every day in the flow of work through daily nudges and interactive masterclasses.
Whether you’re leading a small team or an entire department, Risely provides flexible plans to suit your needs—starting at $59/month for individuals, $299/month for teams, and custom pricing for larger organizations. And with a 14-day free trial, you can explore the platform risk-free, with no long-term commitment required.
2. Innovative Learning Solutions– Innovito
Innovito is your go-to eLearning partner, offering a range of solutions from AI-powered learning management systems (LMS) to custom eLearning content and a library of ready-made courses. They specialize in creating engaging learning experiences that drive business success for organizations like yours.
With a team of skilled instructional designers, project managers, and subject matter experts, Innovito collaborates closely with clients to tailor training programs that fit their unique needs. Their offerings include interactive e-learning modules, virtual instructor-led training, gamified learning, and blended learning solutions. By focusing on innovation and measurable results, Innovito ensures that every training initiative aligns with your business goals and delivers a strong return on investment.
With a reputation for creativity and expertise in adult learning methodologies, Innovito is committed to inspiring learners and supporting your organization’s growth.
3. Global Development Experts
Global Development Experts Global Development Experts is here to help your organization develop the talent needed for a global workforce. With deep expertise in cultural understanding and language nuances, they create learning programs that fit the diverse needs of your team. Whether it’s leadership development or cross-cultural communication training, their services are designed to set you up for success in today’s global market.
They provide the tools and strategies you need to overcome the challenges of managing a global workforce. By fostering a culture of inclusion and offering tailored learning experiences, Global Development Experts ensures you can tap into the full potential of your global talent.
Their team of experienced consultants works closely with you to understand the unique demands of operating in a global business environment. Together, they craft custom solutions that deliver real results and boost your organization’s overall performance.
4. NextGen Learning & Development
NextGen Learning & Development is revolutionizing how your team learns on the job, offering over 3,000 courses and training programs that meet the needs of today’s workforce. They understand that you want flexibility, easy access, and content that’s truly useful, so they’ve designed learning experiences that are both engaging and effective for your employees.
With a focus on microlearning, gamification, and customized learning paths, NextGen tailors skill development to fit your organization’s goals. Plus, they’re using the latest technologies—like virtual and augmented reality—to make learning more immersive and memorable.
By staying on top of the latest trends, NextGen ensures your team can quickly build the skills they need to excel, helping your organization achieve better results faster.
5. Alpha Apex Group
Alpha Apex Group is your trusted partner in transforming how your organization approaches learning and development. With a strong focus on creating innovative and impactful L&D solutions, they specialize in instructional design, technology integration, and strategic planning to ensure your training programs not only engage employees but also align with your business goals. Whether you’re looking to enhance skill development or drive performance, Alpha Apex tailors solutions that meet your workforce’s evolving needs.
Their expertise spans across a wide range of services, including leadership development, eLearning, and customized L&D strategies that scale with your company’s growth. By using cutting-edge tools and methodologies, Alpha Apex ensures that your training initiatives are not only sustainable but also deliver measurable results. From skills gap analysis to content development and competency-based training, they cover all aspects of learning to ensure success.
6. AllenComm
AllenComm stands out as a leader in corporate training and eLearning, with a sharp focus on creating innovative training solutions that resonate with today’s workforce. They understand that for training to be truly impactful, it needs to align with both the company’s brand and culture. With their experience spanning industries like financial services, healthcare, retail, and manufacturing, AllenComm has a proven track record of quickly scaling training programs to meet diverse business needs.
Whether you’re looking to strengthen leadership skills, enhance compliance practices, or onboard new employees seamlessly, AllenComm provides tailored solutions designed to drive results. They go beyond standard training, crafting engaging digital learning experiences that leave a lasting impact on participants.
What sets AllenComm apart is their ability to deliver customized, scalable training quickly and effectively. By blending innovative design with cutting-edge technology, they help organizations stay agile and ahead of the curve, ensuring that their employees are well-prepared to meet the challenges of an ever-evolving business landscape.
7. Unboxed Training and Technology
Unboxed Training & Technology brings a fresh perspective to workplace learning with its innovative focus on Skill Agility. Their cutting-edge platform, Spoke, ensures that learning is not only accessible but also personalized and engaging, tailored to the needs of today’s workforce. By designing custom training programs and offering creative solutions, Unboxed empowers employees to grow and thrive in a way that captivates and challenges them.
Their training programs go beyond the basics, offering turn-key solutions that are fully aligned with your organization’s unique goals. From employee onboarding to leadership development, Unboxed creates interactive content that’s both relevant and engaging, fostering a culture of continuous learning. Their commitment to delivering high-impact, real-world applications keeps teams motivated and equipped with the skills needed to stay ahead.
By aligning their coaching tools with their training solutions, Unboxed ensures that organizations not only boost employee development but also see measurable improvements in performance and engagement.
To enhance your L&D process, read our blog on How To Build A Learning And Development Strategy?
The table below highlights the core focus, key services, and unique features of each learning and development company, making it easier to compare their offerings:
Company
Focus
Key Services
Unique Features
Risely
AI-driven leadership development
Personalized learning journeys, self-assessments, team feedback
Integrates seamlessly into daily workflows; AI copilot powered by Merlin
Innovito
eLearning and custom training
AI LMS, custom eLearning content, ready-made courses
Collaboration with clients to tailor training programs; focus on ROI
Global Development Experts
Talent development for global workforce
Leadership development, cross-cultural communication training
Deep expertise in cultural understanding; tailored learning experiences
NextGen Learning & Development
Modern workforce training
Over 3,000 courses, microlearning, gamification
Use of virtual and augmented reality for immersive learning experiences
Alpha Apex Group
Transforming L&D practices
Instructional design, eLearning, skills gap analysis
Innovative and impactful L&D solutions; scalable training initiatives
Customized and scalable training solutions; aligns with company culture
Unboxed Training & Technology
Skill Agility and personalized learning
Custom training programs, learning technology platform (Spoke)
Innovative focus on skill agility; coaching tools for manager feedback
How can You Choose the Right L&D Partner for Your Business?
Choosing the right L&D partner requires careful thought. Start by aligning your organization’s learning goals with what potential partners can offer. Instead of focusing on broad services, look for a partner that specializes in your industry or the specific skills you need to develop.
Check how they design their programs and whether they incorporate modern learning trends. Ensure their methods keep employees engaged and help them retain information. Don’t hesitate to ask for client testimonials or case studies to gauge their success.
Assessing Your Organizational Learning Needs
Begin by identifying the skills your team lacks and the areas that need improvement. Use tools like project and change management to develop more targeted learning strategies. Evaluate your current performance in leadership development and talent management to stay competitive. Look for L&D partners who prioritize modern skill development and use effective instructional design to meet evolving workforce needs.
Evaluating Expertise and Track Record
Go beyond the surface when assessing potential L&D partners. Look for a strong track record and proven success in your industry. Ask for client reviews, case studies, and results that showcase their impact. Make sure their team has the experience to meet your unique learning needs. Choose partners who are committed to innovation and stay ahead of trends in learning and development.
Conclusion
In conclusion, learning and development companies are important for building the skills and knowledge of workers. This can greatly affect how well an organization does. The top 7 companies listed provide special training programs and advanced online learning tools for different needs. When selecting a partner for L&D, it is key to check what your organization needs and look at the company’s skills and past results. By teaming up with the right learning and development provider, you can give your workforce the tools they need for growth and success.
Avantika holds an undergrad degree in Political Science and Psychology, bringing a unique blend of analytical and psychological insight to her writing. With extensive experience in content creation and research, she crafts engaging and well-informed content that resonates with readers and drives meaningful conversations.
Avantika Anand
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Horse Leadership Training: A New Approach to Leadership Development Leadership development and training is suffering heavy stress under today’s business…
To Do or Not To Do: Learning and Development Outsourcing
Learning and development teams have a lot to do. However, your bandwidth is often limited. As teams rapidly expand, evolving training needs arise due to technological advancements, and people want to see an impact before they move the budgets ahead; it’s a lot for an L&D team to handle.
Given the wide range of learning and development needs, L&D strategies need to make space for external providers. Is it the right choice for your team? To answer that, let’s try to understand learning and development outsourcing in detail below.
Learning and development outsourcing means hiring an outside company to manage employee training. Instead of just using your own staff, you can use the skills and resources of special L&D providers.
This teamwork lets you access more knowledge, the latest technologies, and new training ideas that you may not have on your own. By outsourcing some L&D jobs or even complete training programs, you improve training efforts and reach your strategic goals more efficiently without overwhelming the function. It becomes important when we note that about 87% companies surveyed by McKinsey were either experiencing a capability gap or expecting it pretty soon.
So, the question is, how do we outsource L&D?
L&D outsourcing can take many forms, such as:
Fully outsourced L&D ops: As the name suggests, the entire training and development program is managed by an external provider. This service is most commonly used by companies that lack the internal resources and bandwidth to conduct required training. It includes collaboration with your leadership to develop effective strategies and then complete the execution of the action plans with analytics, reporting, and feedback.
Project-based outsourcing for L&D: As the name suggests, this includes hiring relevant specialists, consultants, and/or vendors to meet your company’s learning and development needs in a specific area. The applications of outsourcing work like this commonly include instructional design agencies, content development houses, video production companies, eLearning development specialists, and assessment design experts.
Individual contractors: You can also use L&D outsourcing to complement your organization’s internal learning development initiatives. For instance, you can hire an instructional designer to turn the know-how of subject matter experts into easily understandable learning content. Similarly, individual contractors and freelancers are available for many functional areas of L&D, such as technical writing, LMS administration, and learning experience design.
Moreover, certain tasks in L&D are good for outsourcing. This is often because these tasks need special skills or extra resources, like:
Content Development: Creating training materials that are helpful and engaging takes a lot of time. It also needs special skills in designing instruction. By outsourcing content development to experts, you get high-quality, tailored training materials for their specific training needs.
Compliance Training: It is tough to keep up with changing rules and compliance standards. This task takes a lot of time and resources. Outsourcing compliance training makes sure your workforce receives the correct and current training in a fun and effective way.
Technology Implementation and Support: Setting up and managing systems for learning, like Learning Management Systems (LMS), needs technical skills. When you outsource these tasks to experts, you enjoy smooth integration and ongoing help. This also allows your IT team to focus on other important business systems.
Why should you consider outsourcing L&D?
One big reason why more companies are choosing to outsource L&D is the many benefits it provides.
In the survey cited above, McKinsey also notes that half the people noticing skill gaps put “reskilling” as the most important combat move for their teams. But, that means an intense run for already burdened L&D teams! Thus, when you hire experts for certain training tasks, your internal teams are free to focus more on important business tasks. It keeps your operations smoother and improves overall work efficiency. Plus, reskilling ensures cost savings as compared to hiring.
Outsourcing also allows you to work with top L&D professionals and new technologies without the hassle of hiring people, investing in infrastructure, or dealing with training costs for your internal staff. Whether it’s leadership development, technical skills training, or compliance programs, you can find specialized help to create effective learning experiences. It’s a great way to develop talent in new areas which are not already present in your team. This, in turn, boosts employee satisfaction and helps you curb turnover.
Things to consider before L&D outsourcing
But, there are costs to manage when your are thinking of learning and development outsourcing. First up, you have to pay the vendors and contractors you will engage. You will also need to ensure that they have an open communication channel with your team, potentially bringing up costs for managing the vendor relationship, communication, and tracking performance.
Think on both the fronts: the benefits you get and the costs you pay before deciding.
Primarily, consider these questions when you are thinking of outsourcing L&D ops:
What is the cost structure, and how are fixed versus variable costs managed?
What quality control processes are in place to ensure consistency?
Who holds IP ownership, and what are the terms around it?
How will this integrate with our internal teams and existing workflows?
Can this solution scale to meet growing demands or needs?
Are there any specific geographic or cultural requirements we should consider?
Before outsourcing, you should carefully look at your Learning and Development functions. You need to clearly tell apart which activities are core and which are non-core.
Core L&D functions are those that are closely linked to the main business processes. These tasks strongly impact the your company’s goals. Usually, it’s best to keep these core functions in-house. This helps maintain the company’s culture, values, and long-term vision.
Non-core L&D functions, on the other hand, often require special skills or knowledge that may not be available within the company. These could include tasks like content development, platform administration, or parts of compliance training.
By outsourcing non-core functions, you can free up their internal resources. This allows you to focus more on important initiatives while getting help from outside experts. A few scenarios where you can outsource L&D are:
#1 You have to scale L&D ops rapidly
Sudden demands are not new. They happen often when a company rapidly expands operations or the competitive environment changes quickly. As a result, you need to roll out training yesterday and implement it today already. When growth outpaces the internal L&D capacity, you need support. Outsourced L&D operations are a great saver in such situations because you can reach more areas quickly with them. It’s a good way to get through a major product launch that requires everyone to brush up on their knowledge or a new offshore team that uses a different language than yours.
#2 Your team needs specialized training
Another scenario where learning and development outsourcing can help you is when the needed expertise is not core to your business. In such cases, you would hardly have enough internal experts to create and guide training programs for highly technical or regulated areas. These L&D programs are often shaped like one-off programs outside the core business focus, have certifications requiring accredited providers, or involve complex simulations or specialized learning technology. For most L&D teams, building such capacity is a big ask; thus, outsourcing is the way to go.
#3 You need to mitigate infrastructure cost
Not all training can happen quietly in rooms with just a whiteboard. When training involves high infrastructure costs that outweigh outsourcing, you should go this route. For instance, your company ideally needs leadership coaches for people managers. But you do not have enough senior leaders who can double up as coaches. Executive coaching is expensive. What’s the way out? An AI coach like Merlin for people managers fills in. Similarly, high infrastructure cost could mean investing in high-end video production needs or VR/AR content development. Large-scale content localization projects are another area you can outsource instead of building in-house capacity.
When should you not outsource L&D?
On the flip side, some scenarios exist where learning and development outsourcing does not make sense, such as:
#1 Your core business knowledge is involved
When learning directly relates to competitive advantage, you must keep it in-house. Why? At this stage, you are likely delving into proprietary processes and methodologies. These could include company-specific employee development practices and strategic capability-building programs that are closely tied to your team’s context and challenges. As noted above, core L&D areas directly impact business outcomes and maintain the company’s culture, values, and long-term vision. Hence, they need to remain under your purview.
#2 Your sensitive information/IP is involved
Like culture and core values, your company’s sensitive information, such as IPs and internal processes, must remain confidential. In such instances, you must not outsource learning and development initiatives. It includes programs involving unannounced or unreleased products, strategy-related training, competitive intelligence, and market positioning.
#3 Your L&D plan needs continuous evaluation and updates
Training needs are often dynamic. Contacting vendors to update learning programs as your business priorities shift would create a significant burden. It is commonly observed with agile learning initiatives tied to product development and programs closely tied to employee feedback. A high degree of integration with internal processes and workflows can impede synergy with external L&D service providers. In such cases, you should stick with in-house learning and development plans.
To sum up
Making smart choices about which parts of L&D to outsource is important. It helps you use outside skills while keeping control over key learning projects. First, look at which L&D tasks take a lot of resources, need special skills, or can be done better by outside teams. You should think about some things like how complex the training materials are, whether you have the skills in-house, how urgent the training is, and the possible cost savings from outsourcing.
Successfully handling the challenges of L&D outsourcing needs a well-organized plan based on industry standards. It’s not just about handing off tasks. It’s about building partnerships that match your organization’s values, goals, and focus on promoting a culture of ongoing learning.
Deeksha, with a solid educational background in human resources, bridges the gap between your goals and you with valuable insights and strategies within leadership development. Her unique perspectives, powered by voracious reading, lead to thoughtful pieces that tie conventional know-how and innovative approaches together to enable success for management professionals.
Build your L&D plan with a free template!
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Horse Leadership Training: A New Approach to Leadership Development Leadership development and training is suffering heavy stress under today’s business…
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Risely is an AI co-pilot for developing your team’s people, managers, and leaders. Risely adopts a hyper-personalized approach to ensure your managers meet their unique challenges and contextual needs. It starts by assessing your people managers for around 30 core skills and proceeds to create a learning journey that matches their unique learning needs and preferences.
But the story does not end here; our AI coach, Merlin, also provides constant support whenever a people management challenge strikes. Your team can access coaching in their preferred workspaces, in 40+ languages, and with great voice mode.
What do you get with Risely?
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Access to personalized micro-learning activities and nudges to support manager development.
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ControlHippo is a comprehensive omnichannel shared inbox solution that streamlines customer communication management. It empowers businesses to manage interactions across multiple channels—such as email, social media, and chat—through one unified platform. Focused on seamless collaboration, ControlHippo boosts customer support and engagement, ensuring consistent, efficient service across every touchpoint.
Black Friday Offer: 20% off on all individual plans. Duration: 25th October – 6th December 2024 Discount Code: Reach out to contact@controlhippo.com for your coupon code.
CallHippo is a leading virtual call center solution built for businesses of all sizes. Equipped with tailored features to elevate customer experiences and empower sales teams, CallHippo integrates seamlessly with over 100 applications like Shopify, Zapier, Freshdesk, and HubSpot. By automating call center tasks, it optimizes efficiency and simplifies workflows for enhanced productivity.
Black Friday Offer: 20% Annual payment discount; 15% Quarterly discount. Duration: 1st November – 6th December 2024 Discount Code: Reach out to marketing@callhippo.com for your coupon code.
Xobin is a comprehensive skill assessment software designed to streamline the recruitment process for businesses of any size. Trusted by over 5,000 teams globally, it offers 2,500+ customizable tests and advanced features like Psychometric assessments, Automated video interviews, AI evaluate, Applicant tracking software (Tracks), Eye-Tracking Proctoring, Actionable report, and much more.
Whether you need to conduct role-specific assessments for tech and non-tech positions, hire in bulk for university recruitment drives, or evaluate employee skill gaps, Xobin has got you covered. With 2 million annual test takers, Xobin operates in 55+ countries to help companies hire 20x faster while saving 10x time and money.
Black Friday Offer: 60% off on the annual pricing plan—limited slots are available. Duration: 11th November – 26th Novemeber 2024
Fill out the deal request form, Xobin team will review your request and approve it. Once you receive the approval you can make the payment within 72 hours, the activation code will be sent to you by the Xobin team. The chosen plan will be added to your account within 24 hrs. You can use the Activation code before Nov 1, 2025.
Tagshop is a platform that empowers e-commerce businesses to leverage user-generated content (UGC) for increased sales and customer engagement. It allows brands to collect, curate, and showcase UGC from various social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, directly on their website or in email campaigns.
By transforming UGC into shoppable galleries, Tagshop enables seamless shopping experiences, boosts product discovery, and personalizes interactions with each customer. This ultimately leads to higher conversions, stronger brand reputation, and a loyal customer community.
Black Friday Offer: 20% Off on Any Plan. Duration: Till 31st Dec 2024 Discount Code: BFCM20
FounderPass is an exclusive membership for founders giving over $3m of perks and discounts on software, tools and business services. With 250+ companies including AWS, Google, Slack, Notion, Webflow, LinkedIn, Hubspot, TikTok and many others we help founders save thousands.
Black Friday Offer: 25% off on memberships. Duration: 19th November – 3rd December 2024 Discount Code: BF25
DronaHQ is a leading low-code platform for engineers to speed up custom application development and save 100s of hours. Build customer portals, admin panels, forms, dashboards, and lots more using powerful building blocks.
Black Friday Offer: Up to 40% off on annual plans. Duration: 5th November – 30th November 2024 Discount Code: Shared upon request
OneStream Live is a cloud-based live streaming solution that allows you to broadcast both pre-recorded and real-time content to over 45 social platforms and websites simultaneously. These include YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, LinkedIn, and more, ensuring maximum visibility.
Black Friday Offer: 30% off all monthly plans for 2 months; 10% off all yearly plans. Duration: 1st November – 5th December 2024 Discount Code: BFCM30 and BFCM10 respectively
Plerdy is an all-in-one website analysis tool designed for Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) & SEO. It allows businesses to track, analyze, and convert visitors into buyers with AI assistance. Features include UX analytics, e-commerce insights, AI-powered reports, heatmap capabilities, and A/B Testing.
Black Friday Offer: Get 50% OFF on annual plans. Duration: 14th November – 1st December 2024 Discount Code: plerdyBF2024
Retable is an online spreadsheet solution that helps you organize your workflows, projects, teams, and business operations. Known as the best alternative to Airtable, Retable offers real-time collaboration and rich features that are easy to use to manage your projects and workflows with a user-friendly spreadsheet-like UI.
Black Friday Offer: 50% off for all plans for the first three months. Duration: 15th November – 1st December 2024 Discount Code: BF50
This deal is valid for the first 3 months for monthly payments. For annual payments, you pay at a 50% discount for the first year. A 50% discount is applied for each seat you add during purchase.
AdSpyder is a digital ad management and spy tool designed to help businesses and marketers discover, analyze, and optimize online ad campaigns. With access to a vast, continually growing database of ads across multiple platforms, AdSpyder offers insights into competitor strategies, ad trends, and performance improvements. Users can create compelling ad copies, manage campaigns, and conduct ad analytics, all supported by AI.
Black Friday Offer: 75% off on all plans. Duration: 11th November – 31st December 2024 Discount Code: NA
AiAssistWorks.- AI for Google Sheets—no formulas needed! Harness 50+ AI models, including GPT, Claude, and Gemini™, to streamline bulk tasks like rewriting, categorizing, data analysis, and formula creation. Simplify workflows and enhance productivity with ease.
Black Friday Offer: Get the Plus Plan for only $16/year (normally $48 – save 65%) or $40 for 3 years.. Duration: 7th November – 30th November 2024 Discount Code: BLACKFRIDAY
CodedThemes is a leading provider in the world of high-quality, professionally designed admin dashboard templates & UI kits. CodedThemes is known for its strong and modern digital products, which caters to developers, designers, and businesses looking to create visually appealing and functional web applications.
Black Friday Offer: 60% off. Duration: 25th November – 7th December 2024 Discount Code: BFCM2024
Engage with your website visitors and customers instantly at the peak of their interest. Offer them live video meetings and chats directly on your site
Black Friday Offer: 90% off (5 avail.), 75% off (10 avail), 50% off (30 avail), 30% off (100 avail). Duration: 15th October – 4th December 2024 Discount Code: 90OFFBF24, 75OFFBF24, 50OFFBF24, 30OFFBF24
Placeit by Envato is an all-in-one design tool offering over 50k customizable templates for logos, videos, and social media imagery, continuously updated with fresh designs from skilled professionals. With AI-generated assets and a customizable brand kit, users can create high-quality visuals in minutes, even without extensive design skills. The platform also features templates specifically for promoting events like Cyber Monday, making it easy to attract customers and boost sales. Ideal for small business owners, freelancers, and marketers.
Black Friday Offer: 33% off on annual subscriptions. For new users only. Duration: 27th November – 3rd December 2024 Discount Code: NA
BoldDesk is the ultimate help desk software designed to elevate your customer support game. It offers a super easy-to-use interface along with essential features likelive chat and omnichannel support, ensuring you can engage with customers seamlessly across platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook.
Black Friday Offer: 10% off on all plans. Duration: 1st November 2024 – 5th December, 2024 Discount Code: BLACKFRIDAY10
Bullet.so is a no-code, Notion-based website builder that enables users to quickly create professional, customizable websites without coding skills. With over 20 free templates, built-in SEO, and membership features for monetizing content, Bullet.so helps creators, educators, and businesses turn Notion pages into branded websites.
Bullet.so supports a wide variety of site types, including personal portfolios, blogs, membership sites, educational resources, and business websites. It also offers membership management, analytics tracking, and integration options for streamlined site management.
Black Friday Offer: Get a lifetime deal for $499/site (Limited for first 20 users). Duration: 25th November 2024 – 5th December, 2024 Discount Code: NA
Wisery, an ultimate digital business card and link in bio tool has been designed to present your brand, generate leads, and simplify networking. Wisery is ideal for professionals, entrepreneurs, and businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re a freelancer, small business owner, or part of a large corporation, network effectively and foster meaningful professional relationships.
Black Friday Offer: 25% off on any plan. Duration: 25th November 2024 – 2nd December, 2024 Discount Code: BFW2024
NoForm AI is an AI-powered chatbot designed to supercharge your website’s lead generation. It works 24/7, engaging visitors, capturing qualified leads, and converting them into customers, all while saving your sales team valuable time With NoForm AI, you can ensure no visitor is ever left waiting for a response, and your business can provide instant, personalized engagement every time.
Black Friday Offer: New customers get 50% OFF NoForm AI’s monthly plan for the first year. Duration: 25th November 2024 – 6th December, 2024 Discount Code: NA
Newoldstamp is the leading email signature management platform that empowers to effortlessly design and implement brand-consistent signatures across the entire organization. A well-crafted standardized email signature isn’t just about contact information. It’s a powerful tool to connect with your target audience, potentially creating numerous sales opportunities every day.
Black Friday Offer: 25% off on any annual plan (recurring discount for all next payments; for new users) Duration: 25th November 2024 – 2nd December, 2024 Discount Code: BF2024NOS
MySignature is an all-in-one tool designed to help small businesses, creators, and freelancers with professional branding, enhancing their online presence, and efficient email communication.
Black Friday Offer: 30% off for the first payment for all yearly plans with discount Duration: 25th November 2024 – 2nd December, 2024 Discount Code: BFW2024
Replug is the ultimate link management solution for agencies, affiliates, and content creators. With advanced features like link shortening, data-driven insights, link tracking, and optimized link performance, Replug boosts engagement, improves conversions, and enhances your marketing strategy.
Black Friday Offer: Up to 75% OFF on annual plans. Duration: 20th November 2024 – 2nd December, 2024 Discount Code: NA
Gumlet is a leading video hosting platform aimed at delivering fast, secure, and smooth streaming experiences. It offers enterprise-level video protection, customizable video players for branding, detailed analytics, and optimized global streaming.
Black Friday Offer: Lifetime video hosting and streaming plan starting at $69. Duration: 24th November 2024 – 4th December, 2024 Discount Code: NA
TubeOnAI is an all-in-one AI summarizer designed to simplify content consumption and creation. It can instantly give key insights from long YouTube videos, podcasts, articles, PDFs, Google Drive files, and more. Users can also repurpose content and create engaging blog posts, social media updates, newsletters, video scripts, etc. with a single click.
Black Friday Offer: 60% discount on premium plans. Duration: 14th November 2024 – 2nd December, 2024 Discount Code: NA
The tool goes beyond summaries by offering features like AI chat for deep explanations, HD audio summaries, and translations into 20+ languages. Users can manage their YouTube and podcast subscriptions in one place and receive notifications for new content.
Influencer Hero is a comprehensive influencer marketing platform that brings brands and influencers together to create authentic, value-driven partnerships. It simplifies the process of discovering, reaching out to, and collaborating with influencers, enabling brands to manage the entire influencer partnership lifecycle in one place.
Black Friday Offer: Get 40% off on all annual plans. Duration: 22nd November 2024 – 13th December, 2024 Discount Code: BFCM40
With powerful features like content monitoring, cross-platform tracking, real-time analytics, and automated reporting, Influencer Hero helps brands measure the impact of their campaigns effectively. By offering a central platform for tracking performance and managing influencer relationships, Influencer Hero aims to make influencer marketing more accessible, efficient, and impactful for brands looking to expand their reach and engagement.
Jotform, founded in 2006, is a San Francisco-based company specializing in online form building and data collection solutions. Serving over 20 million users worldwide, Jotform offers tools for creating customizable forms, surveys, and workflows to enhance business productivity among global teams.
Black Friday Offer: 50% off on all paid plans. Duration: 18th November 2024 – 2nd December, 2024 Discount Code: NA
Snov.io is a comprehensive solution designed to optimize your sales engagement and lead generation. From sourcing verified leads to launching personalized multichannel campaigns, complete with automated LinkedIn interactions, Snov.io helps you connect with prospects more intelligently. Whether you’re focused on increasing conversions or simplifying outreach, Snov.io equips you with the tools necessary to achieve your sales goals.
Black Friday Offer: 50% off on all annual plans. Duration: 25th November 2024 – 3rd December, 2024 Discount Code: BLACKFRIDAY24
Weblium is a website builder to turn your ideas and conceptions into a ready-to-use functional website. Weblium lets you launch a full website or online store in just one day with professional templates, business integrations, and an easy-to-use editor.
Black Friday Offer: Lottery based discounts ranging from 25% to 55% on annual plans. Duration: 25th November 2024 – 6th December, 2024 Discount Code: NA
Dorik is one of the most beginner-friendly AI website builders, featuring 100+ fully responsive templates, 250+ stunning UI blocks, and 20+ dynamic elements. With Dorik Collection, you can store content in the database and display it seamlessly across your website. Also, you can build and publish blogs with all the features you need to rank on Google, and the analytics feature will help you track your audience.
Black Friday Offer: Flat 50% discount on annual plans. Duration: 14th November 2024 – 3rd December, 2024 Discount Code: NA
SyncSignature creates branded email signatures for your teams. SyncSignature helps design, update and automatically install email signatures for everyone across your business.
Black Friday Offer: 60% on all recurring plans. Duration: 15th November 2024 – 10th December, 2024 Discount Code: BF24CM60
MinutesLink is an advanced AI-powered note taker designed to make your virtual meetings more organized and productive by recording, transcribing, and generating human-accurate minutes for every call. It ensures you never miss a detail, even if you can’t attend. Ideal for remote team collaboration, MinutesLink helps colleagues stay aligned, organize meetings efficiently, and boost productivity. Best for: freelancers, remote workers, sales teams, HRs & recruiters, all size businesses.
Black Friday Offer: Get 50% off on ALL plans. Duration: 15th November 2024 – 15th December, 2024 Discount Code: MLBLACKFRIDAY24
QR TIGER is an advanced QR code generator trusted by more than 850,000 brands worldwide since 2018. We offer the most comprehensive customization and tracking features for more than 20 QR code solutions.
Black Friday Offer: $12 OFF on any annual plan. Duration: 29th November 2024 – 6th December, 2024 Discount Code: CYBERTIGERPUNK
Flowla simplifies complex sales and onboarding processes by consolidating all essential resources and action items into a single platform. Teams can customize workflows, set up automated follow-ups, and collaborate in real-time, making it easier to manage client journeys from beginning to end.
Black Friday Offer: 25% off for 3 months on monthly Pro & Team plans. Duration: 12th November 2024 – 6th December, 2024 Discount Code: FRIDAY25
Remember, while these sales events offer incredible savings opportunities, it’s important to stick to your budget and shop mindfully. Focus on the items you genuinely need or have been planning to purchase. The best deal is only a good deal if it’s something you’ll actually use. Keep checking back here for the latest updates and deals as we approach the big shopping days. Happy hunting, and may your shopping cart be filled with savings!
Deeksha, with a solid educational background in human resources, bridges the gap between your goals and you with valuable insights and strategies within leadership development. Her unique perspectives, powered by voracious reading, lead to thoughtful pieces that tie conventional know-how and innovative approaches together to enable success for management professionals.
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Black Friday 2024 falls on the 27th of November. SaaS Black Friday deals typically start in October or November and run until the end of December. You should check the company pages directly for the exact deal validity of different products.
How much discount is there on Black Friday?
Black Friday deals on SaaS offer great discounts, with products available at 50% to 75% lower prices than usual. It is a great chance to top up on the essentials for your team.
What is Cyber Monday?
Cyber Monday is the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend. It is a day focused on online sales and deals. Cyber Monday falls on December 2nd, 2024.
Horse Leadership Training: A New Approach to Leadership Development Leadership development and training is suffering heavy stress under today’s business…
In this blog, we’re going to touch upon a few areas regarding what is training and development and discuss its importance, the methods used and the challenges you can face in this process.
What is Training and Development? A Complete Guide 2024
Effective training and development constitutes an important core element that drives performance and growth in an organization. That kind of investment in the training of your team is not a checkbox on a list of things to be done; it is part of their career journey. By equipping employees with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed, you’re not only enhancing their job performance but also contributing to the overall success of your business.
In this blog, we’re going to touch upon a few areas regarding what is training and development and discuss its importance, and the methods used in the process including the challenges you can face.
Training and development in your HR strategy are all about helping your team grow—both for the job they have today and the opportunities they’ll have tomorrow.
Training focuses on building specific skills that your employees need right now, with hands-on practice that helps them excel in their roles. Development takes a broader view, preparing your team for future challenges. Through mentoring, coaching, and new learning opportunities, you’re setting them up to take on more responsibilities and grow in their careers.
By focusing on both, you’re not just meeting immediate needs—you’re investing in their future and the success of your organization.
Key Concepts and Definitions in Training and Development
Employee development is about more than just job training—it’s about helping your team unlock their full potential. It’s a process filled with diverse learning experiences that not only support their current roles but also prepare them for future opportunities.
Soft skills play a key role in this growth. Whether it’s how your team communicates, collaborates, solves problems, or leads, these skills make a difference in every interaction. Strong soft skills set your employees up for success no matter what their role is.
On-the-job trainingis all about mastering the specific skills and knowledge needed for their daily tasks. Whether through hands-on learning or structured programs, this training ensures your team can hit the ground running and excel at what they do.
Compliance training is an important type of training intended to inform employees about the regulations, policies, and legal obligations of the organization. With this training, you ensure that your employees are aware of and follow the rules and regulations that apply to their workplace.
Why is Training and Development Important?
Training and development for teams are not expenses but smart investments. Growth in the team is translated into higher performance, productivity, and engagement as well as motivation of the employees.
As you put development first, you’re creating an atmosphere of constant learning that allows your business to move ahead of the curve and adjust well with changing trends in the business world. These will be more than new skills for your employees; they constitute career growth, increased job satisfaction, and a greater sense of accomplishment and fulfilment from the work. It’s a win-win for both your organization and your team.
Boosting Employee Performance and Productivity
Employee training is key to boosting job performance. According to the research on The Importance of Training and Development in Employee Performance and Evaluation(Rodriguez J. and Walters K., 2017), training and development programs help individuals in learning the soft, functional, and technical skills necessary to perform their jobs. They achieve higher level of job satisfaction because they feel they are investing in their own future. Such tendencies increase their confidence, self-esteem, and job gratification. Training and development enhances the overall performance of individuals.
When your team gets the right development, they become better problem-solvers and decision-makers, which leads to increased productivity. Plus, they feel more confident and capable in their roles, helping them stay motivated and engaged.
Investing in training not only benefits your employees but also creates a culture of continuous learning within your organization. When you help your team reach their full potential, you’re setting your business up for growth and long-term success.
Facilitating Organizational Growth and Adaptability
Staying ahead means being flexible, and that’s where training and development come in. By helping your team grow and adapt, you’re giving them the skills they need to handle change and grab new opportunities—setting both them and your business up for success.
When you invest in training that aligns with your company goals, it keeps your team sharp and ready for whatever comes next. Whether it’s embracing new tech, building leadership across the board, or sparking fresh ideas, you’re helping your company stay competitive and ready for anything the market throws your way.
Enhancing Employee Engagement and Retention
Employee engagement and retention are crucial to a company’s success. When your team feels engaged, they work harder, stay committed, and are less likely to leave. Offering training and development shows that you care about their growth, boosting both their engagement and loyalty.
When employees feel valued and supported, job satisfaction increases, and they become more loyal. Providing opportunities for skill development not only makes work more fulfilling but also reduces turnover. By investing in their growth, you’re creating a positive work environment where people feel challenged, appreciated, and motivated to stay.
Cultivating a Positive Organizational Culture
Training and development can have a big impact on your company’s culture. When you invest in your team’s learning, you create an environment that values growth, encouraging creativity and adaptability.
By supporting their development, you’re not just building skills—you’re fostering collaboration and a positive, inclusive atmosphere. This investment shows your team that you care, boosting morale, loyalty, and making your company a place where people want to stay and grow. It’s a powerful way to attract top talent and keep innovation flowing.
Modern Training and Development Methods
The world of training and development is rapidly changing, especially due to new technologies and better knowledge of how adults learn best. Learning today in the workplace has to be engaging, flexible, and personalized to suit diverse needs.
Fortunately, the options for training have really widened today. From direct experience in a job to tech-driven learning and workshops into essential soft skills, there’s something out there for everyone. With the wide array of tools you can utilize, you can work on crafting compelling learning experiences that cross over many styles and preferences to make it enjoyable and impactful for your team.
On-the-Job Training Techniques
On-the-job training (OJT) is a game changer for effective development programs. It gives your team the chance to gain practical experience, letting them apply new skills in real-world situations. With the guidance of experienced coworkers or supervisors, trainees receive valuable feedback as they navigate their learning journey.
There are many exciting ways to approach On-the-job training. For instance, job shadowing allows trainees to observe skilled workers in action, while job rotation lets them explore different roles across departments. Apprenticeships combine classroom learning with paid hands-on experience, all under the mentorship of seasoned professionals. To make OJT truly impactful, it’s essential to provide clear instructions, set realistic goals, and create a welcoming space where trainees feel comfortable asking questions. When OJT is done right, it not only equips your team with the skills they need but also fosters a culture of continuous learning that benefits everyone.
Technology-Enabled Learning Solutions
Technological advancements have completely changed the way we approach training and development, offering a variety of tech-enabled learning options. E-learning platforms, learning management systems (LMS), virtual classrooms, and AI have become essential tools in our training programs. Features like Risely’s Merlin, an AI Leadership Coach, have become popular among L&D professionals as they are accessible, flexible, and cost-effective.
Your team can learn at their own pace, anytime and anywhere they have internet access, making it super convenient to train employees across different locations. Plus, many of these platforms come packed with fun features like simulations, gamification, and social learning that make the experience more engaging and enjoyable. As technology keeps evolving, we can look forward to even more innovative solutions that will continue to enhance how we learn and grow together.
Soft Skills Development through Workshops
Soft skills have become more important than ever. Soft skills training focuses on enhancing interpersonal abilities like communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership. Workshops provide an excellent platform for learning these skills.
In workshops, your team gets to practice through role-playing and group activities. Your team will receive valuable feedback from peers, allowing them to identify their strengths and areas for growth in a supportive environment. Great soft skills workshops are engaging and customized to meet the group’s needs. They often incorporate case studies and real-life examples, making learning not just relevant but truly impactful for one’s everyday work.
The Role of Mentoring and Coaching
Mentoring and coaching are powerful tools that you can use to enhance your team’s growth. In mentoring, you can connect less experienced team members with seasoned professionals who provide guidance, support, and advice, assisting them in navigating their career paths.
Coaching offers a more structured approach, focusing on setting and achieving specific goals. As a coach, you can work with your team members to create actionable plans and tackle challenges, ensuring they stay accountable for their progress.
By integrating mentoring and coaching into your training programs, you can provide personalized support that accelerates skill development. This approach not only helps your team learn more effectively but also empowers them to apply their new skills in the workplace more quickly.
What are the Most Common Challenges in Training and Development?
Implementing effective training and development programs can be challenging for you as an HR or L&D professional, with obstacles like tight budgets, and employee resistance. Let’s look at some of the most common challenges, their impact on L&D initiatives, and strategic solutions:
1. Limited Engagement in Training Programs
When employees don’t see value or relevance in training, engagement tends to decline, reducing the overall effectiveness of programs. You may find this discouraging because it is more difficult to demonstrate the impact of your work when there is minimal engagement.
Solution: Design training sessions that are highly relevant and aligned with your team’s roles and growth objectives. Regularly gather feedback to adjust content and delivery, making training more appealing and impactful for your team.
2. Tight Budgets and Limited Resources
Budget constraints often lead to difficult decisions regarding which programs to prioritize. It can be challenging to maintain training programs that are thorough, interesting, and up-to-date if you lack the necessary resources.
Solution: Prioritize scalable, cost-effective options like virtual training or digital learning platforms that reach a broader audience. Look for tools that allow for flexibility and customization, providing extensive learning without extensive costs.
3. Measuring Training Impact
It is challenging to quantify training outcomes, especially with soft skills, making it harder to demonstrate the program’s value and secure future funding.
Solution: Establish clear, measurable goals and track progress using relevant KPIs. Use follow-up assessments and employee feedback to gauge skill growth and training relevance, providing tangible proof of the program’s success.
4. Employee Resistance to Training
Employees sometimes resist training due to time constraints, lack of interest, or unclear benefits weakening your organization’s learning culture.
We now know the solutions to these challenges but, how do we implement them? Risely bridges this gap by offering a personalized, AI-driven learning experience that adapts to your employee’s needs, enhancing engagement and training effectiveness. It seamlessly integrates into your team’s workflow providing them with interactive and engaging training anytime anywhere.
Conclusion
In conclusion, what is training and development in HRM is a very important question that needs to be addressed in every organization. They help improve employee performance, support organizational growth, and create a positive work culture. New methods, like technology-based learning and mentoring, are great for effective skill building. Even though there are challenges, it is vital to measure the impact of these programs. By focusing on employee development, organizations can stay competitive and adapt to the changing business world.
Avantika holds an undergrad degree in Political Science and Psychology, bringing a unique blend of analytical and psychological insight to her writing. With extensive experience in content creation and research, she crafts engaging and well-informed content that resonates with readers and drives meaningful conversations.
Avantika Anand
Transform your team into a powerhouse of skills and collaboration!
Join Risely to empower your employees with tailored training and development programs that enhance leadership skills and drive performance.
Horse Leadership Training: A New Approach to Leadership Development Leadership development and training is suffering heavy stress under today’s business…
Learning analytics is changing the way we look at research. It uses data to help improve learner success. With the insights from this data, L&D teams better understand how employees learn. This helps them learn more about employees behavior, likes, and performance. As a result, you can create better learning and development strategies. It allows for personalized learning experiences and timely help for your employees and successful interventions focused on business goals.
This field combines research, data science, and analytics to find useful information from the large amounts of data produced in workplaces to create impactful learning programs.
Learning analytics refers to the process of collecting and analyzing data about how people learn to improve training effectiveness. It focuses on the measurement, collection, analysis, and reporting of data about learners and their educational set-ups.
By looking at patterns, trends, and connections in this data, L&D teams make better choices. You can adjust your teaching methods and create a learning environment that encourages learner engagement, success, and well-being.
What data should we be collecting?
Learning analytics is not simply data about who is learning what. Instead, it allows you to take a more data-driven approach to solve your organization’s learning challenges and enhance outcomes. For example, if an employee struggles with a particular task or concept, the system can suggest relevant resources or training modules to promptly address the issue. This targeted approach enhances individual performance and aligns with broader business goals by ensuring that employees have the necessary skills to contribute effectively to the organization.
Some other examples of learning analytics at work include:
Tracking the performance of a sales team pre and post-training implementation
Monitoring the engagement of a team on the learning platform
Using skill assessments to find out role-based skill and competency gaps
Identifying the costs involved in training per employee and its resultant impact on performance
Measuring the effectiveness of content in terms of engagement rates and feedback
The key here is to identify what data matters and why to our tasks.
How do learning analytics help you?
Learning analytics are an L&D team’s go-to tool for getting answers in many critical business areas. But before jumping on to that, let’s look through the ways learning and development teams can use learning analytics in different aspects:
Ensure training effectiveness: Learning analytics are the first and foremost way to track the effectiveness of your training and development plans. You can consider filling skill gaps, rectifying performance issues, or determining how employees work with the learning content. It can further help you evaluate and make smart choices when it comes to planning, structuring, and designing learning and development strategies for your organization.
Calculating ROI: Many training programs have an ROI that is difficult to quantify or often ignored. Learning analytics prevents this and ensures that you can consistently evaluate and showcase the results of your efforts. It further helps in resource and budget allocations and creates proof of L&D success for relevant stakeholders.
Create better workforce planning practices: Learning analytics, specifically with workforce planning, such as upskilling and succession planning, can help your overall HR strategy be more effective and fail-proof. It includes preparing for future skill needs and adapting to industry trends to retain a competitive edge.
Learn how employees want to grow: Learning analytics gives you a bird’ s-eye view of what your employees want in terms of learning opportunities, how they are using the existing ones, and what you can do to create more in the future. As a result, you can emphasize learner-centricity with data-driven insights. It further ties into career development and growth plans for employees.
Keep building good content: As L&D professionals, we simply do not want to create content. We want to create learning content that efficiently resonates with employees and solves their problems. Learning analytics support this principle by tracking how employees engage with content, their satisfaction levels, retention, and application.
Compliance and risk management: These are essential concerns for many training and development programs because our environment is constantly evolving. Analytics help you see whether you are able to keep up or whether there’s a gap between the training that employees need and what you are currently offering. Moreover, it helps you comply with legal and normal training requirements.
Decode the business impact of L&D: That’s the most vital function of learning analytics because, ultimately, it is a question of impact. As little as about 5% of companies evaluate their training programs. Evaluation and analysis can put you among the top innovators and builders in the L&D space and ensure that the organization recognizes your contributions.
Key business questions learning analytics can answer across various L&D focus areas:
Training Effectiveness
How well are employees retaining information? Which learning methods are most effective for different roles? Are employees applying what they’ve learned on the job? Which courses have the highest/lowest success rates? How does training impact employee performance metrics?
Return on Investment (ROI)
What is the cost per learner for each program? How does training investment correlate with performance improvement? Which programs deliver the best value for money? What is the opportunity cost of training time? How does e-learning ROI compare to instructor-led training?
Skill Gaps and Workforce Planning
Where are the current skill gaps in the organization? Which departments need additional training? How prepared is the workforce for future skill requirements? What competencies are most critical for specific roles? How effective is the current upskilling strategy?
Employee Engagement and Behavior
When and how do employees prefer to learn? What motivates employees to complete training? Which content formats drive the most engagement? How do social learning features impact participation? What barriers prevent training completion?
Content Optimization
Which learning materials are most/least effective? What content needs updating or removal? How can we improve course design? Where do learners struggle or drop off? What additional resources do learners need?
Compliance and Risk Management
Are employees up-to-date with required training? How quickly are compliance gaps addressed? What is the certification completion rate? Which areas pose the highest compliance risk? How effective is mandatory training?
Career Development and Succession Planning
Who are the high-potential learners? What learning paths lead to successful role transitions? How effective are leadership development programs? Which skills correlate with career advancement? How well are we preparing future leaders?
Business Impact
How does training affect key performance indicators (KPIs)? What is the impact on customer satisfaction? How does learning contribute to employee retention? What is the relationship between training and productivity? How does learning affect innovation and adaptability?
What are the common methods of learning analytics?
Primarily, learning analytics can be of four types. Let’s understand each of these in detail below:
#1 Descriptive analytics – What happened?
As the name suggests, descriptive analytics are all about things that have happened. They summarize the data collected historically over incidents and events to figure out trends and patterns. It will help you understand how the team received a certain training program, engaged with the material, and how many of them eventually completed the assignment. Some examples of descriptive analytics in L&D include course completion rates, time spent on modules, assessment scores, video watch times, login frequency, etc. With this, you can understand the performance of your present L&D functions. However, it cannot help you think of the next steps or predict employees’ future behavior.
#2 Diagnostic analytics – Why did it happen?
Once we are aware of the what, the next question is why. Diagnostic analytics answers that question for L&D teams. It helps you understand the reasons behind your employees’ current learning behavior. It will help you answer questions like why some employees are not completing a training module or why around 75% of test takers fail at one specific point. A few examples of using diagnostic analytics in L&D include identifying common wrong answers in assessments, learning path bottlenecks, and performance gap analysis. Similar to descriptive analytics, diagnostic analytical methods also help you evaluate past and present behavior only.
#3 Predictive analytics – What will happen?
This is an important question because who would not like to know the future? Predictive analytics, focused on identifying signs and possible future courses of action, helps L&D teams figure out how learning will be impacted by both internal and external factors. It can help you determine the skill and learning gaps that are about to be created as the industry moves forward, as well as the expected completion timelines and forecast future learning needs. Since L&D teams cannot afford to play catch up, predictive analytics are critical for L&D teams to keep up with the changing world.
#4 Prescriptive analytics – What should you do?
Knowledge is one thing; the actions based on it are the real deal. That’s what prescriptive analytics help you determine. Prescriptive analytics are key to understanding the insights about the future course of L&D and putting them down into actionable steps. For instance, if you foresee the need for digital literacy in your sales team, prescriptive analytics will help identify what type of training you can do, what your employees are expecting, and how to conduct it efficiently, keeping the organization’s goals in mind. Similarly, a few other examples of prescriptive analytics include personalized learning recommendations and adaptive learning paths, intervention triggers, resource allocation suggestions, and content optimization recommendations.
How to get started with learning analytics for your employees?
Setting up learning analytics for your team has many advantages. But it looks like a confusing task, doesn’t it? We can simplify this process and break it down into eight steps as follows:
#1 Create the foundation setup
Learning analytics is a tool for offering more clarity within and about the L&D processes. Thus, clarity is what we should start with. The process begins by identifying the goals you want to achieve and the relevant KPIs for them.
For example:
If your goal is to improve sales team’s performance. Your KPIs will include:
Training completion rates for product knowledge courses
Post-training assessment scores
Time to reach sales quotas for new hires
Number of successful sales demonstrations
Customer satisfaction scores
Further, to do this analysis, you need data. Data can be generated from many sources, including assessment scores, performance reviews, feedback meetings, etc. Depending upon the use case, you need to identify what data sources you are using for learning analytics with your team.
Once these are done, you will also need to set benchmarks for the data. The key question is, what is the ideal score on a particular metric? Benchmarking for learning analytics goes two ways:
Internal benchmarking: Deriving a standard of scores based on the overall performance within the organization.
External benchmarking: Deriving a standard based on the wider trends across the industry in similar organizations/competitors.
Since you are dealing with data, you need a data governance framework to ensure the secure transportation and ethical use of the data being collected. It can also help specify regular reporting schedules for the learning analytics team.
#2 Build the technical infrastructure for learning analytics
Learning analytics do not look the same for every organization. Instead, your team’s learning maturity, the level of comfort with digital infrastructure, and what you set out to solve impact the shape of the technical infrastructure you will use for analytics.
It includes choosing appropriate tools that you might need, such as:
Learning Management System (LMS): An LMS is software that essentially manages learning content, delivery, and distribution for your team. It can have basic features like tracking logins and completion rates and collecting feedback through quizzes.
Learning Experience Platform (LXP): An LXP is an evolved form of learning software that emphasizes keeping the individual user at the center with tailored recommendations and learning pathways. It can often have features to support social learning and microlearning, so you can also track those.
Analytics dashboards: These visual interfaces display key learning metrics and data in real-time, such as Risely’s skill center for admins, which shows your learners’ progress on key people management skills. Some platforms offer a great deal of customization and automated reporting, too.
Data visualization tools: These are simply tools that translate your data into clear visual representations. With tools like PowerBI and Tableau, you can create custom interfaces to match your needs, but managing these could be challenging.
Survey and feedback platforms: Lastly, these are simply tools for collecting learner data and input to support your decisions. Many options exist, such as SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, and Google Forms, which you can use for free or at a minimal charge.
To make things easier for the L&D teams, you should also look into integrations across platforms. This cuts down on the need to reshape and migrate data consistently. Similarly, data collection can be a tricky process to handle. Look for ways to automate things wherever you can.
#3 Create a data collection strategy
Once your goals and tools are set, you need to decide how you are going to collect the data. A few learning analytics tools we listed above support data collection. You can also look into performance reviews, collect feedback directly, and use methods like our skill gap analysis template and training evaluation forms.
Given that we understand the impact of learning analytics across three areas, we will have three types of data to collect:
Learning data: It includes metrics such as training completion rates and time spent learning, along with metrics tracking learning application and transfer. Tracking resource usage and learning patterns is the key here.
Performance data: Learning needs to impact performance ultimately, and these metrics show exactly that. It includes job performance metrics, skills assessments, certification progress, on-the-job application, and manager feedback.
Business data: The last set of metrics tracks the impact of learning investment on business outcomes. It would include productivity metrics, customer satisfaction, employee retention, error rates, etc.
#4 Implement learning analytics
When you start implementing learning analytics at work, start with a smaller set of goals and metrics in your mind. You can pick something like the example used above. Start small with a few key metrics and learning programs targeted to a team or department. You will start with descriptive and diagnostic analytics, primarily to understand what is happening in learning and work and why it is happening. Once these are mastered, you can grow further in predictive and prescriptive capabilities and have a future-oriented outlook toward learning.
Over time, you can test and refine the process and implement it. At the same time, ensure that you document learnings and mistakes as they happen. Over time, you should add more complex metrics and develop more sophisticated reports for the learning and development processes.
#5 Enhance L&D team capabilities
To master learning analytics, you need a few team members trained to use learning analytics tools and interpret the results. It presents an opportunity to upskill the L&D function while running a test on how analytics for learning work.
Further, once your capabilities grow, you can think of dividing the work across functions such as:
Data collection: The main responsibility includes gathering and organizing learning data systematically. This role requires comprehensive knowledge of data collection and processing and care toward ethical and normative guidelines.
Analysis: An analyst is essentially a translator who converts raw data into meaningful points to consider and act upon. The skills needed here include statistical analysis, analytical thinking, data modeling, and problem-solving.
Reporting: This is where your team creates clear, actionable reports from analysis. You need data visualization and automation skills here, as well as the ability to design and manage learning dashboards effectively.
Stakeholder communication: All your audiences won’t understand what a training completion rate stands for. That’s why managing stakeholder communication is essential. It involves translating data insights for different audiences and needs skills such as communication, storytelling, and relationship management.
You can also consider hiring consultants or outsourcing parts of the process to help your team out.
#6 Design a reporting framework
Once your data is collected, the rest hinges on effectively communicating them. This is why we need a reporting framework for learning analytics. A reporting framework will help you generate standardized reports across the organization and design intuitive dashboards. You can also set up automated reporting.
The other focus area here is to create different views for different stakeholders that your L&D teams need to manage. For instance, the C-suite and executive leadership would appreciate focusing on business goals. Lower turnover and a positive employer brand can pique their interest. However, the stakes are different for a team manager who is implementing learning with their team. They would be more concerned about reducing skill gaps and properly using the learning opportunities to promote employee satisfaction. Similarly, the employees would be more concerned about how learning can enable them to achieve their long-term career goals. Thus, the same data needs to tell multiple stories.
Read more: How to Obtain Buy-In for Training from Stakeholders?
#7 Think of quality assurance
Quality is critical in any data-heavy process, and the same holds for learning analytics. Validating and cleaning the data is important to get helpful results. However, more concerns are hidden behind the curtains, such as error-checking protocols and legal bindings on how to use the data. Ensuring all of these things run properly means that you put a regular and comprehensive data audit process in place for the L&D team.
#8 Continuously improve
Ultimately, there’s always more to learn. Learning analytics has the same journey. As you keep going, you can identify mistakes and determine the scope for improvement. For instance, you might discover that there are better metrics to track phenomena or there’s a better visualization platform that your team can use. Some considerations for improvement can include:
Is there a new tool for reporting/visualization/data collection that we can use?
Are we tracking the right metrics?
Does our team have the required skill set?
Is our process efficient? Can we cut down on some excesses?
Are we following the privacy compliance directives properly?
Is our data accurately collected and reported?
Keep your eyes open and your mind curious to constantly enhance the impact you are making.
Wrapping up
Learning Analytics is changing learning at work for the better. It gives useful insights that help to create personalized learning experiences and improve results for employees. When L&D teams use data correctly, they can increase learner engagement and spot where help is needed. As technology improves, AI’s role in learning is getting bigger. This is leading to better predictive analytics and smarter decision-making. Still, there are challenges like privacy concerns and skill gaps that need attention. Looking to the future, learning analytics shows exciting trends and changes that will influence new workplace learning strategies.
Deeksha, with a solid educational background in human resources, bridges the gap between your goals and you with valuable insights and strategies within leadership development. Her unique perspectives, powered by voracious reading, lead to thoughtful pieces that tie conventional know-how and innovative approaches together to enable success for management professionals.
Get Started with the Free Training and Development Plan Template!
Grab free L&D resources and more for holistic growth of people managers. Only on Risely.
Horse Leadership Training: A New Approach to Leadership Development Leadership development and training is suffering heavy stress under today’s business…
The old way of simple lectures and too much information is behind us. Now, active learning techniques are a great method to boost student learning and improve the overall learning process. This blog looks at what active learning is, its advantages, and how to put it into practice at work for your team’s success.
Active learning is a big change from old, passive learning methods. Instead of just taking in information, workers are asked to take part in the learning process. This way of learning shows that real understanding comes from doing, asking questions, and getting involved with the subject matter. It is a sure-shot way to beat one of L&D’s common challenge, that is, disengagement with the learning material that many teams face.
Active learning matches well with theories about how adults learn. These theories highlight that it’s important for your learners to have experiences, find relevance in what they study, and actively take part in learning. Adults learn better when they can connect new information to what they already know and use it in real life.
In contrast to passive learning, active learning gets people involved in solving problems, thinking critically, and working with others. This approach helps them understand the course content more deeply. By focusing on the needs and interests of adult learners, you build a better learning environment that is more engaging.
What are some examples of active learning at work?
Examples of active learning activities for adults include group discussions, case studies, simulations, and role-playing. The main idea is to create tasks that make the participants in your learning program think critically, solve problems, and use their learning in useful ways.
For instance, Sarah, a product manager, needed her team to learn a new project management software. Instead of a traditional training session, she structured it this way:
CONNECTING TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE “I know most of you already use Trello for personal tasks, and some use Asana at work. Let’s start by comparing how you organize your current projects, and then I’ll show you how those same principles apply in our new software.”
APPLYING TO REAL WORK Instead of using generic examples, she had the team do simple tasks like migrating their actual current project into the new system, setting up their real upcoming sprint, creating templates based on their most common workflows, and customizing dashboards for their specific needs
MAKING IT RELEVANT When teaching new features, she tied each one to their daily challenges: “Remember how we struggled to track dependencies last month? Here’s how this feature would have solved that problem…” “This automation will save you those 30 minutes you spend each week updating status reports…”
BOOSTING ENGAGEMENT Team members shared their own productivity hacks and they identified process improvements based on new capabilities. Ultimately, everyone contributed to creating team best practices and they immediately saw time savings in their actual work!
The result? The team mastered the new software in half the expected time because they were working with familiar concepts and solving real problems, not just completing training exercises. When your employees take part in the learning process, they think about information more deeply. They link ideas together and create strong mental pictures. This helps them understand better and learn for a longer time.
Why should you choose active learning over other methods?
Adult learning theories, like Malcolm Knowles’ andragogy, highlight how important it is for learners to be in charge of their own education. They also focus on learning through experiences and making sure what they learn connects to their personal goals. Active learning fits well with these ideas by giving your learners control, thus raising the level of satisfaction and trust.
When adults take part in activities, they can use what they already know. They can apply new knowledge to real life. This makes learning meaningful and shows how relevant it is. It also boosts their motivation and engagement. Active learning is becoming more popular in training at work. It works well for adult learners because it meets their specific needs. It shifts away from the old-fashioned, mentor-focused way of learning and promotes a more learner-focused experience. This helps create a deeper and more valuable learning experience.
Using active learning at work does not need a big change in your training programs. You can begin by finding ways to add interactive parts to what you already have and enhance the impact of your learning and development strategies. Even small changes can help. Think about what you want to learn and the topic you are teaching when choosing active learning activities. To make a more lively and interesting learning environment, encourage your team members to work together and share knowledge.
#1 Identify opportunities to use active learning with your team
The great thing about active learning is that it can fit in many different places. It works well in many formats. When you look for chances to use it in your organization, think about:
Onboarding: Instead of giving new hires too much information at once, use icebreakers, group work on real situations, or mentorship programs. This helps them engage early.
Team Meetings: Set aside time for brainstorming, solving problems, or discussing case studies related to current projects. This encourages active participation.
Training Workshops: Avoid dull presentations. Add group activities, quizzes, role-playing, or simulations to make the training more interesting and effective.
By using active learning in these areas, you aren’t just sharing information. You are also making a space for people to explore and apply what they learn.
#2 Choose the active learning methods that match your needs
Active learning in the workplace thrives on practical, hands-on methods that connect directly to daily work. One of the most effective approaches that you can try is case study workshops, where teams tackle real business challenges using actual company data and scenarios, developing solutions they can implement immediately. This pairs naturally with peer teaching sessions, where employees share their expertise through 15-30 minute demonstrations followed by immediate practice and feedback sessions.
You can also create skill application sprints provide focused learning opportunities, with teams mastering one new skill each week through deliberate practice and progress tracking. This approach works particularly well with interactive tech training, where employees learn new tools by completing actual work tasks while receiving live support and building an internal knowledge base. Regular reflection sessions, typically 15 minutes weekly, help your teams review what worked, capture lessons learned, and plan implementation steps.
Active learning works best when your employees feel they own their learning. They should not be afraid to ask questions or seek help if they need it. It is also important to have regular feedback and open talks between employees and trainers. This helps everyone improve.
#3 Take a helping hand from tech
Technology is important for improving active learning. It gives us access to many learning resources and tools. Online platforms and team software allow employees to join in exercises, simulations, and group projects anytime and anywhere. Video conferencing tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams allow live sessions. You can have discussions in breakout rooms and get real-time feedback. Collaborative platforms such as Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 let people edit documents together, manage projects, and brainstorm online.
But that’s just the beginning! For example, instead of regular pen-and-paper quizzes, use online quiz tools. They provide instant feedback and fun game features. You can change case studies into simulations where employees make choices and see what happens safely. Similarly, you can enable role play training for everyone in your company with the help of AI coaches like Merlin.
#4 Consider resistance and approach with an open mind
Implementing active learning can be tough. One big challenge is that some employees resist change since they are used to traditional, passive learning styles. To overcome this resistance, you need to communicate the benefits of active learning clearly. Similarly, to get buy-in from the C-suite, focus on showcasing how it enhances skills, boosts engagement, and leads to better outcomes. Providing training and support during the transition can also help employees adapt smoothly.
Another common challenge is time constraints. To address this, integrate active learning into existing processes or shorten activities without compromising on effectiveness. Prioritize activities based on their impact and relevance to maximize learning in limited time frames. At times, something interactive can save you from hours of lectures, so ensure that you are leveraging this technique with your teams effectively.
Wrapping Up
Active learning helps adults grow by making their education more engaging. When you use active learning strategies, you create a workplace culture that focuses on constant improvement and new ideas. Using technology makes these strategies even more effective. This leads to real benefits for employees and the organization. By adopting active learning in your workplace, you can give your team the skills and knowledge they need. This helps them adapt and grow in today’s changing business world.
Deeksha, with a solid educational background in human resources, bridges the gap between your goals and you with valuable insights and strategies within leadership development. Her unique perspectives, powered by voracious reading, lead to thoughtful pieces that tie conventional know-how and innovative approaches together to enable success for management professionals.
Get Started with the Free Training and Development Plan Template!
Grab free L&D resources and more for holistic growth of people managers. Only on Risely.
Horse Leadership Training: A New Approach to Leadership Development Leadership development and training is suffering heavy stress under today’s business…
Learning Design: Why Instructional Design is Old School Today
Designing learning and development initiatives to be great is not as simple as it seems! Learning and development strategies involve multiple steps, including setting learning goals, designing the content in various formats, delivery and distribution, and so on. Learning design, or instructional design, is concerned with the making of the training and development material that you will ultimately use. In this blog, we will learn all about how these designs work, where they can help you ace your L&D goals, and what key ideas are central to making effective learning designs for your team.
Learning design is defined as a framework that supports learning experiences. What does that mean?
Learning design is the systematic approach to planning, creating, and delivering learning experiences that cater to specific learning and development goals. It includes the use of many learning theories and models and aims to deliver effective learning.
Effective learning design is more than just sharing information. It is about making learning experiences that help people gain, remember, and use new knowledge and skills. This approach is learner-centered. It looks at what the learners need and want to help them grow and develop.
What is the learning design process?
The design process in learning design includes several important steps. These steps are analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. Each step is vital to create effective learning experiences.
In the analysis phase, instructional designers work with experts and stakeholders. They figure out the learning goals and see what learning opportunities are needed. The design phase is about organizing the content, choosing teaching methods, and making engaging activities for the learners.
Development is when instructional materials and resources are made. The implementation stage is where the learning experience is delivered. Throughout the design process, regular evaluation and feedback are key. This helps gather information and make changes to improve the design. This way, learning opportunities are always being updated to better serve the needs of the learners.
At the heart of effective learning design is really knowing the learners and their situation. By figuring out what they already know, their skills, what drives them, and any problems they face, instructional designers can create learning experiences that connect with the learners and meet their needs.
Evolution of the learning design landscape
Because of its interdisciplinary nature, learning design is impacted by many areas. In its earlier avatar, it was known as instructional design, but the modern world has called for a more holistic approach and a new name for this facet of corporate learning and development.
In the very early days, learning design was informed by psychology theories, including behaviorism, which focused on stimulus and response relationships, and cognitivism, which shed light on the mental processes underlying how we learn. In the later years, new developments in the fields of linguistics and neuroscience have added more insights.
Technological advancements have added their share of impact by forcing some of these changes. Back then, corporate learning was restricted to classrooms and seminar halls, so at best, you only designed instructional material. The later focus on using video as an effective learning medium and the current wave of AI has forced L&D teams to rethink the entire paradigm and tilt in favour of ideas that keep the learner at the center. As a result, there is a higher emphasis on engagement with the end-users (the employees in our case), focus on their unique needs and preferences, and personalization in learning design.
How does learning design differ from instructional design?
Learning design and instructional design are closely related but have distinct differences. While instructional design focuses on creating effective learning materials and strategies, learning design goes a step further by emphasizing a more learner-centered approach.
Instructional design primarily deals with the development of materials and methods to facilitate learning. It is more about the technical aspects of delivering information effectively. On the other hand, learning design takes into consideration the specific needs, preferences, and motivations of learners. It aims to create experiences that not only transfer knowledge but also engage, inspire, and empower learners to apply what they learn in real-life situations.
Why can’t we just stick to instructional design? There’s not a lot of change after all. Except, there are very important reasons why your success as an L&D professional depends on how you use and understand learning designs. Let’s understand them in some detail below:
#1 Learning design is critical in L&D success
You have a great learning and development strategy. Your content was built by in-house subject matter experts and is ready to be sent to everyone across the team. But there’s one issue: the learning content is a document lasting 100+ pages. We both know that no one is reading it. Learning design practices can save you from blunders like this by informing you what learning methods and mediums of delivery would be well received by the end-users in your organization. It ensures you match the objectives and helps you create memorable learning experiences. These further help reduce inefficiency and improve knowledge retention and practical application.
#2 Adult learning principles
The learning design approach is informed by many learning theories and models in the context of adult learners in workplaces. It uses frameworks such as Bloom’s Taxonomy, Gage’s Nine Levels of Learning, ADDIE, and GROW coaching models to inform actions in the L&D function.
It ensures that employee training methods have a theoretical basis and evidence backing their efficacy. As a result, we can maintain higher levels of motivation and engagement. Learning design helps boost engagement. It changes old, boring ways of learning into fun, interactive experiences. By using gamification, storytelling, and real-world simulations, learning designers can spark interest, encourage active involvement, and make learning more enjoyable.
#3 Content development
Learning design processes structure the entire content development, creation, and delivery timeline into a systematic flow of events. As a result, you create digestible chunks of learning arranged in a logical sequence, which helps balance theory and application-based learning. Along with the content, you can create assessments and other activities in the learning and development process to build milestones and monitor progress as you go. Ultimately, the clear learning paths you get are helpful for the employees navigating the learning material and also simplify the process of calculating the impact and ROI of learning.
#4 Technology integration
Most teams are looking forward to using tech to reach more learners and create more impact. But the question is, how do they do it best? Learning designs help you in this journey by enabling a mix of appropriate delivery methods (e.g., eLearning, blended, instructor-led) to balance in-person learning with digitally delivered one. As a result, you can utilize learning technologies instead of merely getting lost in the huge jungle of emerging tech.
When you approach learning and development with design thinking, you can also cater to the unique needs of your employees working in distributed teams across the globe, such as the language options we have on Merlin. Risely’s AI coach can talk to people managers in over 40 languages! Similarly, a design process enables you to create many more ways to build inclusivity and accessibility within your learning experiences.
#5 Communicate value to stakeholders easily
As we noted earlier, due to the precise targeting of specific strategic learning objectives and high clarity, learning designs are a great tool to calculate ROI and demonstrate the impact of your L&D operations. A well-curated learning design will help you showcase a variety of programs focused on specific goals, the depth of your learning interventions, personalization and employee satisfaction that you created, and, ultimately, the performance improvements you enabled.
When we are talking about stakeholders, the C-suite is just one side of the equation. The employees who are the end-users of your L&D programs are much more directly impacted by learning designs. Ensuring that their needs are met and preferences are kept in mind will help you get more satisfied learners. When this ties in with personal development goals and internal mobility, you end up happy employees who believe that learning is their super power.
Read more: How to Obtain Buy-In for Training from Stakeholders?
#6 Meet the learners where they are
Employees are an important cog in the L&D machine. A good learning design will keep them at the center of everything and focus on meeting their needs regarding what they want to learn, how they want to learn, and when they want to learn. For instance, most manager development programs take people out for two or three days and place them in a seminar hall with an expert offering tips and tricks. It’s great, but what if they have a challenge they cannot discuss in front of a crowd? It happens more often than not; we have all been there, hesitating and keeping challenges to ourselves.
In such spots, you need an AI coach like Merlin, who will surely not share the concern with anyone ever and will answer as many questions as the manager needs. Keeping such things in mind ensures that your design does not burden the learners but gives them a safe space to correct themselves and develop better versions. As a result, you will also witness a higher level of learning transfer and application in the workplace.
What are the pillars of effective learning design?
Now that we know why learning designs matter let’s focus on the key question: What makes some learning designs good?
#1 Strategic alignment
Impactful learning designs are strategically aligned. It means that there is a clear connection to business/organizational goals. For example, suppose the organizational goal is to increase sales over the next quarter. In that case, your learning design will incorporate an online course to give product knowledge to everyone and mentoring sessions to enhance negotiation skills. Thus, it is mixing up two methods to cover two different areas as needed for the broader goals. Similarly, the learning process has goals and milestones to help track progress. Such learning designs are relevant to the organization and employee as they focus on addressing performance gaps critical to their success.
#2 Learner centricity
The learner is the pivot for any effective design. Learner centricity means that their needs and preferences are considered during the development of the learning plan at every moment. These choices are not made by someone else and imposed on them. Learner centricity is critical in getting engagement for your programs. It further secures buy-in, enhances learning transfer, and raises the satisfaction levels of the employees. It could include designing learner personas to understand the people you have, creating learning content at the right difficulty level, focusing on inclusion, and remaining sensitive.
#3 Engagement factors
We don’t want the learners to be bored, do we? Otherwise, they will just drop out of the program. If the learning program is mandatory, they will sit through it, find it annoying, and never apply anything to their daily work. That’s why you need engagement factors and consciously design for them. Overall, the program should provide a challenge that they can tackle but one that forces them to think. It is similar to how SMART goals are set – they are achievable but need effort. Beyond that, think of interactive and participatory elements that bring real-world applications and examples. You can also use story-driven or scenario-based learning to create the right balance of content and activity.
#4 Effective structure
Good learning design follows an effective structure in delivering the learning content. It has a logical content progression and chunked information for better retention. For example, if we are talking of project management principles, it should ideally look like this:
Module 1: Project Basics (Foundational Concepts) Chunk 1: What is a Project? (15 min) Definition and characteristics Types of projects Quick knowledge check Chunk 2: Project Life Cycle (20 min) Initiation to closure Key milestones Practice Activity: Identify phases
Module 3: Execution Skills (Application) Chunk 1: Team Management (20 min) Roles and responsibilities Communication plans Role-play exercise Chunk 2: Risk Management (25 min) Risk identification Mitigation strategies Scenario-based practice
The progression follows: Understanding basics > Learning planning tools > Applying management skills
Each chunk starts with clear objectives and contains 3-5 key points. It also includes a practice element, gives an approximate timeline and ends with a quick review, Having a clear structure is essential in ensuring effectiveness of any learning plan.
#5 Learning transfer
Did you notice how the plan above had some practice elements? The 2nd chunk of the 2nd module asks the learners to create a timeline just like they would do in real life while handling projects. Such actions break the friction that learners experience while applying new things at their jobs, But hesitation is one aspect, there are many more sources of concern. A good learning design breaks them down by creating opportunities for learning transfer. It can include follow-up mentorship sessions or activities, peer groups to continuously engage on the topic, or reinforcement strategies like the nudges Risely uses for people managers.
#6 Evaluation framework
Ultimately, we need results. And for that, we need to measure things. As we started, there has to be a clear focus on learning goals derived from business goals. Further, along with goals, you must define success metrics and create regular assessment points. For instance, in the example above, some chunks of learning ended with a quick quiz to reinforce and track learning until that point.
The data you collect this way is quite helpful in two key areas:
First, it will help you present the program’s ROI to the concerned stakeholders. Based on this, you can enable more data-driven decisions and seek higher budgets and bigger roles in the organization.
Second, the data regarding the evaluation of learning programs helps improve the program itself. Multiple feedback points such as employee surveys, satisfaction scores, and beyond-the-performance scores help you shape more effective learning designs.
#7 Support systems
Last but not the least. People can be your biggest enablers but also your biggest source of trouble. Leadership development programs worldwide have faced challenges because the senior leadership is not role modelling the values they call these programs to propagate. Similarly, if the employees don’t see value in your programs, there’s bound to be trouble. The key is to anticipate and beat these challenges by design.
One of the foremost things is to provide adequate learner support. That’s where a lot of plans fail. Because the content might be great but there’s no one to answer a question. Some organizations building leadership development programs have been stuck there too, and now they have incorporated Merlin in their L&D plans to provide support when humans cannot. That’s just one angle. There’s more to creating a support system for learning at work including solid peer networks that motivate progress, managers who support training and application, and creating resources to be used once the training is over – because learning does not end the moment training does.
Janis Cooper shed more light on this topic in a podcast with Risely about building great learning experiences at workplaces:
Wrapping up
Learning designs are very important for how employees perform and how successful a company can be. When companies connect learning goals to their business needs, use engaging activities, and take advantage of technology, they can boost how involved and motivated employees feel. To make learning better, it is key to check how well these designs work by using clear measurements. Keep up with the best ways to learn and assess how good your learning plans are to help keep and grow your staff.
Deeksha, with a solid educational background in human resources, bridges the gap between your goals and you with valuable insights and strategies within leadership development. Her unique perspectives, powered by voracious reading, lead to thoughtful pieces that tie conventional know-how and innovative approaches together to enable success for management professionals.
Get Started with the Free Training and Development Plan Template!
Grab free L&D resources and more for holistic growth of people managers. Only on Risely.
Horse Leadership Training: A New Approach to Leadership Development Leadership development and training is suffering heavy stress under today’s business…
How To Make Great Training And Development Plans (Free Template)
Training and development plans are the backbone of a successful L&D function. They are important for helping your employees grow and reach company goals. This blog post is a complete guide on understanding, creating, and implementing effective training and development plans along with a free template. These plans will help your team members and company achieve business goals in the best ways possible.
Training programs are special efforts made to help employees learn the skills or knowledge they need for their jobs. They are like quick boosts for better performance. An employee development plan is different. It focuses on the long-term and looks at future growth.
A good employee development plan takes into account current skills and future job roles. It aims to close the skills gap and get employees ready for career growth in your company. This plan might include on-the-job training, mentoring, coaching, and formal education programs to suit your needs.
What’s the difference between training and development?
Training helps people do their current jobs better by teaching specific skills. It focuses on what is needed right now. For instance, teaching a new customer service worker how to use your company’s software is training.
On the other hand, development looks at the bigger picture. It is about growing professionally and advancing over time. This means giving employees the tools and knowledge they need to move up in the company and take on new challenges.
Training and development plans are not just static documents; due to their many advantages, they are critical pillars for a successful L&D function.
Alignment with strategic goals: Training and development plans are the pivot for executing most of your efforts. A solid training and development plan ensures alignment with your company’s strategic goals and further supports efforts in prioritizing various learning initiatives for your team. Ultimately, it helps demonstrate the impact of your L&D strategy due to a clear connection with business outcomes.
Optimal resource allocation and usage: That’s the best part of any plan ever! A great training and development plan will help you figure out the best ways to combine limited resources for maximum impact. It ensures that your budgets are utilized well, the personnel and resources are efficiently used, and there is minimal wastage.
Quality control on training: Planning helps your L&D function create standardized features and practices across the organization, which makes learning easier to access and absorb for everyone. Consistent learning experiences also ensure that you are upgrading and evolving opportunities available to employees regularly and meeting their needs.
Easy measurement and tracking of ROI: Setting up a training and development plan also calls for benchmarking against internal and competitive standards so that you can easily measure changes and progress in your team’s skill profiles. It also helps in improving the programs based on feedback collected. Additionally, as you define and track several metrics throughout the implementation, you generate substantial data points to demonstrate the L&D team’s impact on business outcomes.
Meeting employee needs: Employee satisfaction and low turnover rates are directly connected to the professional growth opportunities provided by their workplaces. Training and development plans are a key step in this as they add clear learning and development pathways to fulfill the needs of the employees and ensure that they have structured development routes.
How to create the best training and development plans for your team?
Some L&D housekeeping:
Before you start your training program, get the needed resources. This means getting budget approval, picking the right training materials, and finding trainers inside or outside your company.
Setting clear objectives is very important. Rather than saying something vague like “improve communication,” make specific goals like “increase active listening skills by 20% based on post-training assessments.”
Always keep in mind that training should not be the same for everyone. Think about each employee’s needs, their professional goals, and how they learn best. It is important to link training with the larger goals of the company, but individual needs are also key. Talk with your team members about their career goals. How can the training program help them grow in their professional development and improve their career path? Creating personalized learning paths will help them engage more and remember what they learned.
Bring your L&D strategy into focus
Start by stating your company’s business goals. What do you want to achieve in the next year? What are your goals for the next five years? You should look at your place in the market, find chances for growth, and set clear goals to improve or expand.
Next, change these business goals into real needs for your organization. For example, if your plan is to move into a new market, you will need workers who understand that market and can handle different cultures.
If your company has a strategic document, use it. This document should show your mission, vision, and long-term goals. It can help you figure out the skills and knowledge you need to reach those goals.
Step 1: Assess the current skills and competencies
A complete skills gap analysis looks at the skills your current workforce has. You compare these skills to the ones needed to meet your organizational goals. You can do this in different ways, such as using skills assessments, performance reviews, and surveys. Next, look at what each employee needs for development. Have you gotten feedback about certain skill gaps? Are there specific skills your team members want to improve?
Start by defining the perfect skill set for each job in your organization. Then, check each employee or team to see if they have these skills and how well they meet them. Don’t forget to look at both technical skills, like software skills, and soft skills, like communication and problem-solving. Find areas where training and development programs can help close the skills gap.
Focus first on gaps that will greatly affect how your organization can meet its goals. Keep in mind that employee development is not only about fixing current gaps. It is also about getting your workforce ready for the future. Think about new trends in the industry. Anticipate the skills your company may need in the years ahead.
Step 2: Define training goals
Once you know what training you need, turn those ideas into clear learning goals. Think about what skills or knowledge employees should learn from the program. Also, consider how this new knowledge can help them work better towards the company’s goals.
Learning goals should meet the SMART criteria: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This method makes things clear, helps set goals for success, and allows for good evaluation. Make sure to connect both company-wide goals and individual goals. This means that training goals should match the company’s plans and the employee’s career goals. That way, everyone benefits.
Step 3: Design training content
Now it’s time to make your training program fun and useful by creating interesting content. You might need to make presentations, pick case studies, design interactive activities, or find outside resources.
Think about different learning styles to keep everyone engaged. Some people learn better with visuals. Others do well with hands-on activities. By using varied content, you can keep training exciting. This also supports a culture of learning in your organization.
The main goal is to give employees practical skills and knowledge they can use in their jobs. Good training helps them perform better, boosts their confidence, and improves job satisfaction. All of this leads to a better work environment.
Step 4: Implement the training and development plan
The implementation phase is where we put theory into practice. Prepare your trainers with the right resources. Clearly tell participants what to expect, and make sure logistics go smoothly.
Training often includes change management. Employees may need to adjust to new processes or software. They will need ongoing support and encouragement. Keep clear channels open for communication and feedback during the program. Check on employee’s progress often to make sure they understand the material and meet the learning goals. This might involve quizzes, assignments, or just watching how they use new skills in their daily work.
Step 5: Evaluate the training and development plan
After the training is done, it is important to check its effect. Did the program meet its goals? Did people’s performance get better? Getting feedback from both the participants and their managers is key to knowing if it was successful. Use a clear method to collect feedback. This can be through surveys, tests after the training, or personal interviews. The aim is to see what worked well and find ways to make the program better next time.
Training and development plan example (with free template)
Let’s see a training and development plan in action with this example:
We will start with the professional objective and it’s priority, further break it down into key skills that the employee needs and define actionable steps on those lines.
Goal: Transition from Senior Developer to Technical Lead within 12 months
Priority: High – Critical for team growth and succession planning
Skill Gap Analysis
Skill Name
Current Level
Expected Level
Skill Gap
Technical Architecture Design
6
8
2
Team Leadership
5
8
3
Stakeholder Management
4
7
3
Based on this analysis of skill gaps, we can define a training and development plan as follows for each of the areas. Here’s what it can look like for Technical Architecture Design:
Skill Area
Weekly Goal
Monthly Goal
Quarterly Goal
Technical Architecture Design
Review one system architecture pattern
Complete one advanced architecture course
Get cloud architecture certification
Document current system architecture decisions
Lead one architecture review meeting
Design and present one major system enhancement
Practice system design exercises (1 hour)
Create proposal for system improvements
Mentor two junior developers on architecture principles
There are two more critical areas that we need to define for a full-fledged training and development plan:
Progress Tracking
Weekly self-assessment
Monthly review with mentor
Quarterly evaluation with manager
Success Metrics
Architecture: Successfully implement two major system improvements
Leadership: Achieve 80% team satisfaction score
Stakeholder: Receive positive feedback from 3 key stakeholders
Training and development have existed for centuries, but recent years have brought some upheavals, especially with AI taking a lot from our plates and increasing needs for digital literacy among employees across the organization. What best practices of training and development should you keep in mind to make your ideas fail-proof? Let’s explore.
#1 Focus on alignment between the individual and the organization
A focus on alignment with your organization’s strategic objectives is more important than ever. L&D budgets were never in a free-flow state, but the post-COVID years saw some fall backs and cut down on innovation in favour of easier, in-house methods of training, which put less burden on the pocket. Impact then becomes critical to ensuring that the C-suite sees your work and understands how crucial your role is in keeping things moving forward.
It means focusing on not just building and executing plans but also picking the right metrics that matter to the business’s success and resonate with your stakeholders, including the executives and the employees attending the training and development programs. Think of key impacts that you can bring to the table, such as a competitive edge in a new technological area, a better learning-focused employer brand, or positive employee advocacy, and use your best efforts to communicate them everywhere.
Read more: Think Of These 4 Trends In Your Corporate Learning Strategy
#2 Leverage tech and AI smartly
Everyone wants an AI in their flow of work, but let’s be honest: most people are not sure of what, why, and how it fits in with the existing network of learning and development opportunities around them. Before heading out and planning training and development initiatives for 2025, look for areas where AI can help. These are places where you need personalization or areas where you need to automate manual actions happening repeatedly.
For instance, in leadership development, many companies see value in coaching and microlearning, and about 47% are set to do more with the help of AI. In such use cases, Risely’s AI coach Merlin can help increase access to coaching for people managers in your company who are often left out of expensive leadership training programs. Similarly, Harvard Business Online highlighted that organizations want more leaders to be ready to tackle challenges; it’s no longer just about the C-suite. We all know how expensive this can be. But we have AI! It can bring personalization, scale, and flexibility at the level you need to reach more people through training and development initiatives.
Read more: 3 Reasons Why Your Digital Learning Strategy Fails
#3 Design with a focus on ROI
How many companies reach the measurement stage with their learning and development programs? As per a LinkedIn study, this number stood at about 5%. Most organizations, if not all, are unable to make the most of their training and development programs because of either one:
Their measurement was not in-depth, or it was not standardized.
They picked metrics to track that did not align with strategic goals.
They could not conduct both pre and post-assessments during the training cycle.
Converting the data into insights was difficult.
It’s high time you stood out from the crowd and made smart choices to showcase your efforts in training and development initiatives. There are many ways to do it; you look into training evaluation exercises such as surveys and interviews with the employees to understand their perspectives. This evaluation is also critical in ensuring that the programs are up to date and meeting the needs of end users; otherwise, it is just a one-way communication of learning-related ideas.
You can also check out tools like Risely’s leadership skill assessments, which form the basis of a personalized learning journey and AI coaching sessions for every people manager on your team. It takes away a lot of hassle – from measuring the current skills and continuous progress on those to identifying new and evolving challenges as they appear in the lives of your company’s people managers.
Wrapping Up
In conclusion, creating good training and development plans is important for growth in organizations and success for employees. First, identify goals and check skills. Then, set clear objectives to make a path for ongoing learning and improvement. Use new ideas like technology and soft skills development. Avoid mistakes such as unclear goals and not following up. Update your plans often to keep them useful and effective. Use the template given to make your training easier. This will help your team achieve their best. Begin making your own training and development plans today for a more skilled and motivated team.
Deeksha, with a solid educational background in human resources, bridges the gap between your goals and you with valuable insights and strategies within leadership development. Her unique perspectives, powered by voracious reading, lead to thoughtful pieces that tie conventional know-how and innovative approaches together to enable success for management professionals.
Get Started with the Free Training and Development Plan Template!
Grab free L&D resources and more for holistic growth of people managers. Only on Risely.
Horse Leadership Training: A New Approach to Leadership Development Leadership development and training is suffering heavy stress under today’s business…
