New Research Shows Explosive Growth in Corporate Learning: Our Biggest Challenge? Time.

Once again LinkedIn released an important study in the 2019 LinkedIn Learning Report. And among many findings I want to point out, the most important is simple. The #1 thing holding people back from learning is time. Which means its your job as a business or HR leader to "give people more time."

Let me cite a few important findings.

1. The L&D market is growing explosively.

My research shows it's now over a $240 billion market (over $1200 per employee per year) and it grew by 7% this year. LinkedIn research shows that 87% of organizations are growing or flat, only 13% reducing cost.

2. Digital learning has won us over.

After 20 years of evolution (from e-learning to blended learning to continuous learning to digital learning), today companies tell us that 59% are increasing spending on digital learning and 39% are reducing instructor led training. Why? Digital learning works! Give people lots of online experiences, and choice really matters (43% want self-directed programs.)

3. Training by internal experts is overtaking vendor content.

Yes professionally authored content is critical (we all learn from experts), but the opportunity to unlock internal expertise is massive. At Capital One (where I just visited), more than 2/3 of the content consumed comes from internal experts. LinkedIn data shows that 83% of L&D managers now use internal content (higher than the 73% who use external content). At Deloitte, almost all the training consultants receive comes from other consultants. Remember, the best way to learn is to teach.

4. Soft Skills matter more than tech skills.

LinkedIn's research shows that the most in-demand skills today are in creativity, persuasion (selling), analytic reasoning, collaboration, and adaptability. Research by Bloomberg and Workday prove that employers feel soft skills are harder to find than tech skills.

What soft skills do we need? All sorts.

5. Leadership Development remains a challenge.

Note also that the report points out that leadership development remains one of the biggest "unsolved problems" in L&D. I just spoke with a large client about this topic and the answer is not to "buy a bunch of course in leadership," but rather to sit down with your own leaders and build your own custom "leadership academy." This is what companies like Cisco and IBM have done for years, and it's what any small or large business can do. This costs far less than outsourcing the problem, and your leaders can share their own expertise and experience.

6. People really want social learning. Even online.

Yes, we do learn in groups. 71% of Gen-Z, 69% of Millennials, 56% of Gen-X, and 54% of Boomers want more collaborative learning experiences. This is why LinkedIn Learning now has social learning built in! And the new learning platform I"m working on (stay tuned) is built around cohort-based learning.

7. Spaced Learning with practice is key.

The best learning experiences force people to think, retrieve, and use the information they learned. When you are forced to revisit content after a time ("spaced"), you remember it far better. The following research proves it, and we can now deliver "practice-based" learning experiences online.

8. Employees want more time.

The LinkedIn learning concludes that "the biggest barrier to learning is time."

Let me give you some thoughts here. In one of my recent studies with LinkedIn, we learned that 28% of employees spend a day or more a week on emails that are irrelevant to their jobs. What the research also shows is that "heavy learners" are really seeing huge benefits. Consider this data:

How do you give people more time to learn? Make sure your company values learning: give them easy to use tools like LinkedIn Learning; buy a Learning Experience Platform to make content easy to find; make sure leaders value and reward people for learning; and start thinking about "Learning in the Flow of Work." In fact, I believe one of your jobs in HR is to be the "Marie Kondo" of the company (start eliminating clutter!).

Here's a video that explains this topic in more detail.

Bottom Line: We have entered the "golden days of learning" in business today.

The #1 issue on the minds of CEOs is attracting, retaining, and continuously growing the workforce. If you aren't investing in modern learning solutions today you're falling behind. As I discussed recently in a recent HBR article, make learning a part of everyday work, and I can guarantee your organization will thrive.

------

Josh Bersin is a global industry analyst who studies corporate HR, talent, leadership, recruitment, and all aspects of HR and workplace technology. He is the founder of Bersin by Deloitte, a frequent speaker at industry events, and consults with organizations around the world. You can reach Josh here on LinkedIn or on Twitter at @Josh_Bersin . (Disclosure - Josh provides consulting and advice to brands, including LinkedIn.)