Workplace Learning & Employee Signage: 5 Takeaways from the Linkedin 2023 Workplace Learning Report
Over past the past decade, organizations have recognized the importance of investing in Employee Engagement programs as a way of creating better business outcomes. These outcomes are measured in improved operational efficiency, improved employee retention, decreased absenteeism, and even higher stock valuations.
The heightened investment in Employee Engagement has directly led to a reimagining of Employee Signage solutions, producing profound results across a broad spectrum of industries.
The focus of these signage networks tends to be on Human Resources, Corporate Communications, and Operations. However, I have repeatedly witnessed how content strategies that go deeper into the organization improves the networks return on investment.
Over the past few weeks, I have been studying the findings of the Linkedin 2023 Workplace Learning Report and am struck by the key role that Employee Signage potentially offers Learning & Development (L&D) organizations in realizing core business objectives.
Here are five key takeaways from the report:
1. 93% of organizations are concerned about employee retention. Providing Learning Opportunities is the No. 1 way organizations are working to improve retention.
The report states that following compensation/benefits and flexibility on when/where they work, growth and development is central to an employee’s determination of whether, or not, to remain in a job.
Career growth, opportunities to learn/develop new skills, and a desire for challenging/impactful work are listed as the core objectives of employees.
Employee Signage is able to address these objectives in both a indirect and direct manner.
By incorporating Learning & Development into an effective Employee Engagement strategy, the signage can be used to effectively “advertise” to associates with campaigns that speak to the value of the work - and why it matters - coupled with detailed announcements of career growth opportunities and programs.
The Employee Signage can also - more directly - be leveraged to facilitate new skill development through the inclusion of micro-learning modules and by directing associates to learning content and opportunities.
By integrating Learning into their signage, organizations directly address the top drivers of Employee Retention.
2. Younger Workers Crave Career and Learning Opportunities
Younger workers often pose a challenge to organizations because traditional forms of workplace learning seem antiquated to the rising number of digital natives in the workforce. This results in disengagement.
This report highlights a silver lining to this problem: younger workers actually crave learning.
Employee Signage offers the ability to non-intrusively immerse the younger worker in a culture of learning. This leads to better engaged, upskilled associates who are more efficient, effective, and happy.
Embracing the younger workers desire to learn lifts an organization across a full-spectrum of metrics.
3. Human Skills Top The List of In-Demand Skills
I have often hesitated in fully-embracing Employee Signage solutions for Workplace Learning. In reflecting on some of the organizations where I have previously worked, the diversity in skill sets required across the workforce was so great that I feared that overly targeted content might become irrelevant to the balance of associates.
However, I have come to learn that there is commonality in many of the core skills needed across all groups in most organizations.
This report reinforces that belief, listing the Top Four In-Demand Skills By Job Function as Management, Communications, Customer Service, and Leadership. Human skills are noted as urgently required, especially amid the prevalence of hybrid work. The only functional areas which did not list these human skills at the top of their lists were the more technical functions such as engineering and software development.
The demand for Human Skills training mitigates the risk that this signage content will be less-relevant to many in the workforce. The methodology for developing these skills makes it a great candidate for micro-learning modules, which Employee Signage excels at delivering.
4. The Importance of Internal Mobility
Knowledge is power and creating a culture of learning undoubtedly drives employees looking toward career advancement.
This heightens the importance of internal mobility within a thriving business.
I was struck by the statistics provided on internal mobility. The report cites:
Only 15% of employees say their organization encouraged them towards a new role.
Only 26% say their organization challenged them to learn a new skill.
Only 14% say their organization encouraged them to build a new career development plan.
The solution is undoubtedly complex. It will require repetitive campaigns of information, communication, and engagement - all strengths of employee signage.
5. Skill sets for jobs have changed by about 25% since 2015. By 2027, this number is expected to double.
This statistic surprised me. Not that the skill sets required for jobs having changed by 25% over the past eight years, but that they are expected to change by 50% over the next four years.
That is a massive amount of organizational change. It will certainly be difficult - not only to to effect this change - but, also, to hold an workforce together through that level of change.
Employee Signage can be leveraged to help better communicate the change and motivate the workforce. It will also play a major role in both micro-learning and knowledge reinforcement. I believe that value of this signage is nearly essential, especially when engaging the non-digital worker.
There is quite a bit more to glean from this report. Click here to read and download the report
https://learning.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/learning/en-us/pdfs/workplace-learning-report/LinkedIn-Learning_Workplace-Learning-Report-2023-EN.pdf
If you would like to further discuss Workplace Learning and Employee Signage, please send me a note at ed.behan@butterpielabs.com