Changing Trends and the Future of L&D, Featuring BCGUniversity and Coca-Cola

Technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, reshaping the face of industries in days and weeks rather than months and years. With this intense evolution at hand, and the increased importance of properly upskilling and reskilling workers, learning and development professionals need to update their methods internally to deliver true organizational impact. I recently spoke with a panel of learning and development experts on the changing trends they’ve seen, as well as what the future of L&D entails.

Proximity and immediacy of training

One of the primary shifts the experts I spoke with have noticed recently is the importance of accessibility and convenience in onboarding, upskilling, reskilling, and other training. Known as “within arm’s length” terminology, the accessibility and timeliness of virtual training platforms have been one of the best—and most necessary—new trends in learning and development.

Kedar Vashi, Former Chief Learning Officer for Coca-Cola India, notes, “I found that virtual learning platforms made us offer learning at arm's length irrespective of where you are, whether you are in a small town, you are in a village, you are in a market, or you are spread all across the geographies. Because of the online learning tools and online collaboration platforms, we were able to take this all the way across the country. So, for us, the platforms were really helpful, but not so much to scale the workforce, which was working from home or working not from the office, but for reaching out to people all across the geography of the country.”

Anees Shaik, Head of Technology at BCGUniversity, adds, “I think that the shift had started already of being flexible, the workforce being anywhere and everywhere. What I saw the value of was, like Kedar said, ‘arm's reach.’ We shifted from being in the classroom to learn something to being able to learn anytime you want. Now what we are looking at is more and more moving away from that being in front of a laptop to learning on the go in the form of mobile applications. What we have seen is that wherever there is flexible work, there is a lot more productivity and there is a lot more efficiency. I think if learning technologies can stay on top of that and make it easy to deliver that learning on-the-go, it is what is going to be the most needed in the future.”

Creating culture virtually

Another key shift the expert panel has noticed is that team-building and culture are now being built online in ways that used to only occur in person. Virtual collaboration isn’t solely reserved for quick meetings, workers are now leveraging real-time engagement with extended work sessions with teammates on collaborative platforms.

Shaik shares his experience with this phenomenon, explaining, “There has to be a shift in culture. For example, one of the things that we have adopted is collaboration. We just don't meet for a meeting or a [specific] issue to discuss. We even do working sessions together on [our virtual platform]. I have done things where I have just gotten on a [virtual] call, just the same as being in a conference room, and working together and chit-chatting and talking while doing things. That's the fundamental shift that has to be brought into the work culture. That's only when collaboration happens. I think that is where we have to fundamentally shift our thinking about these [virtual platform] tools. It has to be not just seen as a virtual meeting tool, but it can do a lot more.”

Hybrid success

An important area that the expert panel spent time discussing was the ideal of hybrid and remote working, but less about the setup and more about building the right kind of technology and platforms to allow for seamless work to occur.

Michael Chasen, CEO & Co-Founder of Class, notes, “I think what's really interesting is that tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams aren't just for the remote employees…Many in-person meetings, people are connected to Zoom meetings or Teams meetings to bring in those remote workers. So, we've really focused on developing technology on those same platforms that allow you to then bring your corporate training online. A lot of the work that we're doing here at Class is to make sure that we're supporting not only a remote workforce, but also what your in-person workforce might need for their training, as well. When you're looking at the technologies, you have to recognize that while we're seeing more and more of an employee being based remotely, often, if you build the technology the right way, it can be used to support both the in-person and remote, and in a hybrid fashion. I think that's critical.”

The future of L&D

As technology continues to play an increasingly vital role in learning and development across industries, securing the right kind of tech has become just as crucial. Whether considering the immediacy of available training, solidifying a proper company culture, or ensuring that all workers have access to industry-defining training and tools, regardless of their work setting, virtual training platforms are a pivotal piece of L&D success moving forward.

Is your team ready to proactively meet the demands of a shifting industry? Reach out to a Class team member today, and let’s unleash your company’s truest potential while setting the pace for the future of your industry.