Improved learning and development programmes are emerging as a critical solution for employers grappling with the challenges of attracting and retaining top talent, says Kira Koopman, Head of L&D Strategy and Digital Learning at Momentum Group.
“Employees today view skills development at work as a game-changer, driving higher productivity and performance,” Koopman explains. “Employers who embrace a culture of continuous growth and enhance their digital learning strategies are not only better positioned to win the war for talent but also unlock greater employee potential and performance.”
PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2024 reveals that upskilling has become a key differentiator for companies, with employees valuing it as a critical factor in their career choices. For example, employees considering a job switch within the next 12 months are nearly twice as likely to prioritise opportunities for skills development when making their decisions.
Koopman resonates with the findings and suggests that part of the solution means setting a digital learning agenda, complemented by a team to advise on and implement integrated learning technologies; a process Momentum Group’s approach follows when identifying a need for a single and easy-to-use solution. This is then integrated with existing HR and IT systems.
Since the inception of the Momentum Group’s digital Learning Hub, the organisation has seen a unique login rate of 91% of employees, indicating that almost 14,000 employees having actively engaged on the platform. The system has also measured the total time spent learning on the platform, and reflects a total of 23,969 days (about 65 years) of learning across the Group in the past two years.
Couple this with the fact that the Group’s leadership development programme completion statistics and career progression data also tell the story of impact across the organisation. For the period 2018 to 2024, a total of 846 leaders completed leadership development programmes offered by the Group; seeing a total investment of R84 million made during this period, of which 59% was spent on developing female leaders.
“There’s a clear global shift towards a digital, knowledge-based economy, making a skilled and dynamic workforce more crucial than ever before,” she adds. “This highlights the growing importance of learning and development in the workplace. Employers must ensure equitable, accessible learning opportunities across all departments and implement engaging, tailored change management campaigns to drive adoption and success.”
Stressing the urgency of adapting and improving learning and development programmes, Koopman highlights three important benefits:
- Improving employee retention and efficiency: organisations that win the war on retaining talent are businesses which see value in continuously investing in training and upskilling staff.
- Ability to anticipate and adapt to future changes: The World Economic Forum sees a need to reskill more than 1 billion people by 2030, as a response to the jobs that have been transformed by technology. There is an opportunity for employers to partner with their employees on career and skills development. Otherwise, they risk losing valuable talent.
- Attracting top talent: workplace skills, training, and values must continuously evolve to stay ahead of the technology curve. By demonstrating your organisation’s commitment to career development and growth, you can attract and retain ambitious professionals who seek opportunities for advancement.
Koopman realises that when employees choose to enrol into and complete courses that are not mandatory, it reflects the learning culture and curiosity of the workforce to seek out new information and to take accountability for their own learning and development.
“The time is now, for organisations to review their commitment to reskilling and upskilling employees, and to prioritise a more human-centred approach to transform the way we offer learning opportunities and optimise performance,” she concludes.
