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You’ve scoured through applications, made it through the interview process, and finally hired the perfect candidate. They’re a standout in all the right areas. At this point, it’s easy to call it a day, but really, your job is barely half done. Long-term employee retention is one of the most important yet overlooked aspects of any high-impact workplace culture. 

To exemplify this, 87% of HR managers say that employee retention is their number one priority. However, 20% of these managers say that focusing on employee retention is difficult because other tasks demand their attention and budgets. Most alarmingly, Work Institute finds that more than three in four employees who quit could have been retained. Unfortunately, these are errors that many teams make. And they can be costly. 

Employee Benefits News found that the average cost of losing an employee is a massive 33% of their annual salary. What’s more, some estimates find that poor retention will cost $430 billion annually by 2030. On the other hand, higher retention rates can increase profits by up to 4x.

So, how can companies improve their retention processes? We’ve decided to dig a little deeper, offering five tips for long-term employee retention. 

As is so often the case in life, first impressions make a huge difference when it comes to employee turnover. 

To demonstrate this, studies show that 20% of turnover happens within the first 45 days of working at a new company. Similarly, employees are 10 times more likely to leave a job in the first year than five years down the line. Further, research by Leftronic shows that nearly one-third (32%) of employees have quit their job within the first three months due to unsatisfactory workplace culture. 

As such, first impressions have a significant influence on an employee’s likelihood of remaining with a company long-term. So, what can organisations do to reverse this trend? Optimise your onboarding process. 

Put simply, 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for more than three years if they had a great onboarding experience. Additionally, organisations with a standardised onboarding process enjoy 50% greater productivity from new employees. In stark contrast, organisations with poor onboarding processes are twice as likely to experience employee turnover

Even more notably, when an onboarding process involves digital learning, employee retention rates increase by 60%, on average. And that’s only the beginning of how L&D influences employee retention. 

As always, L&D makes a big difference when it comes to long-term employee retention. Consistent learning and development opportunities are among the most decisive factors in retaining employees. For instance, 94% of employees say they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their professional development. 

Likewise, 86% of millennials would be prevented from leaving their current position if their employer offered better training and development. Finally, companies that provide professional development opportunities have 34% higher retention rates.

And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Emplify finds that 22% of employees leave their jobs to seek better professional development opportunities elsewhere. Perhaps most significantly, ​employee retention rates increase by 30-50% on average for companies with strong learning cultures. 

The message is clear: employees crave robust and consistent learning and development opportunities and are willing to seek them out at a different company if necessary. 

3. Develop a culture of recognition and feedback

Everyone likes their hard work to be acknowledged. There are few things more frustrating than putting significant time and effort into a project, only for it to go completely unnoticed. Therefore, it should be no surprise that fostering a culture of recognition and feedback has a flow-on effect on employee retention. 

According to TINYpulse, employees who don't feel recognised for their work are 2x more likely to be actively seeking a new job. What’s more, research shows that 79% of people who quit their jobs cite “lack of appreciation” as their reason for leaving. 

Conversely, employees whose managers consistently acknowledge them for good work are 5x more likely to stay at the company. Likewise, 90% say that recognition motivates them to work harder. As the old saying goes, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. In this instance, it appears that positive reinforcement is the best approach to encourage long-term retention. 

It is also important to note that feedback must be a two-way street for employees to truly feel valued. According to a report by Achievers, 90% of employees say they are more likely to stay at a company that takes and acts on feedback. Despite this, only one-third of employees say their company is either ‘good’ or ‘very good’ at taking feedback on board. 

Further, employees that don’t feel comfortable giving upward feedback are 16% less likely to stay at their companies, according to TINYpulse. As they explain, “feedback shouldn’t just flow one way. Open communication is key to understanding the needs and points of improvement for both managers and employees.”

Ultimately, Workstars finds that teams with ‘recognition rich’ cultures can reduce turnover by up to 31%. Luckily, this is an intuitive process for everyone involved. Recognise employees’ good work and value their feedback, and they will be more productive and less likely to seek opportunities elsewhere. Simple! 

4. Align day-to-day work with organisational values 

When employees feel like they are connected to a larger mission, they are more likely to stay with a company for the long haul. 

For starters, employees who think their company has a larger purpose than just profits are 27% more likely to stay. As TINYpulse explains, “having a sense of purpose — the why behind the what — can help your employees feel like they’re doing something meaningful beyond just a job.”

Additionally, IBM finds that 80% of employees feel more engaged when their work is consistent with the core values and mission of their organisation. They explain this, saying, “meaningful work ensures that employees’ skills and talents are being fully utilised and there is greater alignment to shared, core values.”

Despite this, only one-quarter of employees currently feel connected to their company’s mission. This disconnect shows that companies must work harder to demonstrate a clear mission statement, thereby driving engagement and creating a clear sense of purpose and belonging.

Finally, companies must focus on the employee experience to improve their long-term retention. While this might sound obvious, it is a hurdle that a surprising number of teams fail to clear. 

To put this advice into perspective, research by HR Experts shows that 50% of all turnover is due to employee burnout, while a staggering 95% of HR leaders admit employee burnout is sabotaging workforce retention. 

On the other hand, LinkedIn’s 2020 Global Talent Trends report finds that when companies focus on the employee experience, 77% enjoy increased employee retention, and 71% notice an increase in productivity.

To underscore these statistics, 67% of job seekers prioritise diversity and inclusion when seeking a new job, while companies that offer remote working arrangements have a 25% lower turnover rate, and millennials are 22x more likely to work for a company with a high trust culture. All of these factors contribute to the overall employee experience. 

Along these same lines, 79% of employees wouldn't take a better-paying position in a company with questionable ethics (i.e. not acting against sexual harassment, creating environmental problems, and paying female employees less), according to a survey by The Manifest. 

In other words, the employee experience matters. A lot. If you want to improve your employee retention rates, then fostering positive employee experiences is an excellent place to start. 

Want to improve your employee retention? Go1 can help. Sign up for a free trial today to access dedicated courses on Employee retention, Building an employee recognition & reward program, and many more. 

For more insights, be sure to subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, you can book a demo today.

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Employee retention is one of the most important yet overlooked aspects of any workplace. We’ve decided to dig a little deeper, offering five tips for long-term employee retention.

5 tips for long-term employee retention

We are excited to announce a global partnership with Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning aimed at helping organizations develop future leaders with high-quality, world-class leadership solutions. 

“Leadership and learning matter more than ever as we strive to remain agile, collaborative, and productive in today's environment. Today’s leaders want learning that builds skills for the future, and our partnership with Go1 will help address specific business challenges across any industry,” Ian Fanton, Harvard Business Publishing Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Learning, said.   

With this announcement, Go1 users* can now access Harvard ManageMentor to build skills in leadership and management that reflect the most timely and timeless ideas. Leveraging this impactful and engaging experience, learners can unlock their leadership potential through important topics such as global collaboration, strategic thinking, change management, finance essentials, digital intelligence, innovation, and more. 

“We’re proud to partner with Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning, a globally trusted and respected brand in business and lifelong education. The courses are continuously updated to keep up with the pace of change, which means learners will always receive materials with real-life, positive impact and have access to on-demand resources featuring industry experts,” Basem Emera, Go1 Vice President of Partnerships and Alliances, said. 

Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning has had over 25 years of success in delivering their learning to the world's biggest brands. Each learning experience leverages the remarkable depth and breadth of Harvard Business School and Harvard Business Review resources, industry experts, technology-enabled and user-friendly solutions, and a creative, collaborative mindset to help learners discover something new. 

Get in touch if you would like to learn more about this partnership.

*Smaller organizations using Go1, with some geographic restrictions, can access Harvard ManageMentor as part of their premium subscription to the Go1 Content Hub. 

We are excited to announce a partnership with Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning helping develop leaders with high-quality leadership solutions.

Partnering with Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning to develop future leaders

Partnering with Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning to help future leaders develop their skills through high-quality leadership solutions.

I've been thinking about this non-stop as I keep hearing it repeated around the Learning and Development world. It's a catchy idea and a cool buzzword, but what does it really mean and how do we actually foster such a thing to grow? 

Culture isn't something that just happens. Sure, it's influenced by our hiring decisions, but it takes more than that to create a curious community that shares ideas openly and celebrates diverse thinking. 

The organizations that do it well proactively tackle it from 3 levels.

Level 1: What an open door policy really means

In the 2019 film, Ford vs. Ferrari, Henry Ford II threatens to fire an entire factory floor but offers that whoever comes to him with an idea to sell more cars could keep their job. This eventually led to the idea of building the legendary GT40 that went on to crush all competition in the 24 hours of Le Mans race. While this Hollywood telling is fictionalized, a bit extreme, and I think Mr Ford sounds like a jerk, there are some key takeaways that led to Ford's incredible success in that 1966 race. 

Leadership needs help. Even though Henry Ford II seemed like the kind of man who wouldn't admit it outright, he knew he needed ideas from the people most passionate about Ford vehicles, the employees lovingly crafting them every day. In the film, he accomplishes getting ideas from them by offering them an evil ultimatum but that leads right into the second takeaway.

Idea sharing almost always needs rewards. When first changing culture towards one of open curiosity and idea-sharing, rewards are a fundamental part of letting everyone know that ideas are not only welcome, they're encouraged. Without this critical offering, fear of rejection will keep most of us from sharing ideas upwards. 

Be quick to action when ideas have merit. Leadership needs to be ready to implement new ideas that flow upwards. Once an idea is shared and vetted, quick implementation is the surest way that more ideas will flow after. Everyone knows what it feels like to have an idea shot down and fear of rejection will kill a culture of learning quicker than sugar in a Ferrari gas tank. 

While the first level is all about executive leadership, managers are the bread and butter of creating a culture of learning. They're the ones who will create the work schedule to dedicate time to learning, the ones who will advocate sharing ideas, and the ones who will be encouraging social learning in their departments. 

Managers need psychological safety first. No one who doesn't feel safe in their position is going to encourage their teams to think outside the box and challenge the status quo. It's just that simple. Creating psychological safety in the workplace is a topic well covered by others, for an intro I recommend checking out the eLearning course 'Building Psychological Safety' by Symmetra in the Go1 Content Hub. 

Once we have a safe space, we can really dive into encouraging department leaders to make time for learning. A few ideas that I've seen: 

A weekly rotating course the whole department takes before each team meeting, with time built into the meeting to discuss learnings and how to incorporate them into our lives, both personal and professional. Some managers choose these courses themselves while others encourage their teams to bring ideas forward for courses they want to learn together. 

Scheduled time to learn weekly put on everyone's calendars. We've seen this sent out as a one-size-fits-all invite for a Friday afternoon and we've seen this encouraged on a personal level to have employees create a recurring calendar invite for themselves at a time that works for them. Encourage 30-60 minutes a week, maybe 30 one week and 60 another if time is at a  premium, I promise the learning will increase productivity, buy-in, and efficiency. 

A fresh take on goal-setting, with a focus on whole-person development

Creating a culture of learning is about meeting the whole-person, not just the person who shows up for the job you hired them for. As such, goal-setting with our staff needs to reflect that. Around 10 years ago, I started doing goal-setting with my staff the way I always wanted it done for me and saw immediate improvements in retention, community, and relationships.  Here is the outline for the 3 goals I created with my employees:

Personally Professional: The first goal is something they can contribute to the organization as a whole. This is likely related to their KPI's or their personal targets and projects. 

Professionally Personal: The second goal is something that makes them better at their job. What do they want to learn? What role do they want to start working towards next? How can I, and the company, support them in that pursuit?

Personally Personal: And the third goal can have nothing to do with work. What's a  totally personal goal that they want to accomplish this quarter/year?  How can I, and the company, help support them in accomplishing that? 

Changing our ideas of what success looks like for our staff changes the way we think about learning. When we focus solely on performance indicators,  it's easy to lose sight of the development that needs to happen to make those indicators grow. Taking a step back and focusing on the whole person helps our management team realign on what's really important, our people. 

Level 3: Culture of learning starts before onboarding

Very few companies are doing onboarding right and it's killing their culture before it has a chance to grow. Like any good culture (I love cottage cheese), a Culture of Learning needs an incubator and that incubator is onboarding. 

When we start a new hire off with their mandatory compliance training and then shove them into a learning path designed to get them to OTJ training without addressing them as an individual,  we've set ourselves back in creating a space where truly fresh ideas can be heard.  

What if we tried a different approach and instead,  after they sign the offer letter, we sent them a form asking them what they are most excited to learn. A Culture of Learning starts before Day  1, it starts with asking questions and encouraging out-of-the-box responses that let them know they're safe to grow with us and we were here to support them in that.  

What skills are they worried they need to upskill to excel in their new role? What personal passions are they wanting to improve on? Photography? Wine tasting? Creative writing?  

Can you imagine getting that email before you started a new job?  Even before your first day, your new company is asking you how they can invest in your future? 

In a recent Gallup poll, 41% of employees are actively looking for new jobs. That's nearly half of our workforce! 

But there is hope. LinkedIn's 2019 Workforce Learning report found that 94% of leaving employees said they would have stayed longer if the company invested in helping them learn. 

Creating a Culture of Learning isn't just a nice to have, it's not just something that makes a nice recommendation on Glassdoor, it is quickly becoming the most critical component of employee retention, preventing knowledge hoarding, and creating a dynamic and explosive growth company that employees are excited to contribute to. 

It's not easy to steer a company culture towards one of creativity and curiosity, but implementing even a few of these ideas should get things started and once it catches on, strap in tight, you're racing in Le Mans now. 

Jake Via is a Partner Success Manager at Go1 and is passionate about eLearning, innovation, and motivation. Connect with Jake here.

Creating a culture of learning is as challenging as it is rewarding. Here are three suggestions to take your learning culture to the next level.

Culture of learning. Ok, sure, but how?

Creating a culture of learning is as challenging as it is rewarding. Here are three suggestions to take your learning culture to the next level. 

At any one point, a third of working-aged Australians are either struggling with a mental illness, or symptoms of mental illness. Leaders are considering not only how this affects their business, but how the organisation itself is impacting the wellbeing of their employees.  

Some estimates see workplace stress causing as much as 50% of voluntary employee turnover and 60% of absenteeism. An understanding of contributing factors towards workplace stress, known as psychosocial hazards, is something Dan Hunt, and the team at Mental Health Movement, are passionate about addressing. 

Why is mental health education in workplaces important? 

Why is Mental Health education in workplaces important?

Though some psychosocial hazards might be seen as a common aspect to a role, such as the emotional toll on first responders in an emergency, they still require risk-management and mitigation within the organisation.  

Less obvious but common psychosocial hazards in the workplace include under-utilisation of employee skills, low role clarity, high noise levels and a lack of training to support job performance. Understanding your organisation’s psychosocial hazards is a crucial step towards developing an effective mental health strategy.  

Mental Health Movement surveyed 5,700 working Australians to gain a better understanding of the factors leading to poor mental health, the barriers to seeking support and the general state of mental health understanding and stigma. From this they developed their Mental Health Blueprint, covering four stages of Awareness, Education, Training and Resources.    

Through their work with over 100 Australian companies, Mental Health Movement have noticed the power that personal story has on employee’s attitudes towards mental health and seeking support. When leaders share their own vulnerabilities, it gives employees permission to show theirs, influencing a more connected work culture with reduced stigma.  

So when developing your organisation’s mental health framework, don't under-value the impact leadership will have on its success. A supportive workplace environment will not only empower and assist staff, but will also positively impact productivity and company goals. 

Dan also shared some amazing insight and advice with us on continuing your own mental health education.  

Dan offers some takeaway advice

In partnership with Mental Health Movement we have curated a Talking About Mental Health playlist specifically to showcase content that will assist you in developing the mental health blueprint in your organisation.  

The playlist includes learning content from Mental Health Movement, as well as other mental health providers. If you are already a Go1 customer, you can recreate this playlist in your own LMS or Go1 Platform. If you are not yet a customer but interested in the Go1 Content Hub for your organisation's wellbeing and L&D goals, please get in touch with the team today. 

We chat with Dan Hunt, from the Mental Health Movement, about psychosocial hazards, best practice, and the power of personal story.

Why is mental health education in workplaces important?

L&D has long been important on both a personal and an organisational level. The reasons for this are self-evident: of course ongoing learning, development, and growth are important. However, in recent years, L&D has evolved beyond merely being important. These days, L&D is essential. 

Gone are the days where having an L&D strategy was an optional extra. Instead, a strong L&D team is now fundamental to sustained organisational success. In other words, L&D has gone from a ‘nice to have’ to a ‘need to have’. 

We’ve decided to track this evolution, detailing why L&D has gone from a ‘nice to have’ to a ‘need to have’. From improving ROI to closing the skills gap, we’ll look at four reasons why L&D is now essential. 

Let’s start with the bottom line first: ROI. While a pure love of learning is wonderful, ultimately, a successful L&D strategy must prove its value via ROI. Luckily, investing in L&D is one of the most surefire ways for businesses to increase their ROI and overall profitability. 

In most cases, the more you invest in your L&D program, the more you are likely to be rewarded. For example, companies that provide comprehensive training programs have a 218% higher income per employee. Likewise, companies that invest in L&D have a 24% higher profit margin than those that spend less on training. 

That’s not all, as 42% of companies enjoy an increase in profits after investing in digital learning. IBM puts this into perspective, finding that every dollar invested in online learning results in $30 worth of productivity. IBM’s study also found that well-trained employees increase their productivity by 10%.

Further, Gallup found that L&D strategies that focus on strengths-based intervention can increase profits by 14%-29%, on average. 

Accordingly, it should come as little surprise that 72% of organisations say they gain a competitive advantage by investing in digital learning. 

Given these numbers, it’s easy to see why L&D has gone from ‘nice to have’ to ‘need to have’ among the most profitable organisations.

In a highly competitive professional marketplace, an engaging L&D strategy is essential to attract and retain the best talent. In fact, 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their learning and development. 

Not only that, but many employees say that learning and development opportunities are a more decisive factor for remaining in a job than receiving a raise. According to Forbes, 56% of employees say that career growth and opportunity is more important than salary.

In addition, 87% of millennials value learning and development in the workplace, while a further 59% claim development opportunities are extremely important when deciding whether to apply for a position.

Perhaps most decisively, 76% of employees say a company would be more appealing if it offered additional skills training. 

These statistics are notable on several levels. Firstly, the majority of prospective employees value learning and development highly. As such, it is vital to have a strong L&D plan to attract the best talent. 

Secondly, L&D is essential for talent retention. Work Institute's 2018 Retention Report found that nearly one-third of all turnover was due to either unsupportive management or a lack of development opportunities. Work Institute also found that 77% of that turnover is preventable. Given the costly nature of turnover, offering learning and development opportunities to support staff is a far preferable option. 

Finally, L&D can have a major impact on employee engagement. 74% of employees aren’t reaching their full potential due to a lack of learning and development opportunities. Given this, Rapt Media finds that $500 billion is lost annually because of employee disengagement.

On the other hand, 42% of workplaces where employees are engaged with L&D also say their employees are highly engaged overall. Companies with more engaged employees outperform those with disengaged employees by up to 202%.

A strong learning culture is also essential to promote a diverse and inclusive workplace. As we detailed in our recent article on supporting neurodiversity in digital learning, L&D teams play a vital role in promoting neurodiverse workplaces. 

Estimates find that about 18% of the population have neurodiverse learning needs. Thus, it is critical to support neurodiversity in the workplace to ensure a secure, accessible learning environment for everyone. 

When L&D teams actively support neurodiversity, the results can be incredible. For example, one study by SAP found that “teams who have colleagues with autism report a rise in patent applications, innovations in products, and an increase in management skills and empathy.”

Additionally, companies with robust D&I programs are 22% more likely to be seen as industry leaders with high-calibre talent. Likewise, high-impact learning cultures (the top 10% of organisations) are 2.4x more likely to embed the principles of diversity and inclusion into their daily work than ‘average’ L&D teams. 

As these figures demonstrate, a well-developed D&I program can take your L&D team to the next level. As such, L&D is not only essential on a strategic level but also on an interpersonal level. By supporting neurodiversity, businesses can cultivate more understanding, innovative, and inclusive learning environments that encompass the spectrum of human experiences and perspectives. 

Finally, L&D has become an essential tool to help businesses close the skills gap. As we have emphasised in previous articles, the global skills gap is widening. As always, L&D teams have a central role to play. 

According to PwC Australia, 75% of Australian CEOs are concerned about the availability of key skills, a sharp increase from 58% the previous year. 

Similarly, a new study by RMIT Australia found that one in four Australians don’t have the skills they need to complete their day-to-day job — let alone the skills necessary for jobs of the future. Further estimates find that 54% of the global workforce will require extensive upskilling or reskilling by 2022.

RMIT’s report also found that the average Australian needs 18 unique skills to meet their employer’s requirements. However, on average, people are missing two of these skills.

Currently, RMIT finds that the biggest skills gap in Australia is in data analysis. Of those that need data analysis for their job, 30% say their skills are outdated or not at the level required. 

So, where do L&D teams come in? As RMIT’s study finds, L&D will be a crucial factor in closing the skills gap. According to their report, Australians are eager to learn and close the skills gap —  they just need access to the right learning and development opportunities. 

To demonstrate this, 38% of Australians would prefer paid study leave over a promotion, while 52% value a learning culture over a fun culture at work. Perhaps most staggeringly, nearly one quarter (24%) would rather have $1,000 to spend on training every year than $50 of extra pay each week.

The message is clear: Australians want access to learning and development tools to help close the skills gap. Unfortunately, 66% say they face at least one barrier to learning at work, with the most common barriers being ‘learning isn’t available in times or ways that suit me’ (23%) and ‘I don’t know where to start in terms of learning’ (17%). 

Ultimately, L&D teams that can remove these barriers to learning will play a vital role in closing the skills gap. 

Is L&D essential to your team? Go1 can help. Sign up for a free trial today to access dedicated courses on Employee engagement essentials, Understanding mental health in neurodiverse learners, and many more. 

For more insights, be sure to read our article on what sets high-impact L&D teams apart, and also subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, you can book a demo today.

A strong L&D team is fundamental to sustained success. From improving ROI to closing the skills gap, we’ll look at four reasons why L&D is now essential. 

Why L&D has gone from a 'nice to have' to a 'need to have'

Every L&D team wants to make an impact. After all, there are few greater joys than watching your learners succeed. However, as with any walk of life, some teams will inevitably be more impactful than others. This success is attributable to many factors, such as organisational alignment, resources, strategy, and adaptability. Whatever the specific reasons, the rest of us strive to catch up and emulate these standard-setting teams. 

With this in mind, we have decided to dig a little deeper and ask: what sets high-impact L&D teams apart? We’ll start by detailing common characteristics of high-impact L&D teams, before analysing the skills that set these teams apart. 

Ready to boost your team’s impact? Start here. 

Common characteristics of high-impact L&D teams

Before we can analyse what sets high-impact L&D teams apart, it is necessary to understand what a high-impact L&D team looks like. Thankfully, when trying to define high-impact L&D teams, a few common characteristics emerge. 

Emerald Works 2020 Back to the Future Report closely observed high-impact learning cultures (HILCs). Following a comprehensive survey of 1,123 organisations, Emerald Works identified the top 112 organisations (10%) as having HILCs. According to their criteria, HILCs are “the top performing 10% of our data sample, These organisations’ learning strategies consistently achieve excellent results in terms of organisational growth, transformation, profitability and productivity.” 

In a similar survey of 60 CEOs and more than 250 L&D professionals worldwide, MIT Sloan identified seven core principles that set learning organisations apart (more on those to come). More importantly, their research discerned the factors that defined these high-performing teams were a willingness to invest in learning and development with a long-term, strategic perspective while also being prepared to adapt over time.

Finally, in an interview with the Advantage Performance Group, Lucretia Hall from Software One was asked to identify the essential components of a high-performing L&D team. From her perspective, two things stood out. Firstly, she emphasised that every team member must work to their strengths. To achieve this, Ms Hall recommends using the Gallup Strengths Finder to help identify different strengths within your organisation.

Secondly, she added that trust is vital, saying, “the other is building trust. This is the foundation of building a high performing team. It's something that all of our leaders are learning and doing. How do you build trust from the get-go with your team?”

As such, becoming a high-impact L&D team requires consistent excellence, paired with a strategic, long-term vision and clear alignment between both individual team members and discreet business functions.

According to Emerald Works, high-impact L&D teams stand out from their competitors in several pivotal areas. However, some of the most significant discrepancies emerge in the categories of alignment, communication, and clarity. 

For example, 94% of HILCs say their L&D activity is fully aligned with their organisation’s strategic goals. By comparison, only 48% of other L&D teams say the same. This represents a massive discrepancy, revealing that more than half of ‘average’ L&D teams are either not supporting or, in some cases, actively undermining their businesses’ wider objectives. 

Similarly, 84% of HILCs say they regularly communicate performance impacts to senior management, compared to just 18% of other L&D teams. Finally, in terms of clarity, 91% of HILCs say their L&D team has an agreed plan for how they will meet business metrics. In contrast, just 30% of other L&D teams say the same. If L&D teams are uncertain about the key metrics they are working towards, it is nearly impossible to maximise their impact.

Collectively, these statistics show that clarity of purpose, alignment on both an individual and a team-wide level, and clear communication are essential to becoming a high-impact L&D team. In other words, you can have the fanciest learning technologies and most engaging learning content, but without these fundamental communication tools, they will not be as impactful. 

Every L&D team wants to make an impact. So, we have decided to dig a little deeper and ask: what sets high-impact L&D teams apart?