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L&D is at a critical juncture in 2024. Human Resources (HR) and L&D teams face many challenges as a legacy of the pandemic. 

There's the pressure to attract, upskill, and **retain talent.** 

There's generative AI and digital transformation, and the **uncertainty** around where people should work. 

There are cuts in spending, changing skills gaps, and sharp focus on **wellbeing** as well as **safety, diversity,** and inclusion. Here we list out and research key L&D challenges in 2024 and share how [Growth Faculty membership](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/memberships/) is fast becoming the choice of L&D professionals.

[_**Free Download**: 10 Leadership Qualities That Will Help Solve Challenges in 2024_](https://thegrowthfaculty.ac-page.com/monograph-leadership2022)

Remember way back to those first months of the pandemic? L&D investment slumped as companies cut all non-critical spending. 

But executives struggling in a pressured environment and a changed, online workplace saw L&D leaders regroup and widen the scope of their work. 

Since then, there's been a **159% increase** in CEOs championing learning and development (LinkedIn). These CEOs know that companies which invest in training double the revenue from each employee and post higher profits than those who don't (Assoc. for Talent Development).

Prioritisation of learning by management

L&D leaders know companies with a culture of learning outperform their peers on **innovation, revenue, profitability,** and **market share**. 

98% of L&D practitioners _want_ to develop a learning culture but under 40% say they've actually done it (CIPD). 

Creating a learning culture can't be half-hearted. It means putting learning **at the heart** of the company's mission, with individual learning for employees, collaborative learning for teams and business units, and collective learning for the organisation as a whole (BCG).

Creating a learning culture

Disengaged employees are the nemesis of L&D leaders - after all, they know companies with high employee engagement are **21% more profitable** (Gallup).

Learning is proven to increase engagement, and learners are more likely to feel engaged when offered interactive and [social learning experiences](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/sociallearningleadershipdevelopment) that which fit into their work routine. 

Sharing and collaboration between peers is an important part of the process; people should play a mutual influence on one another (reciprocal determinism). Simply put, learners are more likely to engage when others are also involved.

Learner Engagement

With tight resources limiting expansion (and a talent shortage carried over from the pandemic), it's essential to retain and develop the talent you have and **unlock the potential** of emerging leaders at every level of the organisation. 

Businesses with a strong learning culture have **30-50% higher retention** than those that who don't (Robert Half). 

As well, the amount of intelligence used at work by employees can lift substantially if their bosses develop better leadership skills. Multipliers master practitioner [Deborah Keep](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/multipliersanddiminishers) says Liz Wiseman's research shows employees use up to 90% of their intelligence when working for a [Multiplier leader](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/Multipliersmasterclasstalentmagnet/) but only around 40% when working for a Diminisher.

Multiplier leaders work to grow and develop their direct reports. Diminishers do the opposite.

Scaling learning across the organisation

The workplace is becoming more and more customised. L&D is part of a suite of workplace factors that must meet the needs of workers. 

No surprise then that **74% of learners want the freedom** to take training courses at their own pace, and the same number say they want their managers to recommend courses (LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report).

A **curated learning journey** with unlimited access to learning opportunities is what's required to provide tailored content aligned with each client's learning plan.

Making access to learning resources easy

As we all know, the tipping point on flexibility in the workplace was reached during Covid-19.

**64% of recruiters** say that being able to pitch a work-from-home policy helps them find high-quality talent (IWG). Remote and hybrid workplaces are here to stay, and digital training solutions ensure that everyone is within learning distance. 

**Reimagining online learning** for aspiring and current leaders and managers means offering access to a range of engaging learning formats that can be **accessed from anywhere**.

A great example is Growth Faculty's [learning platform](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/memberships/) featuring around 40 live virtual events with top leadership thinkers and world-renowned speakers.

Digital transformation in learning

Does anyone still need convincing of the value of L&D in 2024? Employees value companies which value them, and learning is a tangible and powerful way to signal this. 

In fact, **Chief Learning Officers** and similarly-titled learning executives are now in place in the C-suites at Fortune 500 companies like **General Electric, Goldman Sachs, Citi, Merck, Meta/Facebook,** and **Google** (BCG). For these companies, upskilling of employees is a critical aspect of their business, essential to being successful in today's rapidly changing world.

Demonstrating the value of learning

The challenge now is how to build the right capabilities for the future of work. 

According to Deloitte, **more than half** of employees required significant retraining in the lead-up to 2025 (and, we would add, likely beyond).

Many leaders don't know how to identify skills gaps, especially given the speed of change. The **skills needed for tomorrow** are continually researched by global thought leaders. Our member community continually gets access to this latest thinking at real-time events with leadership thinkers at the top of their field, ensuring they're never left behind.

Identifying skill gaps

L&D needs executive buy-in, but executives may be the most stubborn when it comes to their own learning. 

A company's revenue is dependent on quality leadership, but Gallup research contends that **only 1 in 10** people possesses the necessary traits that great managers exhibit, such as **building relationships that create trust** , open dialogue, and transparency. 

Helping leaders grow and reach realise their full potential has a multiplier effect, and helps to transform organisations more than almost any other initiative.

Executive buy-in

With more employees working flexibly and from home than ever before, it can be a challenge to facilitate onsite L&D programmes. For many years now HR and L&D leaders have found new ways to support learners wherever they happen to be, and whenever they are logged in. Employees who spend time at work learning are

**47%** less likely to be stressed,

**39%** more likely to feel productive and successful,

**23%** more ready to take on additional responsibilities, and

**21%** more likely to feel confident and happy (LinkedIn survey).

Learning in the flow of work is made possible with online or **e-learning platforms** such as Growth Faculty. With live virtual events and an on-demand leadership library It both develops a cadence of learning while offering maximum convenience and flexibility for employees in varied timezones and workplaces, and on different schedules.

Supporting learning in the flow of work/ flexible Learning

McKinsey research shows firms with good racial/ethnic and gender **diversity at the executive level** are up to 36% more likely to post higher profits.

Organisations building a diverse workforce will need to ensure their learning platform covers business-critical topics like around diversity and inclusion as well as meeting the needs of everyone doing the learning. 

Prioritising individual and team transformation on diversity and inclusion is proven to power business growth.

Meeting needs of a diverse workforce

An age-old challenge this one. Ebbinghaus's forgetting curve research decades ago found that people forget more than 50% of what they learned in a matter of days.

For this reason, it's important to reflect upon, discuss, and practice learnings from any leadership development you participate in.

The forgetting curve (Learner retention)

Retention is improved if learners are highly engaged, or if they actively review the learned material.

Growth Faculty is renowned for high quality events which provide strong engagement and high-impact learning. Our members are supported in their learning with:

*   **post-event materials**
*   **replays** 
*   **highlights**
*   **event summaries**
*   **feedback forms**

How do you train a split workforce? 70% of workers across 31 countries **want a hybrid model** of working (Microsoft), so businesses are looking for the means to develop skills and drive success from anywhere. 

To meet this need, learning platforms must appeal to both the **lone learner at the laptop** and the team gathered for a **lunch and learn.** 

In both instances, it's ideal if people feel they've been brought together for a shared learning experience. 

Our new [Enterprise package](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/#plans) for teams of 20+ means large organisations can offer more of their team members access to the learning platform. 

This means more [social learning](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/sociallearningleadershipdevelopment) opportunities and a wider reach for L&D, all without having to travel.

Training in a hybrid workplace

This is a real and ongoing challenge for many HR professionals fighting for an L&D budget.

Each company has unique constraints, but Boston Consulting Group says CEOs should aim to **double** the amount they currently spend on L&D activities. In Australia, companies spent **$1111 per learner back in 2020** (2020 Training Industry Report). 

The good news is Growth Faculty membership gives you and your team 12 months UNLIMITED access to live virtual events with the world's best leadership thinkers on the most critical topics from just $498 AUD pp. (and even less for Enterprise plans)

> _Amazing access to leadership experts around the world for very little investment. An easy way to learn, grow and invest in yourself. Its like Netflix for Leadership Development._ - Karina Kerakova, Seeley International

**Join our Growth Faculty community**

If you'd like to increase your professional and personal development why not consider becoming a [Growth Faculty member](https://join.thegrowthfaculty.com/#plans)? Unlimited access to around 40 live virtual masterclasses and Global Headliner virtual events - PLUS year-round leadership content at On Demand with videos, podcasts and book summaries.

Join a community of knowledge seekers who are inspired by the best. Access at least $7500+ value for just $498 AUD. [**See what's included.**](https://join.thegrowthfaculty.com/#plans)

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Top challenges facing L&D in 2024

And how Growth Faculty is fast becoming the choice of Learning and Development leaders

Keep informed
Stay Inspired

Top challenges facing L&D in 2024

And how Growth Faculty is fast becoming the choice of Learning and Development leaders

Keep informedStay Inspired

Keep informed
Stay Inspired