Since the coronavirus pandemic swept through the United States, nearly 43 million Americans have filed for unemployment.
Consequently, uncertainty for what the future holds has been a common theme for many employers in recent months, which has inevitably influenced the lives and routines of their employees. To keep remote employees engaged and mental health a top priority, employers are taking the initiative to invest in online learning and development.
LinkedIn research shows that 69% of learning and development professionals feel responsible for their employees’ mental health and well-being. Hence why employers have been motivated to support and promote mental health programs as employees adapt and find work-life integration.
“The appetite for learning coupled with the fact that the needs of remote employees have shifted, has created a spotlight on L&D to develop and deliver the sorts of engaging and relevant learning experiences that employees want and need during this challenging time.”
Mike Derezin, Vice President of LinkedIn Learning
Of the 864 development professionals and 3,155 workplace learners — employees who interact with learning content provided by their employers — surveyed, 68% of learning and development professionals say employers have been placing a larger emphasis on launching learning programs designed to teach employees new skills with an eye on boosting internal mobility and wellness.
Companies are investing in technologies including virtual instructor-led training (VILT), which is live training that is implemented digitally, coupled with recorded content. Additionally, the LinkedIn Learning platform has seen a 301% rise in enrollment and a 153% increase in courses shared between members and their networks in March and April, compared to January and February of this year.
As employers are placing a strong emphasis on reskilling and developing their workforce, their focus is on keeping high-value employees, even when some employees may be shifted into new positions as a result of changing business dynamics.
For example, tech retailer Verizon had to shut down many of its retail locations, which prompted quick adaptation to keep their employee population engaged, employed, and healthy. Verizon decided to give employees a choice of career paths and then implemented personalized learning, with the goal of enabling workers to close any skill gaps before moving into another area of business and service.
As employers and employees navigate the new normal of the workplace, managers are encouraged to become more active in curating content that will help build up morale and the skills of their workforce.
Information provided by Employee Benefit News.