Learning and development as a tool for employee engagement

Learning & Development (L&D) in the past, has intrinsically been linked to output. The equation was simple- better skills = better output. However, owing to professional transformations in the last couple of years especially the big push of Covid-19, L&D is no longer just about the output, it’s about the people of the organization and how to engage, motivate, and develop your ‘greatest assets’. In short, it is as much about employee engagement as it is about employee productivity. Here’s how L&D takes on these new responsibilities-

1. Overcoming the mood of ‘languishing’ - A feeling of stagnation and emptiness which many of us have been feeling on a personal front. This feeling can be fought by taking on newer challenges. Learning helps make the work more exciting and avoids monotony. The gap from Easy to Exciting can be filled with learning. After all, if you want your teams to be engaged in their work, you have to make their work engaging. This is a stage of renewal.
2. Reinforcing a strong sense of purpose -Often the bigger picture gets lost in the day-to-day work and monotonous processes. It is difficult to find why you’re doing something when you’re performing the same tasks day in day out. Learning brings us back to the drawing board and makes us question “WHY” repeatedly. Employees who are connected with their own larger goal/ purpose can connect more with the purpose of the organization.
3. Learning is the stepping stone of agility - At a time when an organization’s success is heavily dependent on resilience, learning specific skills isn’t enough- a culture of committed L&D reminds employees of the value of ‘learning to unlearn". A focus on L&D strengthens employees to be future-ready instead of deriving their insights from the status quo. A powerful workforce is a resilient workforce.

Effective, meaningful L&D must therefore be comprehensive, providing employees with not only technical abilities but also the tools to think/ act differently. Organisation-wide L&D and a culture of constant learning make employees see that there is scope to grow in the organization. By helping teams share knowledge and collaborating towards a common goal, L&D can also build stronger and more resilient teams.

These additional functions of Learning and Development show that it goes much beyond just promotions- employees want to learn to be better and smarter and in turn play a more fruitful role in the organizations.