Accelerate out of disruption: 2024 Employee Wishlist to engage and retain top talent

Over the past few years, major disruptions have destabilized the world of work. The constant turmoil has resulted in high turnover rates, frustrated learning and development (L&D) managers, and slow organizational growth.

It started in 2020 when the pandemic forced us to adopt hybrid-remote working modes. Subsequently, 2021 was dubbed the Year of Resignations as employees reevaluated their life-work balance, seeing 47 million Americans and millions of Europeans leave their jobs. Next, talent managers witnessed quiet quitting and layoffs in 2022, with employees continuing to prioritize other areas of their lives.  

While employees are still focused on finding the right work-life balance, over the last year, many organizations began witnessing a shift toward what's being called the "Great Stay." Employees have started seeking stability and deeper engagement with their current roles. But how do we ensure talent is actually here to stay?

During the European Union's annual president’s speech, 2023 was noted as The European Year of Skills after finding a significant skill gap in the European workforce. Since then, millions of learners have taken part in events and trainings to ensure sustainability and competitiveness for Europe's long-term growth. 

Building off this momentum, this Employee Wishlist guides people leaders on how to make a people-centric culture that accelerates and stabilizes their business in 2024.

Beyond compensation, what does talent need for a long-term career at your company?  

2024 Employee Wishlist to engage and retain employees

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1. AI integrated into learning workflows

Every learner is different, and AI can personalize training to meet individual needs while allowing training at scale. This technology not only customizes feedback but also generates immersive and engaging visual content that connects seamlessly with other educational tools, like apps.

“With AI, learning will be integrated flexibly, which means you can learn whenever you want it, whenever you need it. In our case, this is via an app for scalable soft skill training.”

• Tobias Hoelzer, AI Lead, in: How does AI shape the future of learning?

Apps play a crucial role in shaping the learning experience, offering bite-sized, easily digestible content that integrates smoothly into a learner's daily routine. This method empowers learners to tailor their educational activities to fit their schedules, significantly reducing reliance on traditional, theory-heavy classroom environments and focusing more on practical skill application.

When people leaders strategically leverage AI, educational content can be made more interactive and engaging, helping to improve retention rates. One of the best ways to enhance AI learning is by using AI mentors for career guidance. Over 50% of learners surveyed during Lepaya’s AI panel discussion noted AI mentors as “the best addition to AI learning and development strategies.”

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“We’re talking about very personalized, individual feedback that impacts learners and brings them to a higher level. In a way that previously only human coaches could do.” 

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• Clemens Lechner, Head of Learning Technology Innovation at Lepaya, in empowering talent through AI.

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To determine how to integrate AI into intentional learning, first define your business goals and identify learner needs. This will help guide decisions on which tools to use and develop. AI-driven analytics can provide insights into how learners are interacting with the materials while understanding learner engagement and performance metrics allows for continuous improvement of learning programs.

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2. A structured onboarding program

What did insights from Lepaya’s Impact Labs reveal as one of the biggest obstacles for talent development?

Failure to communicate and engage with new talent during the onboarding process.

L&D managers want to engage and attract the most talented employees to their company. Customized onboarding programs nurture new hires through the company lifecycle and provide a foundation for them to be experimental and innovative with their skill sets.

But, above all, onboarding is key to talent retention and a company that fails to onboard faces costly consequences:

• Inadequate training leaves 41% of employees with plans to quit within a year, while 91% of first-year workers tend to leave companies with no structured training at all.
• It costs, on average, between 6-9 months of a yearly salary to replace one employee.
• Employees are 58% more likely to remain at a company for at least three years if they undergo a structured onboarding process.
• 78% of companies report investing in onboarding has led to increases in revenue . 

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3. Personalized and purposeful career paths

Talent benefits from a multilateral, personalized career path to grow and find purpose in their careers. People leaders who cannot offer this are plagued by retention and engagement issues in their teams.

That’s why managers need to schedule regular check-ins and performance reviews to help talent figure out where they want to go and how the organization will help get them there. 

A prime example of effective talent development is found at Vopak, where the company invests in personalized development and internal mentorship opportunities to nurture growth and ready leaders for future strategic roles. Their approach of targeted mentoring and adaptive skill training creates leaders who thrive in an agile and ever-changing environment. It equips them with the necessary skills and insights to adapt to new challenges as they arise. 

“I constantly monitor the top 150 managers in Vopak, and I reach out very frequently to talk about strategic critical roles. 

Are our people still in a good position? What about their potential to grow? If yes, what could be a logical next step and is there any pressure on that? Because we consider it a retention risk.

That’s why I invest a lot of time into one-on-one development to set goals for the next step and foster internal networking.”

• Maarten Vaags, Global Talent Director at Vopak

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While talent doesn’t need to be instructed on exactly how to develop, they do need to be given the structure to realize their own visions, which ultimately creates higher employee engagement and more successful organizations in the long run.
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4. Meaningful feedback that impacts learning

Feedback data is essential to analyze talent’s development and produce high-performing employees who seek continuous improvement.

Picnic’s L&D Manager Manouk Lohuis and Lepaya’s Impact Lead Bo Dury were hosted by Kristel Moedt and Eveliese Luiting on the People masterminds podcast. 

Together, they discussed how the success of Picnic’s training depends on creating meaningful feedback loops by gathering data from different touchpoints.“After every session, we collect feedback via an app on Picnic’s learning programs. It’s important to communicate this feedback with speed to adapt quickly and achieve more impact.”

• Bo Dury, Impact Lead at Lepaya

Feedback recorded in an app is key to spot patterns and take charge of your programs to gain tangible results. This also helps L&D managers adapt and improve the training’s structure, timing, and impact.

In an environment where intentional and continuous learning are essential to stay ahead of skills gaps, gathering timely feedback and implementing effective change will ensure organizations can quickly adapt to evolving industry demands and maintain a competitive edge. 
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5. A focus on continuous learning: 2024’s key learning events  

New learning trends are constantly emerging. As a people leader, staying up to date with the latest learning knowledge is essential to ignite your talent’s growth.

When people leaders form close-knit communities, they can co-create learning journeys and overcome common learning pain points to level up their workforce.

Here are some upcoming learning opportunities in 2024:

• Lepaya Impact Lab 2.0
• Zukunft Personal, Germany, September 10-12
• Unleash World, Paris, October 16-17

Embracing personalized learning in 2024 and beyond

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As people leaders work to retain employees after the Great Resignation, intentional learning is more important than ever. From AI to onboarding, people leaders need the right learning tools and structures to create customized learning journeys for talent to develop.

Having one integrated learning infrastructure that blends both technology and methodology such as an app is key because it harmonizes the various elements of L&D training, while personalized learning pathways and optimized feedback loops help ensure that talent are on their ideal career journeys and staying engaged within the company. 

Finally, as L&D managers work to stay updated on constantly evolving industry trends and technological advancements, industry events offer great opportunities to learn through community.

Want to learn more about using upskilling to future-proof your organization? Reach out to a Lepaya learning consultant today.

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