Experts onthullen leer- en ontwikkelingstrends voor 2024

L&D leaders face new challenges in 2024. Skill gaps continue to increase in every industry. Integrating new AI tools into learning solutions is complex. And as the shelf life of skills decreases, many people teams will transition towards a skills-based organization. 

Which skills are people leaders training this year and how are they embracing new trends to shape people’s growth? 

Lepaya asked 5 learning experts to answer two questions and share key insights on how to develop people this year: 

1. If you could train one skill in 2024, what would it be and why?
2. What are the top workforce trends that will shape people leader’s work in 2024?

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Key learning & development trends people leaders value in 2024 
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1. Critical thinking and project management skills will help enterprises respond to constant transformation

Krzysztof Drozd , Executive Partner at Xpert In Processes:

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The need for synthetic thinking

“There is an overall tendency to train analytical thinking. I don't agree that we have a deficit of analytical skills but synthetic thinking (connecting the dots). Our top analysts can present fancy graphs but they don't see the message coming from the analysis. 

In my own company we educate people on critical thinking in four dimensions: 

1. Fact-based thinking
2. Causal thinking
3. Scenario thinking
4. Reflection thinking”

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The shift from productivity to agility in project management

“Today overall business models aren’t able to achieve better productivity. Of course, many companies push that target. However, that trend has ended. 

Today’s businesses exhausted many processes and operations. How much faster can people pick up phones and deal with incoming calls in call centers?

While we will invest in automation and robotization with AI, the key battle today and in the future is not optimization. It is constant transformation. 

Transformation means more complex projects in more complex environments. As the research of the Standish Group shows, 75% of all projects globally fail! 

The competency of tomorrow will be successful project management in highly dynamic environments. Improving productivity will not help. Only agility and investing in the right projects and delivering them in the right way.”

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‍What does Lepaya’s data indicate? 

Analytical thinking is a key skill for data analysts and consultants. Especially in the tech industry, Lepaya’s annual trends report - the State of Skills 2024 -  revealed a 10% increase in hours trained for this skill from 2022 to 2023*. 

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Analytical thinking training hours 2022 (blue) vs 2023 (red)

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* Lepaya’s data from 18.179 learners across 170 companies and 107.107 hours of skills practice in 2023

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2. Successful teamwork needs communication & emotional intelligence skills 

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Talent in hybrid teams need to combine communication skills with emotional intelligence to cooperate with empathy, work with new technology and improve results. 

‍Vladimir Silva, Sales Transformation & Enablement Consultant at DELL Technologies:

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Building quality relationships with emotional intelligence

“Communication skills with emotional intelligence are key skills to train to improve the quality of the relationships and the productivity within a team, department and company.”

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Which workforce & learning trends will dominate in 2024?

“Leveraging Generative AI into business process automation, hybrid workforce productivity and  learning in the flow of work.”\

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What does Lepaya’s data indicate? 

Collaboration and influencing skills ranked number one in hours trained in Lepaya’s State of Skills report. These skills were particularly important for the logistics industry where teams need to communicate and share information within global supply chains. 

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3. Resilience skills become important as the workplace changes

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Emy Mylona, Senior Training & Development Specialist at Rituals:

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Ability to overcome setbacks 

“I believe resilience is an important skill to train for this year as we are witnessing more and more changes in the workplace; from layoffs to part-time work, hybrid or office meetings to fully remote work arrangements, one has to learn to navigate these circumstances effectively. The more connected we are to what happens in the world, the more we are affected too, so a layoff, for example, doesn’t have to happen to us to affect our psychology. Therefore, having the strength to adapt to changing work settings and overcome the setbacks that come your way will be increasingly important.”

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Flexibility and work-life balance

“As for upcoming trends, I think the debate of hybrid work, part-time arrangements and the ability to manage a team with these elements will be crucial for the years to come. The flexible work arrangements have been in the forefront of perks offered to employees but I foresee that we will see it more and more; there’s a shift in what this generation values in their life and having a work-life balance becomes more and more present. Especially bigger organizations that are more rigid in this aspect will have to compete with smaller companies who can afford to be more flexible.”

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What does Lepaya’s data indicate?

Resilience has been a core skill for enterprises to adapt to tighter markets and retain talent. But in 2023, Lepaya’s learning and development data shows a decrease in hours trained for resilience skills. Instead, L&D teams increasingly trained intentional learning skills to develop people’s skills in personal strengths development, driving a feedback culture, and growth mindset. 

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4. Upskilling for AI & measuring learning will become the focus of L&D solutions

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Simon Brown, Lead L&D Management and Enablement at Jellysmack:

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Emotional intelligence to navigate constant change

“Emotional Intelligence: in the current climate of constant change and the half-lives of skills we learn in higher education and on the job, I feel that it's paramount to have a strong level of emotional intelligence in order to know when to accept that you don't know something, how to accept what you think about a certain issue maybe incorrect and when to ask for help.”

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The focus on ROI of learning

“In terms of L&D, I think there will be a huge focus on determining the ROI of learning offers. I also predict that there will be a growing demand for training on how to leverage various AI tools.”

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5. Leaders who develop self-awareness skills will gain people’s trust
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Diane Isdith-Martin, Manager of Learning & Organizational Development at Pizza Hut Global:

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‍Leiders moeten het zelfbewustzijn vergroten

„Leiders die een groeimindset hebben en een balans kunnen vinden tussen persoonlijke nederigheid en zorg voor anderen, zullen het meest succesvol zijn. Mensenleiders zullen manieren moeten vinden om het zelfbewustzijn van hun leiders te verhogen en hen verantwoordelijk te houden wanneer ze zich een moment onder de streep bevinden. Het personeelsbestand verandert en werknemers tolereren niet langer slecht behandeld te worden door een baas. ”

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De toegang tot relevant onderwijs

„Leerleiders moeten een manier vinden om virtueel leren voor hun organisaties te ontsluiten en technologie te integreren om Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's) en 1-pagers te creëren om kennis op te bouwen over nieuwe technische systemen, terwijl ze zich moeten concentreren op HOE werknemers de nieuwe technologie kunnen integreren in hun dagelijkse workflow.”

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Wat geven de gegevens van Lepaya aan?

Leiderschap blijft een prioriteit voor bijscholing, aangezien het hoog scoort in de topvaardigheden die zijn opgeleid in regio's zoals de Benelux.

Emotionele intelligentie komt naar voren als een populaire vaardigheid voor de toekomst van werk‍

Nu veel bedrijven geconfronteerd worden met transformatie en veranderende werkomgevingen, is het niet verwonderlijk dat L&D-managers in 2024 waarde hechten aan vaardigheden op het gebied van emotionele intelligentie. Leiders en teams die zich kunnen inleven, kunnen beter samenwerken in hun teams en in combinatie met veerkrachtvaardigheden kunnen ze verstoringen in hun werk beheersen en hun welzijn beschermen.

In 2024 moeten L&D-teams de unieke uitdagingen identificeren waarmee hun mensen worden geconfronteerd - of ze nu AI-tools gebruiken of nieuwe leiderschapsvaardigheden ontwikkelen - en de juiste vaardigheden trainen om voortdurend talent te ontwikkelen voor de toekomst van werk.

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Lees meer over de laatste trends op het gebied van bijscholing in onze Rapport over de stand van zaken van vaardigheden 2024.

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