Hybrid learning is becoming the norm and not the exception
"[Corporate] Learning and development needs to happen where work takes place and learning leaders must place a greater focus on creating blended learning experiences that mirror hybrid work models," says Jeanne Meister, Executive Vice President, Executive Networks.
As time passes, many aspects of life will be defined as pre- and post-pandemic. This is of course true in the working world where in-person work and learning was a given, but now is defined in a more hybrid format going forward.
A new survey by Executive Networks and NovoEd highlights the new model as 6 in 10 of the 515 learning leaders at large corporations say hybrid learning is becoming a major part of the learning landscape, and is not just a fad or temporary trend. “Learning leaders are preparing for profound changes as they redesign corporate learning with new delivery methods and rethink how to meet the needs of new audiences,” says Christina Yu, CMO, NovoEd. “The pivot to online learning and the availability of a greater range of technology and tools that can be integrated into learning initiatives, such as social and collaborative learning platforms, make it easier for real-time interaction between cohorts, experts, and mentors.”
Interestingly, corporate learning organizations are shifting away from focusing on full-time employees with long tenures. Currently, 9 in 10 organizations (89%) are targeting learning to full-time internal employees. Yet, just 6 in 10 (62%) will focus learning opportunities on full-time employees in 2025. Notably, the learning and development audience will expand to include customers, external stakeholders, contractors, gig workers, freelancers, service providers, and workers’ dependents. The biggest jump in training offerings for new audiences will be digital automation workers, which will rise 23% in 2025.
Related: Months into hybrid work, 85% of employers doubt their employees’ productivity
“The expectation that online and hybrid learning would be a temporary fix during the pandemic changed as hybrid and remote work became a permanent part of the business landscape,” says Jeanne Meister, Executive Vice President, Executive Networks. “The corporate university is no longer a physical space. Learning and development needs to happen where work takes place and learning leaders must place a greater focus on creating blended learning experiences that mirror hybrid work models.”