The role education plays in the success of employees: A Q&A with John Baker

There are lots of conversations being had about the job market and employee retention. What are employees looking for and what are employers willing to offer? Turns out, a lot of employees want career growth and education offered from their employers, whether that is tuition assistance, workshops, or trainings.

John Baker, CEO and founder of D2L, on online learning platform, shares his thoughts on the critical role education plays in the success of employees, especially in a modern digital workplace.

What role does education play in employee success?

A big one – high quality education has a real impact in landing the right job, success in that role, and boosts success with career growth.

Corporate learning and education have always provided employees with the skills they need to grow in their careers, take on new challenges, and close skill gaps within their organization. Recently, however, a more pressing need for it has developed, as the rate of change in the employment market, fueled by technology and specialization, means that skills are expiring more rapidly, and new roles are being created all the time. For individuals, ongoing learning is key to not only staying knowledgeable, but also competitive.

Employees are more satisfied and thus more productive when they continue to learn – and there’s a growing expectation that they do so. Data from the World Economic Forum shows that, whereas in 2018 only 65% of business leaders expected employees to pick up new skills on the job, by 2020 a full 94% of them expected it. As a report from PwC put it recently, “to upskill or not to upskill is no longer the question” – the question is how.

And employee education builds more than just new skills, it makes work a better, more fulfilling place. In a recent global survey of CEOs, PwC found that 95% of those heading organizations with advanced upskilling programs felt that upskilling resulted in stronger corporate culture and employee engagement, while 93% of the same group said they saw improved talent acquisition and retention. That is, not only are current employees better skilled, but so are their coworkers.

What can businesses do to ensure their employees are receiving the best kind of education for career success?

In five words: Create a culture of learning.

Creating a culture of learning throughout the organization helps employers get the most out of their employees and in turn, increases retention and worker satisfaction. However, this does not mean simply creating training programs and then sitting back to wait for things to improve. A culture of learning means actively making learning a business priority, and is critical in driving organizational growth and in meeting targets.

What does this look like in action? First, employers need to be intentional about creating a supportive learning environment where employees feel safe and empowered to learn and grow. Mistakes must be embraced to help growth. Second, employees must have a voice: What are their goals from Learning and Development (L&D) programs? Creating and open dialogue with employees will help avoid incorrect assumptions about their goals.

Ideally, learning can become part of the flow of work wherever possible – a part of the everyday work experience. But it might need to begin more intentionally, with specific days or hours of paid time off set aside for employee learning. Flexibility is key for working learners, and this may mean implementing specific technologies that help facilitate multiple schedules, as well as a variety of goals and individual interests.

A company filled with people that are learning – instead of know-it-alls – is going to outperform and attract the right talent. Ultimately, a successful culture of learning will help employees thrive and build a stronger, more resilient, and more innovative workforce and organization.

What are your keys to success for business leaders looking to ensure their companies and employees succeed in the modern digital workplace?

Two things: Technology and durable skills.

Often when CEOs and leaders spend time thinking about how to improve productivity, the main lever considered these days is automation. But there is another that is overlooked: upskilling. We lift the productivity of our organizations by investing in people. This is critical during tight labor market conditions, and it enables us to more efficiently grow by giving people the skills they need to fill the high-demand roles and move out of the roles that are disappearing. This lever is one that needs to be strengthened with the right investments in learning.

It starts by having the right technology in place – that is critical to ensuring employees can access the continuous learning they need, when they need it, and that it can be directly applicable to their goals — whether it’s expanded knowledge, upskilling, or certifications. This also means that the technology must be future-proofed and flexible enough to maintain a successful strategy for years as skills and learning change.

Read more: Why every employee benefits program should include financial education

And while hard skills development is necessary in many areas, skills like communication, teamwork and adaptability are vital to an employee’s success as well as that of any organization. Hybrid work environments are here to stay, and employees and leaders alike must exercise greater empathy and understanding across distances – something that often needs reinforcing through courses and practice. The payoff from better human understanding within a workplace is a more resilient organization. And you want a resilient organization. According to a 2021 Deloitte Global Resilience Report, resilient organizations are prepared, adaptable, collaborative, trustworthy, and responsible. These attributes are critical for helping any organization stay grounded in an unpredictable economy like ours.