Transformation is everywhere. We now travel using apps, cook watching YouTube, and exercise wearing smartwatches and trackers. Technological transformation surrounds us, ubiquitous in our daily lives. Yet, transformation isn’t new for learning and development (L&D). As businesses and job roles evolve, so does the way we learn and how we adapt to these changes.

Recently, we have experienced rapid changes in workforce transformation. What does the sharp rise in online training entail for L&D functions, and what does crunch time mean for you?

The Democratization of Learning Is Here

Put simply, it’s time for L&D to reposition itself by being as relevant and as valuable as possible. Experience and performance have intersected in ways we have not seen before. Learners can curate and create their own learning content, which means they pick and choose what is relevant and engaging to them in a timely way. They are learning effectively and efficiently by themselves. So, where do those of us who serve in L&D roles come in? If learners can do this on their own, what benefit do we provide?

Our job is to streamline experience and performance to ensure we enhance the learning experience while showing real business impact. Challenge yourself to quantify how you impact the organization and the learners themselves.

The Evolving Role of Learning in Workforce Transformation

Interestingly, when leaders were asked to predict what the top challenge for learning functions in 2025 would be, 43 percent said it would be the need to upskill their L&D team members. As the learner becomes more autonomous and accountable for their own development, those performing L&D functions must facilitate this democratization of learning by adding value, while allowing the learner to remain self-directed.

Why would a company take employees out of the flow of work to attend a training course when they could learn the same information from a short YouTube video? Unless L&D offers a way for people to do their jobs better and faster—which is what people strive for—it’s missing the mark.

The Shifting Demands of the Learner

In a world of hyperinformation and cognitive overload, we increasingly search for memorable experiences in our day-to-day lives: moments that leave a lasting impression in our hearts and minds. Now, we are seeing this need reflected in the workplace, too. For L&D, learning experiences need to be told as a story with an arc: something sticky, interesting, and personalized to increase engagement and deliver key messages with power.

For businesses to achieve this, we must understand our people. Who are the employees? Where are they? What motivates or demotivates them? What are their constraints? What has meaning and importance to them in their working lives and their lives outside of work? Before we can create an effective solution, we must ask these questions; otherwise, we blindly build content that misses the mark. The learner must be at the heart of everything we do; understanding them and their needs is crucial.

Data can alleviate some struggles that come with this task, helping us rationalize content and telling us what learners want. We can statistics to inform decisions about what assets and materials are relevant and in demand and to identify materials that aren’t effective. As learner and workforce performance data become more available and accessible, insight and value in these sources of information must be demonstrated to prove the effectiveness of solutions and how their outcomes align with strategic goals.

L&D as the Disrupting Force

So what can we do to adapt to the changes? First, we need to create disruption—in the right way. Challenge the norms. L&D should create and innovate as a disrupter within its own business area.

Structured learning is a prime example. Classroom learning, whether in-person or online, is less likely to be the default choice of the modern learner. Classes tend to be less flexible, and learners don’t always have opportunities to revisit what they have learned once the session is over. It does, however, provide a richness in social interaction that the digital world sometimes struggles to replicate.

This is a data-driven and date-informed age; focus on the metrics. What have your learners searched for? What have they spent the most time on? How did they react: likes or thumbs down? Use that data for continuous improvement.

Ultimately, the focus has to be on what works best for your learner. Prioritize that. Enhance that experience and cater to them while simultaneously providing useful resources, coaching moments, and other complementary assets to create seamless and enjoyable learning journeys.

Remember, Relevancy is King

As the world faces a reskilling emergency, L&D functions must evolve and adapt to remain relevant or be left behind. Outsourcing an L&D partner can be an effective strategy for transforming your workforce and can help ease your transition into the new world of work. It can help you achieve your goal of adding real learner and business value. It can help you keep pace.

Still unsure if it is crunch time for L&D? Ask yourself, are you and your team ready?