Talent development in 2018: LinkedIn Workplace Learning Ret

Skills with short shelf life + Demanding labour market = Skills gap

It is with this equation that the LinkedIn study is introduced to the public. In other words, we live in a dynamic labour market in which opportunities are changing - for companies and for people. In the age of artificial intelligence and automation, companies are struggling to stay ahead in an attempt to retain the best talent and fill key positions; individuals are struggling to remain relevant as professionals.

This effort, from both sides, is at the origin of the new function of companies - "developing talent" - which is nothing more than the creation of learning opportunities that enhance the growth and success of their workers.

Therefore, LinkedIn Learning launched the Workplace Learning Report 2018, which aimed to establish a holistic view of the current challenges of workplace training. The study drew input from around 4000 professionals - 1200 talent developers, 2200employees, 400 people managers and 200executives were interviewed through the platform.

The following conclusions stand out: 

1. The #1 priority in talent development is to potentiate the soft skills

This conclusion is unanimous among the categories of professionals interviewed, from executives to talent developers. The impact of automation increases the demand for flexible workers, with critical spirit, who know how to communicate and lead. Therefore, interpersonal skills are indispensable.

In relation to hard skills, using information from over 500 million members, LinkedIn has concluded that the skills that companies are experiencing the most difficulty in filling are related to:

- Cloud and distributed computing;

- Statistical analysis and data-mining;

- Middleware and softwareintegration ;

- Web architecture and development framework;

- User interface design.

2. Balancing today's challenges with tomorrow's opportunities

The study shows that in 2018, talent developers are prioritising current professional development needs over future ones. While this may have relevance in the short-term, executives say there is a need to go further and broaden the focus by identifying future market trends to prevent a shortage of certain internal skills.

3. The rise of digital is transforming talent development

Talent developers are opting for e-learning solutions for the development of an increasingly diverse and multi-generational human capital. The LinkedIn Learning study found that there has never been a greater reliance associated with these learning platforms, which is justified by employee preferences:

4. The #1 challenge for talent developers is to ensure that there is time for training

The main reason for the absence of on-the-job training is employees' lack of time to invest in their professional development. The executives and people managers interviewed agree that ensuring this time exists should be at the top of talent developers' challenges. In addition, today's organisations have to provide training to employees through the platforms they already use.

5. The involvement of the management is crucial for the involvement of the professionals with the training

Talent management implies a synergistic strategy that goes beyond the human resources department and calls for the involvement of the entire organisation. As 56% of professionals stated that they would complete a course if their manager advised them to do so, the #2 challenge for talent developers is to leverage line management involvement in the talent development process.

As concludes the Academic Coordinator of Nova SBE Executive Education, José Crespo de Carvalho, who left his reflection on this study in his column in the Observer:

"In a quick way we can say that the world, judging by the responses, will be increasingly conducive to the training and development of company employees. In what format, size, periodicity, repetition and others may already be a more complex issue. In any case, where universities will have an important role to play".

This publication is based on the 2018 Workplace Learning Report developed by LinkedIn.