[Excerpt] Over the last few decades, workforce management has evolved to become complex and dynamic due to an increasingly competitive business landscape, the digital revolution and the mix of employees that now includes a multigenerational workforce. Work roles are expected to keep evolving requiring employees to keep up with new knowledge and upskill to remain employable; and as this happens, the ways of learning change as well. Research has also shown that companies that invest in the development of their employees are 2.4 times more likely to hit their performance targets, hence, organizations need to be proactive about adopting effective strategies that will enable them to manage the development of their employees in a way that supports the business priorities

Sotubo, Ebun

English

[Excerpt] Over the last few decades, workforce management has evolved to become complex and dynamic due to an increasingly competitive business landscape, the digital revolution and the mix of employees that now includes a multigenerational workforce. Work roles are expected to keep evolving requiring employees to keep up with new knowledge and upskill to remain employable; and as this happens, the ways of learning change as well. Research has also shown that companies that invest in the development of their employees are 2.4 times more likely to hit their performance targets, hence, organizations need to be proactive about adopting effective strategies that will enable them to manage the development of their employees in a way that supports the business priorities.How_Can_Organizations_Integrate_and_Connect_Learning_with_Work.pdf: 32 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

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How Can Organizations Integrate and Connect Learning with Work?

DigitalCommons@ILR

Cornell University ILR School 
DigitalCommons@ILR 
Student Works ILR Collection 
11-2019 
How Can Organizations Integrate and Connect Learning with 
Work? 
Ebun Sotubo 
Cornell University 
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How Can Organizations Integrate and Connect Learning with Work? 
Abstract 
[Excerpt] Over the last few decades, workforce management has evolved to become complex and 
dynamic due to an increasingly competitive business landscape, the digital revolution and the mix of 
employees that now includes a multigenerational workforce. Work roles are expected to keep evolving 
requiring employees to keep up with new knowledge and upskill to remain employable; and as this 
happens, the ways of learning change as well. Research has also shown that companies that invest in the 
development of their employees are 2.4 times more likely to hit their performance targets, hence, 
organizations need to be proactive about adopting effective strategies that will enable them to manage 
the development of their employees in a way that supports the business priorities. 
Keywords 
Human Resources, HR, learning and development, L&D, learning, development, career, transformation, 
multigenerational workforce, agile, human talent, human capital, retention 
Comments 
Suggested Citation 
Sotubo, E. (2019). How can organizations integrate and connect learning with work? Retrieved [insert 
date] from Cornell University, ILR School site: https://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/student/214 
Required Publisher Statement 
Copyright held by the authors. 
This article is available at DigitalCommons@ILR: https://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/student/214 
    
 
 
 
     
        
        
              
               
           
            
  
    
         
  
          
     
            
          
         
          
         
        
              
           
          
         
  
  
           
             
       
  
 
         
              
          
           
        
               
  
           
             
         
Ebun Sotubo November 24, 2019
Executive Summary
Research Question
How can organizations integrate and connect learning with work?
The Current State of Learning and Development
Over the last few decades, workforce management has evolved to become complex and dynamic due to an increasingly
competitive business landscape, the digital revolution and the mix of employees that now includes a multigenerational workforce.
Work roles are expected to keep evolving requiring employees to keep up with new knowledge and upskill to remain employable;1 
and as this happens, the ways of learning change as well.2 Research has also shown that companies that invest in the development
of their employees are 2.4 times more likely to hit their performance targets, hence, organizations need to be proactive about
adopting effective strategies that will enable them to manage the development of their employees in a way that supports the
business priorities.1 
Best Practices and Effective Methods for Learning and Development at Work Today
The changing nature of today’s workforce and technological advancements now require organizations to transform their
corporate learning strategies to focus on blended-learning solutions in order to keep pace with these changes. Although there is
still huge value in immersive classroom learning experiences, employees, especially leaders, report not having the time to sit in a
classroom to acquire knowledge; besides, without regular reinforcement, people tend to forget what they have learned in class.1 
With the growth of user-friendly digital-learning platforms employees can now take more ownership of their professional
development and utilize virtual learning when the need arises rather than waiting for a scheduled classroom session.1 
Organizations are now shifting from the standard classroom learning programs and designing learning journeys that involve
continuous learning opportunities that include fieldwork, on-demand or pre- and post-classroom digital learning, social learning, on-the-job
coaching & mentoring, shadowing, lunch-and-learn sessions, secondments, and short workshops (see exhibit 1).[1][3][4] Learning journeys are
intended to help employees develop new competencies aligned with business needs in the most effective and efficient way that
supports the application of knowledge on the job. Many organizations adopt a framework known as “70:20:10” where 70% of
learning takes place on the job, 20% through interaction & collaboration, and 10% through formal learning such as classroom
and digital training. These percentages are only general guidelines and vary by industry & organization; however, the key here is
for organizations to ensure that their learning and development strategies support informal learning at a higher proportion than
formal learning. [1][5][6] 
Measuring the Impact of Learning Programs on Business Performance
Measuring the impact of a learning strategy helps to determine continuity and identify areas for improvement (see exhibit 2). 
Although many organizations still rely on traditional metrics such as program satisfaction and completion scores to measure the
impact of their learning programs, High-performing organizations focus on outcomes-based metrics like impact on individual 
performance, employee engagement, team effectiveness, and business-process improvement.1 
Company Case Studies
Boston Consulting Group (BCG): BCG uses a customized learning tool called “Learning at BCG” (LAB) available to all
employees worldwide, where they have a consistent 24/7 global access to learning resources and content covering over 20 areas
of BCG-related expertise. This tool caters to the specific development needs and interests of every employee and includes virtual 
classrooms with up to-date knowledge for different functions and industries related to the business, newsletters that help
employees learn from BCG peers how to succeed as a consultant, professional, and individual, 10,000-plus online on-demand
training courses and approximately 1,100 archived recordings with an average of 20 to 25 new classes added per month. Training
recommendations typically come from a case team leader, advisor, manager, or colleague.7 
Deloitte: With its online program, Deloitte Leadership Academy (DLA), Deloitte provides learning resources for its employees
and clients; and by embedding missions, badges, and leaderboards into the user-friendly platform that includes video lectures,
in-depth courses, tests & quizzes and gamification, users have become engaged and more likely to complete the online training
    
 
 
   
  
   
         
 
      
        
       
  
     
    
        
     
         
          
  
      
            
         
           
  
         
    
   
   
              
          
   
          
            
        
       
    
            
   
 
          
          
   
            
               
Ebun Sotubo November 24, 2019
programs. This also includes interactive forms as well as PDFs, that enable interactions between learners, allowing them to leave 
questions or comments. Added to that, each learner’s home screen receives news feed updates from the users they follow.8 
Citi Group: Citi also uses the same mechanism as Deloitte with the adoption of ‘Degreed’ as their employee learning platform.9 
Recommendations
Currently, there is no known one-size-fits-all solution for learning and development at organizations. Therefore, the emphasis
for a learning solution should be to help employees learn not only specific skills but also the ability to think critically about how
to adapt and extrapolate those skills on the job. To go beyond the traditional classroom system to connect learning with work 
for its multi-generational workforce, This CAHRS partner company should consider the following: [2][10][11][12][13] 
1. Incorporate learning in the daily workflow: Over time, experiential learning has proved to be the most effective means 
to acquire skills.14 Therefore, depending on employee needs and where they are on the learning S-curve, adopt programs 
like, coaching, mentorship, secondments, platforms for social learning & knowledge sharing and immersive simulations 
which provide experiential learning for employees that links skill development to their day-to-day work.2 
2. Provide on-the-job performance support: Digital learning platforms that allow on-demand & mobile access to resources, 
or lower-tech guides that offer step-by-step help, job aids, and pointers to reference material. [15][16][17] 
3. Offer other opportunities across functions or geographies: Rotations or mobility programs like temporary placements 
in other departments/functions, or job shadowing may be useful.15 
4. Communicate options and adopt a learning contract: Notify employees of the various resources and channels accessible 
for learning and outline the ways in which they and the organization will share accountability and benefits and align on the 
pathways and skills to be acquired in that learning journey.2 
5. Provide tangible or intangible incentives: Incentives have been found to increase engagement and encourage behavioral 
change. This can be done by recognizing effort with badges that mark progress on multi-part learning tasks, or the 
completion of a program or providing certifications that indicate employees’ valuable professional accomplishments within 
and outside the organization (see exhibit 3).2 Digital nudges like push notifications are also effective tools to encourage 
people to take desired learning actions.[18][8] 
6. Measure results and keep improving: In addition to the effect on business performance, consider using metrics such as 
level of engagement among users, number of power users on the site, learning completion rates among users, satisfaction 
rates among users, the correlation between engagement, achievement levels and individual promotions, and other external 
career progressions among users.8 
Implications for Recommendations
Resources: Integrating technology in the learning program may turn out to be expensive and a lengthy process but the benefits
and cost savings thereafter will be substantial. This can be eased by integrating learning technologies with the overall human
capital management system instead of running a separate system.1 
Complexity: Personalized and adaptive learning can be complicated to manage when a variety of skills, mediums and 
preferences must be considered in the program design. The organization can mitigate this by first understanding how their
employees like to learn (e.g. visual, auditory, reader, and kinesthetic learner) and design programs/content that combines all
these methods for each solution. [19][20] Partnerships with external providers like ATD or McKinsey may also be helpful here.21 
Low Adoption/Engagement: Like change programs, learning and development efforts can fall short of their objectives from
being overlooked by employees or a lack of personal motivation. Engagement strategies, incentives and rewards should be
utilized in this case (see exhibit 3). [15][22] 
Conclusion
As companies consider transforming their learning programs, it is important to create a learning strategy that aligns with business
strategy by identifying and enabling the capabilities needed to achieve success. The most effective companies invest in innovative
learning and development programs that cater to a multigenerational workforce, remain flexible and agile, and build the human
talent needed to master the digital age. These changes entail some risk, and perhaps some trial and error, but the rewards are
great once a solution that works is identified and applied.1 This also serves as value proposition to attract and retain employees.2 
    
 
 
  
 
   
 
   
 
   
   
  
  
 
    
Ebun Sotubo November 24, 2019
REFERENCES
1. Brassey, J., Christensen, L., & Dam, N. v. (2018). Introduction: Components of a successful L&D strategy. In N. v. Dam, 
Elevating Learning & Development: Insights and Practical Guidance from the Field. McKinsey & Company. From 
https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/business%20functions/organization/our%20insights/elevating%20lea 
rning%20and%20development/elevating-learning-and-development-intro.ashx 
2. Dyer, A., Barybkina, E., Erker, C., & Sullivan, J. (2018, September 5). A CEO’s Guide to Leading and Learning in the 
Digital Age. From BCG Henderson Institute: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2018/ceo-guide-leading-learning-
digital-age.aspx 
3. McKinsey & Company. (2015, January). Building Capabilities for Performance. McKinsey Insights. From 
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/building-capabilities-for-performance 
4. Pandey, A. (2019, August 8). Updated eLearning Trends In 2019 To Help You Enhance Your Learning Strategy And 
Maximize Returns. From Association for Talent Development (ATD): 
https://www.td.org/user/content/ashapandey/updated-elearning-trends-in-2019-to-help-you-enhance-your-learning-
strategy-and-maximize-returns-08-08-19-07-33 
5. Weller, C. (2019, July 24). How to Teach Everyone, Quickly, No Matter Where They Work. From Association for Talent 
Development (ATD): https://www.td.org/insights/how-to-teach-everyone-quickly-no-matter-where-they-work 
6. Pandey, A. (2019, June 18). How To Use Microlearning To Train Your Multi-Generational Workforce. From Association 
for Talent Development: https://www.td.org/user/content/ashapandey/how-to-use-microlearning-to-train-your-multi-
generational-workforce-06-18-19-03-03 
7. Boston Consulting Group. (2019). Learning & Development. From Boston Consulting Group Web site: 
https://www.bcg.com/careers/working-at-bcg/career-development.aspx 
8. Meister, J. C. (2013, January 2). How Deloitte Made Learning a Game. Harvard Business Review. From 
https://hbr.org/2013/01/how-deloitte-made-learning-a-g 
9. Watts, K. (2019, November 15). How Citi Group Uses Degreed for Talent Development. (E. Sotubo, Interviewer) 
10. D2L. (2017). Attracting a New Generation of Membership. Desire2Learn (D2L). From 
https://www.d2l.com/resources/assets/attracting-a-new-generation-of-membership/ 
11. HR Research Institute. (2019). The State of Learning Solutions and Learner Engagement. HR Research Institute & 
Desire2Learn (D2L). From https://www.d2l.com/resources/assets/the-state-of-learning-solutions-and-learner-
engagement/ 
12. Popescu, A. (2019, February 19). Three Strategies to Increase Engagement of a Multigenerational Membership. From 
Desire2Learn (D2L) Web site: https://www.d2l.com/corporate/blog/three-strategies-to-increase-engagement-of-a-
multigenerational-membership/ 
13. Pandey, A. (2019, May 8). How to Drive Employee Performance with Microlearning. From Association for Talent 
Development (ATD): https://www.td.org/user/content/ashapandey/how-to-drive-employee-performance-with-
microlearning-05-08-19-06-47 
14. Benkert, C., & Dam, N. v. (2015, August). Experiential learning: What’s missing in most change programs. McKinsey 
Insights. From https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/experiential-learning-whats-
missing-in-most-change-programs 
15. Brassey, J., Kuo, G., Murphy, L., & Dam, N. v. (2019, February). Shaping Individual Development Along the S-Curve. 
McKinsey Insights. From https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/shaping-
individual-development-along-the-s-curve 
16. Pandey, A. (2019, August 21). Why Adopt Mobile Learning For Online Training – 10 Questions Answered. From 
Association for Talent Development (ATD): https://www.td.org/user/content/ashapandey/why-adopt-mobile-
learning-for-online-training-10-questions-answered-08-21-19-01-14 
    
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
Ebun Sotubo November 24, 2019
17. Pandey, A. (2019, July 25). 10 Killer Examples Of Mobile Learning To Boost Employee Engagement And Performance. 
From Association for Talent Development (ATD): https://www.td.org/user/content/ashapandey/10-killer-examples-
of-mobile-learning-to-boost-employee-engagement-and-performance-07-25-19-02-52 
18. Dhar, J., Bailey, A., Mingardon, S., & Tankersley, J. (2017, May 17). The Persuasive Power of the Digital Nudge. From 
BCG Henderson Institute: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2017/people-organization-operations-persuasive-power-
digital-nudge.aspx 
19. Popescu, A. (2019, October 22). How to Leverage Video to Increase Learner Engagement. From Association for Talent 
Development (ATD): https://www.td.org/insights/how-to-leverage-video-to-increase-learner-engagement 
20. Popescu, A. (2019, June 18). How to Leverage Personalized Learning to Increase Member Engagement. From 
Desire2Learn (D2L) Web site: https://www.d2l.com/corporate/blog/how-to-leverage-personalized-learning-to-
increase-member-engagement/ 
21. McKinsey & Company. (2019). How We Help Clients: Learning on the job. From McKinsey Insights: 
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/learning-programs-for-clients/overview 
22. Popescu, A. (2019, August 27). Set Your Continuing Education Program Apart by Using Gamified Learning Strategies. 
From Association for Talent Development (ATD): https://www.td.org/insights/set-your-continuing-education-
program-apart-by-using-gamified-learning-strategies 
23. Pandey, A. (2019, September 13). eLearning Trends in 2019. From Association for Talent Development (ATD): 
https://www.td.org/user/content/ashapandey/elearning-trends-in-2019-09-13-19-07-50 
    
 
 
Ebun Sotubo November 24, 2019
APPENDIX 
Exhibit 13 Exhibit 23 
Exhibit 315 
    
 
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Exhibit 43 
    
 
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Exhibit 523 
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
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