LinkedIn Learning’s 5th AnnualWorkplace Learning Report2021 / Skill Building in the New World of WorkContentIntroduction from the editor4Top 10 takeaways from this report5The L&D Connect community asked11and we answeredThe state of the L&D industryL&D keeps their seat at the C-suite table14L&D pros expect budgets to grow17and continue to shift to online learningA smart way to measure the impact20of learning: employee surveysL&D’s learning playlist of 202022Power skills for the new world of workTalent as a renewable resource: the age of rapid25upskilling, reskilling, and internal mobilityThe power skills of 2021: resilience, digital fluency,33and making a case for creativityDiversity & inclusion: L&D’s critical role38to help create a more equitable workplaceDon’t fall behind: the fastest-growing skills42in business, sales, IT, and engineeringLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021Learner engagement in hybrid workplacesWant to win the hearts and minds of Gen Z44learners? Two words: career growthPeople learn better together: 30x lift in learner47engagementPop quiz: how well do you know your managers?49Top 10 L&D tactics that drive engagement51in hybrid workplacesGive it a go: learning for good55Looking ahead: what you need to knowParting thoughts: learnings and advice58from L&D pros around the worldAcknowledgements62Methodology632Let’s dive inLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 20213Introduction from the EditorMichelangelo is quoted as having said, “The sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there, I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.” That is exactly the way I felt writing this report. The survey data, LinkedIn Learning insights, and customer stories all felt like they were speaking to me, sharing truths that I now have the honor to share with you to help elevate the #AlwaysBeLearning mindset in your organization and around the world.According to the World Economic Forum report published in October of last year, the rapid acceleration of automation and economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic will shift the division of labor between humans and machines, causing 85 million jobs to be displaced and 97 million new ones to be created by 2025. It’s a truth that signals an enormous opportunity for us in the learning and development (L&D) and HR disciplines.We now have the opportunity to create a true culture of continuous learning to build a more equitable workplace, and innovate in ways we can hardly imagine — all in service of creating economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce, our vision at LinkedIn.It all starts with skills. We need to help our teams build the skills that will inspire learners, managers, and executives to co-create a culture of learning that rewards what employees already know and the pace at which learn new, high-demand skills.LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021This is the fifth year of the Workplace Learning Report. We have seen learning move from a relatively new discipline within HR to taking center stage and becoming a must-have strategic role that will help shape the new world of work. To that point, two-thirds (66%) of L&D pros globally now agree that they are focused on rebuilding and reshaping their organizations this year. And, we’ve seen a big surge in learner engagement on LinkedIn Learning. From 2019 to 2020, the number of enterprise learners more than doubled, and the amount of learning has also increase by 58% more hours per learner.That doesn’t feel like a step change — it’s a monumental leap.Leena Nair, the CHRO of Unilever, said it best at our virtual summit in October: “This is the time to ask those big questions and create change — and to disrupt and pioneer and take risks; you need to have that confidence. You need to have that swagger that says, ‘I know my function and I can make that difference.’ That is why my biggest advice is: lead! Don’t wait for someone else to tell you to lead. Lead! Lead proactively! Grab the spotlight! If not now, then when? If not us, then who? This is our time. Let’s make a big impact.”In true Michelangelo style, the excess marble has been cleared away, and the report is ready for you to explore. At LinkedIn Learning, we hope that the insights, tips, and inspiration in this report will help guide your learning programs and inspire skill building.Amanda Van Nuys Group Manager, Marketing Communications LinkedIn Learning4Top 10 takeaways from this reportLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 20215#1L&D in the strategic driver’s seat as change makers66%of L&D pros globally agree Learning and Development is focused on rebuilding or reshaping your organization this year64%of L&D pros globally who agree that L&D shifted from a “nice to have” to a “need to have” in 2021#2L&D’s seat at the C-suite table is secure in 2021% of L&D pros globally who agree that L&D has a seat at the executive table100%80%62%63%60%40%24%20%March 2020June 2020March 2021LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 20216#3The big bounceback: L&D pros bullish on budget increases% of L&D pros globally surveyed at these times who expect their budget to increase100%80%60%43%40%35%37%33%27%22%20%201720182019March 2020June 2020March 2021#4Start with yourself. L&D pros should invest in themselves, too.Check out the five most uniquely popular courses among L&D pros for free and sign up for the LinkedIn Learning Course Club to get a new list of unlocked courses every quarter 11. Instructional Design Essentials: Models of ID by Joe Pulichino2. Articulate Storyline Essential Training by Daniel Brigham3. Instructional Design: Storyboarding by Daniel Brigham4. Converting Face-to-Face Training into Digital Learning by Daniel Brigham5. Measuring Learning Effectiveness by Jeff ToisterLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 20217#5Upskilling and reskilling is the top priority for L&D pros globallyThe top three areas of focus for L&D programs in 2021, in rank order:1. Upskilling and reskilling15% increase since June 202059%2. Leadership and management53%3. Virtual onboarding33%% of L&D pros globally who identified these programs as their top priority in 2021LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021#6A majority of L&D pros agree that internal mobility is more of a priority now than before COVID-1951%of L&D pros say that internal mobility is more of a priority now than before COVID-19Since COVID-19, internal hires make up a greater share of all hires.+19% lift16.5%19.6%Employees at companies with internal mobility stay almost 2x longer.5.4 years2.9 yearsApril–August 2019April–August 2020Internal mobility rates (share of all job changes that were movements within the same company)Low internal High internalmobilitymobilityMedian employee tenure for companies with high and low internal mobility (top and bottom quartile)8LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021#7We have entered the era of building resilience and digital fluencyAccording to L&D leaders globally, resilience and digital fluency were cited as the #1 or #2 most important skills across every country we surveyed.#8L&D is helping to create a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplaceNearly two-thirds (64%) of L&D pros globally — and nearly three-quarters (73%) in North America — report that their executives have made Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) programs a priority.9LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021#9Gen Z is learning more than ever and focused on career growthGen Z learners watched 50% more hours per learner of learning content in 2020 vs. 2019.76%of Gen Z learners believe learning is the key to a successful career#10Learning together increases engagementLearners who use social features — Q&A, course shares, and learning groups — watch 30x more hours of learning content than learners who don’t.10The L&D Connect community asked and we answeredLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021A few months ago, we asked talent developers in the LinkedIn Learning L&D Connect group to share the questions that were top of mind around their 2021 learning programs. Insightful posts quickly rolled in.“How do L&D professionals learn and develop themselves? How do they grow in their careers?”Irina Ketkin, Founder and Learning Development Coach, Learning Adventures in Sofia, RomaniaWe were curious about the same thing. So, we asked our incredible insights team to look at LinkedIn Learning data to find out. Take a look at page 23 to see what your peers are learning to upskill themselves. And, we recently published a report called the Handbook of L&D Pioneers that also might be helpful.“How do you measure the impact of learning on the company bottom line?”Alessandro Alessandrini, IM Make or Buy Footprint Evolution Manager, Airbus in Hamburg GermanyThis has always been a tough one to tackle. Check out page 20 to find out how talent developers are measuring the impact of learning.11“With the rapid shift to remote online work, how are L&D professionals supporting workers who are less digitally literate?”Joshua Egan, Learning & Development Manager, Anglicare WA in Perth, AustraliaCongratulations for posting the comment with the most thumbs-up! It turns out that digital transformation is the #1 priority in Australia and is either the #1 or #2 priority in every other region we surveyed globally. Check out page 35 to read more.LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021“How can L&D support, develop, and lead employees at all levels to be effective allies and more inclusive?”Rochelle Livingstone, Learning Designer & Facilitator, Upskill Digital in London, EnglandThis is top of mind for us at LinkedIn Learning, too. Not only have we unlocked many Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) courses on these topics, but we also asked several D&I questions in the Workplace Learning Survey this year. Take a look at page 39 to learn more.“How will less-skilled workers find new jobs in a post-COVID world that may no longer need them? Will companies see it as their responsibility to upskill their workforce post-pandemic, as many serviceoriented jobs are predicted to go away? If the government won’t — or can’t — step in and provide training and education, will employers large and small take it upon themselves to fill that gap to better our society (and ultimately their businesses)?”Tracy Cote, Chief People Officer, Zenefits in San Francisco, CaliforniaThis is one of the most important business questions of the new decade. We share our point of view on who will help close the digital divide on page 37. (Spoiler alert: companies and countries will both play a role.)12The state of the L&D industryLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 202113L&D keeps their seat at the C-suite table“2020 has been an incredible year — lots of challenges but lots of opportunity, too. In fact, this year learning has really moved to the forefront. It is now in the spotlight. There’s so much opportunity for us,” said Kevin Delaney, LinkedIn’s VP of L&D, kicking off the LinkedIn Learning Virtual Summit in October of last year. “People have recognized that learning is no longer a nice to have; it’s a must have because learning is essential for success. In this changing world, we need to keep growing just to keep up, and for many of the challenges that we are all facing, learning is the answer.”Kevin eloquently captured the tectonic shift in the learning industry that happened in 2020. As we reported in the Leading with Learning Report (June 2020), learning hours spiked, L&D pros finally had a seat at the C-suite table, and executive championship was at an all-time high. That was certainly good news for learning leaders globally, but we wondered: Would the rise of learning in 2020 be a fleeting moment or would it lead to a more permanent shift?LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 202114Not a blip: L&D has secured a long-term, elevated role in their organizationsIt’s remarkable how much change can happen to an entire industry in just 12 months. In last year’s Workplace Learning Report (March 2020), we reported that “Only 27% of L&D pros report that their CEOs are active champions of learning.” We know that when top leadership actively champions learning, it drives higher learner engagement and impact.Then the pandemic struck. And that’s when executives really took notice of the positive impact that learning can have. L&D leaders moved at lightning speed to deliver learning programs to help employees manage through the crisis and stay productive from home; 64% of L&D pros globally agree that this was the moment learning shifted from a “nice to have” to a “need to have.”“To get execs engaged, don’t do a one-size-fits-all approach, do a one-size-fits-one approach,” says Naphtali Bryant, Director, Learning & Organization Development, at Netflix. He partnered with HRBPs and Executives to determine the three habits leaders need to effectively lead in a virtual environment and used a blended online learning model to deliver training with pre- and post-work. What started as a customized approach ended up translating to other groups within the organization and added “extreme value”: over a six-week period, they took 188 leaders through a one-hour conversation.LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021L&D’s seat at the C-suite table is secure in 2021% of L&D pros globally who agree that L&D has a seat at the executive table100%80%62%63%60%40%24%20%March 2020June 2020March 202164%% of L&D pros globally who agree that L&D shifted from a “nice to have” to a “need to have” in 2021Avient secured executive support for a “month of learning” campaign last May, and learner engagement went through the roof. The executive team sent out email communication to explain the purpose of the campaign and set the expectation that employees take at least one course by the end of May. L&D followed up each executive communication with twice-weekly emails and posts on their intranet, featuring new topics for the week and recommended courses. It worked. During the campaign, activation of LinkedIn Learning licenses increased from 40% to 95%, and engagement hit 95% (and is still going strong).“We were excited that our leadership team took such a prominent role in this effort and empowered us to do what we were already doing behind the scenes and bring it to the forefront,” said Renita Jefferson, Senior HR Manager at Avient in Cleveland, Ohio.Nearly two-thirdsWhere does L&D stand now? We’re happy to report that nearly two-thirds (63%) of L&Dof L&D pros saidpros said that they still have a seat at thethat they stillC-suite table — almost exactly the samehave a seat at theamount we reported back in June (62%), andC-suite table.a big lift (39%) from what they reported atthe beginning of 2020. This is a huge shift inthe span of just a year. When taken together,these data points tell us that learning leaders have truly elevatedthe L&D function and proven the value of their programs.Although there was an 8% dip in CEO championship — from 70% in June 2020 to 62% in March 2021 — it’s still much higher than it was in March 2020 (at only 27%). But that’s not the whole story. There are many areas of the world where L&D pros reported that executive championship is now essentially on par with June 2020 levels, including the United States, Southeast Asia, Canada, and France.LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021CEOs are continuing to prioritize learning in their organizations% of L&D pros globally who agree that CEOs are active champions of learning100%80%70%62%60%40%27%20%March 2020June 2020March 2021% of L&D pros in these countries who agree that CEOs are active champions of learning68%Canada66%United States70%France67%Southeast Asia16L&D pros expect budgets to grow and continue to shift to online learningLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021The big 2021 budget bounceback: L&D pros are bullish on their budgets, back to pre-pandemic levelsAlthough executive attention is an important factor to fuel winning learning programs, they can’t run without ample budgets. This is particularly true this year, now that executives have higher expectations for the learning function, and organizations are likely to face more business disruption ahead.At the beginning of 2020, 37% of L&D pros expected their budgets to grow, but that number tumbled to 22% when we asked them again in the middle of the year. At that time, there were so many uncertainties related to the pandemic — particularly economic ones — that caused many organizations to freeze their budgets and scrutinize spending. Now that we have more or less settled into the new world of work, L&D budget growth is nearly back to pre-pandemic levels: 33% of L&D pros report that they expect their budgets to increase, and only 19% expect a decrease. Keep your eyes on India, where over two-thirds of L&D budgets are expected to rise this year.64%% of L&D pros in India who expect their budgets to increase in 202117The number of L&D pros who expect budget increases are at pre-pandemic levels% of L&D pros globally surveyed at these times who expect their budget to increase100%80%60%43%40%35%37%33%27%22%20%201720182019March 2020June 2020March 2021Far fewer L&D pros expect their budgets to go down this year than they did last year% of L&D pros globally who expect their budgets to decrease100% 80% 60%40% 34%20%19%June 2020March 2021LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021Blended online learning is here to stay: less ILT and more online learningHybrid workplaces — organizations that function with some employees working remotely and some in a traditional office environment — are going to be the way we work for the foreseeable future. Over the last six months, many organizations announced that they will continue to operate in a completely remote environment, while some, including LinkedIn, will continue to offer employees the flexibility to work at home or in the office.That means that the pivot L&D made from instructor-led training (ILT) to blended online learning — learning experiences with a mix of virtual instructor-led training (VILT) and online learning — will remain the status quo.“Compared to instructor-led training, a robust online learning solution would provide far superior coverage in terms of reach, accessibility, and learning content. We wanted a solution that would open new doors and help ensure that every employee has the opportunity to learn,” explained Samit Deb, CHRO at Airtel, based in India.From a budget perspective, the trend away from ILT, which is typically the most expensive line item in an L&D budget, and toward online learning was already happening before the pandemic hit.18LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021In early 2020, 38% of L&D pros expected to spend less on ILT and 57% expected to spend more on online learning. Today, those numbers are significantly higher: 73% of L&D pros expect to spend less on ILT and 79% expect to spend more on online learning.Most organizations will continue to shift budgets away from ILT and to online learning% of L&D pros who expect the investment in these types of training will change2020202173% 38%79% 57%Less Instructor-Led TrainingMore Online LearningL&D pros have everything they need — a strategic position in the organization, C-level support, the budget, and the online learning resources — to make this year their most impactful one yet. Let’s get going!19A smart way to measure the impact of learning: employee surveysQuantifying the value of learning is not straightforwardLearning leaders have to rely on a wide spectrum of measures to gauge success and identify areas to improve. Gathering qualitative feedback from learners topped the list again, but a few quantitative measures — including the number of learners who keep coming back to online learning solutions and how many courses they complete — moved further up this year.LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021This is the year that employee surveys enter the learning measurement mixWhat really surprised us was the 11-point rise in the use of employee engagement survey scores to measure the impact of learning — in just one year. Given that many organizations had fully remote workforces or were managing the new territory of a hybrid workforce, staying close to employee sentiment and needs was more critical this year than ever before. Globally, 27% of L&D pros said that they are now using survey tools to measure program effectiveness; in the UK, a whopping 43% of respondents are using them to gauge how satisfied employees are with learning programs.Jacqueline Gay, L&D Manager at TomTom, based in Amsterdam, shared with us that her team spends time really listening. “We’re talking to our internal customers more about what they want to learn and what the best format will be. We’ve been joining our software development teams’ virtual stand-ups every week and using Glint surveys to identify focus areas like collaboration tools. We’re able to go back to them with the right, relevant solution rather than just the programs we think they want.”One thing is for sure. Measuring the value that learning brings to your organization will be a major factor in L&D pros keeping their spot at the C-suite table.43%% of L&D pros in the UK who report using employee survey scores to measure the impact of learningLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021Top 10 ways L&D pros measure the impact of learning, in rank order1 Qualitative feedback from employees using online courses2 Satisfaction of employees using online courses3The number of employees that consistently engage with learning content4 Employee engagement survey scores5Qualitative feedback about behavioral changes that learning was intended to drive6 The number of online courses completed7 An increase in the number of skills employees are developing8Team/organization/business metrics (deals closed, customer satisfaction) before and after training9 Time saved/productivity increase10 Ability to retain talent within your organizationIncreasingly, savvy L&D pros are using employee surveys to solicit feedback and learner satisfaction scores% of L&D pros globally who report using employee survey scores to measure the impact of learning27% 16%2020 202121L&D’s learning playlist of 2020Carve out time to upskill yourself in 2021When you’re so busy helping others learn, it’s easy to forget to make time for yourself to learn. Make 2021 the year that you focus on you and let Pamay Bassey, Chief Learning and Diversity Officer at Kraft Heinz, be your inspiration. She made a commitment to learn something new every day for a year. “There is power in making a commitment to start a new habit — even if you start with a few minutes a day,” she said in a LinkedIn post. “And, most importantly, there is joy as others join you, making their own commitments and sharing what they are learning, and powering the creation of an exciting learning culture — a culture of creativity, generosity, and curiosity.”LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 20215 courses most uniquely popular among L&D pros globally in 2020Check out these unlocked courses and sign up for the LinkedIn Learning Course Club to get a new list of unlocked courses every quarter.1Instructional Design Essentials: Models of ID by Joe PulichinoArticulate Storyline Essential Training by Daniel BrighamInstructional Design: Storyboarding by Daniel BrighamConverting Face-to-Face Training into Digital Learning by Daniel BrighamMeasuring Learning Effectiveness by Jeff Toister22What do your peers want to learn this year?We asked your peers in the L&D Connect group on LinkedIn what they wanted to learn this year. We’ve included responses here to inspire you to continue to learn and grow. Thank you Sonia, Mike, and Diana for sharing your learning goals with us.“People analytics, data visualization, creative writing, and search optimization.”Sonia Malik, Alliances Manager, IBM Training and Skills in Boston, Massachusetts“A coaching mindset. I predict that the biggest challenge in 2021 will be well-being, particularly around mental health, stress, anxiety, and loneliness. Leaders and people managers need to be equipped to coach and support people through the year ahead — and build in resilience — as it’s likely to be a bumpy ride.”Mike Bedford, People Development and Wellbeing Lead, Education and Skills Funding Agency in Leeds, UK“Leading and managing in a hybrid work environment, resilient leadership, and psychological safety.”Diana Antwiwaa Amoako, Managing Consultant, Ideas & Update in GhanaLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021Your turn. What’s on your 2021 learning playlist?Share your learning goals and exchange helpful content with your peers around the world in the L&D Connect group on LinkedIn, the official LinkedIn Learning community.23LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021Power skills for the new world of work24Talent as a renewable resource: the age of rapid upskilling, reskilling, and internal mobilityLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021Sit down for this one. According to the World Economic Forum report published in October of last year, the rapid acceleration of automation and economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic will shift the division of labor between humans and machines, leading to 85 million jobs being displaced and 97 million new ones created by 2025.Some of the largest enterprises globally have seen this shift coming for the last few years and have invested millions — even billions — in “future proofing” their employees, arming them with the skills needed for the new world of work. For example, JPMorgan Chase added the tidy sum of $350M to their $250M plan to upskill their workforce. Amazon is investing over $700M to provide upskilling training to their employees. And, PwC is spending $3B to upskill all of its 275,000 employees over the next three to four years; the mantra of the program is “New World, New Skills.”The top three areas of focus for L&D programs in 2021% of L&D pros globally who identified these programs as their top priority in 20211. Upskilling and reskilling2. Leadership and management3. Virtual onboarding 33%59% 53%25Infineon is helping their manufacturing workers build their digital skills. Jessica Richter, Senior Director of People and Leadership Development at Infineon said: “When it comes to building digital skills, we need to support the entire workforce in all countries — from production through to the back office.” This is why Infineon provided access to all of their employees, including more than 31,000 manufacturing workers. By setting up special learning facilities and aligning closely with their leadership team, Infineon is helping their entire workforce grow and learn. Read moreLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021Today, it’s not just large organizations that are prioritizing skill building. We asked L&D pros globally what their primary focus was for their L&D programs in 2021, and their #1 priority (59%) is upskilling and reskilling — that’s a 15% increase since June 2020.Interestingly, L&D pros at small businesses were prioritizing it more (64%) than large enterprises (56%). That could be because so many large enterprises already have robust programs in place.More L&D pros in small- and medium-size organizations are planning to upskill and reskill their employees this year% of L&D pros globally in organizations of different sizes who reported that the focus of their L&D programs in 2021 is upskilling and reskillingSmall businesses Medium businesses Large enterprises64% 62% 56%26Who is your secret skill-building weapon? The manager.Reskilling and upskilling programs are relatively new for most talent teams, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach in terms of how to strategically plan, resource, and execute them. As learning professionals, we’re all figuring out this new world of work together. That’s why we wanted to find out some of the tactics that they are using to move the skill-building needle.We found that nearly half (49%) of L&D pros are working withpeople managers to drive learner engagement and skill building.That makes perfect sense because managers are responsiblefor the performance and growth of their teams. More specifically,we have heard from our customers that they are focusingon upskilling managers to have49%of L&D pros are working with managers to drive learner engagement and skill buildinghigher-quality, meaningful career conversations with their direct reports. As a learning leader, you have your work cut out for you. Only 40% oflearners report that their managers40%of learners said that their managers are challenging them to learn a new skillchallenged them to learn new skills in the last six months, even though over half (53%) do feel that their managers support their career goals.53%of learners report that their boss supports their career goalsLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021From tapping into the power of managers to gathering usage data, there’s a wide variety of ways L&D pros help learners build skills% of L&D pros globally who indicated that they are using these tactics to upskill and reskill their employeesIncluding people managers in driving employees learning and skill development49%Using internal data and tools to identify skills gaps in the organization 41%Creating career paths with course recommendations and skills needed 41%Setting up feedback loops to understand what skills to build or courses to recommend to the organization36%Working closely with your organization’s executive team to align skilling programs to a revised business strategy, in response to COVID36%Working with talent acquisition and/or HR departments to identify skills needed for workforce planning32%Leveraging skill assessments to validate skills in the current workforce 30%Using external data resources and tools to identify skills gaps in the industry19%Creating large-scale reskilling programs to fill positions that are new or difficult to hire for17%27If internal mobility isn’t on your 2021 L&D program list, then it should beYou have probably heard a lot about internal mobility lately. No, it’s not about mobile phones. It is when a current employee moves from one job to another at the same company. More than half (51%) of L&D pros globally report internal mobility is even more of a priority since the pandemic struck, and that trend has shown up in LinkedIn data. We’re seeing a sizable rise in internal mobility; from April through August 2020 the internal hiring rate was nearly 20% higher than it was during the same time in 2019. And internal mobility is happening all over the world, with the highest rate in Germany, where the focus on digital transformation is front and center of German learning programs.51%of L&D pros say that internal mobility is more of a priority now than before COVID-1913%of L&D pros say that their internal mobility programs are centralized to one team or personMost organizations don’t have an “internal mobility department” or designated person; that tells us that it’s a distributed, crossfunctional effort. However, L&D is already playing a critical role in internal mobility efforts. Over a third of L&D pros globally (39%) say that they are responsible for helping leaders identify current and future skills gaps, developing tools to help build internal mobility programs (33%), and helping to identify skills adjacencies (31%) — skill sets that are related to new skills that the organization wants to build.LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021How Nationwide’s “Future of Work” program is reskilling and upskilling employees to prepare for the digital futureIn January 2020, Nationwide made a significant commitment to their people and a major commitment to learning. A $160 million investment in the Future of Work focused on enhanced benefits and incentives, and a five-year program to reskill and upskill 28,000 associates across the US with personalized learning curriculums. The goal is to help associates explore new learning focused on the skills of the future, and career progression opportunities, while also building digital literacy skills so they can keep pace with the technological change that’s reshaping all industries.Gale King, Chief Administrative Officer at Nationwide, said, “Upskilling is the investment we are making in ensuring that every associate is developing the new skills we believe are necessary for the future. This includes digital literacy and future capabilities (lead, innovate, and adapt). Each associate will receive eight hours of time annually to invest in their development with a personalized learning plan that’s level specific.”28Since COVID-19, internal hires make up a greater share of all hiresInternal mobility rates (share of all job changes that were movements within the same company)40%16.5%19% lift 19.6%Apr–Aug 2019 Apr–Aug 2020Countries with the highest internal mobility rates since COVID-19% of internal mobility rates April–August 2020 Global average 5-year average40%24.6%24%22.5%21.7%20.8%19.6%GermanyIndonesiaCanada New Zealand SingaporeL&D plays a critical role in internal mobility programsHelps identify skills gaps 39%% of L&D pros globally who are doing these tasks as part of their organization’s internal mobility programsBuilds internal mobility tools 33%Helps identify skills adjacencies 31%LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021“We want people to see that learning these skills, especially digital competencies, are just as important as learning about their job responsibilities,” said Tishia Damschroder, Associate Vice President of Enterprise Learning and Development at Nationwide.To help learners feel in control of their learning, the L&D team provides curated resources tied to the core skills, while also allowing for a flexible, “self-directed” experience. “We couldn’t be more pleased with how the associates embraced it,” said Tishia. “Many people are going well beyond their eight hours. Some completed it in the first week and immediately wanted more.”Laura Mierzejewski, Director of Learning Excellence, agrees: “Associates have shared with me that once they get into LinkedIn Learning, they find all this amazing content that goes well beyond what we’ve curated for the Future of Work.”Rebecca Schoepfer, SVP of Talent & Organization Effectiveness at Nationwide, is thrilled with how associates are embracing the Future of Work. “The Future of Work center is bringing a continuous learning culture to life, and it’s clear that associates are taking advantage of it to ensure they are developing the skills needed for a rapidly changing world.” Read more29Learners without obvious skills adjacencies are making the leap into emerging rolesIt’s a commonly held belief that talent with “skills adjacencies” — or skills that are similar to other skills — are the people who can most easily make the leap from one role to another. But, we’ve found that’s not entirely true. An analysis by LinkedIn’s data science team conducted for the World Economic Forum showed that many employees who have moved into “emerging roles” over the past five years came from entirely different occupations. For example, half of the employees who moved into data science and artificial intelligence (AI) roles were coming from unrelated industries. That number jumps when we look at engineering roles (67%), content roles (72%), and sales (75%). What is even more interesting is that the people who transitioned into data and AI had the largest variation in skill profiles, with half of them possessing skills with low similarity.The most inspiring takeaway from these insights is that people are much more capable of learning new skills and moving into higher-priority positions than traditionally thought. This will be critical given the acceleration of technological change and the increasingly pressing need to retrain and redeploy talent for the new world of work, as the World Economic Forum prediction tells us.LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 202130Internal mobility has an ROI that’s easy to quantify: higher engagement and retentionQuantifying the ROI of learning is a very tough nut to crack, as we discussed in the first section of this report, but doing the same for internal mobility programs is much easier (finally, right?). According to LinkedIn data, employees at companies with high internal mobility stay almost two times longer than those who don’t. That’s extraordinary considering the impact of losing an employee in terms of both productivity and expense.Not only are learners more likely to stay longer, but they are also much more engaged. Recent Glint data tells us that employees who have found new roles internally are three and a half times more likely to be engaged than those who haven’t. It’s a virtuous circle: 82% of L&D pros report that engaged learners are also more likely to participate in internal mobility programs. That’s a winwin-win for you, your learners, and your organization.Employees at companies with internal mobility stay almost 2x longerMedian employee tenure for companies with high and low internal mobility (top and bottom quartile)LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 20215.4 years 2.9 yearsLow internal High internalmobilitymobility82%of L&D pros agree that engaged learners are more likely to find new roles in their organizationEmployees who move into new jobs internally are 3.5x more likely to be engaged employees than those who stay in their current jobs.Employees are already learning to move into new roles, and managers approveWhat do learners think about internal mobility? It turns out that they are already engaged in upskilling or reskilling to make the job change. Over a third (35%) of employees globally have used learning programs to help them find new opportunities in their organizations, though the number varies quite a bit from country to country. One thing that doesn’t vary is the overwhelming number of managers (91%) who are supportive of helping their direct reports find new opportunities at their companies and who believe that learning can help close skills gaps on their teams.Skill building and internal mobility programs make talent a renewable resourceAs talent developers and business leaders now living in the new world of work, we have a responsibility to our people to help them thrive and do work that is both engaging and makes a positive impact. When employees who are in roles that are no longer strategic can build the skills to successfully move into high-value roles that the organization needs, talent becomes a renewable resource that can quickly retool for whatever comes next.% of learners who have spent time learning to help them perform a different function internally31%United States36%United Kingdom49%India48%Southeast Asia38% Globally91%of managers are supportive of their team finding other opportunities within their organizations84%of managers agree that learning can help close skills gaps on their teamsLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 202132The power skills of 2021: resilience, digital fluency, and making a case for creativityThere are definitely two things — among too many to count — that 2020’s challenging circumstances helped us learn. First, we needed to build our resilience muscle to help us adapt to rapid-fire change. Second, we needed to learn new ways of working and collaborating in a virtual world. The good news is that resilience and digital fluency are exactly what we’ll need to thrive in 2021.LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021What is resilience, and do learners understand the value?In her LinkedIn Learning course Enhancing Resilience, Gemma Leigh Roberts defines resilience as a skill or mindset you can develop that will help you to navigate the new working world. “Enhancing resilience is all about creating your edge at work,” she explains. “It’s not just about learning to cope exceptionally well with challenges, but also learning how to thrive and reach your peak.” It’s about a mindset that helps employees perform well at work regardless of what changes and challenges come their way.So, what do learners think? Nearly two-thirds (60%) agree that learning makes them more adaptable.60%% of employees globally believe that learning makes them more capable of adapting to change“A period of unprecedented disruption calls for transformation and learning agility. Now, more than ever, management acknowledges our employees need to be more agile and innovative. They also recognize the strategic role that L&D plays in preparing our organization for the changes that lie ahead.” Read more Cheryll Ruth Lat-Agsaoay, Vice President of Human Resources, SM Supermalls in Manila, Philippines33LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021What is the difference between digital fluency and digital transformation?According to Wikipedia, digital transformation is “the adoption of digital technology to transform services or businesses.” In other words, it’s how organizations use technology, talent, and processes to innovate and impact performance.From an L&D perspective, digital transformation is a learning program, while being digitally fluent means that a learner has the technology skills to effectively operate in an increasingly digital world. It includes everything from understanding how to use the Microsoft Office suite to advanced artificial intelligence.If you are a LinkedIn Learning customer, then we have a digital transformation learning path with over 40 hours of content to help your employees build their digital skills.Learning Path Master Digital Transformation“The UK Ministry of Defense needed to keep up with the evolving technical needs for soldiers and personnel. We identified a technical skills gap in our middle management layer. Accessible digital learning equipped the new ‘technical soldier’ with the understanding and qualifications needed for modern, data-driven warfare.” Read more Captain Neil Donaghy, Strategy Development & Change Manager, UK Ministry of Defense in Chichester, England34L&D pros globally cited these skills as being most important this year, in rank order1 Resilience and adaptability 6 Leading through change2Technology skills/ digital fluency3Communication across remote or distributed teams7 Change management8Dealing with stress/ being more mindful4 Emotional intelligence9 Time management5Cross-functional collaboration10 CreativityTop 2 skills across countries surveyed:#1 Resilience | #2 Digital Fluency #1 Digital Fluency | #2 ResilienceWhat’s more important — resilience or digital fluency? It depends where you are.When we asked L&D pros globally to share which skills were most important to be successful in the new world of work, we gave them many options to choose from — from time management to communication across remote teams. The results that came back were loud and clear: resilience landed the number one slot, and digital fluency came in second.Even more interesting was the discovery that resilience and digital fluency landed the #1 or #2 spots across every country we surveyed. Resilience was #1 in the US, Canada, France, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, with technology skills coming in second. In Germany, DACH, Southeast Asia, and India, the results were flipped, with technology skills ranking #1 and resilience #2.LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 202135Making the case for creativityIn 2019 and 2020, creativity took the top spot on the list of most in-demand soft skills that companies need. While it’s always interesting to see what tops a list, it’s equally important to see what lands at the bottom. This year, when we asked L&D pros which skills employees would need most in 2021, creativity was dead last. In their recent book The Curious Advantage, Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown, and Garrick Jones state that, “Curiosity is the greatest driver of value in the new digital age. Curiosity is at the heart of the skills required to successfully navigate our digital lives when all futures are uncertain.” Word to the wise — don’t write off creativity. To help navigate our changing economic landscape, you need people on your team who can ideate on creative solutions to your biggest problems. Creativity will help us collectively adapt — even thrive — in the new world of work.LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021Case in point:Johnson & Johnson Foundation & Sigma’s LinkedIn Learning pilot helped nurses build resilience and advocate for PPEResults from a two-month-long pilot of LinkedIn Learning courses for early career/bedside nurses overwhelmingly affirmed that fundamental personal leadership and resilience skills traditionally not provided in preclinical academic learning are critical to their professional success.Despite the pilot running concurrent to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an 80% completion rate, and 100% of nurses surveyed noted that the program was worth their time, with some noting that a few courses provided them with “just-in-time” skills to advocate for PPE or other COVID-19-related training.“The goal of this program is to build on the natural leadership skills of nurses early in their career,” said Julie A. Cornell, Senior Manager, Johnson & Johnson Global Community Impact. “We believe nurses are agents of change, and they need to be part of a new, diverse generation of leaders leading and shaping health systems at all levels — from the bedside to the boardroom.” Read more36LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021Food for thought:Will companies or governments take the digital transformation lead?Every wave of technology innovation creates more jobs than are eliminated. The same is true with the one we’re in now. As we mentioned in the introduction, the World Economic Forum expects that 85 million jobs will be gone and 97 million jobs will be created by 2025 — many of them technology jobs requiring skills in artificial intelligence, blockchain, data security, emerging coding languages, and many more.Both companies and governments are stepping up to help retrain millions of people for the digital economy. Last year, Microsoft announced that they will upskill 25 million people with LinkedIn Learning.Countries are also investing in skill building to give their citizens access to opportunity and to set themselves up for future success in a digital world. For example, Colombia gave 500,000 Colombian students, teachers, and employees access to LinkedIn Learning to help them build both their technical and soft skills.In 2021, we expect to see many more of these learning initiatives — from both the private and public sectors — as technological change accelerates at an exponential rate.37Diversity & Inclusion: L&D’s critical role to help create a more equitable workplaceLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021“At a time when the world is focused on racial justice, compounded by a pandemic that has disproportionately upended Black, Latino, and underserved communities, it is critical for companies — as the engines of economic opportunity and prosperity — to play a leading role in building a more equitable future for all. And as individuals, the importance of looking inward, as well as at the world around you to ensure you’re demonstrating the change you want to see, is the marker for initiating equitable change,” said Rosanna Durruthy, Vice President, Global Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at LinkedIn in a blog post announcing new LinkedIn research on the topic last October.The challenges that Black employees face are profound. In the study, we found that one in four Black professionals feel they have been overlooked for career advancement opportunities because of their skin color, and a third feel they have missed out on career advancement opportunities due to a lack of internal mentorship and sponsorship programs. Black professionals also feel that they lack an ally at work — a person who stands up for others to proactively build inclusion in the workplace. Active allyship is a key driver to an inclusive culture, yet our research found that almost half of Black professionals (48%) do not know someone who they consider to be an ally at their place of work. This lack of allyship has consequences — over one in four (26%) Black professionals feel isolated at work, and one in three (33%) have experienced discrimination and/or microaggressions in their workplace.38Diversity & Inclusion is the right thing for people and the right thing for businessInvestment in D&I programs are proven to have measurable impact, across many dimensions. Reports from McKinsey, Deloitte, the Corporate Executive Board, Gartner, Harvard Business Review, and others have overwhelmingly found that organizations with D&I programs see an enormous impact, including increased revenue and stock price. Other benefits include higher levels of creativity, performance, and productivity.Companies with Diversity & Inclusion programs are:22%more likely to be seen as an industry leader with high-caliber talent12%more likely to be seen as an inclusive workplace for people of diverse backgroundsBased on global LinkedIn dataLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021Diversity & Inclusion is a top talent development priority in 2021We clearly have a long way to go to create a more inclusive and equitable business culture (and world), but we’re seeing some steps in the right direction. D&I is now top of mind for a majority of executives globally. According to our survey results, nearly twothirds (64%) of L&D pros globally — and nearly three-quarters (73%) in North America — report that their executives have made D&I programs a priority. And talent developers are creating programs to support these initiatives; when we asked L&D pros about the programs they plan to run in 2021, D&I ranked #2 globally (behind “leading through change” programs) and #1 in North America.Programs that L&D pros globally will deploy in 2021, in rank order:1 Leading through change2 Diversity and inclusion3Large-scale upskilling or reskilling64% of L&D pros globally and 73% of L&D pros in North America report that D&I programs are a priority in 20214 Digital transformation5 Virtual lunch and learns39Most often, D&I and L&D partner to deliver joint strategies and programsAs organizations realize that D&I needs to be infused across all learning programs to drive lasting change and foster a culture of inclusion, the lines are blurring between L&D and D&I teams. When we asked L&D pros globally how they work with their organization’s D&I strategy, the responses ran the gamut — from D&I teams (24%) or L&D teams (12%) responsible for diversity and inclusion, to both teams partnering to deliver these programs together (28%). While this tells us that there is no single way to approach D&I, we can say that D&I will be a higher priority for the majority of L&D organizations in 2021: 71% currently have a D&I program or are interested in starting one this year.What is the role of L&D in your organization’s diversity and inclusion (D&I) strategy?28% L&D and D&I teams work closely together on a joint D&I strategy and programs24% D&I team is primarily responsible for D&I programs17% My organization does not have a D&I program, and there are no plans to create one15% My organization does not have a D&I program, but has just started one or would like to start one soon12% No D&I team, L&D team is primarily responsible for D&I4% Other% of L&D pros globally who responded affirmative to this questionLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021MediaKind’s D&I program involved their CEO, a competition, and sensitivity to regional and cultural differencesMediaKind, a 1,200-person Ericsson spinoff operating in 29 countries, was ready with learning content and programs to support employees when the call for social justice rang across the globe last summer.MediaKind’s CEO immediately sent a note out to the organization reiterating his commitment to D&I, which was then followed by an email from MediaKind’s Chief People Officer Dave Medrano with recommended D&I learning content from LinkedIn Learning.“We have a lot of diversity in our organization — national, country of origin, language — and we worked hard to be sensitive to that and ensure that our learning programs and communications weren’t US-centric. After all, only 20% of our employees are based in the US,” said Dave.To help address regional and cultural differences, MediaKind’s CEO asked his direct reports to facilitate live discussions with their teams about D&I. Dave also focused on promoting Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIBs) courses that are applicable globally. “Unconscious bias is a universal challenge and a connective tissue when words and jargon fall down,” he said. “If you focus on equality, then you won’t miss the mark. We offered a wide spectrum of courses during a learning competition, and DIBs courses naturally rose to the top.”Read moreYour go-to resource guide for D&ICreating a more inclusive and equitable workplace is an ongoing process and continuing to learn about D&I is a lifelong commitment. In that spirit, we’d like to share some D&I resources to help you craft your program this year. It is by no means exhaustive, but it is a good place to start.Understanding and confronting unconscious biasConfronting Bias: Thriving across Our Differences by Verna Myers and Arianna HuffingtonUnconscious Bias by Stacey GordonBystander Training: From Bystander to Upstander by Catherine Mattice ZundelLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021Creating diverse and inclusive workspacesDiversity, Inclusion, and Belonging by Pat WadorsRolling Out a DIBs Training Program in Your Company by Dereca BlackmonHaving inclusive conversations and communicating across culturesSkills for Inclusive Conversations by Mary-Frances WintersCommunicating about Culturally Sensitive Issues by Daisy LovelaceCommunicating across Cultures by Tatiana Kolovou41Don’t fall behind: the fastest-growing skills in business, sales, IT, and engineeringIt’s a commonly held belief that the average life span of a skill — particularly a hard skill — is five years. Today, it seems like that life span is shortening, with new skills emerging at a more rapid pace than in years past. As a talent developer, it makes your job tougher to stay up to speed on the latest trends, let alone be ahead of the curve.We’re here to help.Here are the fastest-growing skills in business, sales, IT, and engineering to incorporate into your 2021 planning cycles — we’ve also included links to blog posts listing courses you can share with your employees to help them build these essential skills.2LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021Business1. Customer Experience 2. Digital Marketing 3. Data Analysis 4. Financial Statementsand Forecasting 5. Analytical Skills Read moreSales1. Data Analysis 2. Technical Support 3. Customer RelationshipManagement 4. Sales Process 5. Consulting Read moreInformation Technology1. Cybersecurity 2. Network Engineering 3. Analytical Skills 4. Scrum 5. Information Security Read moreEngineering1. React.js 2. Docker 3. AWS 4. Node.js 5. MongoDB Read moreLinkedIn data that helped us determine the fastest-growing skills: 772M+ members in over 200 countries • 55M companies • 14M jobs • 115,000 schools • 16,700 courses • 36,000 skills42Learner engagementin hybrid workplacesLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 202143Want to win the hearts and minds of Gen Z learners?Two words: Career growth.What happens when a completely digital generation — one that didn’t know life before the smartphone and social media — all of a sudden needs to learn and work in a completely virtual environment? It turns out that they are in their element, and they mean business. We asked Gen Z learners (ages 18–24 years old) how they like to learn and why. Then, we asked our Insights team about Gen Z learning habits on LinkedIn Learning. Taken together, we have a more complete picture of the Gen Z learner to help fuel your learning programs.LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021Gen Zers are learning more now than ever beforeWhen the pandemic hit, Gen Z flocked to learning resources and continued to learn at higher levels throughout the year — more than any other age group. In fact, 67% of Gen Z learners said that they spent more time learning in 2020 than they did the previous year. The data we gathered from the LinkedIn Learning platform bears that out. The number of Gen Z learners on LinkedIn Learning increased by two and a half times in 2020, compared to 2019, representing the highest increase of any generation. Once they found the online learning platform, they stayed to learn more. In fact, Gen Z learners watched 50% more hours per learner in 2020, compared to 2019. We also saw the upward trend in learning time in our survey data, with 69% reporting that they are carving out more time to learn.The number of Gen Z learners increased by 2.5x last year.3Gen Z watched 50% more hours per learner in 2020.469%of Gen Z learners reported that they are making more time to learn44The key to Gen Z’s heart is career growth% of learners globally who agreed with the statements belowGen Z: 1997–2012 (ages 9–24) Gen X: 1965–1980 (ages 41–56)Gen Y (Millennials): 1981–1996 (ages 25–40) Boomer: 1946–1964 (ages 57–75)100%80%76%61%60%56% 55%40%20%69%54%57%48%Learning is the key to success in my career100%80%60%47%40%38% 34%28%20%Learning is helping me expand my current roleGen Y wants to learn new skills to move into a different function (slightly more than Gen Z)51% 47%31% 23%Learning is helping me find new opportunities at my organizationI wanted to learn new skills to perform in a different functionLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021They are career-minded to the coreMany of us have spent time learning how to work remotely, manage stress, build more resilience, or create a more equitable workplace. Gen Z spent time doing those things, too. But if you really want to motivate a younger employee, then focus on career growth.Gen Z learners will spend time learning if it can help them perform well in their current jobs (69%), build the skills needed to work in a different function (47%), or find new roles internally (hello, internal mobility) — more than any other generation in the workforce. And, over three-quarters (76%) of Gen Z employees believe that learning is the key to a successful career. Music to our ears, right?Gen Z learners are building their hard skill foundationsOlder generations of learners are focused more on developing their soft skills, like communication and leadership. But Gen Z employees are spending their time learning how to be more productive (who isn’t?), and on business and technology basics — from learning how to code Python to understanding online marketing foundations. In the list of top courses that Gen Z took last year, you’ll notice that a majority of them are hard skills.Fun fact: Gen Z spends 12% more of their time on LinkedIn Learning building their hard skills when compared to the average learner.Top courses taken by Gen Z on LinkedIn Learning in 2020:1. The Six Morning Habits of High Performers by Pete Mockaitis2. Learning Python by Joe Marini3. Excel Essential Training (Office 365/Microsoft 365) by Dennis Taylor4. Strategic Thinking by Dorie Clark5. Learning Data Analytics by Robin Hunt6. Time Management: Working from Home by Dave Crenshaw7. Online Marketing Foundations by Brad Batesole8. Learning Excel 2019 by David Rivers9. Project Management Foundations by Bonnie Biafore10. Programming Foundations: Fundamentals by Annyce DavisLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021They turn to online learning to sharpen their hard skills and satisfy their curiosityWhen it comes to online learning, Gen Z is a bit of a dichotomy. On the one hand, they want to learn new skills to uplevel their performance (83%), and on the other, they want to explore topics that they’re curious about (73%). These numbers ranked higher than any other generation when we asked them the same questions.Work83%want to learn skills to perform better in their current rolePro tip:Make sure that course recommendations are highly personalized to their role and career goals. This was also the most important product feature that Gen Z values.Personal73%want to learn about a topic they are personally interested inPro tip:Find out what they are personally passionate about or sprinkle in a few course recommendations on photography or playing an instrument. Gen Z learners will thank you for it.% of Gen Z learners globally who said that they used online learning programs in the last six months46People learn better together: 30x lift in learner engagementMany of us spent the last year being physically distant from friends and family, and sometimes it can be… lonely. Humans are social creatures by nature, and recent circumstances have us creating community in new and innovative ways. Think about all of the new ways of connecting that have emerged over the last year. A stationary bike is nice, but when it’s connected to a Peloton community, it’s incredibly powerful. Zoom and Teams are now household names, with many of us spending an equal amount of time on personal video conference calls as on professional ones.You can bet on it — your learners are more lonely now than they were a year ago. According to Glint data from five million data points collected from employee surveys in August 2020, employees experienced less connection to leaders (31% of respondents), teammates (37%), and even their friends (40%).LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021Compared to their lives before the pandemic:31% of employees feel lessconnected to their leaders37% of employees feel lessconnected to their teammates40% of employees feel lessconnected to their friends47With the dramatic decrease of ILT, we were curious if communitybased learning was having an impact on engagement. When we looked at the data from LinkedIn Learning, we found that learners who use social features on average watched 30 times more hours of learning content. Hello, higher learner engagement! L&D pros globally deeply understand the power of community and the benefits of learning together beyond pure engagement. They believe that learning is more engaging when people learn together (86%), that employees who learn together are more successful (91%), and that it helps create a sense of belonging (92%). Even better, employees who feel a sense of belonging are 5.2 times more likely to be engaged. The data clearly demonstrates a beautiful virtuous circle of learning, belonging, and engagement.Learners who used social features spent 30x more hours learning than those who didn’t.5Community-based learning connects learners to colleagues, peers, and experts to drive higher engagement and inspire skill building. It uses blended online learning (VILT plus online learning), supported by social features — such as course recommendations from managers or administrators, sharing learnings on chat software, participating in online groups, or asking questions (and receiving answers) from instructors or influencers. Since the pandemic struck, we’ve seen an enormous increase in usage of all of these features. For example, there’s been a 1,100% increase in people joining Learning Groups, with joins from younger generations much higher than their older colleagues. There was also a 225% increase in courses shared with a learner’s professional network, and a 121% increase in activity — that includes both learners and instructors — in course Q&As.By infusing more community-based learning programs and technologies, your employees will not only feel more connected, they’ll spend more time learning. Boom.LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021There was a massive increase in the use of social features in 2020: 6Course shares +225%Contributions to course Q&As +121%Growth in learners joining Learning Groups: 7All generations:+1,100%Gen Z: +1,379%Gen Y: +1,023%Gen X: +975%Boomer: +853%L&D pros globally believe in the power of community-based learning:91%agree that teams that learn new skills together are more successful92%agree that communitybased learning helps foster a sense of belonging“There’s a social learning element to LinkedIn Learning that makes it quite engaging. Being able to connect with instructors and fellow learners, for example, and having the opportunity to learn from one another via the Q&A feature helps make learning more sticky. It also ingrains a habit of learning in moments of need, which is fundamental to developing a self-directed learning attitude.”David Hendrick, Director of People Development, Centre for Healthcare Innovation at Tan Tock Seng Hospital in Singapore48Pop Quiz: How well do you know your managers?Unlocking the power of managers to inspire learning on their teams is the perennial challenge for L&D pros globally. As the world of work has changed, so too has the role of the manager. Cover up the answer key on the right side of the page to test how well you know your managers.LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 20211. What do managers spend more time learning?Choose one.a. Hard skills b. Soft skills c. An equal mix of hard and soft skills d. Personal hobbiesAnswer: b, more soft skills Compared to the average learner, managers focus 24% more of their learning on soft skills.Source: LinkedIn Learning data2. True or false?Managers who have the room to learn and grow will be 2.5x more likely to be happy and engaged and 2.3x more likely to say that they will probably be with their company in two years.Answer: false Both stats are much higher. They are actually 3.5x more likely to be happy and engaged and 3.3x more likely to want to stay at their organization for two years. Talk about measuring the impact of learning!Source: Glint data3. What skills do most managers want to learn?Choose one.a. How to lead through change b. How to manage a virtual team c. Both a and b d. Neither a nor bAnswer: c, both a and b An astounding 80% of managers want to learn more about leading through change, and two-thirds (66%) want to learn about how to manage a team virtually. That’s good news because those skills will definitely come in handy this year.Source: % of managers surveyed who indicated they wanted to learn these skills49LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 20214. What is the biggest factor in manager burnout?Choose one. a. Feeling disconnected from colleagues b. Unclear job responsibilities c. Conflict between demands at home and work d. Overwhelming workload Answer: d, overwhelming workload All of these pressures contribute to burnout, but trying to shoulder an overwhelming workload (40%) is the biggest one, followed by feeling disconnected from colleagues (37%), and trying to balance home and work responsibilities (34%), with unclear job responsibilities coming in at 30%.Source: Sept 2020 LinkedIn omnibus survey5. True or false?70% of managers agreed that their direct reports who spend more time learning have higher employee satisfaction scores. Answer: true As learning leaders and HR pros, we’ve always known that learning usually correlates to higher employee satisfaction, but it turns out that nearly three-quarters (70%) of managers do, too.Source: % of managers surveyed who agreed with this statement50Top 10 L&D tactics that drive engagement in hybrid workplacesLearner engagement has always been a tough nut to crack. Add the challenge of a hybrid workplace, where you have some employees working remotely and some in the office, and it may feel daunting. But know this: you’re prepared. Every step you’ve taken toward blended learning in 2020, however big or small, is essential for getting and keeping learners engaged — no matter what comes next. Use these 10 tactics from your L&D peers to drive learner engagement to new levels in 2021.LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021#1Create relevant learning paths.Especially at a time when everyone is feeling decision fatigue, make it easy for your employees to find, follow, and focus on a learning path they’re interested in. Create your own or tap into some of the LinkedIn Learning paths that learners have loved this year, like staying productive at home, diversity and inclusion, and well-being. Throw in a ukulele lesson. Why not?Sundt created roughly 70 learning paths to support every operational position within the company. They sent out announcements about what was surging to get employees excited about the resource. Read more#2Let your guiding principles lead the way.At LinkedIn, we have four that helped us transition to meet learner needs in 2020: 1) Great content 2) Great delivery of that content 3) Operational excellence 4) Delivery of a great learning experience“If you nail all four, regardless of whether people are in a virtual or in-person setting, then the learning will stick.” Read moreKevin Delaney, VP of Learning & Development, LinkedIn in San Jose, California51#3Set up a digital training calendar.Include links to daily offerings, such as VILT courses, an online course of the day (or week), and even in-person training if still applicable. You can also enable learners to sign up for a VILT course right from the LinkedIn Learning platform. Being prescriptive about learning and adding “learning times” in calendars can go a long way to helping employees make time for learning.LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021#4Assign “pre-watch” online learning before a VILT session.It doesn’t have to be lengthy; it just needs to be something to get the juices flowing. Whether you’re focusing on helping employees build technology skills or raising awareness about unconscious bias, assigning learners prework with online learning content can help make virtual live conversations richer and more impactful.“I had two training courses for new graduates planned, and we had to quickly pivot and make them virtual courses. We assigned online courses before the real-time session — so learners didn’t go in cold, and we had content to discuss — and then after as a follow-up. It worked really well.” Read moreLenny Deverill-West, Learning & Development Manager, CDK Global in Totton, England#5Less is more.Just like this tip.“Someone wise once said that your mind can only absorb what your butt can endure. In this environment, less is more. I’m thinking about 60–90 minutes of live interaction a quarter.” Read moreKevin Delaney, VP of Learning & Development, LinkedIn in San Jose, California52#6Make learning social.In 2020, we were forced to take social events online, from happy hours and book clubs, to watch parties and weddings. Now it’s time to apply that same creativity to learning, like using Microsoft Teams to keep people connected. Employees can take a course together, then discuss what they’ve learned through chat.“Blending these online learning experiences helps keep learning social, and can help build a community centered around learning,” Read moreKirsten Dale, HR Director, Global Talent and Capability, Treasury Wine Estates in Melbourne, Australia#8Reimagine how to deliver live virtual.Don’t just convert in-person training into a video conference environment. Start fresh and bring a new perspective to building for live virtual: Can you drop the slides and just have a conversation? Is the content sufficiently modular? Is it too long for online consumption? Should we have virtual breakouts?“We can’t just port classroom training onto an online platform and expect it to work with the same level of effectiveness.” Read moreAnn Ann Low, Senior Director of L&D in APAC, LinkedIn in SingaporeLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021#7Tap into chat.Chat is where learners are hanging out these days, so make it a home for learning, too. Many organizations use Microsoft Teams as their primary chat collaboration and communication tool.“One of the first things that we did is set up a quick portal with content about how to use Microsoft Teams more effectively, as that was our primary chat collaboration and communication tool. The technology may be new, but many of the techniques are the same.” Watch moreSimon Brown, Chief Learning Officer, Novartis in Basel, Switzerland#9Get close to learner needs.To deliver learning that’s engaging, you have to understand what employees want. Reach out, ask, listen, and check in — again and again and again.“Spend as much time understanding the needs of your learners as you do understanding the needs of the business and you’re going to have a breakthrough program where everyone is engaged.” Watch moreAlyson DeMaso, CEO, Raising Beauty and former VP of Learning and Capability Building at the Estée Lauder Companies in New York City53LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021#10Help learners find their purpose.Give learners space for self-directed learning and access to a breadth of content to help them find what inspires them. Also help them find their purpose — when people can tie their learning to a bigger purpose, they’ll be more engaged in the experience and more motivated to keep their learning journey going. “We believe that people learn better when they know what they’re truly, truly passionate about. What is it that gives people meaning? When they discover what they’re truly passionate and purposeful about, they learn much more easily — 92% of employees who have been through our Discover Your Purpose workshop have higher engagement levels, feel more well at work, and feel more ready to learn.” Watch moreLeena Nair, CHRO, Unilever in London, England54Give it a go: learning for goodWhen we asked L&D pros globally about the learning programs they were planning to deploy this year, “learning for good” came in dead last. We can take some guesses as to why: In a year like 2020, when you’re doing everything you can to remake your programs and meet increasing (and changing) learner demands in this new world — all while your budgets are under constant scrutiny — philanthropy may not be the top priority. But we’re going to challenge you on this one. Especially in this tumultuous moment, giving back feels like the right thing to do. It’s also good for business. We walk, run, and bike for charity — why not learn for charity?LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021The CampaignAvnet’s Learning for a Cause — COVID-19The Call If employees reached the goal of 9,000 hours of learning in May 2020, Avnet would donate $30,000 to the “COVID-19 Solidary Response Fund” supporting the WHO.The Goal Support the communities they live in and foster a culture of self-directed learning.Mission Accomplished • 9,843 hoursof learning from global employees in the month of May • $30,000 donation to the COVID-19 response fund • ~60% increase in LinkedIn Learning activation • Increased use of LinkedIn Learning by managersWinning Strategies • Clear learning goal • Course recommendationsfrom execs • Internal partners • Regional alignment“The LinkedIn Learning challenge was a perfect way to engage employees in supporting those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic while improving their own skills through LinkedIn classes. The effort was a big success and brought employees together from all over the globe to focus on learning while doing good.”Jeanne Forbis, Avnet Cares Coordinator“When asked who won the challenge, the answer was simple — the charity won.”Sumy Joy, Learning and Development Partner at Avnet55Are you up for the challenge?Make 2021 the year that learning gives back — and tell us all about it in the L&D Connect group.As Allianz Technology and Avnet have proven, when you create “learning for good” initiatives that tie hours of learning to donations, it can help you drive engagement, motivate employees to upskill, and foster a culture of continuous learning. Get more details about how the L&D teams achieved this success in the Avnet blog post and Allianz case study.LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021The CampaignAllianz Technology’s Learning for a Good CauseThe Call For every hour that employees spent on LinkedIn Learning in a three-month period, Allianz Technology would donate one euro.The Goal Inspire employees to use LinkedIn Learning to develop their professional skills and support animal protection and environmental conservation.Mission Accomplished • 26,003 hoursof learning completed • €26,003 donatedto “Frankfurt Zoological Society” and “Sea Shepherd” • 5% increase in LinkedIn Learning registrations • Reached donation target in just three weeksWinning Strategies • Alignment with company’score values • Enthusiastic execs • Extensive internalpromotion plan • Gamification“This is definitely one of the most exciting projects I have worked on at Allianz so far. We’ve done something positive, motivated our employees to learn, and had a lot of fun implementing this initiative.”Linja Fraenz, L&D Expert, Allianz Technology SE“Learning for a Good Cause allows us to offer employees an additional incentive to make use of the opportunities for development, while at the same time raising money to help save our planet. It’s an initiative that really benefits everyone.”Alessia Vecchio, former Group Head of Inclusion & Employee Experience at Allianz56Looking ahead:What you need to knowLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 202157Parting thoughts:Learnings and advice from L&D pros around the worldWe’ll leave you with some inspiration and guidance from your peers in talent development.LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021Keep showing up“I’m convinced that if we as learning professionals show up day in, day out, week in, week out, and bring inspiring programs that communicate effectively with people, then we can raise the bar and help people do the very best work in their career.” Watch keynote at virtual summitKevin Delaney, VP of Learning & Development, LinkedIn in San Jose, CaliforniaAdopt a “blank sheet of paper” mentality“Go in every day and say ‘How might I do my job today if I were starting right now with the resources that I have available to me today? How might I be more efficient? How might I connect in a more impactful way?’” Watch keynote at virtual summitCarla Harris, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Morgan Stanley in Montclair, New JerseyCultivate your “inner game”“A pandemic requires a different set of skills: a combination of both ‘outer game’ (e.g., high performance, industry domain expertise, etc.) and ‘inner game’ (a sense of purpose, service, personal resilience and mastery, and agility). If you have the foundations of a great inner game, you can learn new skills and manage the outer game of leadership.” Watch keynote at virtual summitLeena Nair, CHRO, Unilever in London, England58Encourage students to become teachers“In China, we developed a peer-to-peer learning approach, where learners present what they’ve learned to their wider team. Having discussions about how you can apply learning to your working environment is a critical part of changing behaviour.”Read case studyDorna Eriksson Shafiei, VP of Talent Management at Atlas CopcoStockholm, SwedenLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021Pay attention to the “4 Ps”“I use the ‘4Ps’ to align learning programs with what learners need most. What are the patterns you’re seeing with leaders and teams? What are the problems that your teams and leaders are facing when they’re trying to achieve their objectives? What are the priorities of the business moving forward? And, what are the pain points that your HR leaders are experiencing the most?” Watch panel at virtual summitNaphtali Bryant, Director, Learning & Organization Development Netflix in Los Angeles, CaliforniaEncourage employees to #LearnLikeAnOwner“As soon as new employees walk in the door, we tell them that learning is a way we expect them to be engaged and encourage everyone in the company to commit to learning something new every day. We’re creating a movement that ignites a learning passion. That’s the foundation of a learning culture transformation.” Watch panel at virtual summitPamay Bassey, Chief Learning & Diversity Officer, the Kraft Heinz Company in Chicago, IllinoisDon’t forget to inventory cross-functional skills“Skills are the currency of the future. We are working to identify through our systems and through the data, the skills the organization needs, especially the functional and cross-functional strategic skills.” Watch panel at virtual summitLaura Krsnik, Head of Global Learning, Merck in Darmstadt, Germany59Listen to your internal customers“We’re talking to our internal customers more about what they want to learn and what the best format will be. We’ve also been joining our software development teams’ virtual stand-ups every week and using Glint surveys to identify focus areas like collaboration tools. Then, we’re able to go back to them with the right, relevant solution rather than just the programs we think they want.” Read blog postJacqueline Gay, L&D Manager at TomTomAmsterdam, NetherlandsLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021Involve your “business sounding board” early on“Our ‘business sounding board’ — a group of more than 30 GMs and VPs — has been with us from the very early stages of the design and piloting of our Group Leadership Portfolio module. We do this to better understand their needs, opportunities, and challenges around the specific skill that we’re going to help them build. We also use this group as our sponsors to promote the program.” Watch panel at virtual summitDorna Eriksson Shafiei, VP of Talent Management at Atlas Copco in Stockholm, SwedenBe intentional when setting personal and professional goals“When we’re intentional about what we want in our personal lives and can apply that same level of personal commitment to our professional development, this can show up as being more deliberate about setting goals for ourselves and our teams. With so much out of our control, something you can control is setting an intention that you can use to be successful in your personal and work life.” Read blog postJodi Atkinson, Senior Director of Global Learning, Deltek in Boston, MassachusettsMeasure your organization’s cultural competence“Use the Intercultural Development Inventory to measure behavioral change. We have people take it, we do some education and learning plans, and then nine months or a year later we have them take it again. Most of the time they have moved along this continuum, so we can measure that they’re more culturally competent.” Watch webcastMary-Frances Winters, President and CEO of the Winters Group and a LinkedIn Learning Instructor in Charlotte, North Carolina60LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021Track the impact of learning with employee survey responses“We’ll be looking at the response to questions in our employee surveys about whether our people have good opportunities to learn and develop and whether they actively seek out development opportunities. Those are our most important KPIs, and we’re looking forward to tracking progress against them.” Read case studyJohannes Lystbæk, Learning & Development Manager, LEGO Group in Billund, DenmarkIncorporate learning into individual development plans“We take developing people very seriously, and we intensively use individual development plans (IDPs) to map an employee’s performance, and then carefully handpick courses to help them reach their highest potential, based on their role and required skills.” Read blog postGauri Butti, Senior Manager of Learning & Organizational Development, CDK Global in Hyderabad, Telangana, IndiaStay close to who is defining the new normal“Now that most CEOs are prioritizing learning, it’s more important than ever to stay close to whoever is defining what the new normal looks like. L&D needs to be part of those conversations and address the reskilling and upskilling needs that will inevitably come up. That is the way to not only keep L&D’s seat at the table, but also continue to be a strategic partner shaping how work will happen in the future.” Read blog postSimon Brown, Chief Learning Officer, Novartis in Basel, Switzerland61AcknowledgementsEditor-in-ChiefAmanda Van NuysLinkedIn Learning EditorialPeter Wilson-Tobin Tara Kusumoto Laurie Moot Paul Petrone Rachel Lefkowitz Liz Maples Blake BuissonGlint EditorialEllen GomesResearch and InsightsColleen Dye Josh Hawthorne Sophie Smith Valeria GallinaLocalizationShih-Chi Chang Wendy Savin Elisabeth WohofskyLinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021Growth and WebEmi Agg Savanah Barry Colleen Rombach Neha Ajmani Christine Hoang Alyssa Retallick Alan Kavanagh Renee Balgobin Lucy Frye Karl Boehringer Rajni Sharma Jonathan Pettingill R.J. FoxCreativeKaelin McGill Elli Matejka Pora Rith Jared Freeden Olawale Oladunni Andrew DeBenedictis Doug Kohnen Peter Wilson-Tobin Kevin FrankInternational MarketingChristina O’Connor Alexandra Huber Kate Mallord Shuxian Li Namrata MurlindharPublic RelationsMarisa Ayyer Lucy Davies Bhairavi Shirish JhaveriCustomer MarketingMary Healy Orlaith CruiseProduct MarketingCourtney Brooks Sascha NollExecutive EngagementsJonathan Kilroy Máire CroninEvent MarketingLaura Parkinson Lizzy Hearne Chuck Jones Heidi OlsonLinkedIn Media ProductionsKaren Ordaz Jesus Cruz Paul Lynch Brad Davis Tom Jordan Keith Cheng Emanuel (EJ) Magat Jeff Milnes Chris Orfitelli Ryan Galvan Stephanie Elrod Andy Ta Josue Cruz Gabriel Lomeli Jr.Agencies910Zen Amp Shoosta ShinyDay Amdian62MethodologyWe surveyed 1,260 L&D Professionals and 814 Learners in November 2020 in English, French, and German. The full list of countries we surveyed include: US, UK, India, Canada, Australia, Germany, Singapore, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, France, Sweden, Belgium, Finland, Hong Kong, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Iceland, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Austria, and Switzerland. We also surveyed 3,080 people managers in English who self-identified as having direct reports globally in November and December 2020.LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 20211. We looked at the top 100 courses watched by L&D professionals between Jan 1, 2020, and Nov 30, 2020. We then compared the popularity of these courses among L&D pros to their popularity among all learners, to identify the courses where L&D pros most “over-index.” The courses highlighted here are the courses that L&D pros are more likely to watch than the average learner.2. Among the top 100 skills added by LinkedIn members to their profiles, we identified the skills that had the greatest growth in the number of professionals with the skill from August 2019 to August 2020. We excluded common skills which are possessed by a majority of members.3. We compared the number of Gen Z learners on LinkedIn Learning in 2020 with 2019.4. We looked at the number of hours per learner watched by Gen Z in 2020 compared to 2019.5. Compared learners who engaged with social features (course shares, Q&A, learning groups) at some point in a 12-month period (Oct 2019–Oct 2020) with those who did not.6. Percent (%) growth of learners sharing courses and engaging with Q&A, comparing the first five months of the pandemic (March–July 2020) with the previous five months (Oct 2019– Feb 2020).7. Percent (%) growth of learners joining Learning Groups comparing the first five months of the pandemic (March–July 2020) with the previous five months (Oct 2019–Feb 2020).63How can LinkedIn Learning prepare your team for what’s ahead?Get in touch with us to schedule a free demo and discuss how LinkedIn Learning can help your employees learn relevant skills, achieve their goals, and make a greater impact.Let’s chatRequest a demo or contact sales at 1-844-587-5735.LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report 2021
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