W H I T E PA P E R
Learning and Development Trends in Asia Pacific An insightful look at Learner Engagement, Learning Budgets, and Evaluating Learning’s Impact
Executive Summary Today, Learning and Development (L&D) is no longer regarded as a cost center but as an important accelerating factor in the growth and sustainability of any organization in the modern era. However, finding the right balance between program costs and learner needs while generating a measurable business impact is a challenge for many organizations today. This report takes an in-depth look at emerging trends within leading high-impact learning organizations across the Asia Pacific region, through the exploration of current learning preferences, needs and challenges as expressed by both learners and L&D decision-makers within these organizations. The findings point to three areas decision-makers should focus on in order to ensure the impact generated by L&D drives both sustainability and growth for the organization. The three areas of focus include creating higher learner engagement, managing L&D budgets effectively and measuring the impact and effectiveness of L&D within the organization.
Learning and Development Trends in Asia Pacific | 2013
Table of Contents
2
1) Introduction
3
2) D riving Learner Engagement
4
3) Making Budgets Work
10
4) Evaluating Impact and Effectiveness
13
5) Summary of Trends and Opportunities
16
6) Key Takeaways
17
7) Recommendations
18
8) Appendix I: Research Methodology
19
9) Appendix II: Sources & References
19
Learning and Development Trends in Asia Pacific | 2013
1.0 Introduction Learning and development (L&D) is a strategic business process. There is now intense pressure to demonstrate both effective learning outcomes as well as a measurable return on investment on chosen L&D initiatives. Placing emphasis on the real learning impact on employees and adapting programs to learners’ specific needs, enhances employees’ commitment and steers organizations towards greater financial growth and sustainability.i Maintaining a balance between learning expenses and desired, tangible learning outcomes is a tightrope walk all L&D leaders must walk on in order to be seen as relevant to the business. Focusing solely on hard financial returns could cause an organization to underfund talent development and compromise the ability to execute against the organizational goals. The rapid proliferation of information technologies and frequently-changing learner needs add an extra layer of difficulty, as L&D decision-makers need to constantly re-evaluate the long-term effectiveness of their budgeting, business alignment, quantified results or risk diminished impact. This report assesses current L&D trends in the Asia Pacific region. The three areas of focus covered in this report include: 1)
Driving learner engagement
2)
Making budgets work
3)
Evaluating impact and effectiveness
KEY FINDINGS
Driving Learner Engagement •
Learners have diverse learning needs
•
Learners appreciate the interaction and flexibility in learning
•
Time constraints are learners’ most pressing challenge
Making Budgets Work •
Elearning creates more cost-effective budgets and expands learning opportunities.
•
Developed countries are often challenged with resource and budget reductions, while emerging nations tend to experience resource and budget increases.
Evaluating Impact and Effectiveness •
With measurement, not only can L&D organizations evaluate impact, but they can also identify improvement areas.
•
The key metric that employees are concerned with is measuring how much their performance has changed.
Survey and report methodology The survey development for this report mainly targeted decision-makers – senior managers and other key decision-makers – in charge of L&D budgets and program growth in organizations across the Asia Pacific region, but also included questions for learners, to get a wider perspective on current trends and preferences in L&D.
i
Brum, S. (2007). What Impact Does Training Have on Employee Commitment and Employee Turnover?. Schmidt Labor Research Center Seminar Paper Series. University of Rhode Island.
3
Learning and Development Trends in Asia Pacific | 2013
The survey asked a range of questions related to respondents’ practical needs and current challenges depending on whether they are a decision-maker or a learner. A total of 490 survey responses were collected, out of which 57% came from decision-makers (senior management and human resource professionals) and 43% came from learners (employees participating in the learning program). RESEARCH SCOPE
TARGET AUDIENCE
Decision-Makers: Senior management and human resource professionals Learners: Employees participating in learning programs
Decision-Makers
Figure 1. Research scope and target audience
12 markets across the Asia Pacific region are represented in the study: Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. For the purpose of this study some markets are classified as developed (Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Korea) and others are considered emerging (China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam). The survey also includes data from more than 300 businesses and organizations across 20 industry sectors in Asia Pacific, with IT/ technical services and education/training services representing 42% of the sample.
2.0 Driving Learner Engagement As organizations focus on achieving greater business impact from talent development, in parallel, it is also important to continually improve learner engagement. The importance of engagement in the workplace has been established in multiple research studies, and has been shown to have a significant influence on job satisfaction, organizational commitment, organizational citizenship behavior, and the intention to quit. ii Increasing awareness and prescription Learners today are hungry for more learning, and awareness of the learning offerings available is key. 70% of surveyed learners state they would like more access to L&D programs than they have at present, even when most of them already have a diverse range of resources at their disposal (Figure 2). This presents an opportunity for organizations to step in and direct learners in a more prescriptive manner. Furthermore, offering a comprehensive portfolio of learning products is not enough, as learning resources must be presented in ways that are directly relevant to employees’ business initiatives, project teams, job roles, and key competencies.
4
ii
Andrew, O. C. and Sofian, S. (2012). Individual Factors and Work Outcomes of Employee Engagement. The Asia Pacific Business Innovation & Technology Management. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 40, 498 –508.
Learning and Development Trends in Asia Pacific | 2013
Figure 2. Learners who indicated their level of agreement on their accessibility of learning and the impact of learning on work performance. I would like to have access to more learning than I presently do.
1%
I have access to a diverse range of courses and topics in the learning program provided by my organization.
1%
I find that I have regular access to as much learning in my work environment as I would like
1%
I have been able to apply the skills I have gained from the learning programs available to me at my organization. The learning that is available to me provides me with the skills that I need to cope with changes within my organization and/or industry
11%
18%
41%
29%
43%
22%
16%
45%
62%
1% 3%
2%
20%
17%
10%
51%
15%
Strongly Disagree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly Agree
Learner engagement impacts work performance and talent retention Learner engagement increases the effectiveness of L&D programs by promoting greater interest, role ownership and commitment, key elements impacting work performance and talent retention. The survey results shown in Figure 2 reveal that 79% of surveyed learners are able to apply the skills they have gained from learning programs while 61% of them find the skills acquired through learning help them cope with changes within their organization and industry. In addition, having access to learning resources leads to increased talent retention and reduced workforce attrition, particularly in emerging markets (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Learners who indicated their level of agreement on how learning may impact talent retention. The learning program that I have access to at my organization is an important factor that keeps me from actively looking for other employment opportunity
APAC
Developed
2%
28%
27%
41%
2%
Emerging
20%
1%
Strongly Disagree
11%
Disagree
12%
7%
37%
Agree
17%
Strongly Agree
5
Learning and Development Trends in Asia Pacific | 2013
The following sections explore how organizations can drive learner engagement by meeting learning needs, providing optimal learning environments, capitalizing on the value of learning, and understanding the challenges learners face.
Meeting Learning Needs with a Range of Delivery Types Availability and easy access to content is undeniably one of the critical success factors in the creation of an effective L&D program. In an age where rapid technological advancements continuously change the way we work, organizations must embrace employees’ changing behaviors to keep training and learning both accessible and at the same time instructionally sound and effective from a skills transfer standpoint. Offer blended learning to successfully meet learners’ needs 64% of surveyed learners are equally at ease with classroom learning and elearning; with several respondents suggesting that each learning approach has its own advantages (classroom learning offers more person-to-person interactions while elearning allows more flexibility, scalability, and reach). In line with this, 87% of surveyed organizations in Asia Pacific provide learners with both classroom learning and elearning. Learning should be made accessible anytime, anywhere and on mobile devices Providing learners with easy access to learning resources wherever they are is another key element to effective long-term L&D strategies. 85% of surveyed learners typically access learning materials in their offices, while 49% access them from their homes, and 23% access them when they are commuting or away from both office and home. Organizations must extend their offerings by making them accessible on mobile devices, as research findings indicate a significant preference for this mode of accessibility. The survey reveals that 82% of surveyed learners prefer to always or sometimes access learning on their mobile devices, which includes smartphones, tablets, and laptops. This preference is also predominant among learners who do not yet have access to learning on mobile devices; 65% of these learners state that they would like to have the option to access their learning resources on mobile devices. The survey results also show that only 44% of surveyed organizations in Asia Pacific have learning programs available on mobile devices. For those that do not have such an offering, decision-maker respondents cited technological or IT security challenges as the top reasons for not adopting mobile learning. Notably, cost was cited as one of the least pressing concerns for decision-makers in relation to the adoption of mobile learning.
82%
6
BUT ONLY
44%
of learners prefer to or sometimes prefer to access learning
of organizations in Asia-Pacific have learning
on their mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, or laptops)
programs available on mobile devices
Learning and Development Trends in Asia Pacific | 2013
Providing an Optimal Learning Environment Creating an optimal learning environment that drives learner engagement requires organizations to understand the motivations of learners in each learning environment. A key challenge many organizations face is creating an optimal learning environment from a range of learning delivery modes to meet differing learner needs. The majority of surveyed learners (64%) are equally at ease with both classroom learning and elearning. Therefore, rather than focusing on one modality versus another, we see that organizations are increasingly offering varied learning environments, where a portion of the instructor-led training is replaced by more flexible and convenient elearning modules. Blended learning has been identified by the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) as one of the top trends to emerge in the knowledge delivery industry, and this trend is alive and well in markets across Asia Pacific. iii Increase collaboration and hands-on activities Organizations should focus within classroom learning their efforts on creating more Within classroom settings, organizations should interactive learning experiences focus their efforts on creating more interactive learning experiences. When asked what they liked about classroom learning environments, surveyed learners revealed that interaction was ranked at the top (53%), with several respondents describing the ability to discuss and explore ideas with instructors or fellow learners in a face-to-face setting as essential to their learning experience. Other engagement factors that were important to learners included peer-to-peer sharing and collaboration (20%), hands-on experience (13%), and networking opportunities (9%) (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Learners who indicated their preference for classroom learning in an open-ended question. Why do you prefer this learning option (classroom)?
Interaction with instructor and other learners
53%
20%
Sharing of knowledge / Collaboration
Experiential learning
Networking Opportunities
13%
9%
Elearning offers flexibility, mobility and convenience, as well as an on-demand environment Interaction is the key to optimal learning in a classroom setting, but having the flexibility to learn at one’s own pace and at any time and place are the main reasons learners prefer elearning courses. Figure 5 shows that more than half of surveyed learners (57%) appreciate the flexibility, mobility, and convenience of elearning, while 35% value the process of learning at their own pace.
iii
Rooney, J. E. (2003). Blended learning opportunities to enhance educational programming and meetings. Association Management, 55(5), 26-32.
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Learning and Development Trends in Asia Pacific | 2013
Elearning offers more than flexibility – studies have shown that knowledge retention is greater after taking Skillsoft content and reduces scrap learning to a greater degree than classroom. Furthermore, elearning continues to evolve and offers greater opportunities for collaboration in the modern era. With tools such as inGenius™, subject matter experts, mentors and peers can build greater context into content through social learning, while learning solutions such as Live Learning™ offer learners the ability to bring the benefits of traditional classroom training to the desktop and thus offering greater flexibility and convenience.
Figure 5. Learners who indicated their preference for elearning in an open-ended question. Why do you prefer this learning option (elearning)?
57%
Flexibility, Mobility, Convenience
35%
Self-paced learning
Accessibility of courses
Selection of courses
7%
2%
Employees Strongly Value Learning The 2012 KPMG Human Capital and Learning Survey showed that nearly half of decision-makers feel that offering more specific and relevant training is the best way to improve the effectiveness of learning programs.iv A best practice is to conduct an annual audit of the entire portfolio of learning offerings to ensure that each offering perfectly aligns with the company’s business and personnel strategies. “Each learning offering should help the organization make money, save money, or do both”. Design learning that develop skills and knowledge, and support behavior changes Learning programs must develop learners’ capabilities and equip them with skills that directly impact their job performance. In fact, 100% of surveyed learners value learning resources as a flexible means to develop their skills, develop knowledge, or to support behavior changes (Figure 6). Cultivating leadership, for instance, is a central skill for 60% of surveyed organizations. Adaptability and critical thinking were also found to be important workplace skills.v Gathering feedback from learners is an important factor to keep learning relevant to participants’ business needs.
iv
KPMG. (2012). Increasing the Value of Your Human Capital through Effective Learning Strategies and Programs: Results from the KPMG 2012 Human Capital and Learning Survey. Retrieved from http://www.kpmg.com/US/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Documents/learning-human-capital.pdf v
8
Society for Human Resource Management. (2008). Critical Skills Needs and Resources for the Changing Workforce: A study by the Society for Human Resource Management and WSJ.com/Careers. Retrieved from http://www.shrm.org/Research/SurveyFindings/Articles/Pages/CriticalSkillsNeeds.aspx
Learning and Development Trends in Asia Pacific | 2013
Figure 6. Learners who indicated their level of agreement with the following statement on the value of learning. I value learning resources as a flexible means to develop my skills, develop knowledge, or to support behavior changes.
29%
71%
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
Unpacking Critical Learning Challenges Learning challenges can become significant barriers to effective learner engagement, and the ability to recognize and neutralize these challenges allows organizations to improve and refine their learning offerings. Offer learners bite-size resources to fit time-starved schedules Time constraints were cited as a top challenge by many respondents. While 80% of surveyed learners stated that they value learning programs and find the time to make use of available learning resources, 46% indicated that they are under constant pressure to find time to learn and develop. As a result, organizations should consider offering smaller, bite-sized learning resources that can cater to learners constrained by busy work schedules. Elearning courses can be leveraged to provide learners with the ability to learn at their own pace, in their own time and where it suits them, due to their modular and on-demand nature. Apply a structured process to increase learning transfer Low application of learning for work purposes was ranked as the second most pressing learning challenge, with 15% of learners indicating that there is a lack of structured learning process that enable them to apply the knowledge gained into their daily work responsibilities. In light of this, organizations should frame-out their learning processes by mapping resources according to learners’ career development, and design learning content that learners can directly apply to their day-to-day roles. Respondents also suggest implementing a platform for managers to provide feedback on how they are applying their newly-acquired skills. Offer resources that cater to different learning Learners want resources that are stages and work functions both relevant and diverse Learners want resources that are both relevant and diverse. Learners indicated that limited course selections were among the most pressing challenges. This lack of diversity in the range of learning programs translates to L&D programs that are either not specific to their role or function at work, or offerings that are not available at the right subject or skill level.
9
Learning and Development Trends in Asia Pacific | 2013
Organizations must therefore gather feedback from learners to remain aligned to the competencies they need to be successful (Figure 7). Respondents were also looking for manager feedback on how they applied their new skills to the job. Therefore, L&D program administrators should encourage managers to become more engaged with supporting learners before (to confirm why the development will be helpful) and after their training experience (to ensure the new skills are applied quickly).
Figure 7.Learners who indicated their learning challenges in an open-ended question. (Top three responses) Currently, what is the most pressing challenge you face as a learner?
57%
Time Constraints
46% 15%
Low applicability for work purposes
Limited selection of courses
7% 7%
3.0 Making Budgets Work The need to invest in building talent can frequently be at odds with budget and resource limitations. That is why it is essential for organizations to continuously look for ways to obtain greater value and efficiencies from their learning investments. The following section explores how the issue of lean budgets can be overcome by investing in learning technologies. Limited resources for learning is a major challenge Smaller learning budgets and insufficient resources are two of the major issues surveyed organizations face in relation to the effective management of L&D programs. 18% of surveyed decision-makers stated that budget and resource limitations were their top challenges, while others listed similar budget-related concerns (costs of learning programs, budget cuts, insufficient budget and manpower, etc.). Increasing learning budgets in emerging countries Surveyed organizations in emerging countries are increasing their L&D investments; 62% of these decision-makers indicated that their organizations’ learning budgets have increased by some 1125% over the past two years (Figure 8).
10
Learning and Development Trends in Asia Pacific | 2013
Figure 8. The increase or decrease of organizations’ learning budgets as identified by decision-makers. Has your organization’s learning budget increased or decreased over the last 2 years?
APAC
26%
Emerging Developed
27% 16%
42%
19%
32%
62%
32%
Decreased
30%
No Change
Increased
62% of surveyed organizations in emerging markets have an annual average L&D spend of US$500 or less per learner, with 41% spending US$200 per learner or less. By comparison, around half (51%) of the surveyed organizations in developed markets estimate an annual spend US$900 or more per learner (Figure 9). Although surveyed organizations in emerging markets allocate relatively lower budgets to L&D compared to the developed ones, there is no indication that the demand for learning is not being effectively met, as costs to provide learning resources may be relatively lower in many of the emerging markets. Decreasing learning budgets in developed countries Despite having larger learning budgets overall, many organizations in developed countries are reducing the budgets allocated to learning and development. Survey results revealed that close to a third of decision-makers (32%) in developed countries saw their organizations’ learning budgets decrease over the past two years, while another 32% saw no change in learning budgets (Figure 8). Of the organizations that saw their budgets decrease, the majority (29%) saw budgets decrease between 11-25%.
Figure 9. Organizations’ estimated spend on learning and development as identified by decision-makers. What is your organization’s estimated annual spend per learner (USD) on Learning & Development?
APAC
26%
21%
16%
Developed Emerging
20%
21%
41%
$0 to $200
$300 to $500
11%
14%
13%
18%
8%
$600 to $800
9%
$900 to $1,100
25%
4%
5%
28%
20%
$1,200 to $1,400
$1,500 or more
11
Learning and Development Trends in Asia Pacific | 2013
Investing in Learning Technology As organizations strive to achieve greater learning impact with their budget, investing in technology becomes critical to a more cost effective and scalable learning solution. This has also been highlighted in other research, where cost effectiveness was cited as one of the top reasons for employers to use learning technologies.vi As shown in Figure 10, over half of the surveyed organizations in both developed (60%) and emerging (54%) markets of Asia Pacific estimated an annual spend of US$200 or less per learner on elearning.
Figure 10. Organizations’ estimated spend on elearning as identified by decision-makers. What is your organization’s estimated annual spend per learner (USD) on elearning?
APAC
57%
19%
6% 8% 2%
Developed
60%
15%
7%
54%
Emerging $50 to $200
$300 to $500
21%
$600 to $800
$900 to $1,100
8%
9% 1% 7%
6% 8% 2%
$1,200 to $1,400
9%
$1,500 or more
Expanding learning opportunities through elearning Elearning presents a significant opportunity to offer a more comprehensive and diverse range of learning resources. For surveyed learners that have access to elearning within their organization, most (69%) stated that they were satisfied with the range and diversity of resources available to them. On the other hand, learners that do not have access to elearning, only 16% felt the same way (Figures 11 and 12). This reaffirms the importance of offering a comprehensive and diverse range of learning resources, while also highlighting that fact elearning solutions can help organizations build a portfolio of resources that cater to broad range of learner needs.
vi
12
Murray, D. (2001). E-learning for the workplace. The Conference Board of Canada. Retrieved from http://openedpractices.org/files/e-learning_for_the_ workplace.pdf
Learning and Development Trends in Asia Pacific | 2013
Figure 11. Learners who have access to elearning and indicated their level of agreement with the following statements on the accessibility of learning in their organizations. I find that I have regular access to as much learning in my work environment as I would like.
1%
14%
I have access to a diverse range of courses and topics in the learning program provided by my organization.
1%
14%
My organization provides me with a comprehensive learning program throughout the year.
45%
46%
25%
3%
Strongly Disagree
22%
23%
33%
14%
Strongly Agree
Agree
Disagree
Figure 12. Learners who do not have access to elearning and indicated their level of agreement with the following statements on the accessibility of learning in their organizations. I find that I have regular access to as much learning in my work environment as I would like.
42%
I have access to a diverse range of courses and topics in the learning program provided by my organization. My organization provides me with a comprehensive learning program throughout the year.
42%
75%
17%
Strongly Disagree
8%
17%
50%
Disagree
8%
Agree
Strongly Agree
4.0 Evaluating Impact and Effectiveness A proper measurement strategy is essential to evaluate effectiveness and impact. In fact, a 2011 Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Learning and Talent Development Survey found that organizations that have identified clear success criteria to measure outcomes are ten times more likely to conduct effective talent management activities.vii Many organizations appear to measure for measurement’s sake Most organizations already place great emphasis on more basic measures of L&D programs as a quick and efficient way of obtaining feedback. However, few organizations seem to be putting evaluation practices to work in the long term. While the evaluation of learning takes place in 70% of surveyed organizations across Asia Pacific, only about a third (36%) go beyond the procedure of measuring by actively making adjustments to their learning programs.
vii
CIPD. (2011). Learning and Talent Development 2011. Retrieved from http://www.qopd.co.uk/downloads/Learning%20and%20Talent%20 Development%202011.pdf
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70%
55%
of learners state that their organizations conduct post-course evaluation
36%
of learners believe that their organizations have a clear and effective process and standard metrics in place
of learners believe that their organizations actively make adjustments to learning
Figure 13. Learners who indicated their level of agreement with the following statements on the evaluation of learning in their organizations. My organization asks for my feedback about the learning programs I have participated in.
3%
My organization has a clear and effective process for collecting my feedback about our organization’s learning programs. My organization measures the impact of my learning activity and actively makes adjustments to the program to suit my interests or needs.
5%
Strongly Disagree
28%
37%
20%
23%
7%
42%
13%
28%
Disagree
17%
8%
Agree
Gathering feedback from learners is the most common form of evaluation among surveyed organizations. However, collecting feedback does not always translate into concrete measures to enhance the effectiveness of learning programs (Figure 13). The opportunity lies in how organizations translate data into insights and actions that actually modify their strategies. Improved performance and employee satisfaction are the most common metrics When asked to identify the three most important metrics used to measure the impact and effectiveness of L&D, surveyed decision-makers across Asia Pacific focus on “improved performance by employee” (70%), “employee satisfaction” (60%), and “improved performance by organization” (48%) (Figure 14).
14
Strongly Agree
Learning and Development Trends in Asia Pacific | 2013
Figure 14. The most common metrics used in evaluating the impact and effectiveness of the learning program as identified by decision-makers. What are the 3 most important metrics that you use to measure the impact and effectiveness of your learning program
57%
Improved performance by the employee
70%
60%
Employee satisfaction
Improved performance by organization / division
48%
7%
41%
Return on Investment (ROI)
34%
Staff retention / reduced staff turnover
32%
Managed compliance / reduced risks
Reduced cost of training per employee
Increased revenue
21% 18%
Measuring employees’ satisfaction with the learning program is critical to driving greater learner engagement. However, it is worth noting that appreciation may not always translate into improved job performance. As a result, it is important to ensure you have a range of KPIs in place that measure not just employee satisfaction, but performance improvements as well. Notably, the survey results indicated that decision-makers in Asia Pacific currently rank “improved performance by employee” as a more important metric than “employee satisfaction”. It is also worth highlighting that critical metrics may vary across organizations, so while these findings provide an indication on how organizations should evaluate learning offerings, they also need to ensure their measurement strategy fits the organizational context and culture.
Value in tracking and measurement Across Asia Pacific, four out of five surveyed organizations recognize the value of learning evaluations and 40% of surveyed organizations indicated that they conduct quarterly reports on the impact and effectiveness of their learning programs. Effective monitoring and evaluation processes allow organizations to determine if the objectives set for their learning programs have been met. The Australian Public Service Commission states, for instance, that there are four objectives in evaluating L&D: “to assess whether intended L&D outcomes have been met, to continuously improve L&D programs, to assess if resources are used in an optimal way, and to determine the value for money of L&D initiatives”.viii
72%
of learners find that the learning programs provide them with skills that they need to cope with changes within their organizations
viii
Australian Public Service Commission. (2005). Evaluating learning and development: a framework for judging success. Canberra: Australian Public Service Commission. Retrieved from http://www.apsc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/7706/evaluation.pdf
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Learning and Development Trends in Asia Pacific | 2013
Effective evaluation practices help learners meet their learning goals From the organization’s perspective, it is important for learning programs to offer employees relevant skills that can impact their work performance, and post-course evaluation appears to play an important role in it. In surveyed organizations that gather feedback about their learning program, 72% of learners find that learning programs provided them with the skills they need to cope with changes within their roles or industries. This figure is considerably lower (34%) for organizations that do not gather feedback from learners.
5.0 Summary of Trends and Opportunities Learning must be made more accessible – leverage technology and mobile devices 94% of surveyed organizations across the Asia Pacific region are currently adopting new L&D technologies and providing access to elearning resources. 82% of surveyed learners stated that they would like to use mobile devices for learning purposes, yet only 44% of surveyed decisionmakers currently offer learning resources on a mobile device (smartphones, tablets, or laptops), with most (32%) citing technological or security limitations as the primary reason for the limited mobile learning options.
Across Asia Pacific, surveyed Limited learning budgets and resources are the decision-makers point to limitations new reality in learning budgets and resources Across Asia Pacific, surveyed decision-makers point as their top L&D concern to limitations in learning budgets and resources as their top L&D concern. In particular, 18% of them indicated that managing budget constraints, high costs, or staff shortages are currently their most pressing challenge. Organizations should shift more investments to elearning to maximize budgets While the majority of organizations offer elearning resources to learners, it represents a relatively small portion of organizations’ learning programs. The estimated annual spend on elearning is around US$200 per learner or less for organizations across Asia Pacific. By proportion, this degree of investment is low, especially within developed countries. Given that this research reveals that learners have a significant appetite for technology-enabled learning, budget holders would be well served to increase the proportion of their investments toward technology. Doing so would simultaneously achieve greater scale. Put learner insights into action for effective L&D programs 70% of surveyed organizations across the Asia Pacific region conduct post-course and program evaluations. However, only slightly more than half of the surveyed learners (55%) believe that their organizations have clear processes and standard metrics in place to collect information and measure the impact and effectiveness of their learning programs. This figure is even lower (36%) when learners are asked if they believe their organizations actively evaluate and adjust the learning programs they offer.
16
Learning and Development Trends in Asia Pacific | 2013
Budgets down in developed countries and up in emerging countries Over the past two years, most organizations in developed markets have reduced the allocated L&D budgets by 11-25%, increasing the pressure to achieve more with less. On the other hand, learning budgets have increased by 11-25% for most surveyed organizations in emerging markets, a trend that indicates a growing demand for L&D products and services. The annual spend on L&D is estimated at more than US$900 per learner for 51% of the organizations in developed markets and at US$500 or less per learner for 62% of emerging markets. While these budgets are significantly lower in emerging markets than in developed markets, this does not necessarily mean that learners in emerging markets have access to less learning resources, as operational costs may be much lower and much more accessible in these markets.
6.0 Key Takeaways 6.1 Engagement 1. Increased employee engagement has been shown to lead to significant performance increase which in turn leads to improved sales, operating profits and net margin as well as talent retention and employee satisfaction.ix L&D teams are increasingly asked to play a role in driving employee engagement by offering learning resources that is relevant and targeted to business initiatives as well as the employee’s job roles and key competencies. 2. Employees are typically looking for more learning resources to be made available to them while at the same time are being challenged to find sufficient time in their working day to complete their own personal development (46% of surveyed learners indicated time constraint as their most pressing learning challenge). Consequently, they are increasingly looking to their organizations to deliver learning resources via new modalities, with mobile learning being a strong preference. 3. Organizations in Asia are increasingly mixing technology based approaches with traditional classroom methods to offer blended learning solutions. At the same time, new learning models are emerging that focus on the concept of continuous learning to help drive learner engagement, underpinned by technology. x
6.2 Budgets 1. L&D stakeholders are increasingly under pressure to justify, or indeed, reduce their budgets, yet an organization’s learning strategy is increasingly expected to align with the strategic direction of the business. 2. As L&D budgets in developed APAC markets decline year over year, stakeholders are increasingly encountering C-level scrutiny on expenditure. C-level executives increasingly demand that all new expenditure must either quantifiably help the organization make money or save money. Therefore L&D managers must ensure that their budget is proactively aligned to organization strategy, prioritized to meet top line and bottom line goals and is outcomesfocused as opposed to activity-focused. ix
Pontefract, D. (2013). Flat Army: Creating a Connected and Engaged Organization. Wiley.
x
Bersin. (2013). Predictions for 2013: Corporate Talent, Leadership and HR—Nexus of Global Forces Drives New Models for Talent. Bersin by Deloitte. Retrieved from http://marketing.bersin.com/2013-predictions.htmls
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Learning and Development Trends in Asia Pacific | 2013
3. Investing in technology is seen as important to increase scale of learning programs on offer as well as to extend reach to a greater number of learners within the organization who may have found traditional methods difficult to access.
6.3 Evaluation 1. Organizations are now beginning to expand traditional evaluation metrics (which focused primarily on learner performance and satisfaction) to now include value based measurements such as Return on Investment (ROI) or Skillsoft’s own Value Impact Analysis (VIA)™. 2. In some cases organizations are using the evaluation process to directly link results back to the original goals that learning was aligned to, such as increasing revenues or decreasing costs. 3. Organizations that have identified clear success criteria to measure outcomes are ten times more likely to conduct effective talent management activities. Identifying measurement criteria early affords L&D executives the opportunity to involve business stakeholders in determining what to measure, with the additional benefit that those stakeholders can help drive the success of the program through executive sponsorship.
7.0 Recommendations 7.1 Engagement 1. It is not simply sufficient to offer a comprehensive portfolio of learning offerings, it is also essential to align them to the learners so that they can engage with the resources more effectively. Many organizations align their offerings to business initiatives, project teams, job roles and competencies. 2. Create an inventory of all current learning assets and determine the appropriate learning modality for optimum blending taking into account the different learning, cultural and technical preferences of your target learning audiences. 3. By aligning learning resources to organizational objectives and clearly communicating to employees why that alignment exists within a comprehensive internal marketing strategy and plan, learners will be more interested in accessing available learning resources and consequently more engaged.
7.2 Budgets 1. L&D executives should develop baselines for efficiency of learning programs, set aggressive targets to exceed that baseline and plan accordingly. Three important efficiency metrics to focus on are (1) delivery mix (distribution of your training delivery through classroom and technology modalities, (2) learner reach (number of employees participating in learning offerings) and (3) cost per hour (average investment per learning hour). 2. L&D executives should examine their delivery mix and identify where they can implement blended models to reduce the length of instructor led training time, shift some face-to-face to a virtual classroom format where appropriate, and marry the right elearning resources before, during and after the event.
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3. By developing efficiency metrics and increasing the technology mix in blended learning programs, L&D executives will begin to refine their budget. The most rigorous approach to budget management will include a more analytical approach such as using Skillsoft L&D Budget Optimization Analysis tool.
7.3 Evaluation 1. Set and communicate meaningful success criteria as early as possible in the process and then secure initial executive buy-in on measurement strategy. Ensure that success criteria and measurement strategy is aligned to the organization’s strategic goals. 2. Schedule measurement intervals at the outset to ensure all necessary actions such as data collection are taken at the appropriate time. Determine the intervals between measurements appropriate to your organization by understanding when you are likely to see evidence of change: a recommended best practice is to schedule measurement intervals on a quarterly basis. 3. Use the results of your evaluations to not only improve the learning effectiveness of the program but also to identify ways to improve the marketing of the learning programs to learners which will in turn lead to higher adoption, increased employee engagement and a greater return on investment (ROI).
8.0 Appendix I: Research Methodology Online surveys were distributed to Skillsoft’s database of existing clients, learners and decisionmakers from various organizations. The survey gathered 490 responses from 12 markets in Asia Pacific, with 270 responses coming from developed markets (Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Korea) and 220 responses from emerging markets (China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam). While Australia and India represented three-quarters of the sample used in this paper, and may not be representative of all the countries in Asia Pacific, the sample is a balanced representation of both emerging and developed markets.
9.0 Appendix II: Sources & References Brum, S. (2007). What Impact Does Training Have on Employee Commitment and Employee Turnover?. Schmidt Labor Research Center Seminar Paper Series. University of Rhode Island. Andrew, O. C. and Sofian, S. (2012). Individual Factors and Work Outcomes of Employee Engagement. The Asia Pacific Business Innovation & Technology Management. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 40, 498 –508. Rooney, J. E. (2003). Blended learning opportunities to enhance educational programming and meetings. Association Management, 55(5), 26-32.
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KPMG. (2012). Increasing the Value of Your Human Capital through Effective Learning Strategies and Programs: Results from the KPMG 2012 Human Capital and Learning Survey. Retrieved from http://www.kpmg.com/US/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Documents/learning-humancapital.pdf Society for Human Resource Management. (2008). Critical Skills Needs and Resources for the Changing Workforce: A study by the Society for Human Resource Management and WSJ. com/Careers. Retrieved from http://www.shrm.org/Research/SurveyFindings/Articles/Pages/ CriticalSkillsNeeds.aspx Murray, D. (2001). E-learning for the workplace. The Conference Board of Canada. Retrieved from http://openedpractices.org/files/e-learning_for_the_workplace.pdf CIPD. (2011). Learning and Talent Development 2011. Retrieved from http://www.qopd.co.uk/ downloads/Learning%20and%20Talent%20Development%202011.pdf Australian Public Service Commission. (2005). Evaluating learning and development: a framework for judging success. Canberra: Australian Public Service Commission. Retrieved from http://www. apsc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/7706/evaluation.pdf Pontefract, D. (2013). Flat Army: Creating a Connected and Engaged Organization. Wiley. Bersin. (2013). Predictions for 2013: Corporate Talent, Leadership and HR窶年exus of Global Forces Drives New Models for Talent. Bersin by Deloitte. Retrieved from http://marketing.bersin.com/2013predictions.htmls
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