During the summer months, training initiatives often slow down, with team members taking time off or managing lighter workloads. Since L&D teams typically use this quieter period to pause, reflect on their strategy, evaluate existing programmes, and refine future training plans, staying updated with the latest trends and tools often gets overlooked.
As September rolls around, L&D teams will return to full capacity after the summer holiday break. Yet, the transition back into the busy post-holiday season can be challenging.
This period can feel overwhelming for L&D leaders as they face the challenges of reigniting engagement, addressing knowledge gaps, and ramping up training efforts. With teams working to rebuild momentum, delivering impactful training that realigns their goals for the busy months ahead requires staying on top of the latest trends and tools.
How can you spread the load and maintain momentum?
Learn how to enhance engagement and drive better outcomes as you move into the post-summer period. Let’s look at five L&D trends with tools you should look for now and beyond.
At a glance:
- Prioritise leadership development
- Make on-demand learning the norm
- Take a human-first, learner-second approach
- Train wider than your employees
- Change from skill development to personal development
1. Prioritise leadership development
Around 80% of organisations report a leadership development gap. What’s more, 84% fear this gap will continue over the next five years.
If we look at Gen Z employees (those born between 1997 and 2012), this generation follows Millennials and is known for growing up in a highly digital world. These employees want to grow and develop more than any other generation
With businesses facing significant challenges like budget cuts and team reductions — over 70% since 2023 — leadership development initiatives can make sure your organisation is well-prepared, increase job satisfaction and reduce turnover even when resources are tight.
Provide valuable development opportunities without straining budgets by prioritising essential leadership skills with flexible, cost-efficient training methods like online courses and microlearning.
By offering diverse leadership development learning materials, including videos, articles, and interactive modules, learners stay engaged and motivated.
Learning experience platforms, like Blossom, personalise learning experiences to individual needs and preferences, ensuring that each employee receives relevant content that matches their skills and career goals.
2. Make on-demand learning the norm
Gone are the days when employees attended a face-to-face training event and blocked out a significant amount of time in their schedules.
Today’s workforce seeks flexible, accessible learning that fits seamlessly into daily routines. Yet despite 68% of learners preferring to train on the job, just 12% of businesses said they prioritise integrating learning within the flow of work, according to a CIPD report.
With digital platforms and mobile learning tools, employees can access training materials on their own terms — whether during a commute, lunch break, or whenever they have a few spare moments.
On-demand learning or learning in the flow of work means you can meet this demand by providing training that integrates seamlessly into daily tasks. Allow employees to develop new skills without disrupting their productivity and make learning a natural part of their workday.
When learning is relevant to their role, employees see the benefits of attending, and engagement and motivation increase. This saves time and empowers employees to take charge of their development, increasing engagement and improving the learning experience. What’s more, employees are more likely to apply what they’ve learned in real-time, driving immediate results for your business.
Let’s put that into perspective.
Imagine an employee is working on a project and struggling to prioritise tasks. Instead of pausing their work to attend a formal training session, often weeks in advance, they can instantly access a short, targeted microlearning module or video tutorial on time management embedded within their workflow. This allows them to learn the skill they need in the moment, apply it immediately, and continue their work without any disruption.
As you can see, this type of training isn’t just another task to complete; it’s a helpful approach that seamlessly fits into employees’ work routines, boosts their performance, and leads to immediate improvements for your business.
3. Take a human-first, learner-second approach
Research found that three in ten professionals said work negatively impacts their mental and physical well-being. This has a huge impact on organisations as employees take additional sick days and may not be at their best even when they come to work.
Treating employees as unique individuals with their own personal needs and well-being in mind, rather than just focusing on their roles as learners, can help mitigate the negative impact on mental and physical health.
Create a learning experience that fits naturally into employees’ lives and respects their humanity. Because managers are usually best placed to support people with challenging health needs, they can routinely check in with employees to understand their workload and health and adjust learning plans when needed.
Make the most of your managers and invest in the human side of success. Encourage empathy and role model good communication so managers prioritise understanding and address employees’ personal and professional needs.
Communication and collaboration tools enable teams and individuals to create and share both tacit and explicit knowledge. A centralised “source of truth” knowledge repository ensures consistent messaging and minimise information loss or inaccuracies.
Encourage collaboration tools to share updates about employee support. For example, managers can post reminders about mental health resources, share tips for maintaining work-life balance, or highlight flexible work policies. These updates help ensure that all team members are aware of available support and promote a culture of empathy and understanding across your organisation.
But don’t take our word for it.
Enon Landenberg from Yozmot Group says, “[Blossom] platform is agile and allows Yozmot to evolve with the challenges that the education sector brings with it. We can add more and more content and features to develop a real sense of community among all the users.”
4. Train wider than your employees
As products and services become more complex, robust customer education has become a crucial competitive advantage. Developing comprehensive training programmes for customers, stakeholders, and employees helps them fully understand and effectively use products, increasing their sense of value and loyalty. In turn, this leads to repeat business and ongoing commitment from stakeholders,
Train wider than your employees by extending your training programmes to include customers, partners, and other key stakeholders. Here’s how:
- Customers: Provide training and support materials to help customers use your products or services. This could include online tutorials, webinars, and user manuals that enhance their experience and satisfaction, boosting loyalty and reducing customer support costs.
- Partners: Offer training programmes for your business partners or resellers to help them better represent your brand, provide more accurate information, and provide high-quality service. This will lead to stronger business relationships and improved sales performance.
- Stakeholders: Engage with stakeholders by giving them insights into your company’s operations, products, and strategic goals. This could involve workshops, briefings, or informational sessions that help them understand your business better and to align their efforts with your L&D strategy,
Blossom’s external self-registration feature allows people without an account to self-register, view, and purchase courses.to self-register. This means your customers, partners, or stakeholders can easily sign up and access L&D materials and collaborate with others without needing a pre-existing account, making it more accessible and user-friendly for new users.
- “Blossom’s communication with our team is flawless. Their proactive approach to both software updates and custom platform development always happens without any issues or concerns. Due to this, Blossom’s functionality is always relevant and geared up to meet the needs of our widely dispersed and remote teams, as well as those of our distributors too.” –Jazz Vershinin, Director of Learning & Development at Bezeq International
5. Change from skill development to personal transformation
Some 76% of employees say they are more likely to stay with a company that offers continuous training; focusing on personal transformation can increase retention and boost engagement.
But, what if we make work about personal development rather than skills?
With a personal development mindset, you help employees develop skills crucial to their success, which is interesting and fulfilling for them, as well as beneficial for your business.
Integrating your L&D initiatives with well-being and skills-building can help employees perform better at work and lead better lives. From nurturing emotional resilience to developing critical skills like problem-solving and communication, this holistic approach ensures employees thrive personally and professionally.
Give your people the tools and time to be proactive in building and engaging with professional networks. Encourage them to develop relationships across teams and industries, share knowledge, and collaborate on projects.
By providing access to communication platforms, industry events, and mentorship opportunities and allowing dedicated time for networking, you empower employees to expand their expertise and create valuable connections that benefit both their personal growth and company success.
Plus, working on projects with different teams or joining industry events introduces employees to new ideas and challenges. This helps them think in new ways and improve their problem-solving skills as they handle different types of problems and learn to tackle complex situations with more confidence and creativity.
Reinvigorate your L&D approach with Blossom
As the summer season fades, the upcoming months are the perfect time to embrace new approaches and fresh perspectives.
Instead of feeling overwhelmed by a constant flurry of emails and new company initiatives, you can use this time to rejuvenate your L&D strategies and get ahead. Stay informed about the latest L&D trends and implement the tools we’ve discussed. Energise yourself and your teams with a renewed focus on growth and development.
Discover how you can achieve superior results with cutting-edge L&D tools. Schedule a demo today with one of our friendly experts!
