You’ve scoured through applications, made it through the interview process, and finally hired the perfect candidate. They’re a standout in all the right areas. At this point, it’s easy to call it a day, but really, your job is barely half done. Long-term employee retention is one of the most important yet overlooked aspects of any high-impact workplace culture. 

To exemplify this, 87% of HR managers say that employee retention is their number one priority. However, 20% of these managers say that focusing on employee retention is difficult because other tasks demand their attention and budgets. Most alarmingly, Work Institute finds that more than three in four employees who quit could have been retained. Unfortunately, these are errors that many teams make. And they can be costly. 

Employee Benefits News found that the average cost of losing an employee is a massive 33% of their annual salary. What’s more, some estimates find that poor retention will cost $430 billion annually by 2030. On the other hand, higher retention rates can increase profits by up to 4x.

So, how can companies improve their retention processes? We’ve decided to dig a little deeper, offering five tips for long-term employee retention. 

As is so often the case in life, first impressions make a huge difference when it comes to employee turnover. 

To demonstrate this, studies show that 20% of turnover happens within the first 45 days of working at a new company. Similarly, employees are 10 times more likely to leave a job in the first year than five years down the line. Further, research by Leftronic shows that nearly one-third (32%) of employees have quit their job within the first three months due to unsatisfactory workplace culture. 

As such, first impressions have a significant influence on an employee’s likelihood of remaining with a company long-term. So, what can organisations do to reverse this trend? Optimise your onboarding process. 

Put simply, 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for more than three years if they had a great onboarding experience. Additionally, organisations with a standardised onboarding process enjoy 50% greater productivity from new employees. In stark contrast, organisations with poor onboarding processes are twice as likely to experience employee turnover

Even more notably, when an onboarding process involves digital learning, employee retention rates increase by 60%, on average. And that’s only the beginning of how L&D influences employee retention. 

As always, L&D makes a big difference when it comes to long-term employee retention. Consistent learning and development opportunities are among the most decisive factors in retaining employees. For instance, 94% of employees say they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their professional development. 

Likewise, 86% of millennials would be prevented from leaving their current position if their employer offered better training and development. Finally, companies that provide professional development opportunities have 34% higher retention rates.

And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Emplify finds that 22% of employees leave their jobs to seek better professional development opportunities elsewhere. Perhaps most significantly, ​employee retention rates increase by 30-50% on average for companies with strong learning cultures. 

The message is clear: employees crave robust and consistent learning and development opportunities and are willing to seek them out at a different company if necessary. 

3. Develop a culture of recognition and feedback

Everyone likes their hard work to be acknowledged. There are few things more frustrating than putting significant time and effort into a project, only for it to go completely unnoticed. Therefore, it should be no surprise that fostering a culture of recognition and feedback has a flow-on effect on employee retention. 

According to TINYpulse, employees who don't feel recognised for their work are 2x more likely to be actively seeking a new job. What’s more, research shows that 79% of people who quit their jobs cite “lack of appreciation” as their reason for leaving. 

Conversely, employees whose managers consistently acknowledge them for good work are 5x more likely to stay at the company. Likewise, 90% say that recognition motivates them to work harder. As the old saying goes, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. In this instance, it appears that positive reinforcement is the best approach to encourage long-term retention. 

It is also important to note that feedback must be a two-way street for employees to truly feel valued. According to a report by Achievers, 90% of employees say they are more likely to stay at a company that takes and acts on feedback. Despite this, only one-third of employees say their company is either ‘good’ or ‘very good’ at taking feedback on board. 

Further, employees that don’t feel comfortable giving upward feedback are 16% less likely to stay at their companies, according to TINYpulse. As they explain, “feedback shouldn’t just flow one way. Open communication is key to understanding the needs and points of improvement for both managers and employees.”

Ultimately, Workstars finds that teams with ‘recognition rich’ cultures can reduce turnover by up to 31%. Luckily, this is an intuitive process for everyone involved. Recognise employees’ good work and value their feedback, and they will be more productive and less likely to seek opportunities elsewhere. Simple! 

4. Align day-to-day work with organisational values 

When employees feel like they are connected to a larger mission, they are more likely to stay with a company for the long haul. 

For starters, employees who think their company has a larger purpose than just profits are 27% more likely to stay. As TINYpulse explains, “having a sense of purpose — the why behind the what — can help your employees feel like they’re doing something meaningful beyond just a job.”

Additionally, IBM finds that 80% of employees feel more engaged when their work is consistent with the core values and mission of their organisation. They explain this, saying, “meaningful work ensures that employees’ skills and talents are being fully utilised and there is greater alignment to shared, core values.”

Despite this, only one-quarter of employees currently feel connected to their company’s mission. This disconnect shows that companies must work harder to demonstrate a clear mission statement, thereby driving engagement and creating a clear sense of purpose and belonging.

Finally, companies must focus on the employee experience to improve their long-term retention. While this might sound obvious, it is a hurdle that a surprising number of teams fail to clear. 

To put this advice into perspective, research by HR Experts shows that 50% of all turnover is due to employee burnout, while a staggering 95% of HR leaders admit employee burnout is sabotaging workforce retention. 

On the other hand, LinkedIn’s 2020 Global Talent Trends report finds that when companies focus on the employee experience, 77% enjoy increased employee retention, and 71% notice an increase in productivity.

To underscore these statistics, 67% of job seekers prioritise diversity and inclusion when seeking a new job, while companies that offer remote working arrangements have a 25% lower turnover rate, and millennials are 22x more likely to work for a company with a high trust culture. All of these factors contribute to the overall employee experience. 

Along these same lines, 79% of employees wouldn't take a better-paying position in a company with questionable ethics (i.e. not acting against sexual harassment, creating environmental problems, and paying female employees less), according to a survey by The Manifest. 

In other words, the employee experience matters. A lot. If you want to improve your employee retention rates, then fostering positive employee experiences is an excellent place to start. 

Want to improve your employee retention? Go1 can help. Sign up for a free trial today to access dedicated courses on Employee retention, Building an employee recognition & reward program, and many more. 

For more insights, be sure to subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, you can book a demo today.

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Employee retention is one of the most important yet overlooked aspects of any workplace. We’ve decided to dig a little deeper, offering five tips for long-term employee retention.

5 tips for long-term employee retention

I've been thinking about this non-stop as I keep hearing it repeated around the Learning and Development world. It's a catchy idea and a cool buzzword, but what does it really mean and how do we actually foster such a thing to grow? 

Culture isn't something that just happens. Sure, it's influenced by our hiring decisions, but it takes more than that to create a curious community that shares ideas openly and celebrates diverse thinking. 

The organizations that do it well proactively tackle it from 3 levels.

Level 1: What an open door policy really means

In the 2019 film, Ford vs. Ferrari, Henry Ford II threatens to fire an entire factory floor but offers that whoever comes to him with an idea to sell more cars could keep their job. This eventually led to the idea of building the legendary GT40 that went on to crush all competition in the 24 hours of Le Mans race. While this Hollywood telling is fictionalized, a bit extreme, and I think Mr Ford sounds like a jerk, there are some key takeaways that led to Ford's incredible success in that 1966 race. 

Leadership needs help. Even though Henry Ford II seemed like the kind of man who wouldn't admit it outright, he knew he needed ideas from the people most passionate about Ford vehicles, the employees lovingly crafting them every day. In the film, he accomplishes getting ideas from them by offering them an evil ultimatum but that leads right into the second takeaway.

Idea sharing almost always needs rewards. When first changing culture towards one of open curiosity and idea-sharing, rewards are a fundamental part of letting everyone know that ideas are not only welcome, they're encouraged. Without this critical offering, fear of rejection will keep most of us from sharing ideas upwards. 

Be quick to action when ideas have merit. Leadership needs to be ready to implement new ideas that flow upwards. Once an idea is shared and vetted, quick implementation is the surest way that more ideas will flow after. Everyone knows what it feels like to have an idea shot down and fear of rejection will kill a culture of learning quicker than sugar in a Ferrari gas tank. 

While the first level is all about executive leadership, managers are the bread and butter of creating a culture of learning. They're the ones who will create the work schedule to dedicate time to learning, the ones who will advocate sharing ideas, and the ones who will be encouraging social learning in their departments. 

Managers need psychological safety first. No one who doesn't feel safe in their position is going to encourage their teams to think outside the box and challenge the status quo. It's just that simple. Creating psychological safety in the workplace is a topic well covered by others, for an intro I recommend checking out the eLearning course 'Building Psychological Safety' by Symmetra in the Go1 Content Hub. 

Once we have a safe space, we can really dive into encouraging department leaders to make time for learning. A few ideas that I've seen: 

A weekly rotating course the whole department takes before each team meeting, with time built into the meeting to discuss learnings and how to incorporate them into our lives, both personal and professional. Some managers choose these courses themselves while others encourage their teams to bring ideas forward for courses they want to learn together. 

Scheduled time to learn weekly put on everyone's calendars. We've seen this sent out as a one-size-fits-all invite for a Friday afternoon and we've seen this encouraged on a personal level to have employees create a recurring calendar invite for themselves at a time that works for them. Encourage 30-60 minutes a week, maybe 30 one week and 60 another if time is at a  premium, I promise the learning will increase productivity, buy-in, and efficiency. 

A fresh take on goal-setting, with a focus on whole-person development

Creating a culture of learning is about meeting the whole-person, not just the person who shows up for the job you hired them for. As such, goal-setting with our staff needs to reflect that. Around 10 years ago, I started doing goal-setting with my staff the way I always wanted it done for me and saw immediate improvements in retention, community, and relationships.  Here is the outline for the 3 goals I created with my employees:

Personally Professional: The first goal is something they can contribute to the organization as a whole. This is likely related to their KPI's or their personal targets and projects. 

Professionally Personal: The second goal is something that makes them better at their job. What do they want to learn? What role do they want to start working towards next? How can I, and the company, support them in that pursuit?

Personally Personal: And the third goal can have nothing to do with work. What's a  totally personal goal that they want to accomplish this quarter/year?  How can I, and the company, help support them in accomplishing that? 

Changing our ideas of what success looks like for our staff changes the way we think about learning. When we focus solely on performance indicators,  it's easy to lose sight of the development that needs to happen to make those indicators grow. Taking a step back and focusing on the whole person helps our management team realign on what's really important, our people. 

Level 3: Culture of learning starts before onboarding

Very few companies are doing onboarding right and it's killing their culture before it has a chance to grow. Like any good culture (I love cottage cheese), a Culture of Learning needs an incubator and that incubator is onboarding. 

When we start a new hire off with their mandatory compliance training and then shove them into a learning path designed to get them to OTJ training without addressing them as an individual,  we've set ourselves back in creating a space where truly fresh ideas can be heard.  

What if we tried a different approach and instead,  after they sign the offer letter, we sent them a form asking them what they are most excited to learn. A Culture of Learning starts before Day  1, it starts with asking questions and encouraging out-of-the-box responses that let them know they're safe to grow with us and we were here to support them in that.  

What skills are they worried they need to upskill to excel in their new role? What personal passions are they wanting to improve on? Photography? Wine tasting? Creative writing?  

Can you imagine getting that email before you started a new job?  Even before your first day, your new company is asking you how they can invest in your future? 

In a recent Gallup poll, 41% of employees are actively looking for new jobs. That's nearly half of our workforce! 

But there is hope. LinkedIn's 2019 Workforce Learning report found that 94% of leaving employees said they would have stayed longer if the company invested in helping them learn. 

Creating a Culture of Learning isn't just a nice to have, it's not just something that makes a nice recommendation on Glassdoor, it is quickly becoming the most critical component of employee retention, preventing knowledge hoarding, and creating a dynamic and explosive growth company that employees are excited to contribute to. 

It's not easy to steer a company culture towards one of creativity and curiosity, but implementing even a few of these ideas should get things started and once it catches on, strap in tight, you're racing in Le Mans now. 

Jake Via is a Senior Partner Success Manager at Go1 and is passionate about eLearning, innovation, and motivation. Connect with Jake here.

For more insights, be sure to subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, you can book a demo today to find out how Go1 can help with your team’s learning needs.

Creating a culture of learning is as challenging as it is rewarding. Here are three suggestions to take your learning culture to the next level.

Culture of learning. Ok, sure, but how?

Creating a culture of learning is as challenging as it is rewarding. Here are three suggestions to take your learning culture to the next level. 

L&D has long been important on both a personal and an organisational level. The reasons for this are self-evident: of course ongoing learning, development, and growth are important. However, in recent years, L&D has evolved beyond merely being important. These days, L&D is essential. 

Gone are the days where having an L&D strategy was an optional extra. Instead, a strong L&D team is now fundamental to sustained organisational success. In other words, L&D has gone from a ‘nice to have’ to a ‘need to have’. 

We’ve decided to track this evolution, detailing why L&D has gone from a ‘nice to have’ to a ‘need to have’. From improving ROI to closing the skills gap, we’ll look at four reasons why L&D is now essential. 

Let’s start with the bottom line first: ROI. While a pure love of learning is wonderful, ultimately, a successful L&D strategy must prove its value via ROI. Luckily, investing in L&D is one of the most surefire ways for businesses to increase their ROI and overall profitability. 

In most cases, the more you invest in your L&D program, the more you are likely to be rewarded. For example, companies that provide comprehensive training programs have a 218% higher income per employee. Likewise, companies that invest in L&D have a 24% higher profit margin than those that spend less on training. 

That’s not all, as 42% of companies enjoy an increase in profits after investing in digital learning. IBM puts this into perspective, finding that every dollar invested in online learning results in $30 worth of productivity. IBM’s study also found that well-trained employees increase their productivity by 10%.

Further, Gallup found that L&D strategies that focus on strengths-based intervention can increase profits by 14%-29%, on average. 

Accordingly, it should come as little surprise that 72% of organisations say they gain a competitive advantage by investing in digital learning. 

Given these numbers, it’s easy to see why L&D has gone from ‘nice to have’ to ‘need to have’ among the most profitable organisations.

In a highly competitive professional marketplace, an engaging L&D strategy is essential to attract and retain the best talent. In fact, 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their learning and development. 

Not only that, but many employees say that learning and development opportunities are a more decisive factor for remaining in a job than receiving a raise. According to Forbes, 56% of employees say that career growth and opportunity is more important than salary.

In addition, 87% of millennials value learning and development in the workplace, while a further 59% claim development opportunities are extremely important when deciding whether to apply for a position.

Perhaps most decisively, 76% of employees say a company would be more appealing if it offered additional skills training. 

These statistics are notable on several levels. Firstly, the majority of prospective employees value learning and development highly. As such, it is vital to have a strong L&D plan to attract the best talent. 

Secondly, L&D is essential for talent retention. Work Institute's 2018 Retention Report found that nearly one-third of all turnover was due to either unsupportive management or a lack of development opportunities. Work Institute also found that 77% of that turnover is preventable. Given the costly nature of turnover, offering learning and development opportunities to support staff is a far preferable option. 

Finally, L&D can have a major impact on employee engagement. 74% of employees aren’t reaching their full potential due to a lack of learning and development opportunities. Given this, Rapt Media finds that $500 billion is lost annually because of employee disengagement.

On the other hand, 42% of workplaces where employees are engaged with L&D also say their employees are highly engaged overall. Companies with more engaged employees outperform those with disengaged employees by up to 202%.

A strong learning culture is also essential to promote a diverse and inclusive workplace. As we detailed in our recent article on supporting neurodiversity in digital learning, L&D teams play a vital role in promoting neurodiverse workplaces. 

Estimates find that about 18% of the population have neurodiverse learning needs. Thus, it is critical to support neurodiversity in the workplace to ensure a secure, accessible learning environment for everyone. 

When L&D teams actively support neurodiversity, the results can be incredible. For example, one study by SAP found that “teams who have colleagues with autism report a rise in patent applications, innovations in products, and an increase in management skills and empathy.”

Additionally, companies with robust D&I programs are 22% more likely to be seen as industry leaders with high-calibre talent. Likewise, high-impact learning cultures (the top 10% of organisations) are 2.4x more likely to embed the principles of diversity and inclusion into their daily work than ‘average’ L&D teams. 

As these figures demonstrate, a well-developed D&I program can take your L&D team to the next level. As such, L&D is not only essential on a strategic level but also on an interpersonal level. By supporting neurodiversity, businesses can cultivate more understanding, innovative, and inclusive learning environments that encompass the spectrum of human experiences and perspectives. 

Finally, L&D has become an essential tool to help businesses close the skills gap. As we have emphasised in previous articles, the global skills gap is widening. As always, L&D teams have a central role to play. 

According to PwC Australia, 75% of Australian CEOs are concerned about the availability of key skills, a sharp increase from 58% the previous year. 

Similarly, a new study by RMIT Australia found that one in four Australians don’t have the skills they need to complete their day-to-day job — let alone the skills necessary for jobs of the future. Further estimates find that 54% of the global workforce will require extensive upskilling or reskilling by 2022.

RMIT’s report also found that the average Australian needs 18 unique skills to meet their employer’s requirements. However, on average, people are missing two of these skills.

Currently, RMIT finds that the biggest skills gap in Australia is in data analysis. Of those that need data analysis for their job, 30% say their skills are outdated or not at the level required. 

So, where do L&D teams come in? As RMIT’s study finds, L&D will be a crucial factor in closing the skills gap. According to their report, Australians are eager to learn and close the skills gap —  they just need access to the right learning and development opportunities. 

To demonstrate this, 38% of Australians would prefer paid study leave over a promotion, while 52% value a learning culture over a fun culture at work. Perhaps most staggeringly, nearly one quarter (24%) would rather have $1,000 to spend on training every year than $50 of extra pay each week.

The message is clear: Australians want access to learning and development tools to help close the skills gap. Unfortunately, 66% say they face at least one barrier to learning at work, with the most common barriers being ‘learning isn’t available in times or ways that suit me’ (23%) and ‘I don’t know where to start in terms of learning’ (17%). 

Ultimately, L&D teams that can remove these barriers to learning will play a vital role in closing the skills gap. 

Is L&D essential to your team? Go1 can help. Sign up for a free trial today to access dedicated courses on Employee engagement essentials, Understanding mental health in neurodiverse learners, and many more. 

For more insights, be sure to read our article on what sets high-impact L&D teams apart, and also subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, you can book a demo today.

A strong L&D team is fundamental to sustained success. From improving ROI to closing the skills gap, we’ll look at four reasons why L&D is now essential. 

Why L&D has gone from a 'nice to have' to a 'need to have'

Every L&D team wants to make an impact. After all, there are few greater joys than watching your learners succeed. However, as with any walk of life, some teams will inevitably be more impactful than others. This success is attributable to many factors, such as organisational alignment, resources, strategy, and adaptability. Whatever the specific reasons, the rest of us strive to catch up and emulate these standard-setting teams. 

With this in mind, we have decided to dig a little deeper and ask: what sets high-impact L&D teams apart? We’ll start by detailing common characteristics of high-impact L&D teams, before analysing the skills that set these teams apart. 

Ready to boost your team’s impact? Start here. 

Common characteristics of high-impact L&D teams

Before we can analyse what sets high-impact L&D teams apart, it is necessary to understand what a high-impact L&D team looks like. Thankfully, when trying to define high-impact L&D teams, a few common characteristics emerge. 

Emerald Works 2020 Back to the Future Report closely observed high-impact learning cultures (HILCs). Following a comprehensive survey of 1,123 organisations, Emerald Works identified the top 112 organisations (10%) as having HILCs. According to their criteria, HILCs are “the top performing 10% of our data sample, These organisations’ learning strategies consistently achieve excellent results in terms of organisational growth, transformation, profitability and productivity.” 

In a similar survey of 60 CEOs and more than 250 L&D professionals worldwide, MIT Sloan identified seven core principles that set learning organisations apart (more on those to come). More importantly, their research discerned the factors that defined these high-performing teams were a willingness to invest in learning and development with a long-term, strategic perspective while also being prepared to adapt over time.

Finally, in an interview with the Advantage Performance Group, Lucretia Hall from Software One was asked to identify the essential components of a high-performing L&D team. From her perspective, two things stood out. Firstly, she emphasised that every team member must work to their strengths. To achieve this, Ms Hall recommends using the Gallup Strengths Finder to help identify different strengths within your organisation.

Secondly, she added that trust is vital, saying, “the other is building trust. This is the foundation of building a high performing team. It's something that all of our leaders are learning and doing. How do you build trust from the get-go with your team?”

As such, becoming a high-impact L&D team requires consistent excellence, paired with a strategic, long-term vision and clear alignment between both individual team members and discreet business functions.

For more insights on high-impact learning cultures, be sure to read our article on creating a sustainable learning culture.

According to Emerald Works, high-impact L&D teams stand out from their competitors in several pivotal areas. However, some of the most significant discrepancies emerge in the categories of alignment, communication, and clarity. 

For example, 94% of HILCs say their L&D activity is fully aligned with their organisation’s strategic goals. By comparison, only 48% of other L&D teams say the same. This represents a massive discrepancy, revealing that more than half of ‘average’ L&D teams are either not supporting or, in some cases, actively undermining their businesses’ wider objectives. 

Similarly, 84% of HILCs say they regularly communicate performance impacts to senior management, compared to just 18% of other L&D teams. Finally, in terms of clarity, 91% of HILCs say their L&D team has an agreed plan for how they will meet business metrics. In contrast, just 30% of other L&D teams say the same. If L&D teams are uncertain about the key metrics they are working towards, it is nearly impossible to maximise their impact.

Collectively, these statistics show that clarity of purpose, alignment on both an individual and a team-wide level, and clear communication are essential to becoming a high-impact L&D team. In other words, you can have the fanciest learning technologies and most engaging learning content, but without these fundamental communication tools, they will not be as impactful. 

Emerald Works’ report reveals a few more trends that set high-impact L&D teams apart. For starters, top-performing L&D teams dedicate 7% more of their budget to learning technologies (28% vs 21%) and create 12% more of their learning content in-house (61% vs 49%).  These teams also use analytics to improve the learner experience at a 5.5x higher rate than the average L&D team. 

Lastly, high-impact L&D teams are far more prepared to be agile. More than one-third of L&D teams (35%) say they encounter reluctance from senior management to encourage new ways of working and learning. Unsurprisingly, this plummets to just 6% among HILCs. 

Ultimately, Emerald Works summarises the skills that set HILCs apart, explaining, “HILCs are just that: more ambitious and better at learning and performing at scale...learning leaders with HILCs are 10 times more likely to outperform others in regard to the four critical levers of business: growth, transformation, productivity and profitability.”

Additionally, MIT Sloan’s research uncovered seven core principles that set high-impact learning organisations apart. These are: identifying a north star to guide L&D decisions, establishing a skills baseline, aligning L&D efforts with strategic priorities, ensuring that the L&D team has the right skills and resources, designing learning to accommodate evolving conditions, creating individualised learning pathways, and staying agile and adaptable over time.

Notably, many of these findings align with Emerald Works’ research, thereby providing an actionable checklist to start upskilling your L&D team. It seems that alignment, agility, and establishing a skills baseline are all excellent places to start if you want to increase your L&D team’s impact. 

Summary: 4 fundamental skills to create a high-impact L&D culture

Ready to increase your team’s impact? Go1 can help. Sign up for a free trial today to access dedicated courses on High-impact communication, Creating a culture of excellence, and many more. 

Every L&D team wants to make an impact. So, we have decided to dig a little deeper and ask: what sets high-impact L&D teams apart?

What sets high-impact L&D teams apart?

Diversity and inclusion is a fundamental part of any successful workplace. L&D professionals have known this for a long time, and thankfully, more and more organisations are embracing the principles of diversity and inclusion in 2021. 

According to LinkedIn’s 2021 Workplace Learning Report, 64% of L&D professionals say their executive team has made D&I a top priority this year. Given this, companies with robust D&I programs are 22% more likely to be seen as industry leaders with high-calibre talent. 

Additionally, Emerald Works finds that 58% of high-impact learning cultures (defined as the top 10% of surveyed organisations) embed the principles of diversity and inclusion into their daily work, compared to just 34% of other L&D teams. These figures show that a well-developed D&I program can take your L&D team to the next level.

Supporting neurodiversity is vital to any successful D&I program. Estimates show that about 18% of the population have neurodiverse learning needs. Therefore, it is vital to support neurodiversity in the workplace to ensure a safe, accessible environment. As ever, L&D teams have a central role to play.

With this in mind, we’ve decided to ask: how can organisations support neurodiversity in digital learning?  We’ll start by explaining what neurodiversity is, before diving into the benefits of a neurodiverse workplace. Finally, we'll analyse how L&D professionals can ensure their programs support neurodiverse learning needs.

The term neurodiversity was coined in the 1990s by Australian sociologist Judy Singer. According to Ms Singer, neurodiversity refers to “the virtually infinite neuro-cognitive variability within Earth’s human population. It points to the fact that every human has a unique nervous system with a unique combination of abilities and needs.”

Ms Singer adds that just as biodiversity is important for a rich and healthy ecosystem and a variety of species is vital to a functioning animal kingdom, so too is neurodiversity essential to provide the full spectrum of human experiences and perspectives. 

As such, there is no single, encompassing definition of neurodiversity. The term can mean different things to different people based on their unique lived experiences. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network explains that the term generally refers to “neurocognitive differences such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, Tourette’s syndrome, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, intellectual disability, and schizophrenia.” 

Similarly, the Autism Awareness Centre explains that “neurodiversity is the concept that humans don’t come in a one-size-fits-all neurologically ‘normal’ package. Instead, it recognises that all variations of human neurological function need to be respected as just another way of being, and that neurological differences like autism and ADHD are the result of normal/natural variations in the human genome.”

Put simply, supporting neurodiversity in digital learning means creating an environment that is equally accessible to all, regardless of their unique abilities or needs. 

On a human level, the benefits of a neurodiverse workplace should be apparent. Not only is supporting neurodiversity the right thing to do, but it also leads to a greater diversity of experiences, ideas, and perspectives. Unfortunately, this has rarely been the case.

According to Neurodiversity Hub, 78% of neurodiverse people experience difficulty at their place of learning, with the main challenges being fitting in socially (60%), learning difficulties (55%), and communication difficulties (51%). Further, ​​Autism Spectrum Australia estimates that about 1 in 70 Australians is on the autism spectrum. However, only 40% are employed. 

Many of these biases are evident from an early age, with Neurodiversity Celebration Week finding that 33% of educators believe learning and thinking challenges are sometimes an excuse for laziness, while one-third of parents say they wouldn’t want others to know if their child has a neurological difference. 

These problems are far too common. Yet, when workplaces do embrace neurodiversity, the results can be staggering. For example, James Mahoney, the former head of JP Morgan’s Autism at Work program, told Fortune Magazine, “Our autistic employees achieve, on average, 48% to 140% more work than their typical colleagues, depending on the roles.”

It is worth emphasising that neurodiverse people should not have to overachieve to such a degree just to be afforded the same basic respect and inclusion as their neurotypical colleagues. However, these results are incredibly impressive, providing just one example of the power of a neurodiverse workforce. 

Similarly, a 2019 report by EY found that people with dyslexia often display the most in-demand skills for the workforce of the future – leadership, creativity, and initiative. 

Another study by German software company SAP found that “teams who have colleagues with autism report a rise in patent applications, innovations in products, and an increase in management skills and empathy.” 

Finally, Professor Rob Austin recently completed a study on the best practices of companies with neurodiversity employment programs. Mr Austin explains that teams who embrace neurodiversity in their recruitment process “are claiming an innovation benefit with these employees, because they think differently, ask different sorts of questions and tend to trigger changes in the way companies do things."

While neurodiversity has often been stigmatised and underrepresented in the workplace, teams that embrace neurodiversity tend to achieve incredible results. Not only is this the right thing to do from a diversity and inclusion perspective, but it can also lead to new perspectives, new skills, and greater levels of innovation.

For more information, be sure to read our articles on unlearning unconscious biases, as well as our D&I blog series from guest expert Maureen Frank. 

How can organisations support neurodiversity in digital learning?

With these findings in mind, the question becomes, how can organisations support neurodiversity in digital learning? 

In an interview with Digits, Amanda Kirby, co-author of Neurodiversity at Work and a Professor in the field of neurodiversity, explains how L&D teams should best approach this question. 

“You really need to be starting with the first principles of universal design – so how do you suit the learning preferences of everybody?” 

“It isn’t about doing this for autistic people or this for dyslexic people. It’s about how do you ensure that the way you deliver learning and development is inclusive and fits with strengths and minimises challenges. This has to include people who are visually or hearing impaired.

“Where you can, you should be person-centred. So, in the same way that the best conversations are those when you understand the person you’re talking to, that’s exactly what neurodiversity is all about. Ask your neurodivergent employees what they want. 

“Don’t be afraid of asking and don’t pigeonhole people,” she said. 

As such, a holistic approach is vital. By taking this approach, you can fulfil everyone’s learning needs, rather than viewing neurodiverse learners as an entirely separate category. 

Additionally, Matrix recommends a learner needs assessment can be helpful to support neurodiversity in digital learning. They explain, “it’s important to know the objective of the learning intervention so you can thoroughly investigate the gaps that it will need to fill. A pre-assessment can be immensely helpful in determining a learner’s understanding of the training content. Starting from this information, you can then focus on the content areas most lacking or difficult to comprehend.” 

Finally, Training Magazine recommends taking a learner-centric approach to course design, saying, “making an organisation more inclusive for neurodiverse individuals requires an appreciation of each person within his or her work context and a focus on getting to know employees individually and leading people on a situational basis.” 

If you're ready to start supporting neurodiverse learners in your workplace, Go1 can help. Sign up for a free trial today to access courses on Understanding mental health in neurodiverse learners and Positive Assessments, featuring Nancy Doyle, an Occupational Psychologist who specialises in neurodiversity. 

It is vital to support neurodiversity in the workplace to ensure a safe, accessible environment. As ever, L&D teams have a central role to play. With this in mind, we’ve decided to ask: how can organisations support neurodiversity in digital learning?

Globally, the skills gap has widened in recent years. Deloitte estimates that the global skills gap will leave 2.4 million positions unfilled between 2018 and 2028, causing an economic impact of $2.4 trillion. Similarly, a recent survey by McKinsey found that nine in ten executives say their organisations either face skill gaps already or expect gaps to develop in the next five years. 

Additionally, 1 in 5 workers admit their professional skills are not up to date, with a further 85% of employees saying they wish their company had offered more new skills training last year. 

As a result, it should be no surprise that many employees want to take matters into their own hands. 59% of employees say that they received no workplace training. Instead, most of their skills were self-taught. Likewise, 42% of employees pursued training on their own following last year’s initial lockdowns. 

Put simply, the global skills gap is a major concern that will have far-reaching consequences. As such, it has become increasingly important for employees to identify their skill gaps so they can access the upskilling or reskilling they need. 

With this in mind, we’ve decided to analyse the best ways to identify your skill gaps, offering six ideas to help you get ahead. 

First things first, it is imperative that you have clearly defined professional goals to help you narrow down your skill gaps. After all, it’s no good identifying ‘cement mixing’ as a skill gap if your dream is to become a librarian. While this might be a slightly exaggerated example, defining your professional goals will help you identify clear, relevant, and achievable skill gaps. 

It might help to write a list of professional goals, accompanied by a list of your current skills and proficiencies and another list of the skills you think will be required to achieve your goals. This can be an excellent opportunity for self-reflection, as well as a chance to take stock of your current skill set. From there, you can narrow down the most pressing skills that you need to develop. 

To avoid getting overwhelmed, try to prioritise these skills in order of urgency and work through your list at a methodical pace. 

Sometimes, we just don’t know what we don’t know. At times like these, it can be helpful to get an outside perspective. For example, you might ask your colleagues to write down your five greatest strengths and weaknesses. Ensure these are constructive criticisms based on your professional output, not weaknesses like ‘plays music too loudly through their headphones’. 

Likely, there will be some overlap between the responses you receive. If so, these common weaknesses are probably skill gaps that you should address. By finding these common themes, not only can you reinforce what you are already doing well, but, more importantly, you can identify what skills you need to work on. 

You could also ask your manager or other senior leaders in your organisation for tips on how you can grow your skill set. Following this, you might collaborate with your manager to create a professional development plan. Remember, identifying your skill gaps doesn't have to be a solo mission. It is usually a good idea to gather a variety of perspectives to ensure you have a well-rounded view of your skills. 

For more tips on identifying your skill gaps, be sure to read our articles on closing the skills gap and what you need to know about the skills gap. 

According to SkillSoft, 81% of roles will change in some way due to digital transformation. Further, 57% of employees are concerned that significant parts of their role will be replaced by technology in the next ten years. As such, employees must focus not only on identifying current skill gaps but also on developing future-ready skills. 

Given this, it is vital to stay abreast of the most in-demand skills. For instance, LinkedIn’s 2020 Workplace Learning Report identified the highest and lowest priority skills for L&D professionals. Leadership management (57%), creative problem solving and design thinking (42%), and communication (40%) topped the list, while at the other end, mobile computing (9%), engineering and coding (8%), and cloud computing (8%) were lower priority skills.

Similarly, SkillSoft found that the following digital skills training would help employees the most in adapting to the transformation of their role: Microsoft Office training (59%) video-based microlearning (50%), collaboration training (48%), Social for Business training (37%), G Suite training (35%), and Adobe Creative Cloud training (34%). 

To identify current and future skill gaps, ensure you stay up-to-date with the most in-demand skills in your field. 

This tip is simple: research a few experts and thought leaders in your field to see what skills they currently have, what skills they want to develop, and what skills they are prioritising for the future. Then, compare these findings to your current skill set. If common skills arise that you don’t currently possess, it’s probably a good idea to add these to your list. 

Ideally, this process should give you a solid foundation to work from, revealing the skills most likely to lead to expertise in your chosen field. 

Ultimately, success breeds success, so it is rarely a bad idea to emulate the experts in your field. 

Surround yourself with relevant information

In general, it's far easier to identify the skills we already have than the skills we lack. Again, we often don’t know what we don’t know. So, immersing yourself in relevant information can be an excellent way to identify your skill gaps. 

Most people probably know the feeling of reading an article or listening to a podcast and thinking, ‘I’d love to learn more about that.’ Following thought leaders and surrounding yourself with pertinent podcasts, books, and articles can be a great way to gain knowledge and uncover new skills that you would like to develop. 

We might be a tad biased, but the Go1 Blog and the Learning with Go1 podcast are excellent places to start on this journey. 

Globally, the skills gap continues to widen. We’ve analysed the best ways to identify your skill gaps, offering six ideas to help you get ahead.

How to identify your skill gaps

Self-advocacy can be one of the most difficult skills to master in a professional environment. Most people can probably relate to feeling dissatisfied, stuck, or even stagnant in a job at some point. In fact, in a recent survey, a whopping 74% of employees said they aren’t reaching their full potential at work due to a lack of development opportunities. 

There can be several reasons for this feeling. Perhaps your company’s L&D program is lagging behind (or, in some cases, nonexistent). Maybe you aren’t being given enough time to learn at work. Or maybe, professional development just isn’t prioritised in your workplace. However, while these feelings are one thing, challenging the status quo to advocate for your professional development is another thing entirely. 

With this in mind, we have decided to offer some tips to self-advocate for your professional development. We’ll start by looking into what self-advocacy is and why it’s so difficult before answering the question: how can I advocate for my professional development at work?

If you need a quick refresher on the benefits of professional development, be sure to read the first article in this series, how to motivate your team to invest in their professional development. 

What is self-advocacy, and why is it so difficult? 

In many ways, the concept of self-advocacy is self-explanatory. In a professional context, it means speaking up when things are important to you, asking for things you want or need to progress in your career, and setting healthy boundaries and expectations. You know, advocating for yourself. Speaking up to advocate for professional development opportunities is a key aspect of self-advocacy in the workplace, allowing you to learn new skills and progress in your career. 

According to MyWay Employability, “self-advocacy means standing up for yourself and letting people know about your rights and needs. Advocating for yourself in the workplace helps to ensure that you can do your job safely and to the best of your ability. Advocating for yourself also means you are more likely to be treated fairly by others and have an equal opportunity to succeed.”

Forbes expands on this definition, explaining that “self advocacy is a critical part of healthy relationships, long term success, and overall happiness in life. One of the many benefits of self-advocacy that helps establish these three pillars of overall wellness, is that when you feel comfortable advocating for yourself, you can get what you want and deserve out of your negotiations.”

However, these relatively simple definitions belie the difficulty of advocating for yourself at work. 

To exemplify this point, only 29% of employees are "very satisfied" with their current career advancement opportunities. Similarly, 76% of employees are actively looking for career growth opportunities, while Gallup finds that a mere 13% of employees worldwide are fully engaged. 

These statistics reveal two vital points. Firstly, many organisations lack the robust, well-funded professional development programs that most employees crave. Secondly, many employees are in a position where they are unable to advocate for their professional development. There are many reasons for this. For example, organisations may foster a culture where speaking up is discouraged, or employees that do speak up may not be listened to. 

Emerald Works backs this up, finding that many organisations are resistant to change. According to their 2020 Back to the Future report, 36% of leaders have traditional expectations of L&D that are difficult to challenge, while 28% of organisations experience reluctance by senior management to encourage new ways of learning and working. 

Whatever the reason, many people find it difficult to advocate for their professional development at work, thereby stifling their career growth opportunities. 

How to self-advocate for your professional development

With these challenges in mind, it is worth asking: how can I advocate for my professional development at work? 

Self-advocacy can be one of the most difficult skills to master in a professional environment. So, we have decided to answer the question: how can I advocate for my professional development at work?