How To Future-Proof Your Business In The Age Of AI

• In the age of automation, continuous learning should be integral to a company’s long-term growth strategy. Reports indicate that businesses committed to lifelong learning have a 30% higher chance of becoming industry leaders.
• Companies that fail to develop a culture of lifelong learning and development (L&D) could experience challenges such as a skills mismatch — resulting in a workforce that is ill-equipped to deal with a rapidly changing business landscape.
• Embracing lifelong learning can future-proof individual careers and support companies to manage emerging technologies that are transforming industries and reshaping the nature of work.

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Learning and development (L&D) opportunities enable professionals from all backgrounds to acquire new skills and stay relevant within their industries. 

Continuous learning can future-proof businesses (and individual careers) and foster an environment that enables the entire workforce to thrive. Future professions will require people with confidence in their ability to manage change and leaders who possess social and emotional intelligence. An absence of continuous learning could mean that many organizations are left behind.

Why Embrace Lifelong Learning?

Fully engaged employees are 44% more productive than those who are merely “satisfied” with their roles. Employee engagement includes encountering opportunities to learn and grow; a culture of learning stimulates motivation, innovation and entrepreneurship. These qualities are valued by many of today’s most forward-thinking companies.

According to Forbes Human Resource Council, the future of work will require employees to possess “soft skills,” such as emotional intelligence, adaptability and resilience. Continuous learning is a prerequisite to developing these essential future-proofing tools. 

A workforce comprised of individuals with these skills will enable businesses to remain competitive and relevant in a fast-evolving labor market. Continuous learning is also crucial for career growth and professional fulfillment. It can help employees navigate new roles, take on different projects and support career transitions. Company leaders should, therefore, ensure that learning is a priority across all stages of an employee’s career.

How Can Employers Provide Meaningful Learning Opportunities?

Employers need to lead by example and fully commit to L&D by investing in upskilling and reskilling their workforce and creating a company culture that encourages the development of a growth mindset (wherein the value of continuous learning is recognized). Companies must ensure that they use learning to support broader company objectives in an inclusive and accessible manner that benefits all employees. 

There are many strategies and platforms now available to employers and employees who want to engage in learning. Online courses, professional development programs, workshops, seminars and mentoring/coaching schemes are ubiquitous. The challenge is to select the route that aligns most closely with the company’s ethos and objectives (employers) and individual goals (professionals). 

It is essential to actively seek opportunities to expand knowledge and acquire new skills to stay abreast of market trends. Learning and development must always be meaningful, engaging and purposeful. When companies are not proactive, skills gaps are likely to arise — hence the need to find the most relevant areas to target for development. Employers should determine where and how technology and organizational norms (behavior and culture) are changing and assess the impact of these changes on their company. Subsequently, employees should be encouraged to leave their comfort zones and push the boundaries of their capabilities.

Employers should continuously provide opportunities for employees to take on new and exciting challenges and foster an environment where employees are open to change, think more divergently, and feel empowered to take risks. Forbes Human Resource Council believes meaningful and relevant challenges can encourage employees to accept and value the concept of failure. Continuous learning also enables employees to identify growth opportunities and become more competent in their roles. This is why it benefits companies to invest in L&D and ensure that learning becomes a core aspect of company culture and integral to every employee’s career progression.

How can employers set the wheels in motion for continuous learning within their organizational culture? There are several steps that employers can follow in the workplace:

• Set achievable learning goals
• Lead by example (invest in your own L&D and highlight this)
• Allocate dedicated time and specific days to learning
• Embrace the concept of micro-learning (bite-sized chunks of L&D that can fit into busy schedules)
• Leverage available technology (use what is already out there: digital courses, webinars, online videos, virtual conferences, etc.)
• Demonstrate how the learning applies to real workplace challenges and organizational goals/objectives
• Provide personalized learning paths and discover your employees’ passions
• Offer financial support for any external L&D
• Motivate employees to continue learning by celebrating achievements
• Incorporate L&D into all performance reviews and feedback

Spotlight On Two Learning Platforms

Masterclass is an online subscription platform providing learners with access to pre-recorded tutorials and lectures from industry experts to support skills development. Subscribers to their courses can gain further knowledge and expertise in a range of fields, from arts and entertainment to business and technology, science, sports and gaming. It offers subscribers a more “hands-off” and flexible approach to learning. Masterclass stands out from many alternative platforms due to the celebrity status of many of its expert teachers who promise to reveal the secrets of their success.

Udemy is an online educational platform that offers a broad selection (thousands) of courses covering everything from design and technology to business marketing, photography and music. This platform is trusted by over 14,400 companies globally and has supported millions of learners with their career and personal development. Udemy’s ethos is very much one of transforming careers via education.

What Are The Benefits Of Continuous Learning?

Employers who embrace a learning culture will reap the benefits of having a workforce adequately upskilled and reskilled to meet the demands of new roles brought about by automation. Continuous learning will also ensure that workers are prepared to move away from positions that have become redundant due to new technologies. 

Future-proofing an entire workforce can also enable companies to remain competitive, improve the company brand, and attract the best talent (and those whose values align most closely with the company’s ethos). There are also the benefits of increasing employee engagement and job satisfaction, improving retention rates, reducing the levels of quiet quitting and providing scope for collaboration between employees who are able to share their newfound knowledge. Engagement in learning can also lead to more networking between companies and even global connectivity. 

Employees with continuous L&D built into their careers are more curious, innovative and creative, and thus better equipped to make more of an impact at work. Continuous learning also helps professionals find solutions to novel challenges and become more enterprising as their careers progress. They become more attractive to employers and better positioned for career advancement as they develop sought-after leadership qualities. Individuals who continuously learn also experience more enjoyment in their work, as they often benefit from personal growth and professional development. 

Embracing lifelong learning builds resilient careers, provides companies and individuals with a competitive edge, expands horizons and empowers professionals to achieve their full potential and establish successful career paths. Continuous learning fosters resilience and adaptability in the face of constant change — resources we could all benefit from having in our career “toolbox.”