Welcome to the Era of Continuous Learning: Udemy’s Shelley Osborne on Democratizing Corporate Training
“We’ve entered an era of continuous change, and there’s no way for us to exist or thrive without continuous learning,” says Shelley Osborne, vice president of learning at Udemy.
It’s hard to argue with Osborne on that front. Between the COVID-19 pandemic’s radical restructuring of the work world, the growing demands for social justice in the private and public spheres, and the breakneck pace of corporate innovation today, professionals at all levels and across industries have learned the keys to success are adaptability, agility, and a willingness to strive for more regardless of circumstances.
But are employers really internalizing these lessons?
“In order to use learning as our path forward through change, it is imperative for organizations to build a culture of learning to support growth,” Osborne says. “As a former teacher, I’ve witnessed firsthand how critical lifelong learning is. Yet, in the corporate environment, there aren’t enough resources to bring that continuous learning mindset to the forefront at work.”
That lack of resources is precisely why Osborne wrote The Upskilling Imperative: 5 Ways to Make Learning Core to the Way We Work.Last month Osborne was kind enough to sit for an email Q&A with Recruiter.com. Below is a transcript of that session, minimally edited for style and clarity.
Recruiter.com: Much of The Upskilling Imperative deals with the necessity of building a successful learning culture. How do you define a “learning culture”?
Shelley Osborne: During the near-decade I spent in education, I did my best to inspire and encourage my students to be lifelong learners. “Stay curious. Keep learning new things. Always be growing,” I’d tell them. Now, in the world of business, I find myself giving essentially the same advice to company leaders: Put structures in place to keep nurturing, supporting, and growing your people. After all, people are the lifeblood of thriving companies.
For me, signaling the importance of continuous growth and democratizing learning and development throughout an entire organization are the foundations of what a learning culture really is.
RC: You also note that corporate learning and development has gotten itself a bad rap over the years — which I’ve also noticed myself. What factors do you think have contributed to that negative reputation?
SO: Learning and development programs must evolve with the times. Many training initiatives or workplace curricula were developed for a world that we quite simply don’t live in anymore. Historically, training was static, outdated, and mandatory. Today’s constant innovation and our more recent shift to remote work are calls to action for leaders to rethink traditional training and create cultures centered on agility and growth.
What’s more, today’s workers are accustomed to consuming digital content on their own terms, and they expect their workplace learning to be no different. To be effective, learning must be dynamic and meet individuals where they are, in their specific moments of need. This was true before the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is undeniable now.
RC: Another thread I noticed throughout the book is the connection between learning and democracy, the idea that everyone needs to own learning in the organization. Can you say a little more about that? Why is democratization so key to building a learning culture?
SO: Workplace training can no longer be relegated to one department. It must be owned by the entire organization and ingrained into every facet of how we work. When everyone is involved in the process, learning becomes everyone’s job and everyone’s priority.
For individuals, this means a commitment to developing a growth mindset. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake and share your experience with others. Also, learn in a way that makes sense for your individual goals while advocating for learning needs that your manager may be able to support.
And lastly, for company leaders and executives, make it safe to learn and ask for help. Put your employees in the driver’s seat for their learning, but also build the infrastructure for them to be successful.
RC: Today, discussions of learning and development are often dominated by the tech angle. You point out that tech is valuable, but pedagogy needs to be prioritized over “novelty.” Can you say a little more about that?
SO: Like every other line of business, HR and learning professionals have their own share of jargon and overhyped new technologies. Emerging tech like virtual reality and augmented reality have great promise and already quite a few use cases, but learning leaders shouldn’t rush to embrace them without having solid instructional design and content first.
Start with a crisply defined learning goal. Then, choose the best delivery method for achieving that goal. That might be a slick tech interface, but it could just as easily be a social learning program that consists of employees simply discussing a topic and learning together.
RC: You point out that the ROI on learning and development can be a bit “squishy.” Why is that?
SO: Because learning is a purely human activity (even when facilitated through technology) — and a highly individualized one at that — it can be difficult to assign specific, unchanging performance metrics.
When I explain the ROI of learning, I start by explaining the risks and opportunities shaping the modern workplace and why investing in learning and development to build a robust learning culture makes sense. In today’s fast-moving, ever-changing workplace, where numerous factors are transforming the way we do our jobs, skills training is more important than ever.
Additionally, upskilling existing talent is far more cost-effective and efficient than continually recruiting and onboarding new hires. Besides, workers genuinely want access to learning opportunities — and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, they were willing to leave for new employment when they didn’t get that access. In today’s new normal, it has become apparent that businesses that prioritize the training and upskilling of their workforces are far more resilient than those that don’t.
RC: Finally, is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers that we haven’t covered yet?
SO: We are all grappling with the tremendous impact COVID-19 has had on our work, our businesses, and our lives. Whether you are an employee, manager, or leader, one thing has become undoubtedly clear: If you want to foster resilience for your company or yourself, you must invest in learning and development.
In the post-COVID landscape, digital learning is a surefire way to enhance business agility and enable employees to take control of their own learning outcomes, whether it’s learning a new skill so they are first in line for promotion when the time comes or carving out a new role for themselves where they see a business need.
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