Historically, chief learning officers and learning leaders were mainly tasked with hiring and engaging top talent through various training and development programs.
Modern CLOs, as we know, have a few more feathers in their caps. Nowadays, learning leaders are also responsible for things like building and championing strong company culture, establishing a strong talent pipeline and are very involved in decisions regarding technological advances.
CLOs have always been natural people leaders, quietly and succinctly leading by example, contributing positively to overall company culture from the top down. Learning and development has also been heavily involved in training for technological adoption for quite some time. Companies relied heavily on L&D for technology training and integration during the pandemic.
But building a robust and “future-ready” talent pipeline is a much larger mission. And with L&D leaders facing an $8.5 trillion skills gap, according to Korn Ferry, it’s also a critical mission.
Establishing a strong method for developing career pathways within the organization is key to having a solid talent pipeline. In the U.S., workers aren’t staying at companies as long as they used to 20 years ago. These days, people stay with their companies more often when they are offered growth and development opportunities.
Building a strong internal talent pipeline can sometimes begin outside the organization. Apprenticeship programs can establish a solid foundation for a career pathway that is appealing to students as they enter the workforce. Virginia’s Tech Talent Investment Program is a great example of how a career pathway program can strengthen a talent pipeline. Our CXO members can check out this case study and learn more about how this program has helped support the development of a hardy technology talent pipeline in Arlington, Virginia.
A good talent pipeline also offers learners many opportunities for upskilling, as well as regular skills assessment in order to identify learners’ skills, strengths and areas for development. According to LinkedIn’s 2024 Workplace Learning Report, upskilling employees rank number three in the top areas of focus for L&D in 2024.
Upskilling is crucial for long-term success in an organization for a number of reasons, such as engagement and retention, increased productivity and it also gives organizations a competitive advantage to have a workforce with highly attuned relevant skills. Upskilling is also a more cost-effective way of developing talent because it costs more to outsource and recruit.
Upskilling also encourages employees’ creativity and allows them to be more innovative within their roles. This might be the most important reason for upskilling and gives organizations the most edge. We know an organization is nothing without its talent, and L&D leaders are perfectly positioned to help talent unlock their true potential.
Finally, a good talent pipeline also consists of regular development opportunities and offerings, such as regular coaching and mentoring, tuition reimbursement, stretch assignments, job-shadowing initiatives or even job rotation programs. Coupled with a strong culture for continuous learning, regular development creates a very fluid and agile talent pipeline.
Many companies are starting to think critically about development. For example, Jeff McLanahan, vice president of L&D at American Residential Services, wrote last year about how an internal audit of their learning strategy led them to adopting a ton of new changes to their technical and management training programs. These changes led to an overall increase in engagement in training and employee retention, ultimately strengthening their internal talent pipeline.
The talent gap sounds so daunting. But, I am extremely confident in the ability of L&D professionals and the critical role they play in setting the stage for the future of work.
Prioritizing building a strong talent pipeline isn’t just a strategic choice, but a commitment to a thriving workforce.
