How to know if your L&D communication is working

Follow this 5-step process to find out

For any organization, a culture of continuous learning and development (L&D) is a win-win: Employees achieve their goals while the organization builds strong employees.

Research shows that strong L&D impacts employee engagement. Employees who have opportunities to learn are happier and more productive. Conversely, the lack of an L&D culture affects employee retention. A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers survey found that 70% of workers say they’ve left a job to develop in their careers.

Because of the importance of L&D, many companies spend significant resources — time, money and energy — to develop a comprehensive program for employee development. But an L&D program is only effective if employees know about it.

That’s why you need a strong communication strategy.

When you take the time to develop an effective plan, you’ll have:

· An understanding of what you’re trying to achieve with the communication

· An approach that helps you focus on resources

· An organized, targeted set of communication tactics to execute

· A way to measure success

Here’s how:

1. Assess the situation.

First, learn about your stakeholders. Who are they? Do they sit primarily in office settings? Or do most of your employees work in manufacturing facilities? What generations do your employees represent? What is the average tenure at your organization? The answers to these demographic questions may help you determine the best ways to communicate with your stakeholders.

Next, consider the current state of L&D at your organization. How have employees engaged with your program? Are leaders generally supportive of employee learning and development?

Then, gather baseline facts. How many employees have participated in L&D offerings? How many have gone outside the company for L&D? Compile employee turnover rates and any other metrics, such as employee engagement survey results or information from exit interviews.