Learning & Development

Favorites from 2021: Learning & Development

Over the past year, HR professionals have consistently adapted to the COVID-19’s ever changing circumstances. Leaders have found ways for employees to flourish in remote environments, and companies sought out new methods to maintain and develop company culture.

The need to constantly learn and develop is nothing new, but it is here to stay. We spoke with Jewell Parkinson, Chief People Officer at iCIMS, about the future of work.

“People are looking for personalized experiences and want to work for a company where they can grow. As such, retaining and retooling talent is becoming incredibly important as companies focus on maximizing employee potential, empowering talent to have visibility into their potential career path and navigate a long-term future with the company,” Parkinson says.

“Employers need to prepare for, as well as foster, a workplace that respects the coalition and community building that will continue to take place, while supporting employee wellness, to tackle the intangible effects of the pandemic head-on.”

Throughout the past year, we’ve written on countless strategies for business to stay on top of L&D. In case you missed a few articles along the way, we’ve collected some of our favorite Learning & Development features from 2021:

“A Post-Pandemic Shift in Work/Life Balance”

The pandemic has taught us that a wide range of jobs can be performed remotely, opening up new opportunities for both employers and employees—and signaling a sea shift in considerations related to work/life balance.

“10 Fun Engagement Games and Activity Ideas for Your Employees”

If you want your staff to give you their very best, you need to instill a sense of camaraderie among them. In order to create that coveted team spirit, staff engagement games and other activity ideas could be used to encourage your employees to bond with each other and, thus, work well together.

“7 Essential Qualities for a Positive Team Culture”

There are seven essential elements of positive team culture that bring balance and support to teams. With each of the seven underlying qualities, teams find more motivation to work together and utilize their advantages.

“Maintaining, or Refining, Company Culture During and After the Pandemic”

The best way to have a company’s post-COVID culture resemble its pre-COVID culture as closely as possible is to never lose that culture in the first place. But it’s extremely hard to retain an office culture based, in part, on regular in-person interaction in the office, including the informal relationships and the nonverbal communication and informal, ad hoc discussions an in-person setting allows.

“Remote Work and the Productivity Debate”

COVID has had an incredible impact on the workplace. Between the logistical challenges of setting up multiple remote offices for individual teams, the difficulty of providing close supervision, and the lack of opportunities for traditional team meetings, a huge concern of managers and employers throughout the country has been productivity.

“4 Ways to Motivate and Lead Teams with Passion”

Passionate leaders garner the greatest support and followership from their people. They trigger commitment and dedication to key strategic objectives from employees at all levels of their organizations. When leaders bring energy and excitement to their work, it is contagious.

“Creating a Positive Experience for Remote Employees Using Employee Journey Mapping”

For working professionals, certain experiences like the first day of work, a promotion, awards, etc., always hold a special place in their life. These moments and experiences, in turn, become an integral part of their career. Employee journey mapping is a key exercise that can help companies ensure employee engagement and satisfaction in the workplace.

“The Role of Empathy in Leadership: Employees Demand It, Leaders Must Live It”

As many workplaces struggle to retain and hire employees during the “Great Resignation,” leaders don’t have time to feel sorry for themselves. But it may be time for more of them to feel empathy toward their workers.

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