Amar Kulkarni, Managing Partner
Amar Kulkarni is a Strategy, Leadership, and Technology consultant and the Managing Partner at Skills U, a skill and learning experience platform for SMBs and enterprises. With over 20 years of experience working with global organizations such as Deloitte, Capgemini, IBM, Target, and Scholastic, Amar specializes in business transformation, digital strategy, organizational change, and customer experience (CX). He is also a thought leader in human-centered design, leadership, productivity, and workplace well-being.
The Challenge of Employee Retention and Upskilling
Employee retention and upskilling have become top priorities for organizations aiming to stay competitive. A recent Gallup report states that 93% of organizations are concerned about retaining their talent, shifting the focus beyond just compensation.
Macroeconomic factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic and rapid technological advancements in AI and automation, have forced companies to rethink their people experience strategy. According to Deloitte, three out of five business executives believe AI and automation will drive their organizations toward a skills-based approach. With the World Economic Forum highlighting an $8.5 trillion global skills gap, upskilling and reskilling are no longer optional-they are essential for survival.
Learning and Growth as a Driver of Employee Engagement
Learning and development (L&D) now play a critical role in both employee engagement and retention. The LinkedIn 2021 Workplace Learning Report found that:
Employees who feel their skills are underutilized are 10 times more likely to seek a new job than those who feel their skills are effectively used.
This highlights a direct link between engagement and growth. Employees are no longer just working for a paycheck; they want to continuously develop their skills to advance their careers and personal goals.
Growth and learning are no longer separate from career success-they are integral to it.
The Cultural Learning Gap
C-suite executives are now hyper-focused on employee mobility. With the high cost of turnover and talent acquisition, businesses are prioritizing two key areas:
Keeping employees motivated and engaged to reduce attrition.
Providing internal career mobility to build resilience and productivity.
Despite these priorities, a disconnect remains. Employees want to learn, but many lack the support they need. An HR director from a leading tech company put it plainly:
“Employees are eager to learn, but they’re not getting the support they need.”
Traditional learning platforms often have low completion rates, and only 35% of employees feel encouraged by their managers to develop their skills, according to the latest LinkedIn Learning Report.
Employees want control over their learning journey. While managers and HR play a role, organizations must shift towards a model where employees actively shape their career paths-aligning their personal ambitions with business objectives to create a win-win scenario.
Personalized Learning as a Solution
A case study from Siemens illustrates the power of personalized learning. By implementing a detailed skills assessment and tailored learning paths, Siemens significantly boosted employee satisfaction and performance. A Siemens L&D manager summarized the approach:
“It’s about aligning learning with the individual’s career ambitions and the company’s direction.”
While companies define broad career paths (e.g., junior developer ? intermediate developer ? senior developer), each employee’s journey is unique. Career progression is shaped by:
- Life circumstances
- Opportunities available
- Personal interests and aspirations
By offering personalized learning plans, organizations empower employees to take ownership of their growth, creating clear career roadmaps that facilitate goal setting and performance reviews.
Creating Active Learning Cultures
Building a culture of active learning is essential. The 2023 LinkedIn L&D Report outlines two key priorities for organizations:
1 Aligning learning with business goals
2 Creating a continuous learning culture
A great example is Google’s “20% time” philosophy, which allows employees to spend 20% of their time on personal projects. This approach has led to major innovations like Gmail and AdSense. A Google HR executive explains:
“It’s about fostering an environment where learning and innovation go hand in hand.”
A structured learning plan that includes:
- A skills framework
- Clear learning objectives
- Mentorship and peer learning opportunities
?ensures that employees can seamlessly integrate learning into their daily work.
The 70-20-10 learning model remains highly relevant:
- 70% of learning comes from on-the-job experiences
- 20% comes from interactions with others (mentorship, peer collaboration)
- 10% comes from formal education
Future learning models will increasingly emphasize experiential learning over traditional training-ensuring that employees have access to “just-in-time” learning to perform effectively.
Leveraging Technology to Drive Learning
With the rise of AI and digital transformation, companies must leverage technology-driven learning solutions to enhance workforce skills.
- AI-driven learning assistants: Walmart is experimenting with AI-powered tools to help employees with onboarding and skills development.
- Peer-to-peer learning platforms: Employees can instantly connect with colleagues for impromptu knowledge-sharing.
- Functional mentorship programs: AI-driven matchmaking can pair employees with the right mentors for career growth.
As an HR leader at Adobe highlights:
“Transparent career trajectories contribute to employee motivation and retention.”
Furthermore, tracking skill development is essential. An HR analyst at IBM shares:
“Through our learning platform, we’ve been able to track skill development and align it with our business goals effectively.”
A comprehensive learning marketplace that combines:
- Personalized learning experiences
- Multi-channel content (videos, courses, mentorships, workshops)
- AI-driven insights into career progression will be crucial for future workforce development.
For example, MasterClass, a learning platform featuring expert-led content, boasts an 80% engagement rate-proving that timely, relevant, and high-quality content keeps learners engaged.
The Business Case for Learning and Development
A Gallup analyst sums it up:
“Learning and development are not just HR issues; they are business issues.”
As organizations tackle the skills gap, they must rethink not only how employees learn but also how businesses adapt to change. Key considerations include:
- Which business functions can be optimized with AI and automation?
- How will these changes impact roles and responsibilities?
- What new skills will employees need to thrive in evolving roles?
The path forward requires:
1 Assessing current workforce skills
2 Identifying critical future skills
3 Creating a strategy to bridge the gap
Conclusion: A Competitive Advantage Through Learning
The future of learning and development is rapidly evolving. Organizations that prioritize continuous learning, skills development, and career mobility will gain a significant competitive edge.
By investing in:
- Personalized learning paths
- Technology-driven upskilling
- A culture of active learning
businesses will unlock employee potential, drive retention, and future-proof their workforce.
Empowered employees thrive-and when they do, so does the organization.