In an age of constant change, it’s no surprise that talent gaps continually open up. As the need to upskill and reskill grows, so does the allocation of annual personal budget to spend on learning and development (L&D). While many use it to upgrade skills in applications crucial to their role, others are more savvy and actively upskilling themselves for opportunities across the wider business.

Research from Harvard Business Publishing and Degreed, finds that 85 per cent of employees understand their current skill gaps and are investing both business time (1.2 hours) and their own time (3.5 hours) each week on self-development.

The pool of resources is growing. Employees are arguably an organisations most important consumers and as such, are seeking the same convenience from L&D that they find in other areas of their life. On-demand services like Netflix and Spotify have helped pave the way for a generation of employees whose development pathway covers all bases: online blogs and articles, digital courses, conferences, employer training, webcasts, podcasts, social groups, team collaboration and beyond.

Coronavirus has certainly upped the ante for employee L&D programmes. But long before the pandemic, Gallup research found that L&D was the most important factor in retaining millennials. And in pre-pandemic research by City & Guilds Group, a lack of in-work learning meant two thirds of respondents felt negatively about their career prospects.

Imagine how they feel now. With COVID-19 making jobs more fragile than at any time for at least a decade, and the threat of automation hanging in the air, employees understand that the knowledge they obtain, rather than the company they serve, is their true guarantee of security. 

But what knowledge is most useful, now that COVID-19 has sent a series of seismic shocks through the world of work? Businesses face a rolling programme of local lockdowns. Remote work is here to stay, with teams split between those who have to be at work and those who don’t. Other trends that have been set in motion or accelerated by the pandemic, including the uptake of artificial intelligence and downsizing of offices, are likely to continue. Inevitably, jobs will be lost.

“There are several periods of adjustment ahead and organisations will need to support employees at each step, taking into consideration, for example, the different needs of workers who have been on furlough and those who have worked continuously,” says Lynsey Whitmarsh, chief experience officer at L&D company Hemsley Fraser. “We are likely to experience a series of ‘next normals’ rather than one ‘new normal’.”

COVID-19 is just the start. Climate change and the need for a greener economy will usher in fundamental changes to life and work. Many employees already live with the growing threat of automation.

Adapting to a world in a constant state of flux is like trying to hit a fast-moving target. Skills quickly age and, even before COVID-19, the half-life of a job skill had been calculated at just five years. Businesses naturally want to equip employees with knowledge that makes them more productive. But post-COVID-19 L&D has to be about more than updating technical knowhow. It needs to nurture the ability to adapt.  

Dr Simon Hayward, chief executive of leadership, talent and engagement specialists Cirrus and honorary professor at Alliance Manchester Business School, says: “Situations like COVID demonstrate that detailed long-term plans simply don’t work in a world that is constantly changing.” He advises that organisations and employees alike prepare themselves to adapt to the new reality of ongoing change.

For employees, traits like creativity and curiosity will be key. Greg Orme, founder of London Business School’s Centre for Creative Business, believes organisations that help to nurture these traits will be rewarded with employees who are loyal, adaptable and contribute a continual drip feed of good ideas.

“COVID-19 has accelerated technological and societal trends already in play,” he says. “Research shows bosses prize creative thinking because they know it’s the only way to mitigate the risk of change.” For employees, he adds, creativity “is the human superpower to future-proof careers”.

Talent development has to adapt to this new reality. The next five or ten years are so shrouded in uncertainty that for many employees nurturing psychological strengths will be as important as updating skills. 

“Many companies may not know what roles will be needed in terms of skills and knowledge, so people’s capabilities need to be built to help them prosper in any role, things like critical thinking, collaboration, communication, adaptability and resilience,” says Peter Carlin, managing director of digital learning provider Logicearth.

Which is all very well, but how does a corporate L&D strategy take nebulous concepts like creative thinking into account? 

Companies should endorse continuous learning as both an employee benefit and a fast track to career security. In return, organisations reap the benefit of an engaged and agile employee, who is able to absorb and adapt to rapid change.

Workers in a post-pandemic world still need the skills to exploit the latest iteration of Salesforce, Slack or Zoom. But COVID-19 has brought the uncertainties of a rapidly changing world into sharp focus. Employees crave opportunities to equip themselves with the means to adapt. As such, lifelong learning strategies are not a cost to be cut in a post-pandemic squeeze, but a path to a more engaged, creative and flexible workforce.

Organisations consolidate their resources as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become increasingly important to do more with less. With furloughing and hiring freezes currently commonplace, many businesses have started looking inward to identify how best to use the talent already at their disposal. 

Equally, the shift to remote working has accelerated digital transformation plans that have been in the pipeline for years. As workers have been asked to rapidly adapt to new circumstances and technologies, the conversations around employee engagement and reskilling the workforce have moved to the fore.

Against such a backdrop, getting internal mobility right has arguably never been more important. 

At its core, internal mobility is a strategy that enables organisations to nurture and retain key talent by matching employees with internal opportunities in which they can optimise their skillsets, helping both the employee and the business grow. 

Benefits of such a strategy are vast, but perhaps the most important is double-sided: internal mobility improves employee engagement and, in the process, grows the bottom line. 

“Companies that are able to put in place a mobility programme that works are going to definitely be able to adapt to change much quicker,” says Agustin Donati, director of product marketing at human capital management software business Avature. “Those that do will be in much better shape because they’re going to have the key resources in the right places at the right time.”

Where to start 

Ascertaining the lay of the land is critical. Human resources directors should review existing internal mobility programmes, starting with the elements that have worked previously, and identifying those that require an overhaul. 

As part of this review, HR professionals must consider how well they know their workforce. What are their employees’ skills and strengths? How do they perform? Which elements of their role do they most value and why? What are their career aspirations? 

The effectiveness of internal mobility technology is determined by the accuracy of this employee information, so it is imperative HR professionals support line managers in gathering as much qualitative data as possible about their team members’ skillsets and job requirements, as well as future career goals.

This data can be gathered through multiple touchpoints, including employee surveys, regular virtual check-ins between managers and employees, and via job portals, all of which can uncover vital insights into workforce sentiment.

These insights can help businesses better engage employees and tailor development opportunities. LinkedIn’s 2018 Workforce Learning Report found that 94 per cent of employees would stay at an organisation longer if it actively invested in their careers, while a recent survey by The Harris Poll found a lack of career progression is one of the biggest reasons employees quit their jobs.

Internal mobility is an ideal avenue through which to engage and retain talent, granting access to new opportunities across job roles, projects, programmes and short-term gigs, which is vital during the current period of disruption and rapid change.

“We had seen many of our customers focusing on internal mobility even before COVID-19, because companies were starting to see mobility as an asset that would foster career development within the company, as well as attracting key talent to stay in the company for longer. But now with COVID this has changed from being just a nice to have to a must have,” says Donati.

It is, therefore, critical that employers review their systems and processes, particularly those with legacy applicant tracking and talent management systems, which Donati says have so far struggled to efficiently match employee skillsets with ongoing opportunities, including new job roles and temporary projects, and subsequently negatively impacted employee engagement.

“Technology created not only a barrier but a black hole,” says Donati. “The company was throwing jobs into the black hole and employees were doing the same with their interests and career aspirations, all because the two were not being matched.” 

Unlocking mobility with technology

Employers need to assess the ease with which existing employees can change jobs and find other opportunities within their organisation. For example, where can they find information about relevant opportunities within the business? Who are the key points of contact for each role? What is the process for applying for a new opportunity? 

“The right technology will allow the company to engage and communicate with its employees, and allow them to provide transparency and visibility,” explains Donati, who cites L’Oréal as a business doing things right.

Employee surveys and exit interviews conducted by L’Oréal revealed 50 per cent of employees wanted more visibility into career opportunities within the organisation, while 56 per cent of former employees who regretted leaving the business identified a lack of visibility into career choices as a key factor behind their departure. 

Taking input from global HR leaders across the business, L’Oréal launched its POP (Positions Open Portal) in August 2018 across 70 countries, which is an Avature-built platform that offers employees greater visibility and agency around internal opportunities. 

The results, says Donati, speak for themselves. L’Oréal now posts 81 per cent of job openings internally in the first instance, with three quarters of those posted on the career site filled by existing employees. The business has seen a 40 per cent increase in the number of roles filled by internal candidates against external applicants, ensuring those entering new roles are already a proven cultural fit, reducing onboarding costs and the likelihood of future attrition.

Walk don’t run

Yet HR professionals must be mindful of the challenges involved in creating a successful internal mobility strategy. 

These include securing buy-in from their executive board for an ongoing commitment to internal mobility, whether in the form of an organisation-wide programme or ad hoc mobility projects involving short-term resourcing, because the strengths and aspirations of employees change over time, much like the strengths and demands of a business. 

“Now is a good time to get alignment on what the company needs and its vision, and what the employees need and their vision. That’s why communication and an engagement strategy is key,” says Donati. 

Organisations of all sizes need to consider that employee engagement is likely to look a lot different in the “new normal”. Ongoing, meaningful communication with employees is more important than ever and savvy people leaders are taking a proactive approach to internal mobility, placing this critical strategy at the top of their agenda.

Tower Hamlets Council has bought 2,063 mobile devices since the coronavirus pandemic hit. So when even cash-strapped local authorities are spending big, kitting out staff with laptops and iPads, it's clear the expectation is mass working from home is set to stay for some time yet. 

But in equipping employees, are councils and many other employers actually firing the starting pistol for a potential future challenge, eroding the very essence of what it is to actually feel employed? 

"Everything about the structure of working – getting up, getting dressed, the commute, the building, where you sit, sharing ideas with colleagues and socialising – is all subtly reinforcing status," says Rohit Talwar, editor of a new book entitled Aftershocks and Opportunities: Scenarios for a Post-Pandemic Future. 

Workplaces are an undervalued factor in defining who we are. Work undeniably gives people a sense of who they are; it’s an anchor and reinforces that they are a professional person, deserved of a professional environment, he says. 

“If we're not careful, ignoring this and assuming people will get this same sense of employee experience at home, juggling at-home distractions could be a mistake,” says Talwar.

According to Dr Stephen Pereira, cognitive behaviour therapy specialist, it's no coincidence that office buildings have big lobbies. “They're creating a sense of belonging. Entering is a badge of honour; it reinforces to people they've 'made it’,” he says. Strip this away and problems will soon start emerging. 

Pereira has just compiled research with neuroscience and wellbeing company Helix Resilience on the impact working from home is having on City professionals, who are well known for getting their affirmation from their place of work. Shockingly, it finds 85 per cent say they're already struggling mentally with working at home. 

"It won't just be City workers suffering. I foresee staff struggling to work in environments unsuited to their work and unsuited to conveying a sense of personal identity,” he says.

Tim Oldman, founder and chief executive of workplace effectiveness data firm Leesman, argues that employers aren't yet even considering this element of employee experience as a future issue, when they should. 

"The problem is the fairy dust sprinkled on people when they cross the threshold of the workplace isn't something that has distinct return on investment and at the moment employers are enjoying perceived efficiencies. Staff seem to be working hard and being proficient. Mostly though, this is because employees are worrying if they'll still have a job,” says Oldman. 

He worries things may soon start to slip, as mission creep sets in, and quality and innovation begin to decline. “That's the result of staff losing sight of who they are and where they fit it,” he adds.

Guillaume Chesneau, Nespresso’s head of UK and Ireland, is already noticing creativity is suffering, with staff not physically coming together. ”We will be going back to face to face because, even with technology, I don't feel we have the same level of connection and people's mindsets are not there 100 per cent,” he says. 

When people are at home all the time, they don't get their all-important "third space" that isn't home and doesn’t feel like work, says Chesneau. As Nespresso UK’s offices gradually open, he is perfectly comfortable with the space conferring some other form of identity. "It's highly likely we'll shift to a 'hospitality' type model, where the workplace is for meeting people and having interactions, like a hotel lobby, rather than having fixed desks," he says.

Employers who don't recognise the “fairy dust” factor could not only suffer future problems, but they could be compounding them if they've already started divesting themselves of real estate in the interim. Fujitsu, for example, has just announced it will need just half its current office space within the next three years, although some experts argue shedding space could be a mistake. 

"Quantity and quality of ad hoc dialogue between people in an office cannot be replicated at home, when you physically have to phone or Zoom someone," says Richard Fox, founder of The Learning Corporation and author of Making Relationships Work at Work. "While those motivated by task completion might enjoy working from home, extraverts certainly won't get what they need by not being 'at work'."

Whether employees themselves will demand to get back to the office and regain their sense of self is a moot point, but employers could well find themselves needing to face up to it. It's certainly what outsourced receptionist firm Moneypenny is thinking about. 

Pre-coronavirus its 91,000sq-ft purpose-built head office acted as a place for staff to come together as a community, says chief executive Joanna Swash. After months being at home, people are desperate to get back, she says. 

"This question of whether workplaces give people a sense of self has really resonated with me," Swash says. "The office is a manifestation of our company; our whole ethos is we are a team.

“We have 100 back already, for mental health reasons, out of 750 seats. From what I've heard, most do want to come back because we have professional people feeling like they're not doing things at home in a professional way.”

Analysis by the Advanced Workplace Institute of 750 academic papers into the impact of home working due to COVID-19 has found that when not together, trust and cohesion between staff is damaged, which can lead to loss of self-belief and identity. But managing director Andrew Mawson argues it's simplistic to say all workplaces were always wonderful and had a morale-boosting role. 

"Not all workplaces were frictionless, easy places to be or operate in," he says. "Anecdotally, what I'm actually finding is many remote workers say they're feeling more connected and feel good about themselves precisely because managers are having to reach out more, communicate and do all the things they probably took for granted while everyone was on-site.

"What's clear is that while identity and personal status doesn't always have to come from a building, as employers maintain this virtual world for longer, what they will have to do more and more of is get the remote employee experience right."