Thirty Percent Of HR Experts Say Professional Development Needs To Be Better Aligned With Business Objectives

Press Release for a joint report: ‘Structured Learning in Business‘ with Rosetta Stone and the CPD Standards Office.

The report shines a light on the important role of structured learning in business, despite contrasting current trends.

Survey highlights reveal:

  • 30 per cent of HR experts believe improvement is needed to better align learning and development (L&D) with business objectives;
  • While 90 per cent of businesses recognise the need for professional development and training, it’s not always provided;
  • 27 per cent of HR decision-makers admit they don’t offer it but acknowledge that they should.

The survey of 100 UK HR experts, conducted for Rosetta Stone and the CPD Standards Office by Vanson Bourne, discovered that 87 per cent of respondents believe that one benefit of a structured training programme is skills development for employees, and 71 per cent of respondents believe employees feel more confident about their work. In response to the increasing globalisation of business, 60 per cent of respondents whose organisations offer professional development and training also offer language training, with over a third (35 per cent) offering it as a CPD discipline.

Donavan Whyte, Rosetta Stone’s VP EMEA Enterprise & Education, says: “In order for businesses to succeed and grow, HR departments need to make informed decisions on the optimal way to support development within their organisations. This means evaluating the skills gap and strategically aligning training with business objectives. Our survey results show that there is clear support for structured and strategically aligned training.”

On-the-job experiential learning has gathered support in recent years, with the 70:20:10 concept for training suggesting that 70 per cent of learning comes through experience, 20 per cent from social learning and only 10 per cent through formal learning approaches. Valuable though on-the-job learning is these survey results challenge training approaches that rely heavily on unstructured training methods and reveal strong backing for structured training. This can be as part of a hybrid method of training techniques that include digital-based learning.

In previous research, Rosetta Stone found that two-thirds of executives agreed the future of language training lies in e-learning, with 82 per cent using a blended learning method of training delivery in their workplace.

Amanda Rosewarne, Director of CPD Accreditation and Research at the CPD Standards Office, adds: “A CPD-led approach to language learning can improve an individual’s career prospects, provide greater work engagement and create a wider scope of learning possibilities. Language learning will continue to become a cornerstone within organisations’ training budgets, as well as formally recognised CPD activities within regulatory environments.”

A summary of the key findings follows:

  • Thirty per cent of HR experts say learning and development need to be better aligned with business objectives;
  • 63 per cent of organisations offer professional development and training while almost one in three (27 per cent) don’t but realise they should;
  • Three-quarters of organisations that offer training and development take a structured approach, offering CPD;
  • Smaller organisations are more likely to offer development and training – 83 per cent of organisations with between 501 and 1,000 employees said they do. However, when it comes to CPD, medium-sized organisations (1,001-3,000 employees) – which ranked lowest in offering professional development and training in general – came out on top;
  • In contrast to the experiential learning ethos of 70:20:10, 100 per cent of those surveyed that offer professional development and training believe that a structured training programme has benefits;
  • With the increasing globalisation of business, six out of 10 businesses recognise the importance of languages through training, with just over one-third offering it as a CPD discipline.

About the survey:

100 UK HR decision makers were interviewed in June 2015 from a range of organisation sizes (501-1000 employees; 1001-3000 employees and more than 3000 employees) across a range of sectors – retail, distribution and transport, technology and communications, financial services, business and professional services, manufacturing, public sector and other commercial sectors.

Read the full report Structured Learning in Business

About Rosetta Stone Inc.

Rosetta Stone Inc. (NYSE: RST) is dedicated to changing people’s lives through the power of language and literacy education. The company’s innovative, personalized language and reading programs drive positive learning outcomes in thousands of schools, businesses, government organizations and for millions of individual learners around the world.
Founded in 1992, Rosetta Stone pioneered the use of interactive software to accelerate language learning and is widely recognized today as the industry leader in providing effective language programs. The company’s cloud-based programs allow users to learn online or on the go via tablet or smartphone, whether in a classroom, in a corporate setting, or in a personal learning environment.

Rosetta Stone is also a leader in the literacy education space, helping millions of students build fundamental reading skills through its Lexia Learning division. Additionally, the company’s Fit Brains business offers personalized brain training programs developed by neuroscientists and award-winning game designers to be fun and help keep your brain sharp.

Rosetta Stone is based in Arlington, VA, and has offices and operations around the world.  For more information, visit www.rosettastone.co.uk/business.  “Rosetta Stone” is a registered trademark or trademark of Rosetta Stone Ltd. in the United States and other countries.

About CPD Standards Office

The Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Standards Office works to improve the standard of CPD provision across all industry sectors. It forms part of the Professional Development Consortium (PDC), respected by regulators, professional bodies and trade associations for its work with organisations undertaking research and accreditation services.
Organisations accredited by the Office are identified as offering a high level of positive learning opportunities and as working with the CPD Standards community to raise skills, knowledge and education. The Office assesses training courses, events, digital and online learning provided by organisations as well as individual coaches and speakers.
With a rich history of working with private, public and voluntary sectors, the CPD Standards Office is unique in delivering research-based CPD accreditation. It is overseen by an Expert Advisory Board comprising CPD experts, academics, employers and professional bodies to ensure its assessment processes are mandated against current legislation and regulations. It has accredited thousands of CPD training activities, delivered in all corners of the globe, and has providers spanning all continents and across 20 countries. For more information, visit cpdstandards.com

About Vanson Bourne:

Vanson Bourne is an independent specialist in market research for the technology sector. Our reputation for robust and credible research-based analysis is founded upon rigorous research principles and our ability to seek the opinions of senior decision-makers across technical and business functions in all business sectors and all major markets.

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