How Covid will change the world of corporate L&D, hiring, and diversity
By Lee Rubenstein — edX
“I never could have imagined this in my wildest dreams…” said a F1000 CEO to me in July, as we pondered an unimaginable pace of change in how businesses are being run with global disruption in every aspect of their business; from hiring to retention to training to supply chains, to an overheated financial market and shareholder expectations.
While change and evolution continuously occur in the workplace, and ‘predictors’ are forecasting a 50% reduction in current jobs driven by advances in technology, AI, and robotics — no one expected that a pandemic would come to pass or be the fulcrum that would ‘lever’ massive change in corporate mindsets in the blink of an eye. But, here we are.
One of the great signals of change in the workplace is the behavior of online learners. The learning came fast and furious in 2020, as overnight we went from ‘in person’ workplace and campus experience, to almost 100% remote. Organizations struggled, and succeeded in many cases, to build an alternative at warp speed to create a new world order of remote learning/work, fracturing a model that had been entrenched in society for the past 100 years.
The first massive change occurred in March/April of 2020 which saw an explosion of new ‘restless learners’ actively looking for an outlet that would allow them to affordably develop new skills and competencies from wherever they were, and to do it ‘fast’. Their programs of choice range from ‘free to degree’ as we say, and they want to be in the ‘front row’, actively participating and engaging with a community of learners like them. They wanted a reward for their investment of time, meaning a substantive ‘certificate’; a microcredential from world renowned institutions; something modular and stackable, that could lead to future opportunities and credentials they could consume in pieces at their own pace.
Employers noticed; they have started to become ‘woke’ to a new normal in the workplace. First, remote work and access to upskilling by anyone refreshed their concept of the value of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). By accepting microcredentials in lieu of a full degree, they have enabled vast new populations of applicants as ‘welcome to apply’. Now, an under-considered segment of the population is discovering online learning credentials and demonstrating that, regardless of their past life choices, they have the smarts, grit, and determination to take and finish rigorous courses with credentials. As newly minted candidates, even without the formerly desired ‘four-year degree’ that was a gating factor for over 50% of the working population, they are becoming ‘in demand’ and highly recruited in some sectors for up-leveled jobs.
What lies ahead is a growing recognition that the workforce can be remote, productive, and easily skilled if the corporation can articulate what skills they are targeting. If they can successfully point their workforce and aspiring candidates to the solutions available to gain those skills which now are widely accessible to all, it is the next ‘big win’. This is not ‘just a tech story’; there are pathways to almost any skills required for any up-leveled job, career, or outcome. The establishment of employer accepted micro-credentials, re-imagining higher ed, and access for all to in-demand pathways will be the change engines that reinvent how we hire and drive career achievement in 2021 and beyond.
Lee Rubenstein is VP of Business Development at edX.org, a leading online learning platform and education marketplace, soon to be part of 2U, a global leader in education technology.
This article was originally published in the EdTechX monthly newsletter, the X Report which shares a snapshot of key trends, showcases the stars of today and tomorrow, and provides some food for thought as well as mergers, acquisitions and fundraising.
