The 2023 Workplace Learning Report by LinkedIn highlights the importance of agility and constant learning to build a resilient and adaptable future. The report emphasizes that learning and development (L&D) leaders need to work across Human Resources (HR) to build cultures in which everyone has the tools, career paths, and skills to succeed. This article provides an overview of the report and highlights some key insights.

According to the report, L&D is becoming more central, cross-functional, and strategic than ever before. This year, learning leaders are making the most of their voices to ensure that people strategy and business strategy are one and the same. Mapping learning to business goals is the top priority for L&D leaders. The top four focus areas for L&D in 2023 are aligning learning programs to business goals, upskilling employees, creating a culture of learning, and improving employee retention.

The report suggests that organizations want to build a more people-centric culture, with 83% of them indicating a desire to do so. Furthermore, 81% of L&D departments are actively helping organizations build a more people-centric culture. The report highlights the importance of macro trends in driving opportunities for L&D, with the pandemic causing shockwaves that include talent disruption, inflation, skills shortages, and global tension. L&D has never been better positioned to help, with more companies realizing that daunting challenges demand new skills.

The report lists the top 10 skills that companies need most, which L&D professionals need to ensure their people have to navigate the evolving macro environment. The list includes management, communication, customer service, leadership, sales, project management, analytical skills, teamwork, marketing, and research. Human skills remain critically important, especially with the ongoing prevalence of hybrid work.

The report further breaks down the most in-demand skills by function, such as finance/accounting, engineering, information technology, marketing, and project/program management. It is essential to focus on the necessary skills for each function to prepare for the future.

The 2023 budget outlook for L&D is relatively confident, with only 8% of L&D professionals expecting their budget to decrease. 41% of L&D leaders expect to have more spending power, indicating a positive outlook for L&D. The report highlights that C-suite influence continues to surge, with L&D's time in the spotlight just beginning.

In conclusion, the 2023 Workplace Learning Report by LinkedIn emphasizes the need for agility and consistent learning to build a resilient future in which all employees can thrive and contribute to company success. L&D leaders need to prioritize working with HR to build company cultures in which every employee has access to the tools they need to succeed, and knowledge of available career paths. By mapping learning to business goals, upskilling employees, creating a culture of learning, and improving employee retention, organizations can build a more people-centric culture and prepare for the future.