According to Wichtowska, employees become more agile, engaged and interested in the work they do when they gain knowledge and have the opportunity chance to learn and grow (2019).

Additionally, Nick Van Dam in Wichtowska’s article explored the five ways in which learning and development can have an impact and what role it can play in an organization (2019). The five ways are:

1. Attract and retain talent: In this new era, people are focused on learning and developing their skills and abilities. In an agile industry, employees are constantly willing to grow, and if an organization lacks these opportunities, they can miss out on talented employees who will be looking to move to more competitive employers.
2. Develop people’s capabilities: Consistently developing and investing in your workforce is important, especially as many industries are becoming digitalized. For example, if your organization is switching to a more data-based system, it is important to invest in training and teaching-employees the appropriate skills in order for the organization to see higher productivity levels and growth.
3. Create a values-based culture: Learning and development can help establish a shared organizational culture. This can be done by sharing organizational values and the organization’s vision with the workforce; to allow employees to contribute and feel like they are a part of the organization.
4. Build an employer brand: Learning and development could be the key to improving an organization’s reputation and retaining new talent. A strong employer brand indicates to its prospective employees how successful it is within the industry.
5. Motivate and engage employees: Employees work efficiently and to the best of their ability when they are motivated, empowered and encouraged to learn more (2019).