- LinkedIn research finds that more than two thirds (67%) of UK workers are looking to move jobs this year
- However, just under a third (29%) of UK employees say they’d stay with their current employer if they were given the opportunity to develop their skills
- Key focus areas for training programs in 2022 include leadership and management, digital skills, and diversity, equity and inclusion
More than two thirds (67%) of people across the UK are looking to move jobs this year, but having the opportunity to develop their skills (29%) and progress their career (28%) are top reasons that would convince them to stay with their current employer, according to new research from LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network.
As the battle for people with in-demand skills intensifies, businesses are shifting gears to retain top talent. LinkedIn’s 2022 Workplace Learning Report - which surveyed 256 Learning & Development (L&D) professionals in the UK - finds that more than two-fifths (41%) of companies are planning to deploy large-scale upskilling or reskilling programs this year to help. This comes as half (50%) of those surveyed say the skills gaps at their organisation have widened over the last year, and over three-quarters (80%) believe it is less expensive to upskill or reskill an existing employee than to hire a new one.
From a global perspective, as companies look to bolster the professional development of their employees, LinkedIn data shows that demand for L&D specialists globally soared by 94% in late 2021 globally. In the UK, two-fifths (38%) of UK L&D teams are expecting their budgets to increase this year, with over half (57%) saying that providing employees with the opportunity to find new roles within the business is a top priority. According to the study, priority focus areas for skills training in 2022 are: leadership and management (76%), digital upskilling (39%), and diversity, equity and inclusion (49%).
Becky Schnauffer Senior Director, LinkedIn Talent Solutions, said: “It’s clear that Learning & Development professionals will play a huge role in helping UK businesses to retain top talent and narrow their skills gaps. By providing employees with opportunities to develop their skills and progress their careers, not only will companies strengthen their talent retention and recruitment efforts in a tough jobs market - but they will also boost the engagement of existing employees.”
To help companies develop talent with the skills they need to succeed, and support people in their career goals, LinkedIn is:
- Helping companies accelerate their employee’s careers with new features coming to LinkedIn Learning Hub in the next year. Within our skill-building platform, we’ll be launching new features that will help connect employees to development opportunities – from personalised learning and career paths, to internal jobs – based on their skills and goals.
- Providing free resources to support our members’ career development. Today, we’re launching LinkedIn Learning Pathfinder - a new experience where individuals can access a range of learning courses tailored to their personal career goals. 100+ courses on topics such as leadership, work-life balance, and allyship will be available for free until 30th April 2022.
Methodology
Research of 10,154 workers across Europe - UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Sweden - was conducted by Censuswide during 10-15 December 2021. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.
LinkedIn’s 2022 Workplace Learning Report surveyed 542 European Learning & Development professionals across the UK, Ireland, France, DACH, Benelux, and the Nordics. The survey was conducted in November 2021. Furthermore, global LinkedIn platform data was also referenced which measured the number of job posts for Learning & Development specialists between July-September 2021, compared to April-June 2021.
About LinkedIn
LinkedIn connects the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful and transforms the way companies hire, learn, market, and sell. Our vision is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce through the ongoing development of the world’s first Economic Graph. LinkedIn has 810 million members and has offices around the globe. www.linkedin.com / mobile.linkedin.com
