Most talent development professionals say they wish they were more skilled in data analysis and want more training, according to a Dec. 2 report from the Association for Talent Development.
In fact, nearly 7 in 10 organizations said data analysis skills are extremely or very valuable for talent development pros. These skills can improve evidence-based decision-making and better demonstrate the value of talent development to stakeholders, the report found.
“TD professionals should be able to collect and analyze data to generate meaningful insights about talent,” according to the report. “Doing so positions TD as a strategic partner in accomplishing organizational objectives.”
In a survey of 313 talent development pros, 80% said they’ve received training in data analysis. Among those, more than two-thirds were trained during the past two years. Overall, 70% of organizations provided full funding for formal training in data analysis.
Talent development pros said they use data analysis for various reasons, such as analyzing performance gaps, informing their training design, demonstrating the effect of training on learning outcomes and showcasing the impact of talent development on business outcomes.
Learning leaders also need to know how to choose the right tools for their organization’s learning goals, according to another ATD report. Although most organizations said they haven’t implemented AI-enabled learning yet, they plan to do so for learning content development.
Without these skills, learning and development pros could be left out of the conversation — and many fear that AI could replace their roles, according to a LearnUpon report. At the same time, research supported the rising influence of L&D in the workplace, indicating a “profession in transition” while balancing AI adoption, strategic alignment and employee retention.
