Training Industry Magazine - November/December 2019 - 44

we expect tools for authoring, tracking
and hosting, virtual instruction, and
learner experience. The problem is
that the proliferation of tools and our
understanding of specific categories
have been in constant flux. At this point,
learning leaders are overwhelmed by
options. Josh Bersin has noted both
the fragmentation and the trending
consolidation of these learning product
segments. Similarly, RedThread Research
created a model for assessing learning
tech functionalities, organized by use
cases identified in its research. Both
perspectives are valuable in choosing
technology from an array of everevolving options. However, stepping
away from the trends lists, the buzz
on social media and the crowded
expo floors of major conferences, we
might question whether the learning
tech stack is the right focus. Here
are four reasons to think critically of
that assumption:
* The end need isn't for technology;
it's for improved performance and
human excellence.
* Recruiting for the skill sets that can
support the learning tech stack
creates unnecessary limitations.

TRENDS IN L&D TALENT
Increased use of agile, on-demand
talent.
Innovation in human cloud platforms
and self-service.
Outsourcing of L&D staffing due to
the tight labor market.
Focus on measuring and assessing
the talent experience.
Evolving roles for learning experience
designers and learning strategists.
Recruitment of talent from broader
or varied backgrounds.
Strategic management of the team's
talent stack.

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* Talent and available expertise may now
be a bigger risk than technological
disruption.
* Building a talent stack may provide a
stronger team foundation.

UNDERSTANDING HUMAN
AND TECHNICAL NEEDS
When cornered, any knowledgeable
learning and development (L&D)
professional is going to point to high
performance on the job as the real need.
That said, we are all susceptible to our
implicit biases, and one at play in this
context is the the framing effect. The
marketplace frames our decision-making,
and the ubiquitous voice of the L&D
marketplace tells us we need to have
these technologies. RedThread Research
argues for the intentional design of
your learning tech ecosystem, but the
framework presupposes the need for
a learning tech stack. According to the
last U.S. census, nearly half the nation's
labor force works for companies with
fewer than 500 employees. Therefore,
it's possible that our framing of the need
is disproportionately influenced by large
organizations and the market targeting
those organizations.
A good counterbalance to that influence is
a conscious analysis and scrutiny of needs.
A jobs-to-be-done (JTBD) approach can
be helpful. Bob Moesta's technique for
JTBD interviews, for example, identifies
underlying needs and the multiple decision
points that define them. This approach is
typically applied to the buying process,
but it can also be useful in understanding
the decisions and strategies that will make
teams successful, whether it's analyzing
the underlying needs for a technology
purchases or understanding the needs of
the stakeholders.

RECRUITING PLUG-ANDPLAY TALENT
Envisioning the L&D future as an
ecosystem often results in perceiving the
talent portion of that system as human
plug-ins. Increasingly, job descriptions
call for expertise in a variety of specific

STEPPING AWAY
FROM TRENDS LISTS
AND THE BUZZ ON
SOCIAL MEDIA, WE
MIGHT QUESTION
WHETHER THE
LEARNING TECH
STACK IS THE
RIGHT FOCUS.

tools. Leaders may make the comparison
to web development and programming,
but the complexity of learning to code is
not analogous to that of learning to use
most learning applications.
Emphasizing the technical skill set may
cause leaders to overlook the skills
necessary to achieve desired outcomes.
Building a team of instructional designers
with expertise in a specific tool or suite
shifts the focus to tech experience at the
expense of aptitude or potential. It also
devalues soft skills such as the ability to
communicate effectively or to collaborate.
It's also important to consider the size of
the team. Larger teams allow for greater
specialization, but smaller organizations
may need a few generalists to cover all
the bases. Plug-and-play talent may work
well with your technology but not with
your business needs.

THE TALENT ECONOMY
COMES TO L&D
We're used to thinking of increasingly
sophisticated technology as the X-factor
in accomplishing our business goals, but
that may no longer be the case. A recent
Gartner survey indicates that the talent
shortage is the top emerging risk for global
organizations, and additional studies,
conducted by XpertHR and Conference
Board, came to the same conclusion. If a
Training Industry Magazine - November/December 2019

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