Learning and development (L&D) for new leaders is mostly non-existent or inadequate, finds a study from law firm, Winckworth Sherwood.
Some 23% of employers do not provide any L&D to new leaders, and where organisations are doing so, 69% of HR leaders believe it’s inadequate, according to a survey conducted by YouGov as part of the wider report.
This survey also reveals that only a quarter (25%) of employers are regularly refreshing their leaders’ skills or providing L&D in key areas, such as leading change. The research also found only 34% of organisations say they’re training leaders in equality, diversity and inclusion.
Concerns were raised that leaders’ ‘soft skills’ aren’t being adequately developed, with respondents saying their leaders were better equipped to lead their organisation through their business skills than interpersonal skills.
Some 72% of all employees believe their employer could take more steps to improve their progression into leadership roles. This is especially the case for those under 35, with 83% believing their employer could do more to improve their career development, versus 56% of those aged 55 and above.
The report also examines why employers should provide L&D to leaders and offers recommendations for what employers could do better.
Top constraints to providing L&D include time and financial constraints, and a lack of buy-in from the leaders.
Employees highlighted areas for improvement, including having access to transparent career progression frameworks, receiving honest performance feedback and having the ability to future-proof their role and develop new skills to become more agile in the workplace.
Commissioned as part of a wider report on the state and importance of L&D, these findings are the result of a survey of 1,008 employees and 500 HR decision makers conducted by YouGov between 30 March and 4 April 2023.
Additional interviews were conducted with leading L&D experts, HR professionals and senior leaders, which highlighted the importance of developing continuous learning.
Report co-author Louise Lawrence, partner in the employment team at Winckworth Sherwood, said: “For leaders to truly develop, there needs to be a culture of continuous learning throughout the organisation. Rather than learning being purely event based, it needs to be part of a bigger development experience such as learning through the flow of work. We would encourage employers to take a close look at their existing L&D offering and how it can be improved.”