Make Learning and Development a Talent Magnet

A new hire joins the team eager to grow — but after a generic onboarding session and months without development opportunities, they start quietly looking elsewhere.

Scenarios such as this are increasingly common. In a rapidly evolving world of work, learning and development (L&D) has become a strategic lever for attracting, engaging, and retaining talent across the employee life cycle. It often determines whether top performers stay or leave. 

That’s the message Jay Jones, SHRM’s talent and employee experience lead, shared in a recent episode of the Honest HR podcast. He discussed how organizations can embed L&D across the employee life cycle to build high-performing, future-ready teams and why doing so starts well before an employee’s first day.

Attract Top Talent 

Recruiting was a top priority for HR in 2024 partly because the number of job postings  outnumbers job seekers. Jones encouraged employers to leverage L&D to grab the attention of in-demand talent.  

“If you say you want high-performers, you have to offer high-value learning opportunities,” Jones explained.

HR and talent acquisition teams should be equipped to talk about available learning paths, certification support, and career growth in ways that resonate with candidates’ goals.  

Recruitment begins long before HR has a chance to speak with candidates one-on-one. Careers pages, job posts, and social media all shape perceptions of your learning culture. Jones recommended highlighting real employee success stories such as degrees earned, promotions achieved, or new skills applied to show prospective candidates how learning translates into growth.

The learning culture you present during hiring sets expectations for how employees will grow within the organization.

Link Learning to Career Growth

Development doesn’t stop after onboarding — and if it does, employees may start looking elsewhere. Almost 3 in 4 workers (72%) said career advancement opportunities are very or extremely important, but only 43% said they are very or extremely satisfied with what their employer offers, according to SHRM’s What Global Workers Want report.  

That gap presents an opportunity for HR to use L&D as a tool not only for skill building but also for career mapping. Jones emphasized that the most effective programs are tailored — offering a mix of self-directed learning, peer mentorship, certifications, and on-the-job experiences.  

“It all starts with understanding what your workforce needs,” Jones said.

But what employees need isn’t always vertical growth such as promotion. Horizontal growth, stretch assignments, and exposure to new areas of the business can build capability while keeping talent engaged. When learning is positioned as a clear path to career growth, it becomes a compelling reason to stay.  

Close Critical Skills Gaps with Tailored Support 

As skills gaps widen and the pace of change accelerates, organizations are under growing pressure to act. About 1 in 4 organizations said the full-time roles they’ve filled in the past year required new skills and 76% reported difficulty finding qualified candidates, according to SHRM's 2024 Talent Trends report.  

Recruiting alone won’t close the gap, and workers are ready to do their part. Nearly 9 in 10 employees globally (86%) said they’re willing to retrain or reskill to keep up with shifting demands. But more than half (56%) said they don’t have access to educational assistance from their employer or country. Employees are eager to learn; what they lack is tailored support from employers.

“Blanket training programs often miss the mark,” Jones said. “If you want real results, L&D needs to be tailored to the specific needs of your teams.”  

HR professionals should work directly with managers to align L&D with evolving workforce needs — whether that means building in-house programs, launching peer-based learning, or tapping into affordable tools such as LinkedIn Learning.

Tie L&D to Strategy or Risk Wasting It 

For HR professionals looking to build or improve their L&D offerings, Jones has three pieces of advice: Start with strategy, align with leadership, and listen to your people.  

“If learning and development aren’t tied to the company’s vision and your employees’ needs, it’s just another program,” he said.  

When L&D is fully embedded across the employee life cycle — from attraction to advancement — it becomes a powerful lever for engagement, retention, and innovation. For HR leaders, the challenge is not whether to invest in L&D, but how to do it strategically.  

Want to learn more about how to lead the charge? Watch the full episode of Honest HR below.