Skip to main content
  • Personal
  • Business
  • Foundation
    Close
  • Select Region

      Select your region below to see curated info.

    • Global
    • India
    • MENA
  • mySHRM Login
  • MySHRM
    • Dashboard
    • Account
    • Logout
SHRM
  • Membership
    • Membership

      As a SHRM Member®, you’ll pave the path of your success with invaluable resources, world-class educational opportunities and premier events.

      Membership Benefits
  • Certification
    • SHRM Certification

      Demonstrate your ability to apply HR principles to real-life situations.

      • How to Get Certified
      • Eligibility Criteria
      • Exam Fees & Options
      • SHRM-CP
      • SHRM-SCP
      • Which Certification is Best for Me?
      Prepare for the Exam
      • Exam Preparation
      • SHRM BASK
      • SHRM Learning System
      • Instructor-Led Learning
      • Self-Study
      Specialty Credentials

      Demonstrate targeted competence and enhance your HR credibility.

      PMQ

      Gain a deeper understanding and develop critical skills.

  • Events
    • India Events

      Demonstrate your ability to apply HR principles to real-life situations.

      • India Annual Conference
      • SHRM Tech Conference
      • SHRM Unconference
      MENA Events
      • MENA Annual Conference
      Global Events
      • US Annual Conference
      Webinars
  • Resources
    • Resources

      Stay up to date with news and leverage our vast library of resources.

      • HR Research
      • Latest News & Trends
      • Tools & Guides
      HR Topics
      • AI in the Workplace
      • Compensation & Benefits
      • Inclusion & Diversity
      • Talent Acquisition
      • Workplace Technology
      • Civility at Work
      • Workplace Violence Prevention
Become a Member
Renew
Rejoin Now
Renew
Close
  • Personal
  • Business
  • Foundation
  • Membership
    back
    Membership
    • Membership

      As a SHRM Member®, you’ll pave the path of your success with invaluable resources, world-class educational opportunities and premier events.

      Membership Benefits
  • Certification
    back
    Certification
    • SHRM Certification

      Demonstrate your ability to apply HR principles to real-life situations.

      • How to Get Certified
      • Eligibility Criteria
      • Exam Fees & Options
      • SHRM-CP
      • SHRM-SCP
      • Which Certification is Best for Me?
      Prepare for the Exam
      • Exam Preparation
      • SHRM BASK
      • SHRM Learning System
      • Instructor-Led Learning
      • Self-Study
      Specialty Credentials

      Demonstrate targeted competence and enhance your HR credibility.

      PMQ

      Gain a deeper understanding and develop critical skills.

  • Events
    back
    Events
    • India Events

      Demonstrate your ability to apply HR principles to real-life situations.

      • India Annual Conference
      • SHRM Tech Conference
      • SHRM Unconference
      MENA Events
      • MENA Annual Conference
      Global Events
      • US Annual Conference
      Webinars
  • Resources
    back
    Resources
    • Resources

      Stay up to date with news and leverage our vast library of resources.

      • HR Research
      • Latest News & Trends
      • Tools & Guides
      HR Topics
      • AI in the Workplace
      • Compensation & Benefits
      • Inclusion & Diversity
      • Talent Acquisition
      • Workplace Technology
      • Civility at Work
      • Workplace Violence Prevention
Become a Member
Renew
Rejoin Now
Renew
  • Select Region

      Select your region below to see curated info.

    • Global
    • India
    • MENA
SHRM
mySHRM Login
  • MySHRM
    • Dashboard
    • Account
    • Logout
Close



2026 L&D Executives: Priorities and Perspectives



OUR PERSPECTIVES


Work

L&D executives show strong confidence that AI will become more common across the function in 2026, especially in areas tied to content creation, personalization, and skills intelligence.

Worker

Skills shortages, effective upskilling to address skills gaps, and workload management are top challenges for L&D executives.

Workplace

L&D executives continued to prioritize skills training, leadership skills, and management skills.


  • Introduction
  • L&D Priorities
  • L&D Challenges
  • L&D Trends
  • What’s Next?
  • Conclusion
  • Methodology
  • More

Introduction

The role of learning and development (L&D) has evolved from a training support function to a strategic driver of workforce capability and organizational performance. As organizations face persistent skills shortages, rapid technological change, and shifting business demands, L&D leaders are stepping forward to shape the workforce of the future. Their focus extends well beyond delivering training programs — they are building the strategies that help employees develop critical skills, close capability gaps, and prepare for emerging roles.

L&D leaders operate at the intersection of strategic opportunity and growing complexity. They set the direction for how their organizations identify skills needs, develop talent from within, strengthen leadership pipelines, and build learning cultures that support continuous growth. At the same time, they must navigate resource constraints, evolving workforce expectations, and the accelerating impact of artificial intelligence. This requires close alignment between L&D priorities and broader organizational goals to ensure companies can meet both immediate workforce needs and long-term business demands.

SHRM conducted research to address these evolving demands and achieve three key objectives:

  • Understand L&D leaders’ priorities for the year ahead.
  • Explore the challenges that L&D leaders are facing, including market, organizational, functional, and personal obstacles.
  • Examine L&D leaders’ perspectives on emerging trends shaping workforce development.

SHRM Thought Leadership surveyed L&D leaders to uncover their top priorities across skills training, skills identification and gap analysis, L&D strategy, and emerging skills trends. The findings from this research aim to provide L&D leaders and professionals with insights into their peers’ most common priorities, a deeper understanding of the challenges shaping the future of workforce development, and a look at the trends — including AI, advanced analytics, and skills-first learning — that are reshaping the L&D function.


L&D Executives’ Priorities in 2026

L&D Leaders Prioritize Skills Training, Skills Identification and Gap Analysis, and L&D Strategy for 2026

As organizations work to build the skills needed for future performance, L&D leaders are playing an increasingly central role in shaping workforce capability. L&D executives’ priorities show a clear focus on practical skills development, better visibility into workforce skills gaps, and stronger L&D strategies that connect learning efforts to business needs. In 2026, L&D leaders are concentrating on three major areas: skills training, skills identification and gap analysis, and L&D strategy. 

Over 1 in 3 L&D Leaders Select Skills Training as Their Top Priority

Most L&D leaders identified one of three areas as their top priority over the next year. Skills training led the list, with 36% selecting it as their top priority, up from 33% in 2025. This suggests many leaders are emphasizing direct learning interventions that help employees build the capabilities required for their roles. HR professionals and supervisors overall also view skills training as very important to employees in the years ahead. A substantial majority of HR professionals and supervisors agreed that upskilling is essential for career advancement now (87% and 90%, respectively) and that it will be essential in the next three years (85% and 90%, respectively). Furthermore, 87% of HR professionals and 93% of supervisors reported that their organizations encourage upskilling among employees. Recent research by SHRM revealed that this focus on upskilling and reskilling is critical for sustaining skills development over time. At organizations with best-in-class L&D functions, known as Skills Strategists, 68% rated skills retention at their organization as good or excellent, while only 34% of other organizations said the same. 

Additionally, skills identification and gap analysis gained some momentum, rising to 28% from 25% the previous year, moving from the third- to the second-highest priority area based on the percentage of L&D executives identifying it as their top priority. This increase signals a stronger need for organizations to understand current workforce capabilities and identify where gaps may limit business performance. This increase in prioritization may be driven in part by the adoption of AI, because 87% of CEOs said they anticipate that AI will drive widespread workforce upskilling efforts. L&D strategy ranked closely behind at 27%, although it declined from 33% in 2025. Skills trends remained a smaller priority, increasing slightly to 9% from 8%.


In addition to quantitative results, a qualitative analysis of the top three focus areas that L&D executives are prioritizing revealed the following:

Priority Areas
Skills training

A dominant theme was the push toward more intentional, role-specific training. L&D executives said they want clearer onboarding, defined learning paths, training checklists, competency models, and structured development tied to specific job expectations. Many organizations said they are moving away from generic training toward programs tailored to how each role performs in practice.

Many responses also emphasized strengthening managers, supervisors, and emerging leaders through targeted development in coaching, communication, accountability, financial acumen, and people management. There was also a broad focus on upskilling and reskilling employees, supporting succession planning, and building internal career pathways to improve retention and prepare talent for future roles.

Skills identification and gap analysis

L&D executives said they want a more structured way to identify, document, and track employee skills, proficiency levels, certifications, and role requirements. A major focus is creating consistent skills frameworks, taxonomies, training matrices, and job-to-skills mappings so leaders can understand current capabilities and make better decisions about development, hiring, and internal mobility.

L&D leaders also expressed concern about rapid technological change, including AI, new human resource information system (HRIS) platforms, candidate relationship management systems, software integrations, and digital workflows. Organizations are trying to assess whether employees have the capacity and skills to adapt, determine where training is needed, and understand how technology will reshape jobs, workforce planning, and organizational structures.

L&D strategy

Many leaders pointed to the need to make learning a more intentional part of organizational culture rather than a compliance exercise or checklist item. This includes aligning learning goals with business strategy, embedding development into performance management, increasing leadership and board buy-in, improving employee engagement in learning, and creating more formalized L&D structures, programs, and processes.

L&D executives also said they are prioritizing the development of future-ready capabilities, especially around AI, technical depth, and critical supervisory skills. At the same time, many want a more data-driven L&D strategy with stronger measurement, dashboards, return on investment (ROI) tracking, skills frameworks, and analytics to ensure learning investments support performance outcomes and workforce planning.

Role-Specific Training Remain the Top Skills Training Focus Area

Among L&D leaders who selected skills training as their top priority, role-specific training ranked highest in 2026. More than one-third (35%) identified it as their top focus area, up from 31% in 2025. This increase shows that L&D leaders are continuing to prioritize training that directly supports employees in their current jobs and helps them perform more effectively.

Skills training strategy also increased in priority, rising to 21% from 14%. This shift suggests that leaders are placing more emphasis on structured approaches to skills development, rather than relying only on ad hoc or decentralized programs. The percentage of L&D executives focused on learning needs assessment grew sharply, as well, increasing to 11% from 3%, indicating a stronger focus on identifying training needs before designing solutions. At the same time, internal L&D programs declined from 28% to 19%, and personalized learning paths fell from 12% to 8%. 


Skills Gap Analysis Is the Leading Focus Area Within Skills Identification and Gap Analysis

For L&D leaders who prioritized skills identification and gap analysis, skills gap analysis remained the leading focus area in 2026. About one-third (34%) selected it as their top priority, although this declined from 40% in 2025. Despite the decrease, the data shows that leaders still view gap analysis as a key step in understanding where workforce capabilities fall short of organizational needs.

Skills identification and gap analysis strategy increased slightly, from 24% to 26%, showing continued interest in building more formal methods for assessing and acting on skills data. Future skills forecasting also rose from 9% to 11%, suggesting that some leaders are looking beyond current gaps and are beginning to plan for future capability needs. Technology integration gained some attention, as well. Skills integration with HRISs increased to 10% from 7%, pointing to a growing interest in connecting skills data with broader workforce systems.


L&D Staff Development Overtakes Learning Culture and Engagement as the Leading L&D Strategy Focus Area

Among L&D leaders who selected L&D strategy as their top priority, L&D staff development rose sharply as the leading focus area. In 2026, 33% chose it as their top priority, up from 19% in 2025. This increase demonstrates that organizations recognize the need to strengthen the capabilities of the L&D function itself as learning demands become more complex. Learning culture and engagement remained a major focus, increasing slightly to 27% from 26%. 

Other focus areas declined when compared to 2025. Knowledge or skills transfer fell to 18% from 24%, while L&D resource curation dropped to 13% from 21%. L&D governance and processes rose slightly to 3% from 0%, but it remained the lowest-ranked focus area. 


2026 L&D Executives’ Leadership and Manager Development Priorities

Leadership Skills and Management Skills Are Top Leadership and Manager Development Priorities for 2026

Leadership and management development is a major area of prioritization for many organizations; in fact, nearly half of CHROs (47%) identified leadership and manager development as their top priority for 2026. The data shows that the executives responsible for acting on leadership and manager development priorities continue to focus on building practical capabilities across all levels of the workforce. Their priorities demonstrate a balanced emphasis on leadership skills, management skills, coaching, and high-potential (HIPO) employee development.

Leadership Skills and Management Skills Ranked as the Top Priorities

L&D executives identified leadership skills and management skills as their top priorities over the next year. About 3 in 10 selected leadership skills (31%) as their top priority, although this declined from 36% in 2025. Management skills followed closely at 30%, up from 26% the previous year. This shift to a more balanced prioritization suggests that organizations continue to value leadership capability, but they may now be placing greater emphasis on the practical management behaviors that shape team performance.

Coaching remained a steady priority, holding at 22% in both 2025 and 2026. This consistency signals continued recognition of coaching as a key way to support employee growth, improve performance, and strengthen manager effectiveness. HIPO employee development also gained slight momentum, increasing to 17% from 15%, which points to continued investment in future leadership pipelines.


Power Skills Development Remain the Top Leadership Skills Priority, Despite a Sharp Decline

Among leaders who selected leadership skills as their top priority, power skills (also known as soft skills) development continued to rank highest in 2026. However, the share selecting this area fell sharply to 29% from 47% in 2025. Organizations still value interpersonal and influence-based skills, but they are now distributing attention more evenly across a wider range of leadership capabilities.

Strategic thinking held steady, increasing slightly to 19% from 18%. Collaborative leadership saw a much larger increase, rising to 19% from 8%. This growth indicates that organizations increasingly expect leaders to work across functions, build alignment, and lead through shared goals rather than authority alone.

Other leadership skills priorities showed modest movement. Change management declined to 13% from 15%, while business acumen increased slightly to 11% from 10%. Overall, these findings reveal that leadership development agendas may be broadening. Leaders still need strong interpersonal skills, but organizations also seek greater collaboration, strategic thinking, and business understanding.


Team Building and Change Management Are Top Focus Areas Within Management Skills

Among leaders who said they are prioritizing management skills, power skills development remained the leading focus area in 2026 at 32%. However, this represented a sharp decline from 51% in 2025. As with leadership skills, organizations continue to value power skills such as empathy and adaptability, but now some L&D executives are placing more emphasis on other core management capabilities.

There was a notable rise in prioritizing team-building skills, increasing to 13% from 0% in 2025. This increase points to a stronger focus on helping managers build cohesive, productive teams. Change management also increased to 12% from 9%, reflecting the ongoing need for managers who can guide employees through shifting priorities, new processes, and organizational change.

Skills First Specialty Credential

Related Credential

SHRM Foundation Skills First Specialty Credential

Lead the shift toward skills first hiring and advancement. Build a talent strategy that prioritizes potential over pedigree, closes critical capability gaps, and positions your organization to compete for the workforce the future demands. 

Enroll Today
HRBP seminar image

Related Seminar

HRBP – Becoming a Strategic Influencer

Strengthen your strategic impact and elevate HR from executor to strategist. Learn to drive change through data and consultation, understand which people levers move business outcomes, and position HR as a decisive force at the highest levels of your organization.

Learn More

2026 L&D Executives’ Challenges

L&D Leaders Navigate Skills, Resource, and Workload Challenges in 2026

As organizations work to build workforce capability amid rapid technological change and persistent skills gaps, L&D leaders face pressure from multiple directions. External conditions — including skills shortages, economic uncertainty, and talent shortages — continue to shape development priorities. At the organizational level, leaders must help employees build the right skills while also fostering a culture that supports continuous learning.

These challenges extend into the L&D function itself, where budget constraints, measurement demands, and competing short-term and long-term priorities create operational pressure. At a personal level, L&D leaders are also managing heavy workloads, work/life balance concerns, and the need to upskill on AI. Understanding these interconnected challenges is essential for building L&D strategies that strengthen workforce readiness and support organizational performance. 

Skills Shortages and Economic Uncertainty Are Top Macroeconomic Challenges

Compared with 2025, L&D leaders were much more likely to identify skills shortages as the most common macroeconomic challenge they are currently facing. Nearly half (48%) reported skills shortages as a challenge, up from 38% in 2025. Additionally, 14% identified this issue as their greatest challenge, up from 11% in 2025. These challenges mirror those felt by recruiting executives: 39% of recruiting executives cited skills shortages as a challenge. Similarly, 40% of HR professionals reported that their job candidates do not have the work experience needed. These findings reinforce the central role that L&D must play in helping organizations address capability gaps through targeted training, upskilling, and workforce development strategies.

Economic uncertainty also emerged as a major concern. Exactly 4 in 10 L&D leaders (40%) cited it as a challenge, and 21% named it as their greatest challenge  — more than said so for any other macroeconomic issue.

Several other macroeconomic challenges clustered closely together. Demanding candidate expectations, talent shortages, and technological advancements such as AI were each cited by 39% of L&D leaders. Among these three, talent shortages stands out as a particularly pressing issue, with 18% identifying it as their greatest challenge. Technological advancements was named the greatest challenge by 10%, showing that L&D leaders must not only respond to new technologies but also help their workforces adapt to them.


Upskilling the Workforce and Building a Learning Culture Lead Organizational Challenges

At the organizational level, L&D leaders face strong pressure to close skills gaps and build environments in which learning becomes part of everyday work. Nearly half (48%) said effectively upskilling their workforces to address skills gaps is a challenge, and 22% reported it as their greatest organizational challenge. This makes workforce upskilling both the most cited organizational challenge in general and the most cited as leaders’ greatest organizational challenge.

Fostering an organizational culture of learning also ranked highly. Exactly 4 in 10 leaders (40%) cited it as a challenge, and 17% identified it as their greatest challenge. Many L&D leaders recognize the importance of more than training access alone. They must also encourage employees, managers, and senior leaders to value development and apply learning in meaningful ways.

Promoting AI fluency across the workforce and activating managers or champions of L&D were each reported as a challenge by 30% of L&D leaders. They were the greatest challenge for 11% and 8%, respectively.

Skills Accelerator image

Related Event

ATW 2026 – Skills Accelerator

Build depth where HR performance, compliance, and decision quality matter most. This curated set of high-impact upskilling seminars and specialty credentials targets the most critical topics in modern HR practice. 

Register Now

First-Time Manager Development Is a Key Learning and Training Challenge

When asked about learning, development, and training challenges, L&D leaders most often pointed to preparing first-time managers for success early in their managerial roles. More than 2 in 5 leaders (44%) identified this as a challenge, and 11% reported it as their greatest challenge. This highlights a critical development need: Organizations often rely on first-time managers to translate strategy into team performance, yet many new managers need stronger support as they enter leadership roles.

Engagement in continuous learning also presents a significant barrier. About one-third of L&D leaders cited engaging managers and employees (34% each) in continuous learning opportunities  as challenges. Although fewer leaders named these as their greatest challenge — 5% for managers and 6% for employees — the findings show that participation and sustained engagement remain ongoing concerns.

Leadership development also continues to test L&D functions. Nearly one-third of leaders (31%) said effectively developing future organizational leaders from their current workforces is a challenge, and 10% identified it as their greatest challenge. Additionally, 31% reported developing personalized learning paths as a challenge, while 30% cited crafting leadership and manager development programs. L&D leaders must balance broad learning access with more targeted development for managers, leaders, and employees who possess different career goals.


L&D Function Challenges Center on Budgets, ROI, and Skills Prioritization

Within the L&D function, budget and resource constraints emerged as the most pressing challenge. Nearly one-third of L&D leaders (31%) cited L&D budget or resource constraints as a challenge, and 23% identified it as their greatest functional challenge. This gap between limited resources and expanding workforce development needs may make it harder for L&D teams to scale programs, invest in technology, and respond quickly to changing skills demands.

Determining the ROI of training or development initiatives also remains a challenge. More than 1 in 5 leaders (21%) reported this as a functional hurdle, and 6% named it their greatest challenge. At many organizations, there is a growing expectation that L&D teams demonstrate the impact of development efforts, not just track participation or completion. Given the aforementioned budget and resource constraints, this is an area of critical importance for L&D executives because they must be able to demonstrate ROI to successfully advocate for budget increases.

Other functional challenges show the complexity of planning and execution. Nearly 1 in 5 leaders (19%) cited identifying immediate skills to develop throughout the workforce, with 8% calling it their greatest challenge. Additionally, 19% reported balancing short-term and long-term L&D needs as a challenge, while 17% cited leveraging data and analytics to measure training impact. 


Workload Management Is a Top Personal Challenge

At the personal level, L&D leaders are navigating the pressures of a demanding and evolving role. Workload management was the top personal challenge, cited by 48% of leaders. More than one-quarter (27%) identified it as their greatest personal challenge, making it the leading issue in this category by a wide margin. Work/life balance also stood out as a significant concern. More than one-third of L&D leaders (36%) reported it as a challenge, and 13% identified it as their greatest challenge. Upskilling on AI adds another layer of personal demand. More than one-quarter of leaders (27%) cited this as a challenge, and 13% named it their greatest challenge.  


2026 L&D Executives’ Trends and Expectations

The Future of L&D: Key Trends for 2026

The L&D landscape continues to shift as organizations adapt to changing skills needs, new technologies, and rising expectations for workforce agility. L&D leaders are moving beyond traditional program delivery and placing greater emphasis on targeted skills building, data-informed planning, and learning experiences that connect more directly to business outcomes. Technology plays a central role in this shift as organizations look for ways to personalize development, scale learning, and identify skills needs with greater precision. At the same time, L&D strategies continue to evolve toward stronger alignment with workforce planning, leadership capability, and long-term organizational resilience.

AI to Play a Larger Role in L&D Strategy and Delivery

L&D leaders showed strong confidence that AI will become more common across the function in 2026, especially in areas tied to content creation, personalization, and skills intelligence. The most widely expected trend was the use of AI to develop L&D content, with 84% of leaders saying it will become more or much more prevalent over the next year. Moving forward, organizations are expected to increasingly use AI to draft, adapt, and scale learning materials while allowing L&D teams to focus more on strategy, quality, and learner engagement.

Personalization also stands out as a major area of expected growth. More than 4 in 5 leaders (82%) said they anticipate that the use of AI to create personalized learning experiences will become more prevalent. Organizations are also planning to use AI to build workforce capability more directly. A significant majority of leaders expect organizations to leverage AI to upskill their workforces (77%). Three-quarters also expect greater use of AI to conduct skills assessments that identify and monitor employee skills (75%), and the same share expect AI-supported skills gap analysis to become more common (75%). These findings demonstrate that L&D leaders see AI as a tool for improving both learning delivery and workforce planning.

AI-enabled coaching and leadership development also show strong momentum. Nearly three-quarters of leaders (74%) said they expect AI coaching tools that provide real-time developmental feedback to become more prevalent. Similar shares expect AI-related skills to become a requirement for more workers and expect organizations to use AI to develop leaders and managers (73% each). 

L&D leaders also said they expect AI to have a significant impact on work inside the function itself. Nearly three-quarters (72%) anticipate that AI will phase out repetitive work in L&D. Furthermore, over half of leaders expect AI to make some skills obsolete or unnecessary for workers (54%), while 51% expect autonomous AI agents to replace L&D tasks. 

AI+HI Specialty Credential image

Related Credential

AI+HI Specialty Credential

Harness artificial intelligence alongside human intelligence to shape the future of work. Build the fluency your teams need to make smarter workforce decisions, manage the AI transition responsibly, and turn where AI and human intelligence intersect into measurable ROI. 

Enroll Today

Flexible and Personalized Learning Models to Gain Ground

Beyond AI, L&D leaders expect organizations to expand flexible learning options that give employees easier access to development. The strongest trend in this category is on-demand learning platforms, with 62% of leaders saying these platforms will become more or much more prevalent. Organizations are expected to continue to prioritize accessible learning that employees can use when and where they need it. Microlearning formats also show notable momentum. More than half of leaders (56%) said they expect microlearning formats for just-in-time learning to become more prevalent. 

L&D executives also said they anticipate that personalized and employee-directed learning will become more prevalent. Over half of L&D executives expect organizations to offer personalized learning paths aligned with individual career goals (55%), while 54% expect self-directed L&D opportunities to become more common. Another 54% anticipate increased use of career pathing tools that help employees visualize growth opportunities across their organizations. L&D leaders also expect learning agility to gain importance. About half (51%) said they believe organizations will increasingly view learning agility as a core workforce competency. At many organizations, there is a growing emphasis on employee agency, career mobility, and learning experiences that connect development to long-term growth.


Advanced Analytics to Strengthen Measurement and Workforce Planning

L&D leaders also expect advanced analytics to become a more prevalent part of the function in 2026. More than two-thirds of leaders (68%) said they believe organizations will increase their use of advanced analytics to measure the effectiveness and ROI of learning initiatives. The same share of leaders (68%) expect advanced analytics to become more common in forecasting future skills needs. By using analytics to identify emerging needs, L&D teams can better align reskilling, upskilling, and learning investments with business strategy.

SHRM People Analytics Specialty Credential

Related Credential

People Analytics Specialty Credential

Translate workforce data into decisions the C-suite understands. Build the data literacy to measure training impact, close capability gaps, and forecast future skills needs — moving HR from reporting activity to demonstrating performance the business can act on. 

Enroll Today

Skills-Based Development to Anchor Workforce Capability

L&D leaders anticipate that skills-based learning will remain central to workforce development. A majority of leaders (61%) said they expect greater use of skills-based learning opportunities to address skills gaps. There is continued demand for development that targets specific capabilities rather than broad training participation alone. Leaders also anticipate that organizations will rely more heavily on skills gap analysis. Nearly 6 in 10 (57%) said they believe the use of skills gap analysis to determine workforce development priorities will become more prevalent. These findings align with the broader growth of AI-supported skills assessments and advanced analytics, suggesting that organizations want more precise insights into current and future capability needs.

Additionally, L&D executives expect there to be a continued focus on power skills. Nearly 3 in 5 leaders (57%) projected that organizations will offer more training in areas such as emotional intelligence, adaptability, and communication. Organizations still value skills like these that help employees navigate change and collaborate effectively.

L&D executives also predicted strong growth within cross-functional learning. More than half of leaders (56%) said they anticipate increased use of cross-functional learning initiatives to enhance skills sharing across their organizations. Skills-based hiring and reskilling round out the skills trends. A majority of leaders (54%) expect skills-based hiring initiatives that address organizational gaps to become more prevalent, while half (50%) expect formal reskilling initiatives designed to prepare the workforce for future roles to increase. Together, these findings show that organizations view skills as a common thread connecting hiring, learning, mobility, and long-term workforce planning.


What’s Next for L&D Executives?

L&D executives are at the forefront of workforce transformation, tasked with addressing immediate skills needs while preparing for future challenges. As skills shortages, technological advancements, and evolving employee expectations reshape the workplace, these leaders must adopt forward-thinking strategies to drive organizational success. Key areas of focus include:

Aligning skills training with business needs.

Skills training remains a top priority for L&D leaders, with 36% identifying it as their primary focus for 2026. Within this area, role-specific training led at 35%, reflecting the need for development efforts that directly support employees’ day-to-day responsibilities. Organizations that align training initiatives with clear business objectives and workforce gaps can ensure that learning investments deliver measurable value.

Tackling skills gaps while demonstrating the ROI of L&D programs.

Nearly half of L&D leaders (48%) cited skills shortages as a significant challenge, while 31% reported budget or resource constraints as a functional hurdle. To navigate these pressures, L&D teams must prioritize high-impact initiatives, foster a culture of continuous learning, and leverage data to demonstrate the ROI of development programs. Activating managers as champions of learning will also be critical to scaling L&D efforts effectively.

Leveraging AI and analytics for strategic impact.

Technology will play a transformative role in the future of L&D. A majority of leaders said they expect AI to become more prevalent in content creation (84%), personalized learning (82%), and skills assessments (75%). Additionally, 68% said they anticipate greater use of advanced analytics to measure learning effectiveness and forecast future skills needs. By integrating these tools into their strategies, L&D executives can enhance efficiency, improve decision-making, and deliver more targeted learning experiences.


CONCLUSION



The findings from this research show that L&D leaders will play a central role in shaping workforce readiness in 2026 as they focus on skills training, skills identification and gap analysis, and stronger L&D strategy while responding to skills shortages, economic uncertainty, rapid technological change, and resource constraints. At the same time, advances in AI, analytics, flexible learning, and skills-based development are pushing the function toward a more strategic, data-driven model. By aligning learning investments with organizational goals, measuring impact clearly, and building agile development approaches, L&D leaders can help their organizations close skills gaps, strengthen leadership pipelines, and prepare employees for the future of work.

Methodology

A sample of 223 heads of L&D were surveyed between April 23 and May 4, 2026. The survey was fielded electronically using the SHRM Voice of Work Research Panel. For the purposes of this survey, participants were required to lead their organization’s L&D function, either as their defined role or as a part of their broader responsibilities. Participants represent organizations across multiple types of industries, sectors, sizes, and locations. The data were not weighted. 

How to cite the research: 2026 L&D Executives: Priorities and Perspectives, SHRM, 2026. 

Resources
  • Report: 2026 Talent Trends
  • Toolkit: Empower Managers with Strategies and Tools for Growth
  • Podcast Episode: Managing Yourself — the Leadership Skill HR Can’t Ignore
  • Report: The Skills-First Movement — Redefining How Organizations Hire and Grow
  • Podcast Episode: The Talent Optimizer — Using Leadership and Analytics for an HR Advantage
  • Report: A Closer Look at HR Excellence — Talent Optimization
  • How-To Guide: How to Conduct a Skills Gap Analysis
  • Webinar: Upskill, Reskill, and Retain — How to Future-Proof Your Workforce

HR Daily Newsletter

Stay up to date with the latest HR news, trends, and expert advice each business day.

Success title

Success caption

Manage Subscriptions
Our Brands

SHRM Foundation Logo
SHRM Executive Network Logo
CEO Academy Logo
SHRM Business Logo
SHRM Linkage Logo
SHRM Labs
Overview


  • About SHRM
  • SHRM India Advisory Council
  • Careers at SHRM
  • Press Room
  • Contact SHRM India
  • Book a SHRM Executive Speaker
  • Ask an Advisor
  • SHRM Newsletter
  • Post a Job
  • Find an HR Job
  • Advertise with us
  • Copyright & Permission
Contact Us


Email: shrmindia@shrm.org
Phone: (1)800.103.2198
WhatsApp: +919810503727

SHRM India Corporate Information

© 2026 SHRM. All Rights Reserved
SHRM provides content as a service to its readers and members. It does not offer legal advice, and cannot guarantee the accuracy or suitability of its content for a particular purpose. Disclaimer

Follow Us

  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

  1. Your Privacy Choices

  2. Terms of Use

  3. Accessibility

Join SHRM for Exclusive Access to Professional Content

SHRM Members enjoy unlimited access to articles and exclusive professional content resources.

membership icon image

Unlimited Resources:
Grow your knowledge across core and emerging topics

membership icon image

Access to Advisors:
Make informed decisions quickly with expert-backed direction

membership icon image

Industry-Trusted Research:
Use data and insights leaders actually care about

 

View Member Benefits Guide

Already a member? Login
Free Article

Login to unlock unlimited access or join SHRM today to get unlimited access to articles and member-exclusive resources.

Already a member? Login
Limit Reached

You've reached the limit of 1 free article this month. Join to access unlimited articles and member-only resources.

Already a member? Login
Free Article

Login to unlock unlimited access or join SHRM today to get unlimited access to articles and member-exclusive resources.

Already a member? Login
Exclusive Executive-Level Content

You've reached the limit of 1 free article this month. Join the Executive Network and enjoy unlimited content.

Already a member? Login
Unlock Your Career with SHRM Membership

Please enjoy this free resource! Join SHRM for unlimited access to exclusive articles and tools.

Already a member? Login
Join SHRM for Exclusive Access to Professional Premium Content

SHRM Members enjoy unlimited access to articles and exclusive member resources.

Already a member? Login
Join SHRM for Exclusive Access to Student Content

SHRM Members enjoy unlimited access to articles and exclusive member resources.

Already a member? Login
Join SHRM for Exclusive Access to Executive Network Content

SHRM member enjoys unlimited access to articles and exclusive member resources.

Already a member? Login

Your membership is almost expired! Renew today for unlimited access to member content.

Renew now

Your membership has expired. Renew today for unlimited access to member content.

Renew Now

Your Executive Network membership is nearing its expiration. Renew now to maintain access.

Renew Now

Your membership has expired. Renew your Executive Network benefits today.

Renew Now