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Learning and development (L&D) is set to undergo a series of changes in 2014 as it assumes a greater priority for organisations looking to capitalise on improved economic conditions.

Due to the economic recovery, organisations are likely to look at their learning and development budgets, reports Personnel Magazine. Many departments suffered cutbacks when the recession was at its worst – but staff will begin to demand more engagement after having to take on increased workloads for little extra reward.

"Employees are now looking to put their careers back on track, so they’re starting to expect an investment in them in terms of their development," said Steve Morris, business development director at learndirect. "They’re now saying, 'you should be developing me'."

There will be a shift in L&D systems away from the large-scale training schemes which involve annual appraisals towards a fluid and dynamic approach which employees can apply immediately.

A key priority for L&D will be developing capable, resilient and adaptable leaders. Much of organisations' previous focus has been on the training of graduates and top-level employees. 

Consulting company a&dc found 28 per cent of employers felt they were ineffective at developing their "middle layer" of future leaders – the group which has arguably been hardest-hit by the downturn.

Apprenticeships are likely to form another important area of organisations' employment strategies. Research by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills attests to the value of apprentices, which boost productivity levels by £214 per week in return for only a modest salary.

Advances in technology will affect the way L&D is delivered. E-learning is likely to play a much bigger role, in place of traditional instructor-led courses, according to Ruth Stuart, L&D adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. In addition, learner-centred, social and collaborative methods will be given greater prominence.

Technology will also change the way L&D is recorded, measuring how learners absorb knowledge. Informal platforms will enable employees to share information with one another and managers will be able to monitor this practice. As a consequence of these trends, continual monitoring of development will displace the traditional focus on methods such as annual appraisals.

A new study has found that efforts to improve gender diversity in the workforce may be being hampered by focusing on issues that make women feel more satisfied rather than helping them achieve promotion.

According to the study, which surveyed 3,000 female and male professionals, the features of working life that provide women with career satisfaction are vastly different from those that drive career progression, HR Magazine reports. 

Critical job assignments, politically-skilled networking and risk-embracing seeking of opportunities are the factors which lead to women's career progression, according to IBM company Kenexa.

In terms of what makes them satisfied with career progression, women gave different responses. The answers given include having fair and objective HR processes in place to support promotion decisions as well as having a supportive line manager who believes in their potential. 

A clear plan about how to advance their career and achieve their goals also made women feel satisfied with their progression.

According to Kenexa senior psychologist at the High Performance Institute and report author Ines Wichert, the findings of the report could account for the slower progress of women to top positions. She points out that feeling satisfied with progression opportunities offers no guarantee of securing promotion.

"This could explain why many organisations struggle to see change as a result of their gender diversity initiatives – perhaps they are focusing on initiatives that make women feel more satisfied, but not on initiatives that drive actual promotions and therefore career progression for women," she commented.

Ms Wichert added that employers need to take this information into account when planning their gender diversity initiatives.

Campaign group Opportunity Now director Kathryn Nawrockyi said her studies show that companies with more women in leadership roles are twice as likely to have gender-focused objectives forming part of their diversity strategy.

Further findings of the report show that the "golden age" of career progression is considered to be between 28 and 34; thereafter, promotions and job satisfaction are said to decrease.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has set out a skills and employment manifesto designed to help the country address the skills shortage that could undermine future prosperity. 

According to the BCC, the proposals could radically transform the way people are educated and the way our adult workforce is trained. It advocates greater cooperation between the BCC and universities and SMEs to ensure young people receive the appropriate training and acquire skills relevant to the modern jobs market.

Employers consistently report a mismatch between the qualities they are looking for in their staff and the skills, experience and attitude displayed by prospective job candidates. Having the most skilled workforce possible will enable the country to compete in the global race.

Employability skills need to be at the heart of how schools are assessed and rated, according to the BCC. There also needs to be investment in careers education for all young people, including regular contact with different employers.

There need to be literacy, numeracy, computing and foreign languages qualifications which are clear and universally understood. Employers should be able to conduct an accurate appraisal of a candidate based on these qualifications.

Export skills and foreign languages should be encouraged by providing tax incentives and employment policy should be the responsibility of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

In addition, universities should promote enterprise and ensure their courses are relevant to future job opportunities, the body stated.

Nora Senior, president of the BCC, said: "Although we believe that successive governments have failed our young people by not properly equipping them for their future careers, it is time to break away from the blame game. Various organisations and sectors continue to blame each other for a lack of ‘work readiness’ among young people but it is time for everyone to accept some responsibility, and find ways to move forward."

Ms Senior warned that if Britain does not keep up the pace with its competitors in a rapidly-changing world it could lose valuable business. However, she stressed that simple measures such as providing a good careers service can help put the country back on course for a prosperous future.

HR professionals are set to move during 2014, with 60 per cent expecting to look for a new job.

According to research conducted by recruitment company Hays, the resurgent strength of the UK economy means recruitment in the HR industry is set to increase during the next 12 months. 

Some 47 per cent of employers expect to hire more permanent HR staff and 28 per cent intend to take on additional temporary workers.

The findings are published in the Hays Human Resources Salary and Benefits Guide 2014. They are based on a survey of 570 employers and 780 employees.

Salaries for HR staff are forecast to increase in line with the cost of living by two-fifths of employers and 14 per cent of employers believe they will rise above inflation. More than half report having awarded pay rises during the past year.

HR generalists are expected to enjoy a growing number of opportunities, particularly within the £30,000 – £40,000 bracket. Opportunities will also abound for those in resourcing and talent, and reward roles.

HR advisors are predicted to earn an average salary of £28,000, while a salary of £77,000 will be available to HR directors.

There is expected to be a significant shortfall in experienced talent during the next 12 months. A shortage of such candidates is anticipated by 64 per cent of employers, while 41 per cent of employers believe their current business objectives are being compromised by a lack of talent. 

Barney Ely, director of Hays human resources, predicts a positive 2014 for the HR industry, with more opportunities available for staff. 

"It is evident that employers are now shifting from managing the challenges of the economic downturn to taking advantage of the growing confidence in the economy. This will increase competition for commercially astute HR professionals who can manage change, so employers will need to work hard to retain and attract the best talent to ensure their business can grow in 2014," he commented.

CEOs should talk from their heart as well as their head in order to promote more equal roles between men and women, according to a new study.

Research conducted by KPMG and King's College London shows that merely outlining the business case for diversity is not sufficient to increase the number of women at senior levels. A more effective case can be made if CEOs talk from their heart as well as their head.

The study, carried out by Dr Elisabeth Kelan from the Department of Management at King’s, analysed how CEOs make the case for diversity within their organisations and the kind of leadership behaviours adopted in order to make change happen.

A number of factors are cited by CEOs as reasons for the lack of women at senior levels within organisations. Although "management failure" – shortcomings in systems, processes and people necessary to achieve equality – was the main reason, CEOs also believe women seek roles which enable them to achieve a greater balance between work and caring responsibilities.

Such attitudes risk stereotyping women's roles, as this sort of work-life balance is sought after by some women but not by all of them.

According to the findings of the research, CEOs often downplay the personal reasons for wanting more women in the workplace. In fact, they need to be more vocal about such reasons, as they often have strong women in their lives or other personal reasons for believing gender diversity at the top of organisations is a positive goal.

Dr Kelan said: "The current generation of CEOs has an opportunity to chart new territory in making progress on this issue and they need to understand the power of doing things with words. Through aligning their words and actions as much as their hearts with their heads, they can set their organisations on a trajectory that disrupts current practices and allows for sustainable change on gender parity."

Simon Collins, UK chairman of KPMG, said the research showed the conventional ways of addressing the problem of gender inequality are inadequate and discussing the issue of gender diversity in personal terms is the best way to make progress.