What have people been learning during the lockdown?

Professionals in Asia have been most keen on improving their leadership amidst COVID-19, found a new study.

Interest in L&D opportunities around leadership doubled in the first half of 2020, versus 2019.

A deeper analysis of the trend found that most wanted to learn about embracing change and disruption, communicating effectively as leaders, making hiring and firing decisions, as well as managing a team working remotely.

The findings reflected the challenges faced by professionals in mid-level positions and above in their efforts to help their teams and organisations navigate the ongoing crisis.

The insights were derived through an analysis of data behind the consumption habits of users of Tigerhall, a mobile app-based learning platform.

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‘Career enablement’ remained a popular topic on the app. However, instead of focusing on career advancement, such as how to get promotions, most professionals were looking into content such as coping during difficult times, improving productivity, and enhancing personal brand.

There was also an increase in demand for mentorship on topics such as employability and future-proofing careers, mirroring the rise in popularity of content pieces on personal branding.

Interestingly, one of the trending podcasts on the app was, ‘What to do when your annoying remote colleague is ignoring you‘, by a former managing director at Crocs.

Content consumption on categories such as sales and marketing dropped significantly. This trend should be noted given that sales and marketing professionals make up a significant percentage of Tigerhall users, in addition to finance, tech and human resources.

The dip in the interest on job-specific knowledge and popularity of soft skills such as leadership and career enablement showed a clear shift in priorities as professionals cope with COVID-19 crisis.

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“This study demonstrates a strong alignment between learning patterns and the challenges we face in our careers today,” said Nellie Wartoft, CEO at Tigerhall. “It’s encouraging to see how quickly and significantly people are coping constructively by shifting their learning priorities to areas that are much-needed now.

“The insights shed light on how professionals are increasingly taking ownership to stay motivated in the new normal and rising up to inspire confidence and navigate change well as leaders. The desire to learn and adapt is evident here and this is what will determine our success in emerging stronger from a difficult year ahead.

“I believe that many are well positioned not just to adjust to the new norm but to thrive and positively shape the world as we know it.”