Why learning isn’t about not being busy enough

As the workplace evolves at pace, making time for learning and development (L&D) is still something many organisations are struggling to crack. Why? There’s a deep-rooted stigma surrounding L&D – one that views time spent learning as counterproductive, and that mindset could be costing businesses more than they realise.

The stigma of ‘unproductive’ learning

For decades, many leadership teams and managers have treated L&D as a luxury. Time spent upskilling is often perceived as time lost on ‘real’ work. Employees may feel guilty for stepping away from their immediate tasks, and managers might view training sessions as disruptions to team productivity. However, this perspective is outdated, dangerous and, hopefully, soon to be obsolete, especially in the context of today’s rapidly shifting job market.

Having said that, economic pressures aren’t helping – with increases in costs leaving many workplaces stretched for time and resources. This has led to some businesses freezing hiring or even making redundancies, forcing existing employees to take on heavier workloads. Consequently, there’s often little to no time for people to focus on upskilling, as immediate demands take precedence over long-term professional development. 

There’s also another impact here: this environment can foster a negative perception of colleagues who do find time to upskill, leading to a culture where learning is undervalued, or even resented. This only perpetuates the stigma surrounding L&D, making it even more difficult for organisations to build a resilient, future-ready workforce. 

Managing the disruption 

Workplaces need to find a way to make sure this doesn’t happen, as the potential impact on the bottom line can be significant. Poorly implemented L&D strategies may lead to high employee turnover, as staff feel unsupported in their growth. Similarly, without meaningful upskilling, organisations may struggle with reduced productivity, inefficiencies and an inability to keep pace with industry changes, ultimately affecting profitability.

What’s more, performative productivity is also becoming increasingly prevalent in modern workplaces, as employees feel pressured to project an image of ‘busy-ness’. This often stems from a culture that rewards visibility over outcomes, which, in turn, can have a significant impact on learning. When employees are focused on appearing busy, it can lead to reduced participation in upskilling initiatives – meaning training sessions and workshops may be deprioritised because they’re perceived as less visible forms of productivity. The emphasis on performative actions can also discourage employees from taking time to reflect and apply new knowledge effectively, undermining the long-term goals of L&D strategies. 

Why investing in L&D is non-negotiable 

We must create an environment where continuous learning and skills development are recognised as essential components of genuine success. This requires businesses to prioritise authentic measures of success and foster a culture that values genuine contributions over performative gestures.

Businesses excelling at internal mobility retain employees nearly twice as long as those that don’t. Where does this ability to adapt start? With intentional investments in upskilling and reskilling, which can’t happen when learning is placed at the bottom of the priority list.

The lack of a strong learning culture can damage an organisation’s reputation, making it harder to attract top talent. So how can businesses avoid these pitfalls?

Reframing how organisations think about L&D

Clearly, workplace culture plays an increasingly important role here. Having said that, there’s also a need for L&D to play a more strategic role. 

Creating a sustainable L&D strategy isn’t about ticking a box or rolling out a generic training module. The question isn’t ‘can we afford to invest in upskilling?’, it’s ‘can we afford not to?’. A cultural shift is needed to ensure learning isn’t seen as a disruption but as a critical driver of business success. To do this, companies need to:

Start at the top

Securing leadership buy-in is vital. When leaders champion continuous learning, it trickles down through the entire organisation. Start by highlighting how investing in continuous learning directly addresses key organisational goals, such as improving productivity, fostering innovation or achieving competitive advantage. Use data and case studies to demonstrate the ROI of similar programmes, showing leaders the measurable impact learning can have. It’s also important to ensure leaders are role modelling the right behaviour. What training are they doing? What have they learned recently? Every employee needs to be giving time to learning and sharing this with those around them.

Empower team managers

What’s one of the biggest blockers to widespread buy-in? Middle management. If team managers are reluctant to prioritise training, the message is clear to employees – it’s not important. Organisations need to educate managers on the value of L&D, equipping them with the tools to integrate training seamlessly into their team’s workflow. For instance, you can encourage managers to participate in learning initiatives themselves to set a powerful example for their teams. This not only highlights the importance of L&D, it also helps normalise learning as an integral part of workplace culture.

Make learning accessible 

Gone are the days of disruptive, one-off training sessions. Today’s digital learning solutions offer flexibility, allowing employees to upskill at their own pace and organisations to embed learning into the everyday flow of work, eliminating the old ‘training vs productivity’ debate.

Measure the impact

L&D initiatives are often dismissed as ‘nice to haves’ because their outcomes aren’t always easy to measure. Organisations need to make the impact of upskilling tangible. Use metrics such as employee retention, promotion rates and productivity improvements to demonstrate the business value of L&D.

Reframing L&D for the future

It’s time to challenge the outdated mindset that sees L&D as an interruption. The truth is, making learning a priority isn’t just about improving individual employees – it’s about transforming organisations. By embedding L&D into the DNA of your workplace, you’re not just equipping employees with the skills they need today, you’re building a resilient, future-ready organisation that can adapt and thrive in the face of change.

Caroline Evans is the VP of Enterprise Sales at FutureLearn. This article was originally published on People Management.