The C-Suite has a learning problem – here's how to fix it

Independent

02-07-2025

Zensai is a Business Reporter client
L&D's biggest challenge is connecting learning directly to business outcomes; here's how to bridge the gap.
As the workplace has evolved through the Great Resignation and remote work shifts, learning and development has become a strategic priority – essential for retaining talent, closing skill gaps and driving performance in a fast-changing, hybrid world.
Yet many organisations find themselves stuck in a vicious circle, where learning initiatives feel disconnected from the overarching business strategy. The latest Gallup report supports this: in 2024, the global number of engaged employees plummeted to a dismal 21 per cent. This figure represents more than low morale, burnout and emotional strain; it signifies a significant proportion of people feeling detached from their work and their company's mission.
Bridge the gap to make learning matter to your business
This also presents a profound challenge for L&D teams. From onboarding to continuous improvement efforts, the traditional approach – heavily reliant on old-school learning management systems (LMS) and fragmented tools – often reduces learning to a (rather boring) checkbox exercise. It focuses on churning out content and tracking who finished what course, rather than demonstrating how learning genuinely fuels business growth.
For example, maybe a manufacturing company invests in a new safety training module. If the existing system only tracks completion rates and satisfaction scores, it will probably report 100 per cent of employees 'completed' the training and 'liked' it. But without a strategic link, it can't answer the key question: 'Did the training lead to a measurable reduction in workplace accidents?' This creates the perception that L&D is a cost centre, not a strategic asset. It also leads to missed opportunities and really limits what those teams are able to do.
We understand the frustration: L&D leaders are under tons of pressure to prove their impact, yet they often lack the time and the right data to truly align learning with real business outcomes. This disconnect is the core problem hindering L&D's strategic influence. To overcome it, we need a better way to get people excited about learning and make sure it leads to substantial results for the business.
Align strategy before you deliver
The path forward is clear. L&D has to shift from content-delivery hamster wheel to strategic business partner. Zensai's recent ATD research highlights the depth here: a mere 4 per cent of organisations believe they are 'excellent' at using learning data for business decisions. This proves there's a huge gap preventing L&D from demonstrating its true value (and that L&D needs to step up its game beyond just checking if people liked a course or finished it).
As Nina Carøe, Chief Human Success Officer at Zensai, explains: 'If learning is going to drive strategy, HR leaders need to stop thinking in terms of programs and start thinking in terms of outcomes. That shift starts at the top.'
The solution lies in what we call rigorous strategic alignment. If your learning initiatives are directly tied to your company's key performance indicators (KPIs), L&D stops being a background character and becomes a star player in achieving organisational success. Instead of rolling out generic 'customer service skills' training, a strategically aligned L&D team would work with sales and operations leaders to spot specific metrics such as first-call resolution, average handling time and repeat customer rates. The learning program would then be designed specifically to move these needles, and the success of training would be measured directly against improvements in those business KPIs.
Strategic alignment is about proving to stakeholders, with data, that investing in employee development directly contributes to profitability, fresh ideas and staying ahead of the competition. Only when learning demonstrates a clear, measurable link to business outcomes can it finally earn its rightful seat at the C-suite table.
Make HR whole: from fragmented metrics to unified strategy
This deep alignment starts with robust data and integrated systems. Our findings show that only 43 per cent of organisations report their learning and business goals are 'very aligned'.
We know that when this alignment is made, the impact can be transformative. If company leadership sees a clear connection between learning programs and key business objectives, they are far more likely to champion L&D's efforts and invest in better tools, content and experiences for employees. This increased support gives L&D the power to adopt innovative technologies and dream up more impactful (and less tedious) learning programs.
Here's where the concept of 'human success' comes into play. As Rasmus Holst, CEO at Zensai, puts it: 'Human success isn't just an HR initiative – it's a business imperative and part of how we create a high-performance team in the age of AI. When learning, engagement and performance are integrated, the entire organisation wins.'
It means evolving from splintered HR metrics to a unified strategic approach where employee growth is easily measurable and, most importantly, directly linked to overall business outcomes.
What high-performing organisations are doing differently
As noted by the ATD report, organisations that thoroughly excel in measurement and evaluation do more than just talk about aligning their learning with strategy. They make it happen by first pulling data from at least four different sources, including performance reviews, business figures, employee surveys and customer feedback. This gives them a crystal-clear, 360-degree picture of learning's company-wide impact.
Then, they turn that data into something useful and visually engaging. High-performing organisations are the ones leveraging dashboards and metrics to communicate their insights with stakeholders and clearly demonstrate the return on investment so they can secure further support.
Most importantly, top organisations don't just throw together training programs and hope for the best. They work backwards from their business goals to figure out what training they need to fulfil them. If the goal is to raise retention rates, employee training might focus on conflict resolution techniques or personalised communication strategies. Or, if the KPI is to get things done faster, training could involve streamlining processes, introducing new software or strengthening cross-departmental collaboration.
This way, training programs are based on real data and target specific things the organisation wants to improve. This makes it easier to get the resources required, and teams can keep improving by tracking their progress, analysing the results and making adjustments along the way to ensure employees stay engaged and perform at their best.
The future of learning means fostering meaningful progress, providing clarity for individuals and building an adaptable workforce. Success isn't simply about numbers; it's about empowering people to grow, which in turn grows the business. This is precisely where solutions such as Zensai's Learn365 play a powerful role. As Emma Taylor, Phoenix Software Talent and Development Manager, puts it, 'Any goals that require training can be linked directly to a course in Learn365, streamlining the process for the employee.'
By being natively embedded within your existing Microsoft 365 ecosystem – including platforms such as Teams, Outlook, and Power BI – Learn365 transforms training from a disjointed, scheduled activity into an ongoing, measurable and intrinsically motivated part of everyday work. It enables a seamless flow of data that powers the human success approach, providing the future-ready model needed to connect learning directly to business outcomes and drive major transformation.
Zensai understands the complexities L&D faces and offers a platform designed to simplify administration, accelerate ROI and enhance user adoption by putting learning where work already happens
Is your organisation's learning strategy truly fuelling real business outcomes? If not, it might be time to move beyond traditional training programs and HR metrics to embrace a more strategic approach to your employee development. Don't worry – we can help. Download the Zensai + ATD report to explore what top organisations are doing to align learning with performance and drive sustainable success that actually hits.
Rasmus Holst is Chief Executive Officer at Zensai, where he leads with a clear mission: to empower organisations to unlock their full potential through people-first technology and purpose-driven culture.
With a career spanning leadership roles across high-growth SaaS companies, Rasmus brings deep operational expertise and a global perspective to Zensai's vision. His leadership is grounded in a belief that sustainable success comes from aligning business strategy with human success – where culture, clarity and capability converge.