The way people think about workplace learning is changing. After another year dominated by the opportunities and uncertainties of AI, business leaders are turning their attention to what really matters when deciding on an L&D strategy: measurable business results. As talent needs change and pressure to upskill grows, in 2026 more companies will prioritize upskilling, reskilling and continuous learning as a core focus of their overall business strategy. Harry Chapman-Walker, CEO of Kallidus, Europe’s number one corporate learning and talent platform at G2, shares his top 10 considerations for businesses looking to build a L&D strategy that directly correlates to performance in the year ahead.
- Skills-based AI learning will become the default
Most companies are changing the way they operate by moving from having permanent jobs to talent strategies that prioritize skills. This allows companies to focus on the specific capabilities of their employees. For example, how adaptable an employee is or how strategic they are. This approach helps them align employee learning with business outcomes, helping teams close capability gaps faster and directly supporting agility and performance.
However, organizations that do not embrace AI or reconsider how they introduce and develop skills work will struggle to succeed with a skills-based approach. Implementing a framework once for the entire organization is not enough; it must be iterative, supported by technology, and integrated into daily workflows to drive real adoption and impact.
- There will be more focus on performance and business results.
In the new year, learning functions will be fully integrated into business strategy, using analytics to demonstrate clear and measurable impact on performance, retention and risk reduction. Success will no longer be judged by course completion or login rates, but by business results, demonstrating the role of training and development as a central enabler of innovation, agility and competitive advantage. Far from being a cost center, training and development will become an engine of growth, transformation and sustained return on investment.
- AI-powered learning will enable greater personalization than ever
There are many benefits of having AI in training. It will undoubtedly be used to enable personalized learning paths in 2026. It will also give companies the opportunity to tailor course content to individual roles, skills and objectives. By using AI coaches, automated quizzes, and dynamic recommendations, this technology will enable a whole new level of personalized learning. The benefit of this? Employees will receive relevant training, while employers can be assured that course retention levels and course efficiency will only improve.
However, L&D teams must work hard to ensure they do not become overly reliant on the use of AI. Organizations still need to invest time evaluating whether chatbots truly improve learning and performance outcomes, or simply become a more polished, conversational version of a cluttered SharePoint site.
- Integrating learning into workflows will become the norm
Training has been gradually incorporated into the workflows. By 2026, this will become commonplace, with integrations into tools like Slack, Teams, CRM, etc. This means that employees can learn while they work. Context switching is eliminated, increasing productivity as learning becomes a seamless, continuous experience.
- We are entering the era of continuous recycling
In a rapidly changing work environment, it is important to have a culture of continuous learning. That’s why more organizations than ever will move toward proactive reskilling to enable employees to constantly meet new business needs. This will mean that skills will remain relevant and teams will be able to continue to perform high amidst technological disruption. However, it will take time to truly incorporate this, given the demands on L&D teams and reduced resources.
- Leadership and human skills will continue to be a critical focus
With AI offering greater personalization, remote work becoming the norm, and a shift toward skills-first talent practices, business leaders will play a critical role in keeping teams connected and ensuring L&D initiatives actually work. However, it is essential that these leaders are equipped with true “human” skills. That means having good emotional intelligence, creative thinking, problem solving, empathy and the ability to foster psychological safety. These are all essential qualities when it comes to helping people feel valued, supported and part of a cohesive team.
- Compliance training will evolve from a tick-box exercise to a performance enabler.
In the past, compliance was seen as a chore, something to check off the list. However, in 2026, learning will move beyond mandatory modules towards integrated skills-based frameworks. This will enable businesses to enable ethical behavior, data security and responsible use of AI, creating high-performing, risk-aware teams rather than simply complying with regulations.
- Development is not a one-size-fits-all approach
We’ll move beyond the idea that an LMS full of long, outdated e-learning modules can solve all development needs or serve as the only place where people learn. Effective training and development uses a blended approach: microlearning, modular content, simple handouts, workshops, coaching, on-the-job practice, and more.
The goal is not to create more content, but to choose the right solution for the performance problem at hand. Not every challenge requires a course and not every skill gap is addressed by adding another SCORM package. Moving away from “LMS + eLearning = the answer” frees L&D teams from weeks of creating bloated courses and allows them to focus on meaningful, high-impact interventions that truly improve performance.
- An overreliance on AI content creation
As mentioned above, AI-generated content is the latest trend in training and development and promises faster response times and greater efficiency. Vendors (including authoring tools) are rapidly launching solutions that make it easier than ever to produce courses, guides, quizzes and resources with a single message, fueling the belief that more content automatically equals better learning. But while AI-powered content creation has value and can streamline parts of the process, the hype risks pushing organizations into a volume-over-impact mindset. If we’re not careful, we’ll inundate learners with generic, low-value material that doesn’t drive performance but clutters learning ecosystems and ultimately creates more noise than clarity.
AI will support content creation, but it cannot replace careful design, performance diagnostics or strategic decisions that ensure learning leads to real behavior change.
- Training and development as the number one retention strategy
Finally, by 2026, career development will overtake compensation as the primary driver of retention. It’s as if roles are evolving faster than job descriptions right now, and many employees are wondering whether their current skills will still be relevant in the years to come. In 2023, the World Economic Forum had already stated that 44% of workers’ basic skills are expected to change by 2027. This reflects a sense of uncertainty across the workforce that has been bubbling under the surface for some time. And with the advancement of AI, it is fair to assume that this percentage will be much higher in 2026. As such, companies that offer clear learning paths and visible growth opportunities can attract and retain top talent, while those that do not will see greater attrition.
Conclusion:
Training and development is not about chasing the newest technology, but about creating environments where people can grow, adapt, and contribute to meaningful business results. Organizations that continue to develop their skills strategies and learning cultures accordingly will ensure a more capable and resilient workforce. Resilience and agility facing 2026 will be key. Given the pace at which capability gaps have already widened in 2025 and pressures have increased on existing operating models, those who do not prioritize training and development risk feeling the consequences of changing workforce needs sooner than they might have anticipated.