We’ve worked in learning and development long enough to recognise the shift that’s taking place, and to know it’s not slowing down.

The way people learn at work is changing. Jobs evolve faster, and roles shift sooner. Across industries, employees now face the same underlying pressure: keep learning or get left behind. Because of this, the need to upskill has never been greater, and the need to digitise learning has never been more urgent. The challenge for us, and all L&D leaders going through digital transformation, is how to actually get results.

The challenge for many organisations moving from an analogue world to digital solutions is simply the change itself. There may be some employees already comfortable and familiar with the in-person learning process, and sceptical of yet another application they must learn.

In fact, most organisations achieve less than one-third of the impact they expect from digital investment. That’s the problem we set out to solve. We work at very different companies, with very different workforces. But we shared the same goal: build a training system that meets people where they are and helps them get where they need to go. We used a platform called TalentLMS to get there, but the real story is what happened when we put the right structure in place.

Legacy processes and the risk of falling behind

At Global Shop Solutions, we used to manage training through printed guides, white folders, and in-person sessions. These methods weren’t broken, but they were hard to scale. Every new employee received the same paper materials. Repetitive sessions ate up time from our most experienced trainers. Learning happened in bursts, not continuously.

Meanwhile, at 42 North Dental, our challenge was fragmentation. With dozens of independent practices, we didn’t have a unified way to onboard staff, track compliance, or introduce new development opportunities. Employees often learned on the job, through trial and error. It wasn’t sustainable or scalable, risking outcomes like burnout, inconsistent standards, and turnover.

Neither of us could afford to continue doing things the same way, but we couldn’t afford to stall, either. The decision to go digital came not as a luxury but as a necessary response to growing complexity.

First steps: solve what’s hurting the most

We didn’t start by announcing a bold transformation strategy. We started by fixing what hurt.

At Global Shop Solutions, we introduced online learning during onboarding. New hires were already in “learning mode.” Giving them a self-paced, flexible format allowed them to absorb material without the pressure of live sessions. They moved through content more quickly and more confidently. It didn’t take long for seasoned employees to notice. They wanted access to the same tools. Adoption wasn’t forced – it spread organically.

At 42 North Dental, we focused on compliance. Every staff member needed to complete training to maintain certifications, which gave us a clear, measurable starting point. We made it mandatory but also intuitive. There were no long orientations or training marathons – just clean, organised modules employees could finish on their own schedule. That foundation built trust. From there, we introduced professional development content, career paths, skill refreshers, and peer insights.

These first moves mattered. We didn’t treat digital learning as a top-down policy. We treated it as a tool people could use right away to make their work easier.

Upskilling is not a buzzword

The word “upskilling” is usually framed as something companies should do to stay ahead, but for workers, the stakes are personal.

With AI and automation reshaping tasks across industries, employees are feeling pressure to learn just to stay relevant. At 42 North Dental, we saw this with our administrative staff and hygienists. Many felt unsure about how their roles would evolve, what would still require a human, or what tasks and skills would be handled by tech. Instead of offering vague encouragement, we built learning paths that addressed real questions: How do I manage digital systems more effectively? How do I lead teams as responsibilities change?

At Global Shop Solutions, we watched how training opened doors. People who might have stayed in entry-level roles for years started moving up in months – not because we rushed them, but because they had clear visibility into what skills they needed and how to acquire them. Promotions to consulting roles, which once took 2–3 years, now happen in under a year, based on competency, not tenure.

Upskilling isn’t one-size-fits-all. It has to be visible, repeatable, and built into the workflow. Otherwise, it becomes just another initiative that people nod along to and then forget.

What effective upskilling actually looks like

• Training that respects time. We don’t design full-day sessions unless they’re essential. Most people learn between tasks. So we make content that works in that rhythm.
• Content that’s role-specific. Instead of making everyone go through a generic “development” module, we tailor learning to job functions and career paths. Sales learns differently from support. Senior staff want different tools from new hires.
• Self-paced learning without penalty. Not everyone learns at the same speed. We removed assessments from most courses unless they were critical, giving employees the freedom to engage without feeling like completing a quiz was what mattered.
• Visibility into what’s next. If a technician wants to move into an engineering role, they should know what skills they need, and how to get them. Training should make that pathway obvious, not buried in a PDF.
• Involvement from the people who know the job. Our best content came from subject-matter experts, not external vendors. We asked the people doing the work to help shape the training. That made it more relevant and more trusted.

Results we could see and trust

At 42 North Dental, turnover dropped from 40% to 25%. Through streamlined onboarding, we saved over 10,000 work hours annually. The training was more efficient than ever, and it made people feel supported. They weren’t guessing anymore.

At Global Shop Solutions, employee progression accelerated. Team members who started in support roles advanced into consulting and development roles faster than ever before. We also used our digital training system to serve external customers, customising content through subgroups. We saw internal performance and the entire customer experience improve.

Importantly, these results weren’t about hitting quarterly targets. They reflected something deeper: training that actually helps people succeed, and systems that evolve with them.

For L&D teams facing the same pressures

If you're thinking about making a similar shift, here’s what we’d offer – not as experts, but as practitioners who’ve done the work.

• Don’t try to overhaul everything. Pick one critical area – onboarding, compliance, or a repeated training task – and solve that well.
• Let learners guide you. If they tell you something isn’t working, listen and adapt. The system only succeeds if it stays useful.
• Involve managers early. They know what their teams need. They’ll also help you drive engagement if they feel ownership.
• Track progress, but don’t obsess over metrics. Focus on momentum – more completions, more feedback, more internal requests for training. That’s how you know it’s working.

There’s no finish line

Digital learning is a structure you build and keep building. The needs will shift. The workforce will change. But once you have a system that can respond to those changes, you’re no longer playing catch-up, and you can finally create space for people to grow.

We didn’t have all the answers when we started, and we still don’t. But we stopped asking how to make training more “innovative” and started asking how to make it more useful. That’s what made the difference.