Trends in people development in 2025
The troodi L&D Trend Report
The troodi L&D Trend Report 2025 offers a comprehensive analysis of current and future developments in the field of Learning and Development (L&D). Based on the findings of a survey of over 100 L&D experts, the report highlights the most important trends in people development, challenges, and skills that are crucial for the successful advancement of L&D.
Audience:
People developers, L&D Experts, People & Culture, C-Level
Reading time:
Approx. 25 minutes
Focus areas:
Trends, challenges, and future skills in L&D
Trends in people development – content
The L&D Trend Report provides extensive findings on the following topics:
Overview of the biggest challenges and most important trends in people development in 2025
Potential and risks of using artificial intelligence in people development
Effective initiatives to promote a positive learning culture
Focus topics and learning formats in 2025
Return on learning: proof of the effectiveness of people development measures
The most important future skills for L&D experts
First look into the trend report
The use of artificial intelligence is the top trend in people development.
Almost half of the L&D experts surveyed see artificial intelligence (AI) as the most important trend in the L&D sector for 2025. However, there is a large gap between the perceived importance of AI and its actual implementation.
Artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming people and organizational development, influencing three key areas:
- AI skill building: Development of basic and role-specific AI skills among employees.
- AI empowerment: Supporting the transformation process brought about by AI, including the emotional challenges caused by the change.
- AI-supported learning solutions: Increasing the precision and efficiency of L&D processes and products through the use of artificial intelligence.
While the importance of artificial intelligence in learning and development is increasingly recognized, many organizations are still in the early stages of integration. This highlights a pressing need for action to bridge the gap between the perceived importance of AI and its actual implementation.
L&D Trends 2025
What do you think will be the most important L&D trend in 2025?
Fostering self-learning culture: a central task for L&D professionals
Fostering a learning culture
How does your L&D department support the learning culture in your organization?
Following artificial intelligence, self-directed learning is the second most important L&D trend in 2025. Establishing a positive learning culture is the key to the success of self-directed learning formats.
However, the majority of the organizations surveyed currently promote their internal learning culture primarily through individual measures. The promotion of a comprehensive and sustainable learning culture is therefore a key area of action for L&D professionals in 2025. A strategic and holistic approach that combines various measures is necessary to successfully shape this cultural change.
Initiatives to foster a culture of self-learning include:
- Raising awareness among leaders and establishing them as role models for learning processes.
- Building self-learning skills through training and targeted support.
- Creating an adequate learning infrastructure, for example through modern learning platforms.
- Establishing internal role models for self-directed learning (so-called learning influencers).
- Designing social learning spaces, for example through learning tandems, peer group sessions, and communities of practice.
Return on learning: Many organizations limit their effectiveness measurement to direct participant feedback.
The majority of the organizations surveyed measure the effectiveness of their L&D measures primarily through qualitative and quantitative self-report questionnaires completed by participants directly after the training.
Although this method provides valuable insights into the satisfaction of the participants, the validity of the information about the impact of the training in terms of the long-term effects to be achieved is limited. These results highlight a third area of action for L&D in 2025: evaluating the effectiveness of L&D measures should go beyond self-reports.
A holistic approach that incorporates different perspectives and data sources makes it possible to better demonstrate the actual impact of training measures and make their long-term effect on the organization and employees visible.
A holistic evaluation not only helps to optimize the measures implemented, but also strengthens the standing of L&D within the organization. By making its contribution to the company’s success visible, L&D positions itself as a strategic partner and an important influencing factor for the future economic success of the organization.
Effectiveness of L&D
How do you currently measure the effectiveness of your L&D measures? (multiple choices possible)
L&D Trend Report 2025 download
About troodi
Troodi supports organizations in the implementation of impactful people development measures to unlock the full potential of their employees.
We use digital learning programs, blended learning journeys and live trainings to develop the most important future skills in employees and managers. Our approach emphasizes practical relevance, utilizing interactive training methods led by experienced experts.
With more than five years of experience, we advise organizations on developing a learning culture and increasing the effectiveness of their people development measures.
In all our projects, we value partnership-based cooperation and the development of individual solutions that best suit the needs of the respective organization.
