The HR Generalist Guide to L&D – Building Bridges, Not Just Buying Courses

Welcome to Chapter 10 of The HR Generalist’s Blueprint: A Complete Operational Guide.

Most companies treat Learning & Development (L&D) like a cafeteria: they offer a menu of random courses and hope employees pick something healthy.

This approach fails because it ignores the business strategy. If your company plans to launch an AI product next year, but your engineering team only knows basic coding, it doesn't matter how many "Time Management" workshops you host. You will fail.

As an HR Generalist, you must shift L&D from "Employee Benefit" to "Business Necessity." You are not just teaching people; you are closing the gap between where the company is and where it needs to be.

Key Takeaways:

• The Audit: You cannot fix a problem you haven't measured. The Skills Gap Analysis is your diagnostic tool.

• The Method: Stop spending 90% of your budget on formal training. Use the 70-20-10 Model.

• The Retention: Employees don't leave companies; they leave dead-end jobs. Career Pathing is your best retention tool.

10.1 Skills Gap Analysis: The Strategic Audit

Before you buy a subscription to a learning platform, you need to know what your "Inventory" looks like.

A Skills Gap Analysis answers two questions:

1. Current State: What can our people do right now?

2. Future State: What do our people need to do in 12 months to hit revenue goals?

How to Conduct the Audit (The "3-Level" Matrix):

Create a simple spreadsheet for each department. List the critical skills in columns and employees in rows. Rate them on a 1-3 scale:

• Level 1 (Learner): Needs supervision to perform the task.

• Level 2 (Practitioner): Can do it independently.

• Level 3 (Expert): Can teach others.

The "Red Flag" Analysis:

If you look at the "Project Management" column and see mostly 1s and no 3s, you have a Critical Gap. If that senior manager leaves, the department collapses. This is where your L&D budget goes.

10.2 The 70-20-10 Model: The Golden Ratio

The biggest mistake HR makes is thinking "Learning = Classroom."

Research shows that adults forget 50% of what they learn in a classroom within one hour unless they apply it immediately.

Use the 70-20-10 Model to structure your training plans:

Percentage	Type of Learning	The Strategy	Operational Examples
70%	Experiential	Learning by doing. The struggle is the lesson.	• Leading a new project. • Managing a summer intern. • Fixing a broken process. • "Stretch Assignments."
20%	Social	Learning from others. Seeing "what good looks like."	• Peer mentoring. • Shadowing a senior leader. • Feedback sessions. • Networking within the industry.
10%	Formal	Structured education. The foundation.	• Workshops. • Online courses (LinkedIn Learning/Udemy). • Conferences. • Books/Podcasts.

The HR Action: When a manager asks for a training budget, ask: "What is the 70% assignment that goes with this course?" If they don't have one, don't approve the budget.

10.3 Career Pathing: The "Lattice" vs. The "Ladder"

"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"

If an employee can't answer this, they are already looking for a job elsewhere.

In the past, we had Career Ladders (Junior -> Senior -> Manager -> Director).

Today, we need Career Lattices. Modern organizations are flat. There aren't enough management spots for everyone. You must show employees how to grow sideways.

How to Build a Lattice:

1. Vertical Growth (Promotion): Taking on people-management responsibilities.

2. Lateral Growth (Expansion): Moving to an adjacent department to learn a new skill (e.g., Sales Rep moving to Customer Success).

3. Depth Growth (Specialization): Becoming a "Subject Matter Expert" (SME) without managing people (e.g., Senior Engineer vs. Engineering Manager).

The "Stay Interview" Tool:

Don't wait for the Exit Interview. Conduct a "Stay Interview" once a year focusing on the path:

"What skills do you need to learn this year to be ready for [Target Role] next year? Let's build your 70-20-10 plan around that."

Chapter 10 Summary Checklist

Before moving to Compensation (Chapter 11), audit your L&D infrastructure:

• [ ] The Matrix: Have you identified the critical skills gap in your top 3 departments?

• [ ] The Ratio: Review your last 3 training initiatives. Were they 100% formal training (bad) or balanced with experience (good)?

• [ ] The Visual: Does every department have a visual "Career Path" document showing possible moves?

• [ ] The Budget: Are you spending money on problems (Skills Gaps) or just perks?

Next Step: You have skilled up your workforce. Now they are more valuable—and they know it. If you don't pay them correctly, your competitors will. In Chapter 11, we tackle Total Rewards & Compensation: Strategy, Bands, and Benefits.

By HR Mit - A HR Professional