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Ninety-five percent of HR professionals participated in professional development last year, and 98% expect to do so again this year. Those numbers tell me something important: HR professionals recognize that investing in continuous learning is essential to meeting the demands of a changing profession.
At the same time, HRCI's latest report, Meeting the Future: The Vital Role of Professional Development, found that 81% of HR professionals believe their organizations don't spend enough on professional development for HR. And nearly as many professionals rated their learning experiences as "excellent" (24%) as rated them "fair," "poor," or "very poor" (21%).
Budget certainly plays a role, but those findings suggest the biggest opportunity is being more deliberate about how learning supports the capabilities organizations need most.
Organizations often assemble learning opportunities over time without a clear strategy. The strongest learning programs begin with a simple question: What capabilities does our organization need next?
Learning should support specific business priorities, whether that's strengthening leadership skills, preparing for regulatory changes, improving employee relations, or developing the knowledge needed to implement new technologies. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in HR, for example, governance and responsible implementation are quickly becoming capabilities organizations can no longer afford to treat as optional.
Once priorities are clear, organizations can build learning experiences around them.
People learn differently. Some benefit from structured programs like formal education, while others prefer webinars, online courses, peer communities, certification, or self-directed learning.
Offering a variety of options provides flexibility while ensuring opportunities still support broader organizational goals. The objective is to provide learning that aligns individual growth with business needs.
Organizations often assume professional development problems can be solved with a larger budget. Our research suggests otherwise. Learning becomes more effective when organizations are clear about the capabilities they want to build and intentionally select learning opportunities that support those goals. Strategy should come before spending.
Professional development becomes far more meaningful when employees can see how it connects to their own future. Individual development plans help create that connection. Rather than assigning the same training to everyone, organizations should encourage employees to build plans that reflect both current responsibilities and long-term career aspirations.
McKinsey has identified a lack of career development as one of the leading reasons employees leave their organizations. Individual development plans help address that challenge by connecting learning to long-term career growth.
Some of the most valuable learning happens when it's embedded into day-to-day work. Deloitte recently observed that many organizations face less of a skills gap than an experience gap. Employees often understand concepts but haven't had enough opportunity to apply them.
Whether through stretch assignments, mentoring, cross-functional projects, or guided practice, learning becomes more valuable when employees can immediately apply what they've learned in their day-to-day responsibilities.
Regular feedback plays an important role as well. A thoughtful conversation after a challenging project or situation can reinforce learning in ways formal training cannot. Creating opportunities to exchange feedback strengthens development without requiring additional budget.
One of the most encouraging findings from our research is the relationship between preparation and workplace fulfillment. HR professionals who described their departments as completely prepared were nearly three times more likely to be what we call "HR Evangelists": professionals who enjoy working in HR, would recommend the profession to others, and aren't considering leaving the field. Our research team found that feeling prepared isn't simply associated with workplace fulfillment. It's one of the strongest drivers of it.
Professional development builds confidence, resilience, and engagement, making it one of the most practical investments organizations can make in both their people and their business.
Professional development looks different for every organization, and no single approach fits every team. But one principle remains consistent: learning should be intentional.
The organizations that build the strongest HR teams will be the ones that treat learning as a strategic investment, align it with business priorities, and make it part of everyday work.
The workplace will continue to evolve, and HR will continue to be asked to lead through that change. Organizations that embrace continuous learning will build teams that are more confident, more adaptable, and better prepared for whatever comes next.
Amy Schabacker Dufrane, Ed.D., SPHR, CAE, is CEO of HRCI, where she drives strategic conversations about building high-performing HR teams. An award-winning thought leader at the intersection of talent strategy and continuous learning, Dr. Dufrane is a celebrated keynote speaker on the human side of successful business strategy.