After years of increasingly flexible and digital learning formats, companies are seeing renewed employee demand for classroom-based training, particularly in soft skills such as storytelling, according to Teodora Todoran, General Manager, Talent Skilling Head at Wipro, who spoke at the People Empowering Business Forum organised by The Diplomat-Bucharest.
The way employees engage with learning has changed significantly, requiring companies to rethink how they organise training programmes and allocate time for professional development, Todoran said.
“Until a few years ago, we had a very fixed agenda and calendar. People would come into the training room and things would happen as we all knew they would. But at some point, people stopped showing up, training sessions were cancelled, and something had clearly changed,” she explained.
Today, employee participation depends much more on organisational culture, individual needs and motivation. While mandatory training programmes may ensure that employees complete certain courses, this does not necessarily mean they have the time or attention to fully engage with the content.
“If we introduce mandatory programmes, everyone has to complete them. Fine, they do it, but did they actually have the time? We don’t know. They completed the training, perhaps at fast-forward speed,” Todoran said.
The challenge for employers, she argued, is to create learning opportunities that fit employees’ schedules and interests, rather than impose training as another mandatory task.
Wipro has recently noticed a renewed appetite for face-to-face learning, including training sessions focused on non-technical skills.
“In the last quarter alone, we have received requests for classroom training, not on technical subjects, but on soft skills, such as storytelling. And this is not just happening in Europe. We have seen it in China, Mexico, Portugal and, more recently, Poland,” she said.
According to Todoran, employees are increasingly willing to dedicate two full days to classroom learning, rather than simply attending one- or two-hour online sessions. This reflects a growing need for interaction and the development of skills that cannot always be acquired through digital platforms.
“There is a need, there is time and there is a willingness to spend two days in a training room and learn, not necessarily about technology, because everyone can access that on their phone,” she noted.
For Todoran, the key lesson is that learning time cannot simply be imposed by employers. It depends on what employees consider important and where they choose to direct their attention.
“We don’t create time, and certainly not by force. Time goes where our attention goes. If employees are not paying attention in that direction, we won’t be able to find time for them, and training will not become a priority in their daily work,” she said.
At the same time, the expansion of digital learning platforms has made professional development more accessible and has enabled companies to adapt to different individual learning preferences.
Todoran pointed out that employees can now choose from a wide range of learning experiences, depending on how they prefer to acquire knowledge. Some platforms offer extensive e-book collections, while others provide practical laboratories or AI-powered agents that simulate learning experiences and can, in certain situations, reduce the immediate need for a human trainer.
“The question is: what is my learning experience? What do I choose, and which platform do I choose to learn from?” she said.
Rather than making radical changes to its learning strategy, Wipro has adapted to the wider range of tools and opportunities available, incorporating different learning styles and formats.
“We have adapted naturally to different learning styles because there are now enough opportunities and tools available. We also have our own internally developed solutions, but I wouldn’t limit learning to that. We bring our own context and culture, while also benefiting from what is available on the market and learning from others,” Todoran concluded.