Henley Business School Corporate Development team released the third Corporate Learning Priorities survey this month. The survey, first conducted in 2010, reveals a picture of learning priorities for 2012. Results include:

• The trend towards using learning and development as a tool to aid growth that we identified in last years survey continues. 71% said it was their number one learning priority for 2012 vs.64% in 2011. Using learning to help maintain and build employee engagement in the business is a close number two objective with 70% selecting it and retention of key talent now a very close number three. Using learning as a tool to help manage change is still a strong priority for 63% vs 52% in 2011.
• Perhaps unsurprisingly using learning and development to attract talent into the business and to help succession planning are the two lowest priorities again this year though they are still important for 50% and 46% of respondents respectively indicating that for some.
• For the first time since we began this survey leadership development for senior managers is the first priority for learning and development with 47% making it their first or second priority vs. 35% last year.
• The top three requirements of a business school partner providing learning and development in 2012 are:
  *Delivery by experienced practitioners (81% say extremely   important)
  *Reputation of the school (64%)
  *Use of up to date case studies to embed learning (62%)

The survey was conducted online in December 2011 It was sent to around 4,000 corporate client and non-client contacts of Henley Business School. These were a mixture of HR and non-HR senior managers from private and public sector organisations employing in excess of 500 people. There were a mix of Alumni and non-Alumni of Henley Business School in the sample. A total of 136 responses were received vs. 225 in 2011 and 119 in 2010 of which 73% were from Directors, VPs or Heads of Department and 61% were from non-HR functions. 55% of the respondents were UK, 30% from other European countries, 8% from Asia Pacific and 7% rest of world.

• Henley Corporate Learning Priorities Survey 2012 (PDF-2 MB)
• Henley Corporate Learning Priorities Survey 2011 (PDF-361 KB)
• Henley Corporate Learning Priorities Survey 2010 (PDF-481 KB)