The Roles and Responsibilities of the Chief Learning Officer
posted:3 years agobyAwatef Hamdiin Career Development
If leadership is one of your personal traits and skills, you should probably fit a Chief Learning Officer (CLO). This position has many responsibilities. But in return, it is gratifying when it comes to salaries and perks. This executive position is the ambition of many applicants. That's why this article will break down all the myths concerning executive jobs and give you the right path to reach this career. Let's get started.
What Is a Chief Learning Officer?
A chief learning officer is labeled as a C-suite position. It is part of an executive department that works to make the corporate learning program meet the organization's goals. Close to the CEO, a CLO is concerned with learning new strategies to develop the company's initiatives. Then, this knowledge will be transmitted to the company's employees through various meetings and training sessions. A CLO position can be included in the human resources department, where a chief learning officer is one of the HR colleagues. A chief learning officer is a job title that has many references:
- a Head of Learning and Development (L&D),
- a Director of Training,
- a Training and Development Manager,
- a Chief Knowledge Officer.
Why is CLO important?
In large corporations, employers are looking for professionals who can update their work system. They want to try new strategies and technologies to teach them to their employees. CLO are professionals who can study and renew the company's work. They can also decrease the risk of losses and push forward failure. These professionals are essential to empower the company and promote its services to meet the needs of customers. Employers are very serious when it comes to hiring a CLO. This position requires experience, qualification, and skills. Although each company has its terms and conditions for recruiting a CLO, there are some standard requirements present in every job offer. Take a look at; How to Become a Chief Investment Officer?
What are The Requirements of Becoming a CLO?
A chief learning officer is not a simple executive position. There are various terms and conditions to consider before applying for this job.
1.Experience:
Any chief position is not an entry-level job. Applicants with no previous experience in HR departments cannot be accepted in this job. The more applicants are experienced in corporate firms and managerial positions, the more the chances they have to get elevated in their career as chief officers. Here is; How to Make your CV Stand out?
2.Qualification:
Concerning the educational path, many degrees can lead to the chief position. Applicants should be graduates from business backgrounds such as holders of MBA and any Master's Degree in finance, business, and economy. A Bachelor's degree in similar fields can also be accepted, provided that the applicant has an extended period of professional experience in the executive field. Top-performing employees in executive departments can apply to reach the C-suite for dominant positions.
3.Skills and Qualities:
Concerning skills and qualities, potential chief learning officers should manage a vast number of staff members and train them to meet its goals. A CLO has a set of personal traits that are generally required in every job offer :
-A motivator: a CLO should know how to motivate employees to learn the new strategies and prepare for learning.
-An educator: a CLO shares prevalent features with an educator. They are related to the teaching methods and styles adopted in the process.
- An inspiring officer: C-suite positions are designed for people who have successful work experience. CLO can share some successes to inspire employees and motivate them to grow in their careers.
-Concerning skills, a CLO should have the following skills:
-Flexibility: CLO can cope with the changes.
-Decision-making skills: since CLO are experienced in various fields, they can make the appropriate decision at the right time.
-Communication skills: CLO communicates with various professionals.
-Leadership: CLO should lead a team and work as excellent instructors to contribute to its advancement. They should be characterized by resonant leadership, sharp attention, and effective planning. Take a look at; Marketing Manager Resume Sample and Writing Tips
Roles and Responsibilities of a Chief Learning Officer:
Surprisingly a CLO's role does not only revolve around learning. This job is essential for both employees' and company's development. The role of this profession can be divided into general and specific.
From a general perspective, a CLO's job is to help companies compete with others in the market by promoting their functionalities, increasing their sales and customers.
From a specific side, a CLO's role is to study each employee's performance, skills, and selecting the newly qualified individuals to manage projects, solve problems, and motivate others. As you can see, a CLO's role works in favor of the organization from a general level to the employer from a specific angle. Nowadays, CLOs are working to cover a pandemic disease's losses by seeking to improve the employees' productivity from a remote location. They are also targeting foreign employees of different nationalities who offer the same service with non-expensive costs.
Concerning the chief learning officer's responsibilities, they can vary from one corporation to another. But, they have a general and a specific aspect as well. a CLO is responsible for:
1.Providing a learning strategy: a CLO needs to establish a learning technique that enables teaching all the member staff quickly. CLOs should be familiarized with the new digital tools used for learning and invest them during the quarantine period so that the company doesn't lose its ranking.
2. Assign managers the new strategies: a CLO might not be in direct contact with all employees. That's why they train and update managers who are responsible for a
3. Control and oversee the learning technology: a CLO gets reports concerning applying the new strategies and the changes emanating from them.
4. Establish curriculums, courses, and practical work: a CLO provides a whole strategy program effective for the entire company's departments and follows up the whole planned courses.
5. Controls the Outsourcing of a company: CLO directs foreign employees who work remotely in the back office process.
These were the primary responsibilities, skills, and conditions for a C-suite position, known as a chief learning officer.