Guild Research Reveals How Top HR Leaders Turn L&D from Cost Center to Growth Engine

HR leaders who tie learning to their organization’s biggest business priorities are 122% more likely to meet or exceed their highest-priority metrics than laggards.

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Guild, the leading talent development company, today released new research, “From Cost to Catalyst: An HR Leader’s Guide to Maximizing the Business Impact of L&D,” that highlights the power of embedding employee learning and development (L&D) directly into the heart of an organization’s business strategy, and uncovers a distinct cohort of forward-thinking HR leaders who are driving this work forward.

Based on a survey of 500 CHROs and L&D leaders, along with in-depth interviews across industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, financial services, retail, and technology, the research shines a light on the current state of L&D, identifies strategies that distinguish top performers, and connects the dots to creating tangible business value.

At a time when HR is facing rapid AI adoption, workforce reinvention, shifting labor demographics, and skills shortages, all while balancing constrained budgets and increased business pressure — there’s never been a more critical moment for HR to prove its business value. Yet, in Guild’s research nearly a third (28%) of CHROs and L&D leaders agreed that L&D investments had unknown, little, or no impact on revenue or profit margin, suggesting the field has a long way to go to be a real catalyst for business growth.

On the flip side, HR leaders who tie learning to their organizations biggest business priorities are 122% more likely to meet or exceed their highest-priority metrics than these laggards. This disconnect highlights the need for HR leaders to champion their own cause and ensure business leaders understand L&D’s contribution to growth. In the words of one HR leader featured in the report, “When you start with business KPIs, you stop being a cost center and start becoming a growth engine. That’s when L&D becomes indispensable.”

The research also revealed strong ties to senior leadership, an investment in soft skills alongside technical skills, and a strategic deployment of data analysis distinguishes high-performing HR organizations. According to the findings, effective HR leaders are:

• 53% more likely than laggards to say the organization’s CHRO collaborates extremely closely with the senior leadership.
• 31% more likely than laggards to say their L&D investments prioritize soft (or durable) skill development.
• 40% more likely than laggards to report using tech and data analytics to guide their L&D strategies.
• 27% more likely than laggards to say their L&D investments support senior and middle managers’ careers.

"The data is clear and confirms what Guild sees every day in our work with forward-thinking employers: when companies embed learning into their core strategy, they do more than upskill their teams — they unlock performance, agility, and growth,” said Bijal Shah, CEO of Guild. "The HR leaders who are spearheading this charge are not just supporting the business. They are shaping its future."

A Blueprint for HR Leaders

Four core principles of HR leaders emerged from the research — Integration, Influence, Internal Mobility, and Impact — forming a blueprint for running L&D as a business accelerator. The report includes recommended actions, real-world case studies, and data insights to help HR align learning with business priorities to drive measurable impact.

For example, one case study from the report highlights a tech firm facing a cloud skills shortage that couldn’t hire fast enough. Its VP and head of leadership and learning launched a Tech Academy that upskilled technical staff and reskilled non-technical talent. Within months, internal mobility rose, software quality improved, and project delivery accelerated — saving time and cost while future-proofing the workforce.

As organizations navigate AI disruption, economic uncertainty, and workforce transformation, Guild’s research shows that those who integrate learning into their core business strategy are poised to lead — not follow — through change.

Download the full report here for more insights and actionable takeaways.

About Guild

Guild partners with employers to build the talent they need today — and the workforce that can take on tomorrow. In partnership with employers like Chipotle, Discover, Hilton, Target, and healthcare systems like UCHealth, Guild helps to identify untapped talent and fuel organizational growth. Through Guild Talent Advantage™, Guild offers a versatile set of education and skilling offerings, actionable talent insights for employers, and personalized coaching for employees, translating learning investments into sustainable talent pipelines that propel businesses forward. For more information, visit https://www.guild.com.