If you’re the kind of person who lights up when someone grows, shifts, or steps into their potential, you’re in the right line of work. And chances are, you already know that when HR and L&D work together, everything changes.
You probably also already know that Learning and Development isnât about ticking boxes or pushing out content. Itâs about shaping futures. Itâs about helping people do their jobs better, grow faster, and believe in themselves more.
And when Learning and Development (L&D) joins forces with Human Resources (HR) under a shared vision, we donât just improve training, we transform the business.
Letâs dig into what this partnership can be, and how to get there, even if youâre not the one writing the org chart.
Historically, HR and L&D have operated like two trains on parallel tracks. HR manages the people systems, hiring, policies, performance. L&D handles the learning experiences, onboarding, workshops, eLearning.
Different focuses. Same people.
And yet, youâve probably seen where our worlds collide:
But despite the natural overlap, we still often work in silos. Gartner reports that only 28% of HR leaders say their workforce planning is aligned to business strategy. And if HR isnât aligned to strategy, L&D is flying blind.
Thatâs how we end up launching courses without knowing the real capability gaps. Or building content with no clarity on the roles itâs meant to support. And itâs frustrating, for everyone.
It doesnât have to be this way.
It should be as natural and Mario and Luigi (and yes, we have a sense of humor đ)
The best organizations arenât waiting until problems show up to involve L&D. Theyâre bringing us in early. Before thereâs a need. Before the gaps show.
In these organizations, L&D and HR:
And it works.
Lattice found that the highest-performing HR teams embed L&D into their overall people strategy. The result? Better engagement, higher retention, and stronger leadership pipelines. Not because of a single standout program, but because everything is moving in the same direction.
Still, many HR teams say they value learning but havenât yet built the systems to support it. Thatâs where things often break down, not in intention, but in execution.
And this is the opportunity. If we already believe in the value of learning, itâs time to make that belief operational.
When HR and L&D truly partner, we stop reacting to requests and start anticipating needs.
Instead of being asked to âroll out a training,â weâre asked, âWhat do we need to change?â
This shift, from service provider to strategic partner, makes everything better:
Bravelyâs 2025 strategy report shows that organizations with strong HR-L&D partnerships see 4x the improvement in business performance and employee retention.
Itâs not about being louder or doing more. Itâs about getting closer to the core of the business and showing how learning can solve real, strategic problems.
One key example? Workforce planning.
Right now, 66% of workforce planning is still just headcount-focused. Weâre asking âhow many people do we need?â but we should be asking âwhat do they need to be able to do?â
Thatâs where L&D leads. Not as a nice-to-have, but as a business-critical function.
You might be reading this and thinking, âSure, this all sounds great, Candice, but Iâm not senior enough to change how HR and L&D work together.â Thatâs a common hesitation, and I hear it often.
But hereâs what I want you to know: you donât need a fancy title or formal authority to start making an impact. You donât need to own the org chart. What you need is curiosity, initiative, and a willingness to start the conversation.
Because often, what looks like a silo from the outside is really just a missed opportunity for connection on the inside. And connection starts with a single conversation.
Reach out to someone in HR and ask to grab a virtual coffee or set up a 30-minute chat. Keep it informal. This isnât about pitching a program or lobbying for a new initiativeâitâs simply about learning. You might say, âHey, Iâd love to learn more about what your team is focused on this quarter.â
Then, in that conversation, ask a few thoughtful, open-ended questions:
The goal here isnât to sell anything. Itâs to listen. To understand. Because the moment you hear something that makes you think, âWait, we could help with that,â youâve found your entry point. Youâre not inserting yourself, youâre identifying a shared problem you can solve together.
Once youâve identified a challenge, maybe itâs inconsistent onboarding, or trouble retaining mid-level managers, start connecting the dots. Ask yourself: What would people need to know, do, or feel differently in order to solve this?
Then build a basic outline that links:
This isnât about creating a 20-slide deck. Itâs about creating a simple, clear picture of how learning can drive performance.
Now that youâve mapped the connection, share it back in a way that feels generous and collaborative. You might say, âHey, you mentioned the teamâs been struggling with onboarding consistency. I pulled together a quick idea of how we might approach that through capability building, want to take a look?â
Youâre not pitching a big initiative or asking for permission. Youâre offering insight. And that subtle difference builds trust and opens the door to future collaboration.
The partnership doesnât have to start with a massive transformation. It might begin with a quick conversation that turns into a co-hosted session. Or an idea that gets you invited to a planning meeting. Or just a moment of recognition that your input helped clarify a challenge.
Whatever progress you make, share it. Reflect on what changed. Name it. Because those small wins compound over time. They become the foundation of a true partnership built on trust, shared purpose, and results.
Did you get invited to a planning meeting?
Did HR ask for your input on a project?
Did your idea spark a co-hosted session?
Share it. Reflect on it. Build on it.
Let’s reframe that.
Because at some point, you might find yourself thinking, âThis is above my pay grade.â That reaction is understandable. After all, many decisions do rest with senior leaders, and there are real limits to what you can formally change without authority.
However, that doesnât mean you have no influence. In fact, now is a perfect time to reframe what influence actually looks like.
Influence doesnât have to start at the top. It often starts with something much smaller, like an idea, a new perspective, or the ability to spot a gap and raise your hand to say, âWe could do this differently.â
You donât have to control the strategy in order to shape it. You donât need to wait to be invited into the room, you can start by showing up with value. Often, itâs the people on the ground who see whatâs really happening, who understand the gaps in experience, and who can offer practical, thoughtful solutions.
If youâre the person who sees the distance between HR and L&D, and if youâre bold enough to want to close that gap, youâre already doing the work of a leader. Regardless of your title, that mindset is what drives change.
If you’re wondering how to take the first step, or you’re not sure where to start, here are three small but powerful actions you can take this week. These donât require a full restructure or formal authorityâjust intention, awareness, and a bit of courage.
The next time someone asks for a training session, gently ask this question:
âWhat business result is this tied to?â
This small shift reframes the entire conversation. Instead of acting as an order-taker, you position yourself as a partner, someone who cares not just about delivering content, but about driving real outcomes.
In your next presentation, carve out space for a slide that clearly shows:
Challenge â Behavior â Learning Solution
It doesnât have to be fancy or overly designed. What matters is clarity. This slide shows that your learning experience is rooted in real needs and designed to influence meaningful change.
When a topic comes up, whether itâs engagement, onboarding, or leadership, you can say:
âIâve been thinking about how we could support that from a capability perspective.â
This simple phrase does two important things. First, it signals that youâre thinking strategically. Second, it invites collaboration. More often than not, it opens up a richer conversation about what’s really needed, and how L&D can help make it happen.
These actions may seem small. But they send a message: youâre not here just to deliver courses, youâre here to make a difference. And that message, repeated consistently, is what changes how others see the role of L&D in the business.
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When HR and L&D operate in isolation, itâs easy for opportunities to fall through the cracks. People get lost in the shuffle. Momentum slows. And progress stalls, not because of a lack of intention, but because the connection between strategy and learning never fully forms.
But when we come together, when we collaborate intentionally, build trust, and align our efforts, everything changes.
We stop reacting.
We start leading.
And we create organizations where people donât just survive the workday, they grow, thrive, and stick around for the long haul.
So if this blog put into words what youâve been thinking, or gave you a new way to frame the value of what you do, save it. Share it. Use it to start the next conversation.
Because you donât need permission to make this better.
You just need a place to begin.
This work matters.
And youâre the exact right person to lead it forward.
I work with corporate clients carving out strategic Talent Development plans. Iâve been where you are now, and not only have I put in all the hard work and made all the mistakes that finally enabled me to get to a place of progression and impact that we talk of, but Iâve placed it all together in a signature program, The Talent Development AcademyÂź.