Employees Seek Leadership Development Despite Access Gaps – HRO Today

Report on 2025 Talent Priorities and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

An analysis of InStride’s 2025 Talent Priorities Report indicates a significant opportunity for organizations to align their workforce development strategies with key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report reveals a disconnect between employee demand for growth and current employer practices, highlighting a critical need to bridge educational access gaps. By addressing these gaps, corporations can advance SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), thereby fostering a more sustainable and equitable future of work.

Leadership Development Demand and its Link to SDG 8

The report establishes a strong employee appetite for career advancement, which directly supports the objectives of SDG 8.

• A substantial 90% of surveyed employees expressed interest in leadership development opportunities.
• Mid-career professionals (ages 29 to 44) represent the largest demographic with a strong interest in such growth.

While two-thirds of HR leaders identify leadership development as a top priority, a gap exists between this principle and its practical application. Fostering leadership from within is a cornerstone of providing decent work and promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth.

Bridging Educational Access Gaps to Advance SDG 4 and SDG 10

A primary finding is the divergence between HR priorities—focused on retention, attraction, and upskilling—and the fundamental needs expressed by employees. Employees identify educational access as the principal barrier to their professional growth. This access gap presents a direct challenge to achieving SDG 4 and SDG 10.

• The report finds that 78% of employees would be more inclined to pursue further learning if their employer paid tuition costs upfront.

This data suggests that traditional reimbursement models create significant financial barriers, disproportionately affecting employees from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and hindering progress toward SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). By transitioning to direct, upfront funding for education, employers can provide the inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities championed by SDG 4. As noted by Lauren King, Vice President of Talent Strategy and Workforce Development at Novant Health, “You can’t use the word gap unless you’re willing to build a bridge.”

Key Strategic Findings for Sustainable Talent Management

The report outlines additional findings that are integral to building a workforce strategy aligned with the SDGs.

1. Education Drives Loyalty and Talent Attraction: Providing education benefits is a powerful tool for achieving the stable employment targets of SDG 8. Approximately 61% of employees state that education benefits increase their likelihood of staying with an employer, while 65% report that such benefits influence their choice of where to apply.
2. Appetite for AI Skills is Widespread: In alignment with SDG 4’s call for relevant skills for employment, 71% of employees are focused on acquiring AI skills through education. Concurrently, 54% of HR leaders are seeking AI-powered education solutions, indicating a clear path to upskilling the workforce for the future economy as envisioned in SDG 8.
3. Skills-First Approaches Matter: Both employees and employers value job-aligned skills, whether acquired through traditional degrees or short-term credentials. A year-over-year increase in interest for certifications (from 28% to 34%) underscores the importance of diverse and accessible learning pathways, a core tenet of SDG 4.

Conclusion: Unlocking Talent Through Sustainable Investment

The report concludes that talent gaps and access gaps are fundamentally linked. As articulated by Nick Greif, Vice President at InStride, barriers such as reimbursement schemes and clawbacks inhibit the very employee outcomes that organizations seek to achieve. The call to action is for employers to dismantle these barriers. By investing in accessible, upfront-funded education, organizations can unlock significant talent within their workforce. This strategic shift not only addresses critical business challenges like retention and skills shortages but also represents a tangible commitment to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Quality Education (SDG 4), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), and Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10).

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The text centers on corporate education, upskilling, and lifelong learning opportunities for employees. It highlights the demand for education in leadership development, AI skills, and other job-aligned credentials, as well as the access gaps that prevent employees from pursuing these opportunities.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article connects education and skills development directly to employment outcomes. It discusses how education benefits can improve employee retention (“61% of employees say education benefits make them more likely to stay”) and talent attraction (“65% say they influence where they apply”). This promotes stable, productive employment and decent work environments where employees can grow, such as the “90% of employees [who] expressed interest in leadership development.”

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  While not explicitly mentioned, this goal is relevant to the article’s focus on leadership development and equal access to growth opportunities. Ensuring that the “90% of employees [who] expressed interest in leadership development” includes equitable access for all genders is a key component of achieving full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in economic life.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  The article’s emphasis on technology skills, specifically Artificial Intelligence, connects to this goal. The finding that “Nearly three-quarters of employees (71%) are focused on growing AI skills through education” and that HR leaders are seeking “AI-powered education solutions” points to the need to upgrade technological capabilities within the workforce to foster innovation.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  • Target 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university.

    The article directly addresses this by highlighting a major barrier to access: cost. The statement that “78% of employees say they’d be more likely to pursue learning if tuition were paid upfront” reveals a significant gap in affordable access to education for working adults.

  • Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.

    This target is supported by multiple points in the article, including the widespread employee interest in acquiring new skills (“71% are focused on growing AI skills”), the value placed on “job-aligned skills,” and the rising interest in “short-term credentials,” with “Certification interest [jumping] from 28% to 34% year-over-year.”

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  • Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men… and equal pay for work of equal value.

    The focus on leadership development and upskilling to solve “talent gaps” is aimed at making employment more productive. Providing education benefits, which “drives loyalty,” contributes to creating decent work environments that invest in employee growth and stability.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in… economic… life.

    The article’s finding that “90% of employees expressed interest in leadership development” establishes a clear demand for pathways to leadership. This target is relevant as it calls for ensuring these development opportunities are equally available to all employees, thereby fostering a pipeline for diverse leadership.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For SDG 4 (Targets 4.3 & 4.4)

  The article provides several quantifiable data points that can serve as indicators to measure participation in and demand for adult education and training.

  • Indicator of demand for accessible education: “78% of employees say they’d be more likely to pursue learning if tuition were paid upfront.” This measures the perceived barrier of affordability.
  • Indicator of demand for skills development: “90% of employees expressed interest in leadership development.” This measures the workforce’s ambition for career progression.
  • Indicator of participation in vocational/technical training: The “jump from 28% to 34% year-over-year” in certification interest is a direct measure of engagement in skills-based learning.
  • Indicator of demand for ICT skills: “Nearly three-quarters of employees (71%) are focused on growing AI skills through education.” This is a specific measure of demand for relevant technical skills.

• For SDG 8 (Target 8.5)

  The article implies indicators related to the quality of work and employee retention through education.

  • Indicator of decent work/job satisfaction: “61% of employees say education benefits make them more likely to stay.” This percentage can be used as a proxy to measure how investment in employee growth contributes to job stability and loyalty.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: hrotoday.com