Can professional services firms use L&D to drive digital transformation?

Apr 28, 2025 | Articles

Key Takeaways:

  • Professional services firms face challenges in digital transformation due to reliance on legacy systems.
  • L&D programs can facilitate change management by upskilling, reskilling, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
  • Integrating soft skills development and finding digital champions are both crucial steps for driving successful digital adoption.
  • Transparent communication, collaboration, and employee recognition can enhance engagement with digital transformation trainings.

The professional services sector has always been respected for its specialized knowledge. Law firms, consultants, accountants, architects, financial planners and so many other experts are essential to the business operations of every industry. When a business doesn’t have knowledge in-house or is making a big change, they bring in an outside expert from a professional services firm.

But what happens when a professional services firm is the business making a change?

One of the major challenges facing the professional services industry is digital transformation. Professional services have lagged behind other fields when it comes to technology. Many still rely on legacy IT, which is something that these firms are looking to change. According to a recent report, 79% of professional services firms see their dependence on legacy applications as a major barrier to innovation.

However, adoption of new technology isn’t easy. Digital transformation goes beyond new tools and platforms — in many cases it means a cultural shift and learning new skills across the organization. That’s where Learning and Development (L&D) can help.

How can L&D facilitate change management?

Change is hard: if it were easy, there’d be no need to manage it. However, changes — especially big changes — tend to make people nervous. Gartner, for example, finds that  73% of employees experience moderate to high stress  when there are changes at work.

Embracing digital transformation can be a daunting prospect for professional services firms. When legacy systems are updated or manual processes are digitized, that change touches the work of people across the organization. Something like the introduction of an AI tool or even migration to a cloud-based platform may mean that everyone in your business has to learn a new way of doing familiar tasks. Sometimes that causes friction; McKinsey’s data shows that 70% of change programs fail because of employee pushback and lack of support from management.

It all comes down to anxiety. People fear the unknown. If a new platform is about to automate a task they’ve always done, they may worry they’re becoming redundant. If a new tool changes the way they’ve always done a task, they may worry about whether they’ll be able to get used to the tool.

Since it’s the job of L&D to shine a light on the unknown, learning is the perfect tool to help your team get used to new platforms, new skills, and also to better understand why your firm is adopting new technology.

Best practices for driving digital transformation through training

Digital transformation isn’t just about technology; it’s about people. The success of any change initiative relies on employees’ ability to adapt to new tools, embrace change, and innovate continuously. A strong L&D program gives your employees the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in a digital-first environment.

Here are five crucial element L&D needs to drive digital transformation:

  1. Prioritize upskilling and reskilling: The core of an L&D program is to teach your employees new skills, and when you’re in the middle of a technological transformation, your learners will need to understand their new technological tools, as well as any new skills they will need to use those tools.In some cases, however, digital transformation includes a reshuffle of roles in the workplace that may change the digital tools being used, or even the job descriptions or responsibilities of your workforce. In this case, reskilling your learners can ease them into new roles with new and valuable skills.
  2. Integrate soft skills development: Adapting to digital transformation requires more than just technical prowess. To help everyone in your professional services firm navigate change and work more effectively in evolving digital environments, training programs should focus on the development of soft skills like communication, adaptability, and problem-solving.
  3. Communicate transparently: L&D can also communicate the reasons behind a digital upgrade. While, yes, you could call a meeting or send out a mass email, L&D modules are a trackable way to share information and information about big changes. They’re also engaging, and allow your team to go into more depth about the coming transition than an email would.
  4. Find digital champions: Some people are naturally interested in technology. L&D initiatives can help you find and leverage those early adopters. By item first, you can create internal evangelists who can mentor their co-workers, helping them navigate new systems, tools, and methodologies. These champions serve as bridges between technical and non-technical talent, speeding up innovation.
  5. Build a culture of continuous improvement: Technology moves fast. The skills your team needs today won’t be the skills they’ll need in a few years. With that in mind, learning can’t be a one-time thing. Your learners should always be learning new digital skills — both at work and on their own. By consistently creating and updating training modules, your L&D team can create an expectation among employees that learning is ongoing. By offering tools that let your learners search for their own information (such as a library of courses or an AI chatbot for example) you can foster their curiosity and build a culture of learning. ​
  6. Encourage collaboration: Cross-functional teamwork is vital when changes are on the horizon.  Learning & Development programs should be hosted on a centralized learning platform, so that everyone in your organization has consistent access to the latest training. Training should include forums and other collaborative exercises that break down organizational silos and align teams toward shared digital goals.
  7. Provide recognition and incentives: Gamification can boost participation, completion rates, and overall engagement. Use your LMS to award points and badges, and highlighting learner achievements with company-wide leaderboards can help your firm recognize and rewarding employees for their efforts in digital upskilling.

Strong digital skills can give your team a competitive edge

It’s important to remember that digital transformation isn’t a project with a deadline; it’s a journey. You and learners will be building digital skills over time, and those skills are likely to be key differentiators in the professional services industry. Clients are likely to value a professional services firm with digital skills and an agile mindset. A forward-looking L&D strategy gives your firm a competitive edge, powering transformation not just from the top down, but from the inside out.

By taking a proactive and strategic approach to L&D, you can empower your team to embrace digital transformation with confidence and enthusiasm. The future belongs to those who are willing to learn and adapt. See how Litmos can help your professional services firm make L&D the cornerstone of your digital transformation initiative. Talk to a Litmos expert to learn more.