The HILO 80^TM 

During our most recent research into corporate learning, 80 organizations stood out. These organizations exceeded industry averages in 17 dimensions that strongly correlate to efficiency and business impact. They also had adopted many of the 60 best practices we’ve identified for modern corporate learning. We call organizations that meet this criteria high-impact learning organizations, or HILOs.

The HILO 80 is not a ranking; they are among the top 9 percent of study participants. These organizations showed a strong focus on corporate L&D strategy, organization and governance, program development and management, measurement, and technology. According to Josh Bersin, the HILO 80 reflect the transformation of L&D into the modern training organization – they are doing the “basics” (learning design and delivery) very well while developing new skills and disciplines for integration with talent management.

The HILO 80 Organizations

Methodology for Selection

The HILO 80™ organizations were determined by analyzing more than 50 different dimensions of corporate training. These dimensions included funding models, leadership, organization structure, governance, resource allocation, maturity level with e-learning and blended learning, technology expertise, career development strategy, and integration with performance and talent management. We also analyzed the organization’s learning culture and levels of investment and maturity in collaborative learning, social networking, coaching, and informal learning.

The next phase of analysis focused on business outcomes from learning. The outcome analysis was performed by interviewing HR and L&D leaders in these companies and looking at 18 different elements of business outcome, including ability to build training quickly, operational efficiency, business alignment, and ability to drive business change.

The resulting data showed that the HILO 80 rated in the top 9% of all organizations in the implementation of effective, efficient, high-impact learning strategies which directly contribute to business impact.


Study Details

The HILO 80 were identified as part of recent research into all aspects of modern corporate learning. Detailed results appear in the recently published study, The High-Impact Learning Organization includes best practices and detailed feedback collected in approximately 100 in-depth interviews with senior learning leaders. In 350-plus pages, the research study discusses trends, best practices, and solutions to the key issues facing today’s corporate training: organizational structure, business alignment, leadership, governance, program measurement, learning architectures, integration with talent management, outsourcing, globalization, and the multi-generational workforce. In addition, this research provides valuable in-depth analysis and case studies on the implementation of collaborative learning, e-learning, content management, content re-use, and learning on-demand.

This research is particularly important in the light of current economic conditions. For instance, while spending on training (dollars per employee) certainly is a factor in the success of corporate learning, it is not a major driver of business impact. “Spending more money does not guarantee that learning will have a positive business impact,” said Bersin. “Sustained investment, coupled with the right practices and processes, is far more important than spending more money.”

The High-Impact Learning Organization is available to Bersin & Associates research members at no cost. Non-members can purchase the study for $1,595. Click here for a detailed description of the study, along with an audio overview, an executive summary, and a table of contents. (http://www.bersin.com/hilo).