New Study Shows Coaching, Workforce Planning, and Competency Management Drive Greatest Business Impact

High-Impact Talent Management®: Trends, Best Practices, and Industry Solutions is the first research study to examine all aspects of corporate talent management, including global business drivers by industry, top talent gaps, talent trends, and 62 talent-related processes in eight functional areas.

Talent management is now a critical issue for corporate learning executives and professionals. Today's talent squeeze demands that learning organizations tighten their alignment with HR, clearly understand the talent needs of the business, and become involved in the workforce planning process. This study found that only 34% of responding organizations currently have learning and development programs that are fully aligned with talent management needs.

The 400-page study analyzes the processes and functions that deliver significant business impact and includes best practices and actionable advice. The three functional areas driving highest impact are performance management (34% improvement), competency management (31% improvement), and sourcing and recruiting (27% improvement).

The study also identifies and ranks the 22 talent-related processes which drive the greatest business impact. This information is tremendously valuable in helping your organization prioritize talent management efforts. The study found that the process driving greatest business impact is coaching. Well-established coaching programs yielded a 48% improvement over those organizations without such programs.

The study is based on input from more than 750 organizations and 15 vendors, as well as interviews with 55 senior HR executives. Representative findings include:

• The top talent challenge, cited by 51% of respondents, is a lack of qualified managers.
• On average, organizations with talent management software solutions are only 8% more effective at solving the business problems than those without. Organizations with integrated talent management suites are driving 60% higher returns than those with standalone systems.
• Those organizations in which a business executive leads talent management initiatives are 35% more effective than those whose programs have HR owners.
• When asked what area is most in need of overhaul or revamping, 36% of respondents cited leadership development and 30% cited succession planning.
• Talent shortages were seen across all industries, with particularly urgent problems in healthcare, government, utilities, oil and gas, and telecommunications.

Research members: Click here to go to the executive summary. Click here for the complete study.

Non-Members: Click here to download the executive summary, available to you for a limited time. Click here for study details and to purchase.

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Most high-impact learning organizations have invested considerable time and effort in the development of a reusable content strategy. The benefits of such a strategy are many and include reduced development costs, faster delivery of training, the ability to tailor learning to specific employee needs and jobs, and greater consistency.

In this research report, Chris Howard examines the ways in which companies are reusing content and the associated practices and processes. Among the organizations referenced in the paper are UBS, Ericcson, Autodesk, and the IRS.

The paper also provides examples of how LCMSs and other tools are used to facilitate content reuse. Vendors mentioned include Eedo, Outstart, Learn.com, and Giunti Labs. A critical point worth noting: the research clearly shows that process design and developing a content strategy is far more important than selecting and implementing a technology platform.

In order to maximize utility, content objects must be easily accessible and easily updated. This report explains the value of developing a taxonomy, a naming or classifications system for content objects, and the use of metadata, standardized definitions that add further detail about objects, into a content strategy. The use of taxonomies and metadata (and metatags, which provide information such as author, date of creation, and key words) make it possible to logically store, easily retrieve, and efficiently update and track content objects.

So, for instance, when a regulation change occurs, the IRS can update any content objects referencing this particular regulation and all materials -- courses, job aids, reference support -- will automatically be updated. Content strategies should encompass all learning content, informal and formal. Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, leader-led materials should all be classified. Taking such an all-encompassing approach facilitates the use of blended learning programs and the integration of time-sensitive and customized learning activities and job aids into employees' workflows.

This research delves into an essential -- but hardly sexy -- topic. If your organization is still fine-tuning a content strategy or if you're considering an LCMS, be sure to check out this essential overview.

Research members: Download this study today.

Non-members: Click here to download this study, available to you for a limited time.

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Bersin & Associates is conducting an in-depth study on outsourced content development practices. We are seeking qualified participants for this important research project. If your organization has a budget of approximately $100,000 or more for outsourced content development AND 5,000 or more employees, you could be eligible. Important note: We're especially interested in hearing from European-based companies.

Qualified participants receive:

• $100 to $200 (US), depending upon the level of participation;
• A summary of the study's findings;
• A choice of research reports from Bersin & Associates Research Library.

Time is running out! Click here for more information on this study and to sign up!

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We invite you to participate in our 2007 Learning Leaders Program, designed to recognize innovation and excellence in critical areas of corporate training. Join leaders such as Alcatel-Lucent, Symantec, Digitas, Scottrade, Saks, Caterpillar, CIBC, and Bellevue University in obtaining recognition for your team's hard work and stellar achievements.

The Learning Leaders Program will recognize up to 18 organizations which have developed and implemented effective and efficient approaches to employee learning and development resulting in significant business improvement. Organizations can apply in one or more of the following categories: (1) operational program excellence, (2) leadership development excellence, (3) initiative excellence, (4) technology excellence and (5) organizational management excellence. Each category has three segments based on organization size: global enterprise, enterprise, and mid-market. Applicants are evaluated along with peers in the same segment.

This year's program also features a new category for vendor innovation for recognition of market-tested and proven solutions that add customer value. Winning organizations will be highlighted in a feature story appearing in the January 2008 issue of Elearning! magazine, the media partner for the Learning Leaders Program. In addition, Bersin & Associates will develop a comprehensive report on best practices, findings, and observations collected during the evaluation process. All applicants will receive a complimentary copy. Other program-related activities include a series of follow-on public webinars featuring specific training topic areas and leaders.

Organizations interested in applying, click here for information and to download applications. The deadline for application submission is September 7, 2007.

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CLO
April 2007

The Stampede to Talent Management
By Josh Bersin

Today's LMS vendors can't move fast enough into talent management. For LMS buyers, this new emphasis on talent management can make LMS-purchasing decisions even more arduous and the implementations more complex. Click here to read the article.

HR News
May 2007

Leadership Gap Poses Biggest Talent Crisis, Executives Say
By Kathy Gurchiek

A gap in the leadership pipeline, not the pending retirement of key workers, is a leading challenge for organizations, according to a 12-month survey of 700 U.S. organizations that included interviews with 60 HR executives. Bersin & Associates, an independent research and advisory service, touted its study, High-Impact Talent Management, as the first comprehensive analysis of the talent management market. Click here to read the entire article.

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WEBINARS

Talent Management to Achieve Greatest Business Impact
June 6, 2007, 2:00 p.m. ET
Leighanne Levansaler, Principal Analyst

Learn five critical issues to consider as you develop your company's talent management strategy! Levensaler will discuss the processes and practices that can maximize business impact of your talent management initiative, along with examples from leading organizations. She will also present highlights from the recent study High-Impact Talent Management. Register for this event.

Creating a Performance-Driven Culture with High-Impact Management Practices
June 11, 2007, 2:00 p.m. ET
Leighanne Levensaler, Principal Analyst

High-impact management practices are vital to sustain a performance culture that ensures strategic alignment, engagement, accountability and pay-for-performance. Yet many companies view performance management as a compliance process that leads to a simple appraisal and salary decision. Such a view greatly diminishes its potential. This presentation will cover performance management research and best practice analysis from the study, High-Impact Talent Management. Register for this event.

High-Impact Leadership Development: Industry Study
June 20, 2007, 2:00 p.m. ET
Kim Lamoureux, Analyst

This presentation will preview findings from the upcoming study on high-impact leadership development, scheduled for release in June. Lamoureux will discuss maturity levels for leadership development and the six best practices of highly effective leadership development programs. She'll also share best practices for maximizing business results, increasing the quality and bench strength of a company's leadership pipeline, increasing the engagement and teamwork of leaders, and improving employee retention. Register for this event.

Meet the Learning Leaders: Leadership Development
June 21, 1:00 p.m. ET
Kim Lamoureux, Senior Analyst

2006 Learning Leaders will share insights and program successes in leadership development. Moderator Kim Lamoureux will also discuss best practices for leadership development, market trends, and research findings. Register for this event.

Missed it live? Research members can view all recorded webinars by visiting the research center event archives. Not a member? Sign up for a trial membership today.

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High-Impact Talent Management: Trends, Best Practices, and Industry Solutions
This extensive study examines all aspects of corporate talent management. In addition to research data by industry segment and organization size, the study also identifies the top 22 processes that drive most business impact. Download today.

SkillSoft Releases On-Demand Video Offering
Kim Lamoureux analyzes SkillSoft's newest offering for leadership development.
Download now.

Manager Retention and Engagement: Focusing on High-Performing Employees
This case study illustrates how EquiFirst Corporation, a premier national lender, accelerated organic learning to maximize the strengths and potential of its global management team. Download now.

The Evolving Role of Games and Simulations
Chris Howard discusses the latest tools for simulations and games and how they are being used for compliance and other types of training. Download now.

Looking for a New LMS Vendor?
Karen O'Leonard discusses customer loyalty among LMS users and why three LMS vendors are rated so highly by customers. Download now.

Enterprise Learning Technology: A New Breed of Solutions
Josh Bersin discusses how the new forms of online learning and the convergence of learning and talent management are creating new solutions for corporate learning. Download now.

Weichert, Realtors' Blended Learning Program for Sales Associates
The blended learning strategy developed by Weichert for its 19,000 new and experienced sales associates includes mentoring, job aids, classroom training and e-learning. Download today.

Join our research community to access these reports.

Bersin & Associates' new Talent Management newsletter highlights research on: leadership development, performance management, competency management, recruiting, succession planning and the evolution of integrated talent management systems. In each newsletter you will find actionable research you can immediately apply. Subscribe today!

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