Although management represents a small percentage of the corporate workforce, it gets the lion's share of the corporate training budget, according to Bersin & Associates' just-published 2008 Corporate Learning Factbook. Approximately 21% of training program dollars are spent on leadership development and management/supervisory training.

While training directed to top-level employees is a high priority overall, specific industries invest heavily in other employee audiences as well. For instance, in telecommunications, 23% of training program dollars are spent on customer service training; technology companies invest 29% of training dollars on sales training; and pharmaceuticals spend 25% on compliance and other mandatory training.

One of the company's most popular studies, the 77-page 2008 Corporate Learning Factbook analyzes a wide range of metrics, including: budgets, expenditures per learner, cost per student hour, program priorities, budget allocations, staffing sizes, staff to learner ratios, staff to total spending, technology usage and budgets, and outsourcing spending. The study is based on data collected by an August 2007 survey conducted in partnership with Training Magazine.

The Factbook offers corporate training executives baseline metrics which can be used to assess the efficiencies of their own corporate training initiatives. The Factbook includes 130 data points broken down by company size and industry sector, so executives can compare their own metrics with those from comparable organizations. Bersin & Associates research members have access to the 2007 and 2006 Factbooks, which gives them three years of data trends with which to compare their organizations.

Findings from the 2008 Corporate Learning Factbook will be presented and analyzed in an upcoming webinar on Tuesday, February 26, at 2:00 p.m. EST. Click here to register.

Members: Download this study today.
Non-members: Click here to get more information on this study, available for $595.

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Extra Space Storage, now the second largest operator of self-storage units in the United States, is one of Bersin & Associates' Learning Leaders for 2007. The company, which has approximately 2,000 employees in 33 states, achieved recognition for the implementation of a targeted learning initiative designed to address a significant business problem. Revenues from its Consumer Protection Plans, insurance policies taken out by storage customers, had dramatically fallen off in recent years. This simple, but well executed program delivered dramatic business results. Ten months into the program, revenues were up 140% over those for the previous year and 20% over targeted goals.

This case study examines the transformation of learning at Extra Space Storage through the implementation of an LMS and an on-demand approach to learning. Although the company has a relatively small learning budget and staff, its learning organization now delivers approximately 250,000 training hours per year.

You'll read how Extra Space used the LMS to help facilitate its recent acquisition of a much larger company and ensure the delivery of consistent customer experiences across all stores.

The case study also examines the impact of learning on employee retention. You'll find details of the company's new employee training program (new hires go through approximately 136 hours of training the first year), as well as metrics on employee turnover over the last two years and the associated business value.

Extra Space Storage demonstrates that learning success is not contingent on large budgets. Through the effective use of technology, as well as highly targeted and well-executed programs, its learning organization has achieved significant business impact.

Members: Download this case study today.
Non-Members: This case study is available to you for a limited time. Download today.

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CLO
February 2008
Leadership Development in 2008
By Josh Bersin

In this column, Josh Bersin writes about the six best practices common to highly successful leadership development initiatives. Click here to download article.

Learning Executive
Issue 1 2008
Major Shift
By Josh Bersin

Read Josh Bersin's outlook on the LMS market for 2008, which he predicts will undergo major changes as organizations expect LMSs to go beyond training management. Click here to download article, then go to page 6.

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CONFERENCES

IMPACT 2008: The Business of Talent
April 22-24
St. Petersburg, FL
The Renaissance Vinoy Resort

Registrations are coming in fast! We've planned an amazing agenda encompassing the important topics in both enterprise learning and talent management. You'll have the opportunity to learn from experienced executives from companies such as Caterpillar, WellPoint, Ace Hardware, Textron, Yum! Brands, MetLife, and Commerce Bank. Each attendee will also have the opportunity to participate in mini-workshops based on scorecard assessments. The registration fee for active Bersin & Associates research members is $795. Members, please send us an email to receive the promotion code to use when registering online. Non-member registration fees are $1,495 prior to March 21, and will increase to $1,595 after March 21. Special room rates are available for conference attendees. Make reservations NOW – the hotel is filling fast.

WORKSHOPS

Uncovering Potential through Strategic Assessment:
Talent Management that Drives Business Results
Tuesday, March 18
Chicago
Hotel Allegro

A strategic, half-day briefing for talent management and HR executives, as well as other business leaders responsible for succession management and talent transition planning. Attendees will get an overview of pressing talent management issues and strategies for driving business value from Josh Bersin. Kim Lamoureux will discuss the concept of potential, describe the advantages of applying the assessment of potential to talent and succession planning, and share a powerful case study of how Ace Hardware used assessments to help drive business transformation. Click here to register.

WEBINARS

Meeting the Demand for Learning on Demand
Tuesday, February 19, 2:00 p.m. ET
Chris Howard, Principal Analyst and Director of Research

As companies move from course-centric learning to learning on demand, the role of the corporate training department must change. This presentation will discuss the organizational changes, tools, best-practice processes, and resources required to support an on-demand model. Howard will discuss how to leverage existing content and the types of standards and templates that work best. Click here to register today.


What You Can't Live Without in Talent Management Suites
Tuesday, February 19, 2:00 p.m. ET
Leighanne Levensaler, Principal Analyst

In the end, the successful implementation of a talent management solution boils down to one factor: do people use it? This webinar will focus on the two essential characteristics that heavily influence enterprise-wide adoption: effective decision support for business managers and supervisors and an engaging, appealing interface for employees. Levensaler, author of the newly published Talent Management Suites: Market Realities, Implementation Experiences and Vendor Profiles, will conduct an in-depth discussion about the types of decision support features you should look for when evaluating next-generation suites. She'll also cover important characteristics of user interfaces, including those based on popular consumer applications such as Netflix and Amazon, that encourage employees to use systems as part of their daily workflow. Make sure your talent management solution is actually used by the people who matter – don't miss this webinar! BONUS: Each attendee will have an opportunity to receive a full day of on-site consulting with Levensaler, courtesy of Vurv Technology. Click here to register today.


The Business Case for Performance Management
Thursday, February 21, 12:00 p.m. ET
Josh Bersin, President

This webcast will explain how you can build a winning business case for online performance management that encompasses benefits such as increased value, ROI, and employee performance. All registered attendees receive a complimentary report, The Business Case for Performance Management Systems: A Handbook for HR Executives and Managers. Click here to register today.


2008 Corporate Factbook
Tuesday, February 26, 2:00 p.m. ET
Karen O'Leonard, Principal Analyst

The Corporate Learning Factbook is one of Bersin & Associates' most popular and widely used studies. Findings, based on input from companies of all sizes and industry sectors, offer corporate executives baseline metrics which can be used to assess the efficiencies of their own corporate training initiatives. Get the highlights of this study, including information on budgets, expenditures per learner, cost per student hour, program priorities, budget allocations, staffing sizes, staff to learner ratios, staff to total spending, technology usage and budgets, and outsourcing spending. Click here to register today.


Online Performance Management Systems
Thursday, March 13, 2:00 p.m. ET
Leighanne Levensaler, Principal Analyst

Levensaler will synthesize the latest industry research to help HR, training, and line managers understand the business drivers and benefits of performance management systems. Attendees will gain an understanding of what performance management is and how it ties into an overall talent management strategy; learn how to develop a business case for a performance management system; discuss benefits to be gained from using a performance management system; and get an understanding of the fundamentals involved in selecting and implementing these systems. Click here to register today.

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Considerations for Creating an Executive Development Strategy
In this research bulletin, Kim Lamoureux explains what "executive development" means – and offers the best practices that should be considered when creating an executive development strategy. Download today.

The Corporate Learning Factbook™ 2008: Statistics, Benchmarks and Analysis
This industry report provides detailed benchmarking data on training budgets, staffing, programs, delivery methods, technology usage and outsourcing activities for the U.S. corporate training market. Download today.

Integrating Learning into the Enterprise: A Look at the IBM Enterprise Learning Portal
This case study looks at Learning@IBM Explorer, the IBM learning portal – which provides employees with a single, easy-to-use, role-relevant means by which to access almost every learning and development resource offered by the company. Download today.

Organizational Restructuring in Retail Requires Rapid Talent Development for Ace Hardware
This case study describes how Ace Hardware reorganized its field operations in order to align resources for the maximum benefit of its retail stores to facilitate retail execution and develop a consultative relationship with retailers. 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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