Elearning - February/March 2008 - (Page 20) enterprise-widelearninganddevelopment approximately one-half of all other organizations. Best-in-Class companies are 46 percent more likely to get HR and training personnel into the business units. This collaboration not only uncovers the specific needs and priorities of the business units but also leads to proactive recommendations on how learning and development can help achieve these objectives. Figure 1: Key differentiators that reflect the strategic importance of learning and development among Best-in-Class 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Learning and development strategy has organizational buy-in and is integrated with corporate strategy Top learning and development strategy is to make human capital an organizational competitive differentiator ■ Best-in-Class ■ Industry Average ■ Laggards >> Generational differences require shift in learning and development focus: Aberdeen’s research on learning and development reveals a strong shift in focus that not only reflects the global realities of the dwindling supply of talent (in terms of sheer numbers and skills) and the increasing competition for this talent, but also the diverse career expectations shared among a younger generation of workers. Young talent today understands the value of its skill set and subsequently expects employers to cater to it. Additionally, this younger generation grew up with technology (i.e. Internet and cell phones) that has become their primary means of not only communicating with each other, but also meeting others and socializing. Best-in-Class organizations are stepping up their adoption and use of tools that provide a familiar environment from which the “Net” generation can communicate and socialize as well as access learning. Our research also found that 62 percent of Best-in-Class organizations are Source: Aberdeen Group, "Learning and Development: Aligning Workforce with Business Objectives committed to offering a coaching or mentoring program, which are especially helpful for younger or new employees. A LOOK AHEAD The most widely used technologies among Best-in-Class organizations for learning and development purposes focus on the use of Web-based tools for creating efficiencies in the learning and development process, as well as providing a blend of classroom and online education. In fact, 60 percent of Best-in-Class use enrollment and administrative tools, and 58 percent use course scheduling/organization tools and virtual classroom (or Web conferencing) tools. 100 80 60 40 20 0 Figure 2: Growth in the Use of Learning and Development Tools among Best-in-Class ■ Best-in-Class Current ■ Best-in-Class Planned The planned technology adoption by Best-in-Class organizations, however, illustrates a strategy that relies heavily on prescriptive learning based on identified skills gaps against defined competencies and follows a cycle similar to the following: (1) Define competency frameworks (for positions and levels); (2) Assess against those frameworks to identify and assess gaps; (3) Prescribe a learning path or developmental plan to close or eliminate the gap, and encourage knowledge sharing and workforce collaboration; (4) Track progress against learning plans and/or career development plans via an LMS and/or employee performance management solution; (5) Leverage analytics and succession planning to identify future needs and map against current workforce readiness to pinpoint recruiting and development efforts. Figure 2 illustrates how several learning and development tools will experience adoption growth upward of 168 percent among Best-in-Class companies within the next six to 18 months. RECOMMENDATIONS For organizations to prove and improve the business impact of learning and development: Tools that Competency Succession Tools that Collaboration Tools that integrate model planning perform /social profile learning into libraries tools skills gap networking and map workforce and tools analysis tools personalized reviews and learning appraisals paths Source: Aberdeen Group, "Learning and Development: Aligning Workforce with Business Objectives >> Integrate learning and development strategy with overall organizational strategy. HR and training personnel should meet with the heads of individual business units to better understand 20 February/March 2008 Elearning!
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