Chief Learning Officer - April 2008 - (Page 52) “When employees see our commitment to provide a meaningful learning experience that is catered to their learning preference, they know we are committed to helping them learn and grow.” – Dr. George Wolfe, Vice President of Global Learning and Development, Steelcase (Remember, the question today is not if an employee will leave, but when.) These increased capabilities help ensure their employability throughout their career, thus giving them even more job choices. For today’s talented candidate, lifetime employability is the mantra. Thus, providing challenging job assignments and robust development programs that will help an employee grow professionally are critical for organizations to enhance their appeal to star job candidates. A 2006 study conducted by Accenture indicates that one of the top elements impacting candidates’ decisions to join a firm is a company’s ability to provide fast career growth and professional development. Alysia Vanitzian, assistant vice president of human capital at Farmers Insurance Group, indicates that a commitment to people development through stretch assignments and job rotation helps attract top talent. “Farmers is successful because DATA POINT we attract people who are achieveThe Department of Labor reports ment and results oriented. People that, on average, employees with those attributes are attracted stay with their employers to us because we promise them a for approximately 3.6 years, professional challenge and profesdropping from an average sional growth,” she said. tenure of 9.2 years in 1983. Companies with poor training and development opportunities are at a severe disadvantage in attracting star employees. Candidates see a lack of learning opportunities, or minimal tuition-assistance benefits, as a sign that an organization is not truly committed to employee growth, making job offers from such firms less attractive. While tuition assistance often is highlighted as a benefit in recruitment efforts, CLOs should ensure that staffing resources are able to sell all the learning 52 Chief Learning Officer • April 2008 • www.clomedia.com programs available. It serves a company with excellent training programs well to promote such benefits aggressively as a part of its talent acquisition strategy. Talent Management The talent management phase of talent flow refers to an organization’s ability to enhance the performance of its workforce. While top talent expects to be well compensated, they also are looking for opportunities that money can’t buy: outstanding managers and opportunities for growth and development. When assessing managers’ performance, their ability to effectively manage talent is often overlooked. Thus, CLOs can improve talent flow by providing learning opportunities and experiences that help leaders more effectively attract, retain and develop their employees. Plus, when employees work for a leader who displays effective talent management capabilities, they are more inclined to promote those talent management philosophies as they move up the corporate ladder. This helps embed a commitment to talent management in the culture of the company. Top talent also expects to have the tools and training to perform and opportunities to prepare for the next job, including management and leadership positions. Training for specific initiatives increases the likelihood of their success and reduces the de-motivation of lost productivity that comes with poorly executed initiatives. While every CLO wants to enhance talent management, it is accomplished in various ways from organization to organization. It also should vary based on the different generations, according to Dr. George Wolfe, vice president of global learning and development at Steelcase, a global office environments manufacturer. The company has studied the learning preferences of the different generations and is building learning programs with multiple delivery models to match these learning preferences. “Some of our training programs are aimed at the learning styles of our millennials; others are a better fit for the learning styles of our baby boomers. When employees see our commitment to provide a meaningful learning experience that is catered to their learning preference, they know we are committed to helping them learn and grow,” Wolfe said. Talent Retention Let’s face facts: The top performers within our organizations also are the ones who are highly sought after by other companies. It is the top performers who are more likely to receive calls from executive search firms informing them of opportunities elsewhere. Because top talent is in high demand in today’s knowledge economy, it is unlikely any company will be able to keep all its best performers. Research has shown one of the top reasons employees leave companies is because they feel stifled in their http://www.clomedia.com
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