Talent Management - November 2008 - (Page 34)

recruitment & retention assessment & evaluation compensation & beneﬁts performance management learning & development succession planning [learning & development] by Jeanne Picardi Training College Grads vs. Nongrads College grads and their peers without degrees are capable of the same level of performance and success. But organizational training efforts must consider the potential gaps and learning curve between these two groups in order to be effective. A s organizations increasingly leverage human capital to gain competitive distinction, HR and talent management executives are eager to understand how different employee skill sets factor into talent management activities. This requires a greater awareness of how training and development can be tailored to the individual employee to ensure each understands and applies the knowledge critical to the successful execution of his or her role and the organization’s overall business objectives. Developing custom training content is one way companies can make sure business objectives are addressed, and the practice is more common today than in the past. However, content alone will not ensure a successful training outcome or ROI, and how content is delivered is of equal, if not greater importance. by Achieve Inc., 40 percent indicated their secondary education did not prepare them for the skills, abilities or work habits expected of them in the workplace. Additionally, of the recent graduates, professors and employers surveyed, all agreed high schools need to raise the bar and provide more rigorous content if students are to be more successful after graduation. Traditionally, corporations have been more likely to invest their time and money developing employees who are not only qualiﬁed and capable of understanding and performing their duties, but managing their essential job tasks as they progress in their careers. Essentially, college grads gain the fundamentals of a broad education and perhaps a special concentration such as business management or accounting. This gives them an immediate edge over their nongrad peers who are typically presumed not to possess the broader knowledge of college graduates. In most organizations, college grads and nongrads coexist, but the training provided is probably not equally effective for both groups. In most cases, training is not adjusted to account for this differential, further widening the gap between the two groups. Unless the training offered provides a path tailored to the skills of the individual and not an educational degree, these barriers to success will prevail. And these individuals will not reach their full potential — to the detriment of the employee and the organization. Tailoring training to meet individuals’ needs may seem more complex because employee groups differ in educational background, as well as conﬁdence levels, professional and personal experience, unique attributes and learning styles. All of these should be taken into consideration when determining a training plan, as they affect the individual’s overall training experience, outcomes and subsequent job productivity. There are many tactics that can be employed before, during and after each training initiative to bridge these gaps. Pre-Training • Create employee proﬁles. Prequalify the individual’s background, learning style and capabilities to Non-college graduates are one segment of the employee population that would beneﬁt greatly from a more tailored learning approach. Nongrads often feel unprepared for the expectations they face when entering the workforce, even at the entry level. Conversely, their college-grad peers believe postsecondary education gave them the fundamentals needed to meet the requirements and expectations placed on them by their employers, giving them an edge from the onset. The overall value of a college education is it prepares students to become more productive employees with a more deﬁned sense of their individual roles within a corporate environment, as well as awareness of the goals a company has for them. College grads often enter the workforce with greater conﬁdence than their nongrad counterparts, regardless of their actual abilities. Of course, there are plenty of professionals who did not have the opportunity to work toward a college degree and nevertheless achieved success and proﬁciency in their careers. Despite these successes, there aren’t many nongrads in C-level positions in the Fortune 500, which suggests there are barriers to the level of success attainable by nongrads. Once identiﬁed, barriers can be minimized or removed entirely with more strategic planning of training and development. November 2008 According to a 2005 survey of approximately 1,500 college and non-college bound high school graduates 34 talent management magazine www.talentmgt.com http://www.talentmgt.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Talent Management - November 2008

Talent Management - November 2008 Editor’s Letter Contents Human Performance Leading Edge Learning Connections Recruitment & Retention Assessment & Evaluation Compensation & Benefits Performance Management Learning & Development Succession Planning Insight Dashboard Application Advertisers’ Index Editorial Resources Full Potential

Talent Management - November 2008

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