| Traditionally, learning has been pushed into its own | | | | path. In addition to improvement in the performance of |
| corner of the office. If you have a learning | | | | your talent, you'll realize cost savings by ensuring the |
| management system, that too may be functioning in a | | | | training programs you use are the ones that yield the |
| stand-alone fashion. Currently, one of the biggest | | | | most benefit. |
| trends in the talent management market is the tight | | | | Align Learning with Corporate Strategy |
| integration between learning, training and development | | | | For lasting success, organizations need to offer |
| with one's overall strategy, a key part of which is | | | | long-term, blended training programs that are tied to |
| performance. | | | | overall corporate and talent strategy. This can be |
| In Aberdeen Group's 2008 report, "Achieving Real | | | | challenging, as it requires your management team, at |
| Business Value with Learning and Development" | | | | alllevels, to have a clear understanding of the |
| Aberdeen states that one action an organization must | | | | company's short and long term needs, goals and |
| take to achieve Best-in-Class status in the area of | | | | benefits. It's critical that those responsible for creating |
| performance is to, "integrate learning with performance | | | | training and development programs align the programs |
| management, make it readily available and aligned with | | | | tomeet the needs of corporate strategy, in addition to |
| development plans." It's safe to say that learning has | | | | that of the employee, and ensure that they're rooted |
| inched its way to the very core of talent management. | | | | at the core of the process. |
| Most learning programs and LMS systems were | | | | Automate |
| designed to centralize learning, maintain compliance | | | | Automation of the learning management process with |
| (especially if you're in a regulated industry), and reduce | | | | software solutions is the final key to merging your |
| the extensive administrative and financial burden of | | | | performance and learning processes. Just as your |
| these programs. While such benefits are still immensely | | | | process of learning and performance should be tightly |
| valuable, organizations must take steps to integrate | | | | integrated, so should your technology solutions. This |
| learning with employee development planning and | | | | type of closely-knit automation provides you with a |
| performance, as well as overall business strategy, in | | | | clear vision into which training programs are working |
| order to stay ahead in today's market. | | | | and how development is affecting performance. You |
| Define Competency Models | | | | can also launch learning programs based on |
| One of the first steps to getting started after a firm | | | | performance assessments, competency/skill gap |
| understanding of your company's talent strategy has | | | | analysisand business strategy. A few other benefits of |
| been established (more on this below!), is making sure | | | | using performance and learning software include: |
| you have a solid and accurate competencyframework | | | | - Employees can easily manage their development |
| in place. One example of this can be found in the | | | | and training via one destination |
| Bersin & Associates Talent Management | | | | - Ease of staying in compliance, especially for |
| Framework, which identifies 4 critical tiers of | | | | organizations in regulated industries |
| competencies: core, career path, functional, and | | | | - Ensure consistency across all your processes |
| leadership. | | | | - Tracking and reporting for HR and management |
| Incorporating a similarly efficient competency | | | | - Virtually eliminate paper from the process |
| framework into your performance management | | | | - As appropriate, reduce costs by utilizing on-line |
| process is necessary in order to ensure you've got the | | | | learning options rather than costly classroom training. |
| right people in the right positions now for current and | | | | Summary |
| future training. | | | | With new challenges facing the marketplace, a highly |
| Align Learning with Individual Skills Gaps | | | | engaged, motivated and productive talent base is |
| Identifying skills gaps will allow you to align learning | | | | more important than ever. As discussed, by taking the |
| activities and development plans targeted at bridging | | | | time to strategically align and integrate your |
| these gaps and allowing employees to take | | | | performance and learning management processes |
| responsibility for their own success. Knowing where | | | | through: competency models, identification of skill gaps, |
| the gaps are in your talent base is critical to | | | | learning programs tied to corporate strategy and talent |
| understanding where your organization should focus its | | | | management automation, you'll be able to derive |
| training efforts. Having identified skills gaps and aligned | | | | greater benefits from your workforce, reduce costs |
| training accordingly, you can more successfully lead | | | | and provide outstanding bottom line business results. |
| employees down their designated or desired career | | | | |