No one can create any training program, let alone a corporate university, by themselves. Once you have a clear sense of the purpose and objectives for your university (see part 1 and part 2 of this series), gather a governing body or an advisory team. Select participants from various areas in the organization and stakeholders from all areas. Introduce the mission and purpose and get them involved immediately on implementation ideas and the framework.
I was working with a global real estate investment firm and we had just started the discussions on building a university, starting with a pilot curriculum for the marketing group. We knew early in the game we would need a “steering team” to help us determine the competencies for various roles in the organization, as well as the performance needed to help the organization achieve its goals. Focusing first in the U.S. market, we created a university project team that included all levels of the organization and even some customers! The result was a comprehensive program that marketing team members could use to improve performance on a macro level.
Who do you want on your team? An even more important question: who needs to be on your team to get the perspective and knowledge that will create a university to drive engagement and results? As you think about this team, what other stakeholders do you think should be involved? How have you leveraged your talent in the past?
Linda Dausend is a consultant at FlashPoint. She consults with clients on talent management, helping to align their human resources programs with organizational strategies.
We’ve previously defined the corporate university (click here to read the blog post “Defining Your Corporate University”) and with this clarity and consensus in mind, we are ready to get started.
Well, not quite yet. We still have more clarifying to do so that we can determine the purpose and establish an initial build-out plan.
This diagram illustrates the different phases of university development and is a great guide to start the initial build-out. Depending on your resources, urgency, and current state, you may be ready to start with any of these phases. Your first step, then, is to determine where you want to be and where you are in the life cycle of university development.
Source: Adapted from Jansink, F. (2005). The knowledge-productive corporate university. Journal of European Industrial Learning, 29(1), 40-57.
Many companies with whom we work on university development want to see results right away. But even though you’re being strategic about the entire university design process, you’re not going to be in the Strategic Phase until you’ve laid some groundwork. That groundwork requires thoughtful planning on how the university will need to function operationally and what tactics need to be put into place to achieve the strategic objectives.
If it hasn’t become apparent to you already, you will realize that one person can’t build a corporate university on their own. We will talk about that further in a future post, but in the interim, I’d love to get your thoughts on this life cycle. Do you agree with these phases? Are there any phases missing?
Linda Dausend is a consultant at FlashPoint. She consults with clients on talent management, helping to align their human resources programs with organizational strategies.
Stay tuned for more from Linda in this blog series about corporate universities. It’s easy to get our blog updates! Just look for Feed Subscription in the right column of our blog and enter your email address. Our blog updates will be delivered to your email inbox.
So, you’d like to start a Corporate University. Great! I don’t think you’ll regret your decision to do so; but, before we talk about all the great outcomes that a university can provide, let’s take a step back and define a “corporate university.”
There are probably as many definitions as there are organizations that have universities (which is estimated to be about 2,000 today), but the best definition I found was from Mark Allen, Ph.D, and the author of The Corporate University Handbook (AMACOM 2002). Dr. Allen defines it as “…an educational entity that is a strategic tool designed to assist its parent organization in achieving its mission by conducting activities that cultivate both individual and organizational learning, knowledge, and wisdom.”
More than anything, a corporate university strives to align employees’ performance with the strategic direction of the company. The training is connected to competencies, for example, or to specific business objectives. It’s typically built using a leveled approach and with frequent benchmarks to measure success in achieving the corporate mission.
A university is so much more than a name, a new logo, and t-shirts. That’s why it’s critical that you first define what the university is for your organization.
In the coming months, I’ll review a corporate university that we recently developed with one of our clients. I’ll also share other key aspects about this comprehensive training solution, including:
Defining outcomes
Crafting a vision
Achieving support
Getting funds
Designing the structure
We’d love to hear what you think about corporate universities, what definition you might offer up and, if you have one, how it works and what advice you can provide.
Linda Dausend is a consultant at FlashPoint. She consults with clients on talent management, helping to align their human resources programs with organizational strategies.
Stay tuned for more from Linda in this blog series about corporate universities. It’s easy to get our blog updates! Just look for Feed Subscription in the right column of our blog and enter your email address. Our blog updates will be delivered to your email inbox.
When I conduct goal-setting clinics for organizations, I often ask, “How many of you make new-year resolutions?” The majority of the group typically answers in the negative.
Why do they answer that way? They may have cast resolutions aside because in the past their goals were too big. Often people begin with a significant goal (lose 50 pounds or quit smoking), run into some barriers, get discouraged (didn’t lose 50 pounds), see that the goal is too much, and give up. Big goals are great, but if you want to achieve your objectives you need to break them down into smaller “chunks of achievement.”
In addition to establishing goals tied to focused organizational objectives, I encourage you to set personal professional goals. A recent article from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) outlines how more organizations need HR professionals who have expertise in compensation and benefits, project management, and technology. Reading this article helped me identify my personal professional goals; my focused plan revolves around how I will improve in all of these competencies, what the metrics for success will look like, who/what will help me, and how I will break it down into chunks of achievement.
Analyze where you are, where you want to be, and what actions you will take, with chunks of achievement built in throughout a specified timeline. Identify barriers that may crop up as you’re progressing to your goal and how you will fight them. Recruit resources to assist you in being accountable to your goals. And celebrate all along the way.
I would LOVE to hear about your resolutions for 2012. Please share in a comment. We’ll hold each other accountable!
“To resolve” is a great way to start the year!
Linda Dausend is a consultant at FlashPoint. She consults with clients on talent management, helping to align their human resources programs with organizational strategies.
We recently received a comment on one of our blog posts from a frustrated job seeker, someone whose applications had fallen into the proverbial “black hole.” Keith (not his real name) applied for jobs that aligned perfectly with his experience and skills—yet, no replies. When he did receive a response, it was a generic message such as “Thank you for applying. While your experience and skills are impressive, they do not match what we’re looking for right now.” If you have looked for work, you’ve likely had similar experiences.
I’ve been on both sides of the resume, as a recruiter/hiring manager and as a job seeker, and there are opportunities to improve for all parties involved. In this blog post, I’ll focus on HR’s role in creating a valuable experience for job seekers, one that can impact your ability to hire the most qualified candidates.
Know the job. Understand not only the duties that are essential, but also the behaviors that will best fit with the organization and the department.
Use limited pre-employment questions and make them targeted so you can learn what you really need to know. Nothing is more frustrating to an applicant than rehashing the information on their resume into open-ended comment boxes.
Use an objective scoring system. Also, specific measurables will help you determine which candidates best align with the requirements for the job—don’t just go with your gut.
Respond to everyone who applies.
Create a wonderful experience from start to finish. View applicants as your customers—because they are customers.
From the application process to the interview to the timely follow-up, your ability to provide a positive experience will go a long way toward your future recruiting efforts, your organization’s image, and your role as an HR professional.
Linda Dausend is a consultant at FlashPoint. She consults with clients on talent management, helping to align their human resources programs with organizational strategies.
Having recently attended the Annual SHRM Conference in Las Vegas, we quickly recognized the benefits of the sessions, the networking with other HR professionals, and the resources that are available to improve our knowledge and skills. As the old saying goes, what you put into something is what you’ll get out of. You can attend a conference, or you can engage in a conference, and truly maximize your experience. Building from our experience as conference attendees, we are sharing our top five tips to help you as you attend future conferences, including the upcoming Indiana State HR Conference, August 29-31, in Indianapolis.
Prepare, prepare, prepare. Whether you’re attending by yourself or as part of a team, clearly identify what you want to gain from your attendance. Check out specific tips on preparation in Andrea Moore’s recent blog post, Ready for My Learning Vacation. Ask yourself these questions: Am I going to enhance my skills in a particular body of knowledge? Do I want to find out the newest trends in my area of specialty? Do I want to learn what resources will help me in my current role? Write out your objectives. Meet with your attending team members to divide and conquer. Then, study the event schedule to determine how you can maximize your time. This leads us to the next tip:
Never judge a session by its title. There are many sessions with clever titles that may not deliver on the PIZAZZ that they promise. We attended one session at the national conference that had something like “pizzazz” or “kapow” in the title…and it just fizzled. Check out the credentials of the speaker. Listen to what other conference attendees are saying about the speakers. Look at the objectives of the session. If available, review the slides online and check out the content. There are so many good sessions available, you want to make sure you are attending the ones that mean the most to you and your objectives. You don’t want to be sitting in a session thinking “this is not doing it for me” when there could be another session out there that could! If you need some help with that, think about this:
If you’re not tweeting…start. Tweeting is an opportunity to maximize your level of engagement in the conference. It’s a way to peak behind the curtain and get into the minds of fellow attendees. You don’t have to be an avid tweeter; just give it a try! We found a huge benefit to following others throughout the conference. Find the hash tag (for the upcoming Indiana State HR Conference it is #INSHRM11) and see what your fellow tweeters are saying about conference speakers, topics, and events. You can also follow us (@FlashPointHR, @abundantempower, and @ldausend), as we’ll be tweeting throughout the conference. At the Annual SHRM Conference, we were able to see how others felt about a speaker and—when they felt great—we could find out when that speaker was presenting again so we could attend (assuming, of course, that it was aligned with our objectives). We also tweeted valuable statements from presenters so that all our followers back home could receive the benefit of insightful remarks. We loved the quote from Michael J. Fox: “The only thing in my life that I don’t have a choice about is whether or not to have Parkinsons; everything else is in my court.” If you’re a tweeter, here’s another benefit:
Attend the networking events. At the Indiana State HR Conference, there is a tweet-up on Monday night, August 29, that you won’t want to miss. You’ll want to attend even if you’re not a tweeter. Networking events are great opportunities to meet others and have fun, but view it more strategically. As yourself: What connections do I want to make that align with my objectives for the conference? Don’t hang out with people you know…meet new people by introducing yourself. Have a 30-second personal commercial and ask lots of questions from others. Walk away with new connections and follow-up with them within a week of the conference. Expanding your network creates additional value for you, your company, and the HR profession.
Get “stuff”…but, more importantly, get information. The Vendor Expo is awesome—we love the giveaways. But look at the event as an opportunity to gain even further knowledge. There is so much new information, new trends, new technology, and new practices that vendors share with us. Listen and you will be impressed and amazed. Ask questions and let the vendors know about your challenges so they can be better for you. Look for those vendors that align with your objectives.
Attending a conference is an opportunity to improve your skills and knowledge. Return from the conference and review the objectives that you set. Did you meet them? Do you have actions you can now take? Have you indentified even more development opportunities for you and your organization? Answering yes to these questions is a sure sign that you have maximized your conference experience.
Linda Dausend is a consultant at FlashPoint. She consults with clients on talent management, helping to align their human resources programs with organizational strategies.
Andrea Moore is Senior Consulting Manager at FlashPoint; Andrea focuses on leadership development, training and performance improvement solutions, and one-on-one coaching.
Imagine the experience of applying for an available position in your own company. What does that experience feel like? Is the experience connected to the brand that your company promotes? Is the experience one that you as the candidate would say is worthy of an award?
If it is…kudos to you! As HR professionals, we are charged with creating memorable hiring experiences. If your organization delivers an outstanding experience, consider applying for a Candidate Experience Award, a competition that evaluates and recognizes organizations that have a stellar recruiting practice.
The determiners for this award include an employer self-survey about practices and technology, along with basic questions about your recruiting. In addition, candidates are asked to assess the employer—this is where the experience becomes real.
It takes us back to one of our original questions. How is the candidate experience connected to YOUR brand?
As you think about that question, consider your answer to some of these questions:
Is your application process easy to navigate? How long does that process take? Are you asking applicants to provide you information that they’ve already provided, possibly through a resume?
Do you have an effective scoring system that allows you to determine which applicants have the best qualifiers for the job you have posted?
Do you have a response system in place—automated or manual—that ensures each candidate gets an answer on the status of his or her application?
What is your interviewing process like? Do you have effective screeners and a timely process for next steps?
How is your candidate treated when they come in for an interview? Are they made to feel welcome? Do you provide them with adequate information that helps them understand the scope of the job and the skills desired? Have hiring managers been adequately trained on interviewing skills and is the process consistent throughout the company?
How likely is it that the candidate will provide glowing praise about your company and the people they encountered?
If you answered positively to these questions, then get your application in by June 30. You deserve a C&E Award!
If you’re not sure that the experience lives up to how you would like it to, consider applying anyway. One of the great benefits is that you’ll get an assessment of where you stand and from there you can put together a plan to align your recruiting practices to your corporate brand. That’s an experience you don’t need to imagine…because you’ll have practices in place that make it real.
Linda Dausend is a consultant at FlashPoint. She consults with clients on talent management, helping to align their human resources programs with organizational strategies.
No one can create any training program, let alone a corporate university, by themselves. Once you have a clear sense of the purpose and objectives for your university (see part 1 and part 2 of this series), gather a governing body or an advisory team. Select participants from various areas in the organization and stakeholders from all areas. Introduce the mission and purpose and get them involved immediately on implementation ideas and the framework.
We’ve previously defined the corporate university (
So, you’d like to start a Corporate University. Great! I don’t think you’ll regret your decision to do so; but, before we talk about all the great outcomes that a university can provide, let’s take a step back and define a “corporate university.”
When I conduct goal-setting clinics for organizations, I often ask, “How many of you make new-year resolutions?” The majority of the group typically answers in the negative.
We recently received a comment on one of our blog posts from a frustrated job seeker, someone whose applications had fallen into the proverbial “black hole.” Keith (not his real name) applied for jobs that aligned perfectly with his experience and skills—yet, no replies. When he did receive a response, it was a generic message such as “Thank you for applying. While your experience and skills are impressive, they do not match what we’re looking for right now.” If you have looked for work, you’ve likely had similar experiences.
