Advantage Sales & Marketing Puts Social Learning to the Test

Why a slow build approach is the best bet for organizations considering the use of enterprise social networking tools for their talent strategies

Last summer, we posted a blog about Knowledge Infusion analyst Jason Corsello’s take on the use of enterprise social networking and collaboration tools for talent management.  One of the tips he offered for businesses getting started with these tools was to identify quick wins vs. “big bang” deployments.  Not only does a lower investment lessen the pressure to demonstrate ROI, it also gives organizations an opportunity to adapt their strategies over time for broader distribution based on lessons learned.

Have You Considered How Individual Contributors Perceive Your Goal-Setting Process?

Evaluating this part of your performance management strategy can help to determine whether your organization is an entrepreneurial environment or one that sticks to the status quo 

As an individual contributor, the goals-setting process can be an extremely positive experience. But for some people it can be a nightmare. This posting explores how some individuals perceive the goal-setting process and gives you an opportunity to think about what your organization's process could be as part of your employee performance management strategy. What's your perspective?

Which Performance Management Rating Scale Should You Use?

Moving to a smaller rating scale can increase distinction between high- and low-performing employees. Read the pros and cons of the Three, Four and Five-Point Scales. 

Over the years, I have gathered numerous papers and research from various sources about Performance Management Rating Scales. This is always a very sensitive discussion for companies as they determine which rating scale they should use for their employee performance management process and why they should change their current rating structure.   

Some of the research shows moving to a smaller rating scale approach (Five-Point, Four-Point, or Three-Point) because fewer categories hold the following benefits:

• Increased distinction between high and lower performers
• Decreased complexity
• Increased consistency between ratings

Competencies: At the “Heart” of a Talent Management Strategy

While competencies should be at the core of your strategy, they can be a confusing topic for many HR and Talent Management leaders. Learn more about what competencies are, how they benefit organizations and how to get started.

Whether it is for performance management, succession planning, career development and more, there are many definitions for competencies and the ways they can be used as part of talent management strategies. As time goes by, I feel people try to use competencies in ways that may not support a measured outcome or result –- it’s just another “thing” we need to include in our organizational strategy to build talent. With this in mind I thought I’d talk about some of things I’ve learned and how I've used competencies over the years in hopes I may help to guide many of you as you sail towards this new horizon. For those of you in the more advanced stages of competencies, I’ll talk about that in another posting.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Rolls Out a Global LMS

The international hotel & leisure giant talks about replacing its “tremendously unsuccessful” on-premise LMS, including its thorough software vendor search and internal change management process

Having a comfortable bed in a hotel room may seem like a no-brainer idea, but when Westin Hotels and Resorts introduced its signature Heavenly Bed in 1999, it was a game changer for the hotel industry.  It is this type of marketing-leading innovation on which Westin’s parent company, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, prides itself. 
 

One of the world’s largest hotel and leisure companies, Starwood owns, manages and franchises more than 1,000 hotel properties around the world under nine unique brands, including: W, Westin, Le Meridien, Sheraton St. Regis, Four Points, The Luxury Collection, aloft and element.  At the core of Starwood’s success is its commitment to creating a company that is a great place to work and provides wonderful guest experiences. 

Analyst Panel Shares Expert Take on Latest HR Technology Trends

HR Executive's Bill Kutik and top industry analysts from Bersin & Associates, Forrester, IDC and Knowledge Infusion discuss the down economy, social networks, succession planning, ROI measurement and more at Convergence 2009 

If you are looking for guidance and insights on the latest HR technology trends and best practices, then who better to talk to than an all-star line-up of the industry’s leading experts?  That’s exactly what we did at our recent client and partner conference, Convergence 2009. We hosted an expert panel entitled “Critical Trends in HR Technology,” featuring top industry analysts in the learning and talent management software space, such as:

Social Collaboration: The Future of Talent Management?

Knowledge Infusion analyst Jason Corsello explains the power of combining talent data with social tools – and how this is driving an evolution in talent management strategies

One of the more buzzed about trends at Convergence 2009 was enterprise social networking and Web 2.0 collaboration tools – such as blogs, wikis, communities of practice, instant messaging (IM) and more.  How can organizations use these tools to support their human capital management strategies?  Is there a measurable impact?  Or is it all just a bunch of hype?

Observes Adam Miller, CEO of Cornerstone OnDemand, “Ultimately, the point is to embed user-generated content with traditional data.  It is taking organizational data that everyone uses and meshing it with user-generated content to give you a holistic picture when making decisions about your talent as well as your business.”

Integrated Talent Management: Are You There Yet?

Kelly Services reminisces about its journey to deploying Cornerstone's global ITM suite - and shares tips with fellow HR and learning travelers - at Convergence 2009

Not too long ago, we announced Kelly Services as a new Cornerstone client.  Kelly is migrating to a global integrated talent management (ITM) system, with platforms for onboarding, learning, performance, succession, compensation and extended enterprise. What's compelling about Kelly's story is the size and scope of the implementation - at 659,000 users (650K temp and 8,900 FT employees) across 39 countries, it is likely the largest global SaaS deployment to date.

What do Pancakes Have to do with Training?

Pearson's Convergence 2009 Case Study Presentation Examines Training as a Profit Center

Did you know your LMS could potentially be used to create a new profit center for your organization?  This was the subject of Pearson’s case study presentation, entitled “Training as a Profit Center,” at Cornerstone's Convergence 2009 client & partner conference.

Pearson is the leading pre K-12 curriculum, testing and software company in the U.S.  One of these programs is the Pearson School Systems, which includes solutions for student information, assessment, reporting and business.  Because School Systems is filled with several features and functions –- and schools have a wide variety of set-ups and needs –- training is critical in order to understand how to use the products. 

School districts have limited time to attend in-person training sessions, not to mention school budgets are getting smaller while the costs for Pearson to deliver classroom training (including travel) are increasing.  Training also is cyclical, making it challenging for Pearson to meet these spikes in demand. 

Tales from Convergence 2009

A Look Back at Cornerstone’s Annual Client & Partner Conference

If you’ve been following us on Twitter, then you know we’ve spent the past week gathering with partners and clients at our annual Convergence conference.  Despite swine flu scares and reduced travel budgets, we were thrilled to welcome more than 150 attendees to Santa Monica’s Fairmont Miramar hotel for two days of expert-led presentations, product labs, networking and more.

The theme of this year’s event was “Grow Your Workforce without Growing Your Headcount.”  So, it was rewarding to hear all of the rich discussions taking place throughout Wednesday and Thursday, as HR and learning leaders from the U.S. and across the pond shared best practices and gained insight in to ways to make the most of their learning and talent management strategies.