In the July Edition
Investing in Human Resources
After two years of spending and staffing cuts, many U.S. companies are seeing signs of recovery. Our recent study, the
HR Factbook 2011, shows that improved finances have translated into more funding for HR organizations – dollars that are being used to hire additional staff and to fund a number of talent initiatives.
As HR organizations become more sophisticated, their priorities and spending patterns change. So while less mature HR groups focus on core services and key talent areas, more mature and effective HR organizations are using their expanded budgets to fund strategic initiatives, such as wellness programs and workforce analytics.
Our research shows that, to be fully effective, the HR function must evolve its practices over time to have a greater impact on business and talent outcomes. Through a focus on continual improvement of the HR function, these organizations have nearly 40% lower turnover, 38% higher employee engagement, and productivity that is more than two times that of companies with compliance driven HR.
Continue reading Investing in Human Resources.
Designing a Performance Management Strategy for the New Normal
Many organizations today are experiencing an unusual confluence of events: a slow recovery from a deep recession, the rise of a younger generation that expects more coaching and development, and the globalization of much of the workforce. The combination of these trends has changed performance management.
One
significant trend is that more and more organizations are moving toward a coaching and development philosophy of performance management. This approach enables them to provide support when they cannot provide compensation, teach a younger generation while an older one prepares to leave, and retain employees in competitive emerging markets.
Read on for more.
Reaping the Full Benefits of Your Virtual Classroom
The virtual classroom represents an ideal technology solution for learning organizations. These platforms support the rapid creation of high-quality content and are usable by non-specialist end-users – and yet support high-interactivity, high-fidelity content if needed. In addition, virtual classrooms provide an on-demand, informal environment that enables and promotes employee collaboration.
Both mature and emerging solutions can provide benefits that reduce the cost of training. And virtual classrooms, video-conferencing, and telepresence technologies can provide benefits not found in the face-to-face classroom – they bring the learning experience directly to employees' desktops or, in some cases, their mobile devices.
View the full article.
Getting SaaSy about HR and Talent Management Solutions
Cloudy about "cloud computing?" Cloud computing refers to access to technical resources – software, hardware, storage, and support – over the Internet. A key aspect of the Cloud is the delivery of the business application as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). SaaS is the primary delivery method for talent management and HRIS applications developed within the last decade.
Cost is only one advantage of SaaS applications, and is the benefit that generally gets the most attention. There are many reasons, however, that a move to Software-as-a-Service may be compelling in a particular organization.
Read on to get three benefits to moving to a Software-as-a-Service model.
WhatWorks® in Coaching and Development Planning?
We are in the process of conducting research interviews for High-Impact Performance Management: Part 3 – Maximizing Coaching and Development Planning. If your organization is doing something especially effective or unique in these areas, we would like to hear from you! Please email Stacia Garr at stacia.garr@bersin.com and tell her what your organization does and the results you have seen. If your practice aligns with the research, your organization may be featured in an upcoming study!
In the News
Leadership Excellence
July 2011
Want Better Results?
By Barb Arth
In this article, Barb Arth, Senior Analyst at Bersin & Associates, talks about how to develop a leadership development strategy. Click here to read this article.
Human Resource Executive Online
June 2, 2011
Maximizing Your HR Spend
By Karen O'Leonard and Stacey Harris
In this article, Karen O'Leonard, Principal Analyst and Director of Research Methods & Analytics at Bersin & Associates, discusses the results of the new HR Factbook 2011 study. Click here to read this article.
HR Examiner
May 25, 2011
Top 25 Online Influencers in Talent Management v3
By John Sumser
Josh Bersin, CEO at Bersin & Associates, tops the list of the Top 25 Online Influencers in Talent Management v3. Click here to read this article.
New Research Highlights
The Bersin & Associates HR Maturity Model®
This research bulletin introduces the Bersin & Associates HR Maturity Model
®. We have outlined the characteristics for each of the four Maturity Levels, based on leadership, philosophy, structure, programs and services, as well as infrastructure and communications.
Members:
Download today
SumTotal Systems: From Learning Management to Human Capital Systems Provider
This research bulletin discusses the history and evolution of SumTotal Systems, and its most recent acquisitions of CyberShift and Accero.
Members: Download today
How to Support and Improve Learning Transfer Using Fort Hill Company's Results Engine®
Transfer of learning is considered to be a critical part of the learning function, but we continue to struggle with supporting it and have yet to become consistently good at it. This bulletin will show you how to support and improve learning transfer.
Members:
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Monster Launches BeKnown: Professional Social Networking for Facebook Users
This research bulletin discusses and reviews Monster.com's new offering, BeKnown, a professional social networking application that mimics and extends many of the features of LinkedIn within the Facebook network.
Members:
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Virtual Classroom Best Practices
This research bulletin discusses the best practices for overcoming challenges of training in the virtual classroom.
Members:
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Consolidation among Talent Assessment Providers - What It Means to You
Merger activity in the assessment market allows us a chance to look at the past, present and future, as well as the impact the SHL-PreVisor merger has on the marketplace.
Members:
Download today
