Asking employees to buy into training is by no means unique. Many of the world’s most successful companies recognize that training existing staff to take on more high-skilled positions is good for employees and good for business. Ikea, for example, has long worked on the premise that all employees should be trained for multiple positions and trained with the goal of moving up the ranks over time. In many respects, AT&T is taking this a step further. At AT&T, employees are being asked to retrain and in some cases are even being asked to pay for their courses. In this post, we examine why AT&T is encouraging retraining, even when it comes at a cost to employees, and how the company hopes to use its ambitious training program to become increasingly known and competitive as a digital company. Continue reading →

The corporate world is hearing a lot about unconscious biases and the negative impacts they can have in the workplace. Research continues to show that all of us hold these biases toward others, but it’s important to understand and work against because they can have a very detrimental effect on the success of businesses. Continue reading →

A flexible workplace is one of the most talked about things in talent management and the corporate world right now.

Flexibility in the workplace is something the majority of Millennial employees don’t just prefer, but in many ways are demanding. Continue reading →

Amazon recently made what many view as an exciting announcement. The mega e-Commerce retailer is delving into what’s being dubbed the gig economy with a new delivery option. Amazon unveiled its program in Seattle, where independent contractors are becoming on-demand delivery people. Continue reading →

In an effort to ensure that all food service establishments from bars and bistros to doughnut shops and diners are in compliance with health regulations, many major cities have introduced letter-graded inspection systems. While the systems are meant to encourage restaurants to comply with health standards, this approach to compliance has drawn criticism, especially from industry insiders, including several top chefs.
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In 2014, the Wall Street Journal described compliance officer as one of the “hottest job in America.” Notwithstanding the hyperbole, there’s no question that the demand for compliance officers continues to grow and so does the compensation for compliance officers. While compliance officers and other people who address compliance issues in the workplace (e.g., construction and building inspectors, transportation inspectors and occupational health and safety specialists) may primarily be seen as people who develop and enforce policies, compliance officers of all kinds should also play a major role in their organization’s workplace training programs. In this post, we consider why the demand for compliance officers is on the rise and how organizations can more effectively integrate their compliance and training efforts.
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In an earlier blog post, we explored what we might learn from the devastating and, as we now know, intentional crash of a Lufthansa jet in March 2015. As the investigation unfolds, the facts coming to the surface suggest that a more rigorous employee screening and monitoring process likely would have saved the lives lost on the tragic flight. Continue reading →

Branching scenarios are a highly effective component of many learning management systems (LMS), but we have found there are some common questions about building branching scenarios. How to know when they’re appropriate to use and how to get started building one that works?

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There are a number of reasons your corporate training and development programs may fail, and one of the biggest and most common problems often boils down to your inability to engage a difficult audience.

A difficult audience can be the result of anything from the lack of a corporate learning culture, to communication or educational barriers.

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