In today’s tight labor market with many hiring managers bemoaning the war for talent, organizations must be extremely competitive in the employee benefits they offer. Roy Skillicorn, senior director of learning and development for Cisco, and a Capella University School of Business and Technology Advisory Board member, shares his thoughts on trends in tuition assistance, how organizations benefit by offering such programs, and the risks they face if they don’t.

How are your plans for learning technologies in 2019 looking? If you think there’s too much noise out there, and not enough hard fact, you’re not alone. Since 2014, the Learning & Development (L&D) Global Sentiment Survey, sponsored by OpenSesame and conducted by Donald H Taylor, Chair of the Learning and Performance Institute, has asked L&D professionals across the globe: "What do you think will be hot in L&D next year?" Use the results of this year's survey to uncover what’s really happening in learning technology to help you plan your L&D strategies for 2019 and beyond, based on hard numbers and sound analysis. 

Like many organizations, Consumers Credit Union was struggling to make their employee training program approachable, convenient, engaging, and affordable. Employees struggled to fit training into their day. The nature of their work made it difficult for them to plan to attend long training sessions, so they knew they needed to find a solution that would allow their employees to take training when their schedules allowed. They also wanted to be sure that when their employees did have time for training that the training was engaging and effective. Consumers Credit Union found that BizLibrary's microlearning video library was the perfect solution. It allowed their employees to watch short, engaging videos in between customers or during downtime. Because the concepts are delivered in short, digestible pieces, employees not only retain more of what they learn, they are able to apply it right away. Consumers Credit Union was able to see the results of their training initiatives across their organization. Not only did employee satisfaction improve, they saw an increase in their member rating and cut onboarding costs substantially. They also exceeded the industry standard satisfaction rating! With the right planning and strategy, Consumers Credit Union was able to address challenges they faced in the areas of leadership, new managers, and sales. In this success story, you'll see the unique approach Consumers Credit Union took that made their program so successful. You'll also learn: How Consumers Credit Union measures the success of their program Specifics on the ROI of their training efforts How BizLibrary's solution helped improve their performance review process

Almost 40 percent of American employers say they cannot find people with the skills they need even for entry-level jobs, and they admit that only 50 percent of new recruits have the skills needed for their new roles. 1 Another 60 percent of employers complain of lack of preparation2 and only 42.5 3 percent feel that new hires show the required professionalism and work ethic. Yet, 89.4 percent of new graduates feel they are work-ready. When it comes to work readiness, there is a growing disconnect between the views of employers, educators, and post-secondary graduates entering the workforce. There is no longer just a skills gap. It is an ever-widening chasm. The half-life of skills is rapidly falling, and nearly half of business leaders surveyed today cite the upheaval in learning and careers as an urgent problem.4 Furthermore, as intelligent systems and machines reshape the world of work, tomorrow’s employees will need to learn entirely new skills for entirely new jobs. So while the skills crisis is significant today, an even greater crisis looms. Employers need to understand that if they are to solve the current and future skills gap, the time for action is now.

You've probably heard the phrase, "The only certainty is change." We've all experienced change in some way, and organizations are no different. Organizational change can come in a number of ways, whether in the form of leadership turnover, mergers or acquisitions, the introduction of new technology, natural disasters, or downsizing, just to name a few! Change isn't necessarily a bad thing, but without the right planning and communication, it can leave organizations reeling. Poor planning can lead to loss of revenue, loss of clients, increased turnover, decreased engagement, or public relations disasters. Part of planning for change should include a communication strategy. It's important to identify your stakeholders and address their questions or concerns before, during, and after the change. A lack of transparency can lead to the spread of false information, which can cause employees to leave or become disengaged in their work. By communicating honestly and openly, you can decrease their distress and empower them to face the future with confidence. In today's day and age, it's not a question of if your organization will experience change, it's a question of when. By taking a proactive approach to change management with proper planning, your organization can find success in times of change! In this eBook, you'll learn: The four Rs of change management Prompts for practicing a change communication strategy Action items for each of the phases of change

One of the most common misconceptions about game-based training is it makes training fun, but doesn't impact learning outcomes. That couldn't be further from the truth. Game-based training does make learning more enjoyable — but it's also designed to get employees job-ready, in less time. What's Inside: how game-based training improves training usage the science behind game-based training how to increase knowledge comprehension, retention, and application the average time & cost savings from implementing game-based training

Many organizations today are building learning stacks using multiple learning platforms and systems. The problem is, most of these platforms are content-based and are focused only on passive content consumption, which leads to poor knowledge application and retention.    So, how do you design a learning stack that’s centered around REAL learning?   Download this just-released eBook and learn how to build a learning ecosystem that demonstrates outcomes and value.

Will this be recorded?" It might just be the most commonly asked question at the start of virtually every training event. And the good news is that nowadays, you can almost always answer, "Yes." Great. But then what? According to a Wainhouse Research study, 87 percent of employees1 agree that having access to recorded training classes, webinars, and other events makes it easier to revisit crucial information when it's needed most. Today, recording training sessions is quickly becoming standard practice. And the benefits are well known. Among the many positives, video helps learning and development (L&D) teams provide employees with a comprehensive resource to reference after the training ends, and also provides employees unable to attend with access to the information on-demand. But good intentions too often fall short once the training session ends and the recording stops. For all its benefits, video also presents challenges when it comes to storing, sharing, and even playing recordings. Left unsolved, those shortcomings make video content burdensome for employees simply looking for quick information that helps them perform their jobs. Fortunately, there is a solution. A video content management system (or video CMS) solves the most common problems of managing and sharing video. In this paper, we'll review the five biggest challenges organizations face when using video to support corporate learning. Then we'll examine how a video content management system helps overcome those challenges to better enable video-based learning.

Are traditional Learning & Development (L&D) approaches broken? You want to help your people develop key skills and behaviors that will propel your organization forward. Yet studies reveal employees forget up to 60% of what they hear in a typical L&D session—on the exact same day they hear it. And research shows that 7 out of 10 employees fail to ever transfer what they learn to their actual jobs. Something is clearly not working. Clinging to legacy L&D methods is no longer an option. You need a way to add strategic value to your organization—especially at a time when L&D must prove ROI and business outcomes such as retention and P&L. Read the 5 Reasons Why L&D Isn't Working Today, to learn: The top five reasons current L&D solutions are failing you How to move beyond L&D to get real results you can see (and measure) Why companies like Logitech and Workday are turning to one-on-one coaching at scale to create lasting behavior change

Learn how you can harness the power of your enterprise software with a workforce that uses it accurately and intelligently. This training business case explores the reasons for adopting an enablement solution, ways to integrate it into your organization's business model, and details about what your business can expect to get out of it.

Organizations face a real threat to leadership continuity, and to their bottom line: the talent gap. To combat this, companies need to find ways to develop their personnel, helping individuals evolve into positions that rely on their experience, education, and skills.   In this white paper you’ll learn: How to effectively upskill talent into leadership roles The foundation of leadership development Who needs foundational leadership development How to support the development of emerging leaders

Supporting your staff with this benefit can demonstrate how you value their growth.   Through tuition assistance, employees can obtain advanced degrees and certifications they might not otherwise pursue. Many companies use this benefit to attract and help retain top talent at various levels within their organization. More and more we’re seeing organizations partner with universities to make the most out of their tuition assistance benefit—some even going as far as to provide degree programs for no cost to employees who take advantage of this benefit. Click below to download this White paper.

Stop guessing how to engage employees Your organization offers great perks like a casual dress code, flexible hours, and social events. And yet your top performers still leave, and you're left sorting through another stack of resumes wondering what happened. What is it that they actually want? If your organization is struggling with employee engagement, you're not alone. An alarming 85 percent of the U.S. workforce is disengaged. And if you're wondering why you have low engagement, you're not alone there either. Despite their best intentions, organizations often miss the mark when it comes to engaging employees. Low employee engagement isn't just bad for morale. It can lead to more safety incidents, less productivity and profitability, and increased turnover. But don't feel like engaging employees is a losing battle not worth fighting. It is possible to improve employee engagement by first understanding what drives employee engagement. Once you get to the root causes of disengagement, you can begin to engage employees in a way that resonates with them. In this infographic, you'll learn: How improving engagement produces positive business results  The conditions employees care about most Detailed models to use to improve engagement

The term, "Agile," isn’t new, but the use of such a framework has become an indicator of relevance in today’s ever-changing business environment. Since Agile emerged in 2001 as an alternative to the cumbersome documentation process miring the software industry, it has been adopted widely by other businesses as a framework to develop effective solutions quickly. Its hallmarks are collaboration, flexibility, and speed. Like most business functions, Learning and Development (L&D) organizations that can’t meet those ideals soon will be irrelevant.   Agile methodology isn’t the only worthwhile approach to instructional design, of course. ADDIE, Lean, and other frameworks are available and effective, but Agile is particularly well-suited to instructional design, and its core principles can be applied to many design approaches.   This white paper discusses what the Agile design concept means for L&D and outlines some best practices that can make all organizations more responsive and flexible.

Choosing the best technology to deliver learning solutions challenges every training organization, regardless of size or experience. It’s easy to become stymied by legacy systems or diverted by the latest bells and whistles, especially when business leaders have a keen desire to try the newest technologies.   We among the Training Top 10 Hall of Fame organizations are struggling with this, too. We’re learning, though, and know it is critical to continue to focus on aligning learning strategy, content, and supporting technology with business results and needs. When we do that, learners win every time.   In this white paper, we look at Training Top 10 Hall of Famers’ learning and development (L&D) technology best practices and what we’re still learning. These lessons can be applied in any organization, regardless of size or industry.

Talking with the C-suite, having a seat at the table, being a trusted advisor…whatever you call it, this form of success only comes from credibility fostered by a reputation of consistently giving good advice.   That requires being accurate, intuitive, and trustworthy - attributes that can be built only over time. To foster that perception and, thus, gain access to the C-suite, Learning and Development (L&D) leaders must understand the business, see the big picture, and be able to tap subject matter experts to provide the granularity required to ensure that each development activity adds value. Development for development’s sake is not an option. The inkling that L&D could be a valuable business consultant begins with small things—successes forged despite adversity—and grows with consistent improvements until, eventually, the C-suite routinely seeks its input.   With guidance and tips from the Training Top 10 Hall of Fame organizations, this white paper will help you develop what it takes to propel yourself and your department into the confidence of senior leaders, reliably and consistently.

When Learning and Development (L&D) leaders consider the future of training, they often focus primarily on technology solutions. After all, who wouldn’t be intrigued by learners accessing content and swiping through data on holographic white boards shimmering in the air (remember the Tom Cruise movie, Minority Report?)? Or learners channeling Dick Tracy as their smartwatch answers their questions in the field?   Indeed, virtual reality and augmented reality are becoming realistic delivery methods for training; artificial intelligence likewise is becoming a more practical option; and on-demand learning, microlearning, and social learning continue to be increasingly key elements, especially for tech-savvy employees.   Despite the plethora of high-tech solutions, Training Top 10 Hall of Fame members resoundingly believe the classroom will continue to play a vital role in the future of training. That said, this isn’t the classroom you probably trained in. Front-of-the-room lectures to passive listeners are being replaced by flipped classrooms, learning labs, PODs (points of dispersal), facilitators, games, and simulations that engage learners. And that means instructional design will take on an even more crucial role.   This white paper discusses the future of training, the new skills that will be needed to optimize cutting-edge delivery modes on the horizon, and how L&D can best measure results and ensure training effectiveness.

Every organization’s most important asset is people. As such, Learning and Development (L&D) professionals play a vital role as they develop and grow people through training and, thus, have an impact on business success. That means it is crucial for L&D professionals to continuously build and enhance their own skills. But what exactly are the needed skills and how are they changing? As a profession, there are few agreed-upon, universal standards outlining exactly what L&D professionals need to know and do to help employees change their behavior and improve their skills. It’s about more than just mastering core competencies. It’s about identifying certain traits that allow L&D professionals to meet today’s needs and move nimbly into the future. This white paper aims to identify the factors that separate the good from the great by exploring the traits and competencies that characterize the best-of-the-best L&D professionals and what skills will be needed in the future. The goal is twofold: To identify the traits and competencies of the highest echelon of L&D professionals To lay the groundwork for creating a master class curriculum that can propel L&D professionals from proficiency to mastery of their profession. What form that curriculum may take remains to be determined; this white paper is the first step in the process.

Are you missing the opportunity to deliver training to franchisees, manufacturers, suppliers, resellers or your own customers?  Learning, shared objectives, skills, and behaviors are more important than ever to your organization's contingent workforce, yet many are failing at this.    Read Totara Learning’s Extended Enterprise Insights Guide to discover how to create successful learning programs for workers both inside and outside your organization, including:  What audiences organizations need to consider when they are creating a learning program. The business benefits of delivering training to the extended enterprise. How to manage extended enterprise learning.          Download your guide today to discover more about extended enterprise learning. 

Get a competitive edge by developing your emotional intelligence Emotional intelligence, or EQ, is a fairly new concept, but it's quickly becoming a highly desirable trait for many employers. In a time when technology has allowed us to automate many processes, the ability to relate, empathize, and connect is more important than ever. There are several factors that make up emotional intelligence, including self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, and relationship management. Taking time to improve each of these can set you and your organization apart. Individuals with high EQ have stronger relationships in and out of the office, which can lead to higher job satisfaction and lower employee turnover rates. But strong relationships are just one benefit of high EQ. Employees with high EQ tend to have higher productivity and profitability rates, solid problem solving skills, and the ability to control their emotions during stressful situations. Not only do these traits make the workplace more enjoyable, they can also drive business results and keep the organization competitive. Everyone has some degree of emotional intelligence, but there's always room for growth, especially as your role or circumstances change. This ebook has prompts and practices to help you improve your emotional intelligence. You'll also learn: Tips for becoming a more active listener  How to have effective conversations Ways to manage your emotions  How developing your emotional intelligence improves business results

What's the reality of training today?    Poor engagement, low completion rates and next to no knowledge retention. Despite learning leaders aiming for the exact opposite. Here are the numbers: ·  6.5% of learners complete their training (excluding mandatory training) ·  87% of training is forgotten within one month of training ·  80% of new skills are lost within one week of training if not used  Bridge the gap between corporate training and real work outcomes   How are we still getting training wrong? Corporate training programs are designed in a way that’s inherently flawed, focusing mainly on passive content delivery. Action-based learning helps bridge the gap between theory and practice, and leads to an 18X higher knowledge retention rate and 4X higher completion rate.    Download the eBook and learn how to apply action-based learning to deliver a stellar ROI for your company.

Stress can wreak havoc on a workplace. From tight deadlines to budget crunches, personal problems to health issues, stress of all kinds can decrease productivity and affect employee morale. And certain seasons—especially the end of the year, with the pressure of the holiday—can bring extra stress. What can an empathetic employer do to help? Click below to download this White paper.

Let's face it, employee engagement, proficiency and productivity are the most important attributes to the success of an organization. Therefore, the primary goal of corporate learning programs should be to improve each and every employee and to measure the impact of these efforts on business or organizational goals. Furthermore, corporate learning programs must introduce leading indicators of performance related to knowledge, skills and engagement. Plus, designing a continuous and agile program that is highly relevant and contextual to an individual's job and company is necessary to build the capabilities needed for the maximum impact on business outcomes. In this eBook, we will: Explain inherent barriers to proving ROI of learning programs Encourage L&D professionals to reconsider learning metrics and ROI measures Demonstrate how best-practice microlearning improves employee proficiency and impacts performance Describe how to build a measurable learning business case for the C-suite audience

You are about to embark on a journey that is going to help you to book, sell, and retain like never before. This book reveals: What has changed in our B2B industry/profession, how to cope with the change, and what skills should one acquire to thrive? What should you change/improve to book, close, and retain more than ever? What resources are valuable to keep on your road to success? "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." ― Alvin Toffler Click below to download this eBook.