In a business climate that demands that human resources leadership demonstrates how training initiatives support broader corporate strategy, an integrated approach to the key elements of learning, performance, succession, and compensation is essential. Operating in silos, while an effective method for addressing focused, tactical problems, is not likely to produce transformative results over the longer term.
An approach that merges learning and performance into an integrated talent management solution breaks down the barriers between training, employee performance appraisal, and boardroom-level objectives and strategy. These are not inconsequential barriers; they prevent training managers from establishing measurable ROI and demonstrating how training directly impacts broad corporate strategy.
Because HR functional areas are often decentralized, the ability to integrate individual employee development with performance, succession planning, and other core talent areas is typically challenging if not impossible. Many companies do address some or all of these tactical areas, but they are typically working independently of each other, with separate teams and technologies – and only rarely integrated or aligned with company objectives.
A sensible approach to developing a longer-term strategy that can produce real, transformative results is to seek technologies that can bridge these gaps in order to share information seamlessly and provide real cross-functional communication and operations between disparate HR departments.
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Integrated learning and talent management systems connect these functions within an organization through unified software applications and centralized reporting and analytics. |
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Integrated learning and talent management systems allow training programs to be legitimately targeted for best effect - based on competencies, skill gaps, and organizational priorities. |
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Integrated learning and talent management systems ensure that daily employee behavior is in aid of the mission and objectives of the company, the business unit, or the specific team. |
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Integrated learning and talent management systems allow companies to track and justify measurable correlation between training programs and increased employee performance. |
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In short, an integrated approach to talent management – that is, breaking down the barriers between training, performance, workforce planning, and corporate objectives that previously obscured any measurable ROI directly impacts corporate strategy and goes straight to the bottom line, transforming HR as we have come to know it.
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