Total Rewards Action Recording: Optimizing Learning and Development in Your Reward Strategy - 11/19/20

Optimizing Learning and Development in the Total Rewards Strategy

i4cp’s November 19th Action Call for the Total Rewards community featured guest Mike Kessler, Chief Learning Officer at BAE Systems.

Kessler describes BAE as a large aerospace and defense company with global operations. The firm has about 75,000 employees worldwide, and about 37,000 in the U.S. “We provide solutions on land, at sea, in the air, and in the intelligence and cyber spaces,” he says. U.S. divisions include the Platforms and Services group (large platforms, tanks, other vehicles), Electronic Systems group, and the Intelligence and Security group.

As CLO, Kessler oversees learning, leadership development, and OD.

Among Ideas Shared Today:

  1. Data reveals role of learning and development (L&D) in employer appeal and talent retention
    • Call leader Mark Englizian shared data from past i4cp research on organizational responses during economic downturns and times of business disruption.
      • Among most effective strategies for enhancing employer appeal to the general employee population:
        • Improved manager-employee communications
        • More L&D opportunities
        • Improved access and funding for training
      • Among most effective strategies for retaining top and critical role talent:
        • Development and stretch assignments
        • Talent rotations
    • Kessler says his firm’s recent pulse survey of employees found similar results, particularly reaffirming the importance of the manager-employee relationship.
    • He also notes that redeployment of talent necessitated by the pandemic has resulted in greater learning opportunities for employees—in particular, stretch assignments and exposure to new job roles.
  2. Learning and development is a crucial element in Total Rewards
    • Some companies focus too narrowly on L&D as a separate discipline and fail to understand its place in total rewards strategy.
    • Offering L&D can be a valuable part of a broader strategy for organizations, aiding in differentiating employers from competitors, and attracting and retaining talent.
    • Career advancement and mastery (facilitated and supported by learning opportunities) are core aspects/results of progressive total rewards strategies.
  3. Other ideas discussed today
    • BAE uses a “breadth and depth” strategy in development of top talent. That includes high-potential programs by nomination, along with options for high-performers (those doing their jobs very well) to self-nominate. Use of automation and enhanced access to learning resources also characterize those programs.
    • The pandemic has, to a degree, contributed to leveling the playing field in development opportunities by helping extend notice of promising talent beyond those working in headquarters offices where visibility was greater to include remote workers.
    • Organizations need to be intentional and strategic about development and investments in it. Leveraging technology can help companies deliver more in-depth development and increase scalability of those opportunities.

. . . .

Access the recording of today’s full Total Rewards Action Call here

Register for the next Total Rewards Call and other weekly Action Calls
at i4cp’s Employer Resource Center

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