AMERiCA LEARNiNG MEDiA

The Speexx Exchange 2013 Survey shows that talent management is becoming increasingly global and requires ongoing communication and collaboration across borders. This following article offers an insight into recent strategy trends taking place across the L&D sector.

by Armin Hopp, Founder and President of Speexx

The Speexx Whitepaper "Setting the agenda for global talent management" showcases the findings of the Speexx Exchange 2013 survey, which reached out to 230 organizations from five continents and over a dozen different industries, representing more than 1.6 million employees.

Organisations are slow to embrace cloud-based learning and talent management

The rapid shift towards a cloud of consolidated talent management solutions is transforming learning in terms of efficacy, flexibility and mobility. As cloud-based technology is helping to create a tighter global talent management network, the future points towards organizations adopting one streamlined process that encapsulates the needs of all their international counterparts. Despite the widespread acceptance that cloud-based LMS are here to stay (85%), a significant proportion of organizations are failing to embrace all the resources at hand.

Almost half of firms have yet to reap the benefit of e-learning

The research revealed that while 18% are already using a cloud-based LMS, only 29% feel affected by enterprise resource planning (ERP) changes and almost half (41%) are still using a local LMS. The survey also found that ERP consolidation and cloud-based learning have yet to impact all organizations, with less than a third confirming any noticeable effect. Alarmingly, 47% of organizations surveyed are investing less than a tenth of their training budget in e-learning and have yet to reap the full benefits.

As globalization puts pressure on organizations to communicate across borders, more HR and L&D Managers are recognizing the distinct link between better communication skills, improved talent mobility and driving overall business productivity. In the recent Speexx Exchange 2013 Survey, 88% of talent management professionals considered communication to be pivotal for organizational success. The Towards Maturity 2012-13 Benchmark Surve also showed an increased uptake of e-enabled language learning, with 43% of organizations e-enabling foreign language and communication skills training, a staggering 350% more than two years ago.

However, although a growing appetite for language training technologies is indicative of a global shift in realizing that communication matters, it is not without its challenges. A cost-effective, flexible training solution with a global outreach requires more than just investment in technology.

Companies are investing in mobile devices, but not for talent development

Added to this, the potential of learning on mobile devices is also lost on many companies. Mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones offer new and exciting ways of providing flexible, on-demand access to learning anytime and anywhere, but according to the survey, although 63% of organizations provide mobile devices at work, only 27% of these actively use them for learning. What this means is that too many organizations are walking right into a disastrous storm when it comes to learning management. Not only are we seeing a significant gap between the opportunities offered by technology and its actual usage, but for many organizations, the investment in learning technology, cloud-based platforms and mobile devices is largely redundant. The troubling result is that end-users are disadvantaged and won’t be able to reap the complete benefits of a fully integrated learning solution (http://speexx.com/en/online-language-training/blended-learning.htm).

Human collaboration unlocks learning potential

Empowered communication skills are critical to a successful talent management strategy necessary and to gain competitive advantage in today’s global workplace. A high return on investment requires organizations to act in accordance with the current circumstances and predictions. Apart from making the right financial investment, they must be aware of market consolidation and have the agility to adapt to change. This includes embracing mobile and cloud-based technology and collaborating across borders with the right business communication skills. Otherwise, the potential for harnessing its benefits will remain greatly under-utilized.

To download the full Speexx Whitepaper, visit: http://speexx.com/whitepaper