ATD Excellence in Practice Awards

Practices designed to align career plans and tracks for optimal organization performances.

Using interactive process to help individuals and teams develop rapidly and produce results. Improving others' ability to set goals, take action, make better decisions, and make full use of their natural strengths.

Applying structured approaches to shift individuals, teams, and organizations from a current state to a desired state.

This category has two focuses: programs designed to improve the skills and competencies of internal customer service teams; or programs designed to help an organization’s customers/clients successfully use or implement a specific product or service.

Practices designed to address challenges and opportunities related to diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence. These interventions may be at the individual behavior level, team level, organizational level, or all three.

Practices that span the enterprise and result in building culture, engagement, capacity, and capability. A practice which strategically unites multiple human capital functions to maximize organizational effectiveness.

Practices focused specifically on developing the competencies of leaders and managers, including a focus on “human” skills associated with EQ, communication, and critical thinking skills.

Practices that focus on learning and development in the organization; the design and delivery of training.

Practices that use technology and learning to develop, connect, and engage the workforce.

Practices that provide strategic leadership and organizational support in developing talent to execute the organization's strategy; planning, organizing, monitoring, and adjusting activities associated with the administration of learning and talent development solutions.

Practices focused on helping new employees be successful in their roles and understand an organizational culture, process, and procedures.

Applying a systematic process of discovering and analyzing performance gaps; planning for future improvement in human performance; designing and developing solutions to close performance gaps. Practices submitted in this category will have many components. Be sure to delineate them clearly. **Single training programs, workshops, initiatives should not be submitted in this category.**

Practices that foster and enable world-class sales competencies and standards that guide and empower sales leaders and sales training professionals to develop the next generation of sales people.

To be considered, a practice must be in place for at least two years (including time in pilot phase). Practices that have previously received an Excellence in Practice Award may apply again five years after their award was bestowed.

While each practice may only be submitted in one category, there is no limit to the number of practices that can be entered.

All applications should be anonymous (no mention of company name). Only indicate the company name where asked when you set up your profile. More information about this rule is found on the awards portal.

This awards program is for internal talent development practices and initiatives that organizations use to enhance and develop the knowledge, skills, and capabilities of their employees. Therefore, customer-focused practices or other training efforts that are for those outside the organization are not eligible. Training suppliers should partner with their clients if they are interested in applying.

Applicants do not need to be ATD members to apply.

A $100 entry fee is charged as the last step in submitting your application via the online portal. Only credit card payments will be accepted.

All entries will be submitted via our online awards portal.

If you have additional questions, please email Kristen Fyfe-Mills at kfyfe@td.org.