Seeking to expand its global reach, ATD has conducted its first-ever talent development benchmarking research report on China. 

In April 2015, ATD gathered 65 survey responses from talent development professionals in China. With the help of HRoot, ATD was able to distribute the survey to organizations that varied by industry and size. 

The manufacturing industry had the most representation in this survey, accounting for nearly a quarter of survey respondents. This was expected, considering China is the world’s largest manufacturing economy. Organizations ranged in size from fewer than 500 employees to more than 10,000 employees. About 16 percent of respondents were from organizations with more than 10,000 employees, and about two-thirds had more than 500. 

Here are some key data from the report, which will be available soon in both English and Chinese. 

Key Findings 

Similar to the United States, India, and Canada, the most important trending topic for talent development in China is clearly linking learning to performance. While all industry leaders hope to make that connection, work cultures often get in the way of effective learning. It comes as no surprise that learning departments are often challenged to show why their work matters—especially in China, where the median number of talent development employees in an organization is five. Their voices can easily be lost in the chaos of the working world. 

Despite the challenges described, China’s talent development leaders are focusing their energy on training employees in managerial and supervisory content, executive development, and interpersonal skills. More often than not, these training sessions are taking place in traditional, instructor-led live classes as opposed to informal, mobile, blended, and asynchronous settings. 

How to Use the Results 

When using benchmarking data, be aware that the data reported are averages, mediums, and aggregates. An individual organization’s circumstances may be vastly different than those faced by study participants. The goal should not be to replicate the numbers, but to compare your organization with peer organizations. 

The full China benchmarking report, with complete analysis, data, and graphs, will be available for purchase soon. To learn more about ATD’s latest research, follow @atdresearch on Twitter.