2014's Very BEST Learning Organizations

TD Magazine Article

2014's Very BEST Learning Organizations

This year’s crop of winners, the most in the 12-year history of the BEST Awards, epitomizes the term “talent development” and reaches across the globe, representing six countries and four continents.

Wed Oct 08 2014

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There is a misperception among many people that the Association for Talent Development BEST Awards are won by large companies with big budgets and large workforces. As you can see by the winners this year, especially Bass & Associates with 85 employees, it is not about size or budget but about commitment to developing your company’s talent.

This year’s crop of winners, the most in the 12-year history of the awards, epitomizes the term “talent development” and reaches across the globe, representing six countries and four continents. “Our learning and development organization ensures that we develop a talent base that has both the technical skill and the leadership mindset to deliver new ideas to help our clients build stronger businesses,” says Francisco D’Souza, CEO of Cognizant, the number 1 company.

The BEST Awards recognize organizations that demonstrate enterprise-wide success as a result of employee learning and development. We are looking for organizations that get it: They use the learning function as a strategic business tool to get results.

“Employee turnover is a critical issue not only for our company but for the entire industry, which has a turnover rate of more than 100 percent,” explains Carmen Murrell Randall, director of field training services at G4S Secure Solutions. While G4S’s attrition rate is only a fraction of that, employee retention remains crucial to competitive advantage. “Our company doesn’t produce a tangible product; our employees are our product,” Randall adds.

Award winners must demonstrate that they are excellent in many aspects of the learning function:

Learning has an enterprise-wide role—involved in the executive team, creating solutions to business issues, and setting organizational strategy.
Learning has value in the organization’s culture—learning opportunities for employees, C-level involvement, learning for growth of the organization, and innovation.
Learning links to individual and organizational performance—alignment with the business, efficiency, measurement of the effectiveness of learning, and success with nontraining solutions for business needs.
Investment is made in learning and performance initiatives.

1. Cognizant Technology Solutions

2. University Health System

3. The Aerospace Corporation

7. Verizon

9. Walgreens

10. MGM Resorts International

11. Quanta Computer

12. FM Global