Hot C-Level Survey: Top-of-Mind Human Capital Management and Technology Trends
Advantexe Learning Solutions – in partnership with one of our technology clients – conducted a quick three-day survey regarding the hot issues currently facing CEOs and CLOs.
By Robert S. Brodo, Executive Vice President
March, 2011
My iPhone buzzed three times from the same client while I was in a meeting; I figured it had to be important so I called him back as soon as I could. One of our Technology industry clients was calling me in a panic for help designing a survey to measure the integration of Human Capital Management and Technology and his boss told him he had three days to get it out and compiled for an internal market research report. “What’s the urgency?” I asked, and was told that everyone in headquarters was alarmed by the latest sales results showing that PC-based software solutions were 35% off the planned target. During the same week, the catastrophe in Japan was unfolding, adding to the turmoil and fueling uncertainty around global business recovery. Together, we designed and distributed a business survey that was sent to more than 1,000 global executives including the Chief Executive Officers and the Chief Learning Officers of their organizations. The results and analysis of the survey are contained in this month’s edition of The AdvantEdge™.
Between Wednesday, March 16, 2011 and Friday, March 18, 2011, 2,500 surveys were delivered to an opt-in database of “C-Suite” decision makers including 2,000 Executives (CEO’s CFO’s, VP’s of Sales, Marketing, and Operations) and 500 Chief Learning Officers (CLOs). Of the 2,500 surveys, 289 were completed and returned for tabulation. An 11.56% response rate is statistically valid and provides some interesting insights as to the pressing business challenges facing today’s leaders in terms of Technology and Human Capital Management.
QUESTION #1
As you look out over the next six (6) months, what are the three most critical challenges that your organization is facing?
Respondents were asked to choose and rank three critical issues out of a list of 12 topics plus a write-in “other” category. The results are tabulated below and illustrate, reading from left to right, the topics that received the most attention.
Analysis
The results show an eclectic mix of challenge and concern. Interestingly enough, the number one most critical challenge for these leaders is Talent Acquisition. Executives continue to show concern about talent coming into their organizations. When correlated with the last element – Unemployment – this is the strongest indication yet that executives are thinking about and planning for the future, and that their focus will be on talent acquisition. The implication to Human Capital Management and Technology is that organizations are going to be accelerating their hiring activities and will need the tools to help optimize the process.
From a business and macroeconomic perspective, however, the next set of answers could be alarming. The increase in raw materials expenses, the crisis in Japan, and the crisis in the Middle East could put a damper of the recover. The silver lining is that these issues might also help the US economy in terms of manufacturing (automotives, chemicals, building materials, etc.). The bottom line is that US companies will need well trained people to execute their strategies successfully.
QUESTION #2
From a Human Capital Management perspective, what are the three most critical challenges that your organization is facing?
Respondents were asked to choose and rank three critical issues out of a list of 10 topics. The results are tabulated below and illustrate, from left to right, the topics that received the most attention.
Analysis
The results from this survey question illustrate a strong concern for the future as the “Baby-Boomer” generation starts to retire. There is a strong relationship between this critical challenge and several others on the list including Hiring and Training Sales, Succession Planning, High Potential Leader Development, and Lack of Qualified Talent. The data suggests that executives are highly concerned and are going to rely more and more on their HR Business Partners to support the organization through HCM initiatives and results. Therefore, HR Business Partners should be focusing on several actionable items including developing the sales force, nurturing high potential leaders, and bringing in qualified talent.
QUESTION #3
If you could invest in just ONE skill development initiative throughout your organization that would address your business and HCM challenges, what would it be?
Respondents were asked to choose and rank three critical issues out of a list of 15 topics. The results are tabulated below and illustrate the top topics that received the most attention.
Analysis
The results from this survey question show an immediate desire by executives to focus on skills that support the Execution of Strategy, Basic Leadership, and Virtual Teams. By contrasting the results of this question with those from Question #1, the data suggests that executives think that the best way to solve the upcoming challenges of the global economy is to focus on the strategy and the people needed to execute it. As technology continues to permeate the process of work – including training and development – it becomes more critical to have both leadership skills and skills to lead the virtual team no matter where its members are.
The next set of responses, Business Acumen and Sales Skills, also suggest that executives understand that basics skills such as financial management, marketing, and sales are also quite important.
QUESTION #4
When thinking about building skills, how important do you think technology is in terms of supporting and enhancing the learning and skill application process?
Respondents were asked to choose and rank their views on a scale with 5 being “Extremely Important” and 1 being “Not Important. The results are tabulated below and show the distribution of the answers.
Analysis
The data clearly illustrates – with no surprise – that the majority of executive respondents believe that the use of technology in the learning and skill application process is critically important. With a global and mobile workforce, less time for training, and strategies being executed by virtual teams, the data suggests a proliferation of eLearning, performance support tools, and other content delivered with the help of technology.
QUESTION #5
As a provider of technology-based learning solutions, we are constantly trying to understand your needs. Please help us help you by rating the technologies you see being used to satisfy your immediate learning needs.
Respondents were asked to look at 5 different potential learning technologies and choose as many as applied to their immediate needs. The results are shown below.
Analysis
At first, I thought to myself that we would have to throw this answer out as there was no differentiation in the answers; basically all respondents said that each of the five technologies were extremely important.
It then occurred to me that the results are actually overwhelming! Virtual Classrooms, Smartphones, and Tablet Devices are now considered mainstream technology platforms for delivering learning. The implications – and more importantly, the expectations – are that learning anywhere, anytime is soon going to be the expectation. Simulations, eLearning, job aids, and many more elements that support the topics discussed earlier like Strategic Execution, Basic Leadership, Business Acumen, Virtual Teams, and Sales Training, all need to converge and be ready to be delivered this way in the very near future.
