Research Brief
A recording for this session isn't published. Below is the BPI editorial brief — key takeaways, an in-depth summary, and FAQs drawn from the original session materials and the presenter's body of work.
Presenter
Best Practice Institute
Best Practice Institute
**Monthly Benchmark-It Webinar**
Description
Many organizations shifting to centralizing operations, infrastructure, and methods, purposefully tie learning and experiences to programs and business objectives, and customize learning through virtual learning tools, mobile accessibility, apps, short burst videos, and more. In an organizational sea of options for a learner, how are you simplifying the learning experience while providing structured guidance to best close capability gaps and engage enterprise/regional learners? Agenda “Benchmark-It” Format 11:00 - 11:05am ~ Ground Rules and Facilitated Experience Introduction 11:05 - 11:15am ~ Experts provide leading thinking 11:20 - 11:40am ~ “Benchmark-It” - Your benchmarking opportunity! This is your chance to “compare notes” and share your best and next practices. 11:40 - 11:55am ~ Expert Response and Facilitator Wrap-up 11:55am - 12:00pm ~ Participant Final Thoughts and Transfer of Learning Edith Onderick-Harvey, president of Factor In Talent, is a highly sought after consultant and advisor for executives, teams and organizations undergoing high growth and significant change. Her passion is helping clients plan, design and implement leadership, team, organization and workforce strategies that allow them to execute strategy today and get ready for what’s next. She has consulted to BiogenIdec, ImmunoGen, Akamai, Philips Healthcare, RBS Citizens, Iron Mountain, Harvard Business School and Medical School, MIT Sloan School of Management and many other Fortune 500 and growth companies. Edith is author of the Amazon bestseller Getting Real: Strategies for Leadership in Todays Innovation-Hungry, Time-Strapped, Multi-tasking World of Work. She has contributed to articles in Fast Company, The New York Times, Human Resource Executive, U.S. Business Review and CNN.com and other publications. She is a frequent speaker on leadership, talent and change. Scott Evrard is a learning and development expert, formerly holding several key management positions with Liberty Mutual Insurance. Scott is a highly disciplined and creative problem solver who works collaboratively at all levels within an organization to identify, plan for and drive important improvements in how people deliver customer value at work. Scott has deep expertise and experience in proven process improvement and change methods (i.e., lean, six sigma, total quality improvement, business process redesign) and with the people development and change management practices that enable and sustain them. He develops and recommends practical approaches to achieve and sustain systemic improvements, and provide the committed support and coaching to ensure that process improvements are adopted and have immediate operational impact with minimal disruption.
Learning Points
- Next Steps and Applications for your work in Fast Action Benchmarking Session: Employee Learning & Development
- What are the emerging practices that you should implement in Fast Action Benchmarking Session: Employee Learning & Development
- Practices from Thought Leaders and Executives in Fast Action Benchmarking Session: Employee Learning & Development
Who Will Participate
BPI Community members, executives and experts
Key Takeaways
- 1.Effective L&D programs are critical for driving organizational growth and enhancing employee engagement.
- 2.Benchmarking L&D efforts against industry leaders helps measure program effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
- 3.A key leadership function is to identify critical skill gaps and develop targeted training programs to address them.
- 4.Fostering a continuous learning culture is essential for building a future-ready and adaptable workforce.
- 5.Organizations can and should measure the impact and ROI of L&D initiatives to prove their value.
- 6.Investing in employee growth directly correlates with higher retention, productivity, and overall organizational resilience.
The Strategic Importance of a Future-Ready Workforce
The modern business environment is in a constant state of evolution, driven by new technologies, shifting market demands, and changing workforce expectations. In this context, continuous employee learning and development (L&D) has become more critical than ever. Organizations that build robust L&D programs can ensure their employees have the necessary skills for both current and future roles, which is key to driving innovation, maintaining a competitive advantage, and fostering organizational resilience.
Key Components of a Successful L&D Strategy
This webinar explores the strategic insights and best practices that form the foundation of an effective L&D program. It provides a framework for leaders to assess and improve their current strategies, align L&D with organizational goals, and create a culture of continuous improvement.
Benchmarking and Skill Gap Analysis
To build a targeted and effective program, leaders must first understand where their organization stands. The session covers methods for:
- Benchmarking L&D Efforts: Compare your organization's programs against industry leaders to identify strengths and weaknesses.
- Identifying Skill Gaps: Learn techniques to analyze your workforce's current skill set and pinpoint critical gaps that need to be addressed through training.
Fostering a Culture of Continuous Learning
A successful L&D strategy goes beyond one-off training events. The webinar details strategies for creating a culture where learning is an ongoing process, empowering employees to take ownership of their development. This is essential for developing a pipeline of future-ready talent and enhancing overall team performance.
Measuring L&D Impact and ROI
Demonstrating the value of L&D is crucial for securing executive buy-in and resources. This session provides techniques to measure the tangible impact of L&D initiatives, including their return on investment (ROI), on key business metrics like retention, productivity, and engagement.
Who Should Attend
This webinar is designed for HR professionals, L&D specialists, organizational development leaders, senior executives, and anyone responsible for talent management, workforce planning, and employee growth.
This session explores critical best practices and strategic insights into employee learning and development (L&D). It delves into how effective L&D programs drive organizational growth, enhance employee engagement, and build a future-ready workforce, remaining highly relevant for today's dynamic business environment.
What you'll learn
- Key components of a successful employee learning and development strategy.
- How to benchmark your organization's L&D efforts against industry leaders.
- Methods for identifying critical skill gaps and designing targeted training.
- Strategies for fostering a continuous learning culture within your organization.
- Techniques to measure the impact and ROI of L&D initiatives.
Who this webinar is for
- HR professionals and L&D specialists seeking to optimize their programs.
- Organizational development leaders looking for data-driven insights.
- Senior executives interested in talent management and workforce planning.
- Anyone responsible for employee growth, engagement, and retention.
Why it matters now
The landscape of work is constantly evolving, making continuous employee learning and development more crucial than ever. Organizations must adapt to new technologies, market demands, and workforce expectations. Robust L&D programs ensure employees possess the skills needed for current and future roles, driving innovation and maintaining competitive advantage. Investing in people's growth directly correlates with higher retention, productivity, and overall organizational resilience.
How leaders can apply this
Leaders can use these insights to assess their current L&D frameworks, identifying areas for improvement and strategic alignment. Implementing strong benchmarking practices helps leaders understand where their organization stands in relation to peers and best-in-class companies. Additionally, by focusing on skill gap analysis and fostering a culture of continuous learning, leaders can empower their teams, enhance performance, and develop a pipeline of future-ready talent. The insights presented by the BPI provide a solid foundation for practical application.
About this session
Key takeaways
Watching this webinar gives you grounded, practical perspective on workplace culture. Expect ideas you can use in leadership conversations, not abstract theory, drawn from Best Practice Institute's direct experience.
Who this is for
CHROs, HR business partners, talent leaders, executive coaches, organizational development practitioners, and senior leaders who are responsible for workplace culture inside their organization.
Why it matters now
Workforce expectations, hybrid work patterns, and AI-driven change keep raising the bar on culture and leadership. Sessions like this help leaders make smarter, more evidence-informed decisions about workplace culture.
How to apply it
Use the ideas here to challenge a current assumption on your team, design a single concrete experiment in the next 30 days, and bring one finding back to your leadership group for discussion.