The talent development practices and programs highlighted on the following pages have demonstrated clear and measurable results that the companies have used to improve and develop their workforce's skills, knowledge, and capabilities. Thirty-five talent development practices across 26 organizations constitute the 2021 Excellence in Practice Award winners.

The majority of the winning practices fall in one of four categories: onboarding, leadership/management development, learning technologies, and L&D. The companies themselves hail from China, India, Ukraine, and the US, with workforces ranging from as small as 200 employees to as large as 600,000.

What is notable about these practices and programs is that they have proven to show company-wide impact: They're achieving organizational goals, meeting a demonstrated need, having appropriate design values, and clearly aligning with other performance improvement initiatives. Above all, they have long-term, sustained results.

View the entire list of 2021 Excellence in Practice Award winners.

Profiles written by Christine Umbrell, Jennifer Homer, Chelsea Beale, Jamie Green, Joy Metcalf, Shermaine Perry, Sandra Smith, and Derrick Thompson.