Fall 2022
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CTDO Magazine

Fall 2022 Research Bulletin

Friday, October 14, 2022

Recent research condensed for busy talent development executives

Postpandemic Risk Factors

A new study from Cognizant, conducted in partnership with Economist Impact, identifies two essential areas that C-suite leaders must prioritize to create a resilient, future-ready enterprise: Realizing full value from accelerated technology adoption and overhauling workforce strategies.

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The survey of 2,000 senior executives in 10 countries across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific found that the biggest hurdles to implementing new technologies, processes, and services are the absence of knowledgeable staff and a chronic lack of focus on preparing workers for the new ways of work.

  • Approximately 90 percent cited competing strategic imperatives, including data-driven ways of working, digital business models, and aligning operations with those new ways to work.
  • Eighty percent have adopted or plan to adopt emerging foundational technologies, with 60 percent already adopting quantum computing, blockchain, and robotics.
  • Nearly half recognize they lack the internal talent necessary to implement and use advanced technologies.
  • One-third are using data to identify and understand training needs and cultivate talent.

"Savvy technology investment, attention on developing talent with new and expanded skillsets, and embedding and acting on an ESG agenda are core elements of focus on which leaders can build. The successful CxOs will build future-ready, resilient businesses by ensuring their organizations learn, adapt, and continually evolve." 
—Euan Davis, head of research, Cognizant

More from Ready for Anything: What It Means to Be a Modern Business


Use Outbound Recruiting to Engage Top-Tier Talent

To hire high-quality employees, first fill the talent pipeline with candidates who not only have the necessary skills and capabilities but are personally aligned to the organization's mission, culture, and work. According to a new study from Clinch and Talent Board, modern recruiters need to include an outbound sourcing strategy, where they leverage social media, direct email, and open recruitment platforms to proactively search for talent.

In the global survey of 350 talent acquisition professionals, more than half of respondents said an outbound recruitment marketing campaign lifts candidate quality, with 15 percent of them seeing a significant rise.

  • Approximately one-quarter of respondents have adopted proactive digital campaigns and text-based outreach.
  • Four in 10 are using LinkedIn messages and external databases to source candidates.
  • One-fifth are using cold emails to supplement their outbound recruiting activities, and nearly the same use cold calling.

"Making connections directly between candidates and brand ambassadors is an overlooked strategy that helps build authentic, transparent candidate experiences and helps to ensure companies are hiring the best fit talent." 
—Fiona Moreton, vice president, Clinch Recruitment

Delve deeper into Developing a High-Quality Candidate Pipeline in 2022.  


Hybrid Workplace Dichotomy

Conducted with FORTUNE Brand Studio, the Tech for Progress 360: Engage Employees, Strengthen Company Culture report explores input from 500 senior executives about how organizations are using technology to foster culture and help employees create connections in a long-term hybrid work environment.

Among the respondents whose organizations were the biggest adopters of new technologies during the pandemic, three-quarters strongly agree that their company can maintain its culture in a hybrid working environment. However, they also said that the bonds between colleagues across different levels of the organization are not being nurtured, which can potentially hinder the development of future leaders.

  • More than 90 percent agree that since the pandemic's onset, employee interactions have shifted toward problem solving and away from socializing.
  • Half said increased remote working has negatively affected the organization's ability to integrate new hires into company culture.
  • Forty-two percent believe remote working has negatively affected the connection between senior and junior leaders.

"The rapid shift to remote work has been one of the most important management innovations of the past 20 years. It's proven work can be done remotely at scale. But in a post-pandemic world, leading companies will be defined not just by their ability to get work done, but in their ability to create agile, adaptable, hybrid work environments that allow culture and creativity to thrive." —Tiger Tyagarajan, chief executive officer, Genpact

Learn more about Tech for Progress 360: Engage Employees, Strengthen Company Culture.

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Improving Boards' Ethical Oversight

Does the C-suite have clarity and alignment on the elements that constitute an ethical culture? How can organizations ensure that culture—especially ethical culture—gets adequate time and attention from the board?

Those are just a few questions explored in Assessing Corporate Culture: A Practical Guide to Improving Board Oversight, a report from LRN Corporation and Tapestry Networks. Based on insights from nearly 40 directors and executives representing more than 60 public companies, including McKesson, Coca-Cola, and Sony, the report provides a five-step framework that can help boards better assess the ethical dimensions of an organization's culture.

  1. Ensure C-suite executives know that board members want to know about issues and understand problems early.
  2. Foster a "speak up" culture to ensure that senior management is heard and supported, even if they have a difference of opinion from board members.
  3. Measure and monitor. Establish data protocols and expand the range of cultural data.
  4. Break down ethical culture into components.
  5. Establish clear communication. Boards need to explore who in management owns culture measurement, and that individual must report directly to the board.

"Corporate culture is rooted in its values—explicit and implicit—and it is what makes a company stand out. When boards prioritize ethical culture that alone can influence positive behavior throughout the organization. Leading by example—setting tone from the top—is always a key factor in culture development." 
—Ty Francis, chief advisory officer, LRN Corporation

Further explore Assessing Corporate Culture: A Practical Guide to Improving Board Oversight.

Read more from CTDO magazine: Essential talent development content for C-suite leaders.

About the Author

The Association for Talent Development (ATD) is a professional membership organization supporting those who develop the knowledge and skills of employees in organizations around the world. The ATD Staff, along with a worldwide network of volunteers work to empower professionals to develop talent in the workplace.

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