Journal of Business and Educational Leadership

Vol 13, No 1: Spring 2023

IMPROVING EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE

THROUGH CORPORATE EDUCATION

Gary Lorenzo Wash

Strayer University
ABSTRACT

Due to increased awareness by organizations of strategic human resource [HR]

development as a key driver for business performance, more demands are being
placed on internal HR groups to incorporate effective employee development
programs. The ensuing expectation is these programs are both aligned with
company strategies and efficient to create added value. Effective training and
employee development solutions are investments, not expenses, as they pay for
themselves through competitive advantage and increased performance. Many
organizations, sometimes through performance consultants, implement
performance improvement strategies to grow their operations. HR departments
play crucial roles in designing corporate education around employee development
programs with expansive developmental opportunities for their workforce such as
succession planning tools, career development solutions, mentor and coaching
offerings, and higher education solutions, just to name a few. Some notable
features of corporate education programs might include career development
systems, coaching and performance management, management development
solutions, organizational development interventions, and job enrichment
programs. Understanding and finding ways to leverage these features to influence
the careers of employees in organizations is integral to employee and business
growth. Any one or a combination of the features and strategies for corporate
education programs should be considered by business leaders as additional
interventions to address the organization’s current and future business needs. This
paper’s purpose is to review current and recent research on employee development
programs as well as creating and improving these programs to enhance
organizational effectiveness. Conclusions will emphasize the overall importance
of a corporate education strategy and make recommendations for future business
implications. The antecedents, consequences and strategies affecting corporate
education quality and implementation are reviewed. A future point of view on the
concept is offered.

Key Words: employee development; planning; needs analysis; education

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INTRODUCTION

The growth and relevance of employee development activities within

organizations today cannot be understated. Human resource development teams
and their corresponding people development strategies are playing an increasingly
key role in helping organizations assess themselves. In most business and
academic institutions, the need for such assessment goes without saying if the
organizations want to impact their competitive status. Thus, consideration for
effective corporate education planning focused on employee development
solutions becomes critically relevant to organizational value. HR Leaders and their
human resource development [HRD] managers, in partnership with company
managers must address the organization’s current and future business needs.
Improving the employee development function and aligning the improvements
with the business strategy can help increase value creation and profits for the
business. In a business or organizational setting, the term performance might be
characterized as executing actions or functions that help to achieve objectives and
goals. This may also be the case with HR development. Addison, Haig, and
Kearney (2009) suggest that performance helps to create measurable value within
organizations. Many organizations, sometimes through HR performance
consultants, implement performance improvement strategies to grow their
operations. The overall importance of implementing corporate education solutions
as drivers of competency development and increased organizational performance
is well documented in the research.
According to Society for Human Resource Management [SHRM] (2022) learning
and development [L&D] helps to create employee development by both reskilling
and upskilling organization employees. This ultimately leads to increased
performance but as well, the retention of talented workers. SHRM adds that “more
than 8 in 10 HR managers believe training is beneficial to attract (83%) and retain
(86%) talent, and many employees (48%) agree that training opportunities were a
factor in choosing their current company”. Additionally, it is noted by McKinsey
(2020) in their global research on reskilling the workforce that 87% of executives
are noticing skill gaps in their companies or expect them in the next few years. The
research found that upskilling and reskilling in more versatile ways can also help
companies meet undefined needs. Research presented by Heinsch (2020) also
reveals that in contrast to workers at the individual contributor and senior leader
levels, a greater proportion of entry-and mid-level employees are targeted for
development in hard-to-find and new skills. Nearly half, 45%, of organizations
offer training and development in new skills to at least 50% of their entry-level
roles. As well, 46% of organizations offer training and development in new skills
to at least 50% of their mid-level roles.

It is increasingly clear that achieving operational success in organizations, requires

HR groups in organizations count on established training processes used to
determine who needs training for development and culminating with evaluating

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the effectiveness of the training. Additionally, the ability to differentiate employee

development solutions like career development, coaching, and succession
planning, and then recommending appropriate solutions takes on added
dimensions for HR professionals and performance consultants. The research for
this report, both present and quite recently explores employee development
strategies and solutions that may be leveraged to create and implement the
corporate education strategy for most organizational structures.

GETTING STARTED CREATING EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT

PROGRAMS
Employee development program initiatives are learning-related actions that
companies should take to help it achieve its short- and long-term business goals
(Noe, 2020). HR performance consultants must be charged with executing key
corporate education strategies with the end goal being to create high performers
and organizational value. Werner and DeSimone (2012) suggest that human
resource development [HRD] practitioners develop strategies to align strategic
employee development solutions with the organization's overall objectives and
goals. Such an alignment will have at its core an extreme focus on competency
development and performance improvement. Such focus begins with assessing the
current internal situation around employee development. One alignment strategy
for assessment looks at an open system for training used to evaluate current
employee development programs and designate key program outcomes. Figure 1
presents such a system.

Key to the open system is the training subsystem that can be used to analyze an
organization’s employee development program needs prior to designing,

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developing, and implementing the revised or new programs (Blanchard & Thacker,
2013). A need for change is identified on the “front end,” and business and
performance results are achieved on the “back end”—but what happens in the
middle to generate this result brings together front and backend results (Robinson
& Robinson, 2008)

As a final perspective, evaluating current employee development programs will

invariably lead to either a revision of the programs or the creation of new programs
altogether. Whichever the case, the outcomes will be predicated on factors
identified from a thorough assessment as in the training open systems model. Such
factors include business needs, current budget and resources, and analysis for
training needs. Evaluating the current employee development programs using the
training open systems approach can also serve several purposes within the
organization. Balakrishnan & Srividhya (2007) suggest a few of the purposes one
of which begins with determining whether a program is accomplishing its
objectives. Equally important is identifying the strengths and weaknesses of
corporate education programs, which can subsequently lead to needed internal
changes. Finally, determining the cost-benefit ratio of any employee development
program solution since efficiency and value are equally as important as
effectiveness.

EVIDENCE-BASED DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS ADD VALUE

After input, process, and output (outcomes) within the organization’s training
subsystem have been identified and implemented the type of employee
development solutions should be considered. HR teams in partnership with
company management teams should consider conceptualizing, designing, and
developing evidence-based employee development programs. While definitions
vary, evidence-based programs generally indicate those interventions and
activities that evaluations have shown to be effective at addressing outcomes
(HHS.gov, n.d.). The assumption made for this report is decisions have been made
and agreed upon to focus on three current components of and organization’s
employee development program. For example, those components could be (1)
Employee Development & Succession, (2) Career Development, and (3)
Department-Specific Training. It is assumed the target groups and program
specifics as well are also identified. Specifics of each component are highlighted
at table 1.

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Revisiting the previous definition of what makes a program evidence-based helps

to affirm that the employee development program components in table 1 can be
deemed validated evidence-based solutions. First, employee development and
succession strategies have been assessed and used in organizations throughout the
years (Ballaro & Polk, 2017; McIntyre & Lansdell, 2017). These strategies and
their implementations have long addressed value creation in people and processes
within organizations. Next, career development or career management is important
for the organization and for their employees. Organizations and HR leaders have
long held this belief that is also abundant in the literature. Dumitru and Voinea
(2015) suggest that career development envisages both the career planning process
and the ensuring of managerial succession. Good career development programs
can also help the organization avoid productivity and disciplinary problems
associated with employees who are in stagnated jobs (Lussier & Hendon, 2019).
Lastly, the support for department specific training being evidence-based is quite
apparent. Department training may include training categories such as basic
skills/literacy, technical, and interpersonal and these categories are often
considered basic workplace competencies (Werner & DeSimone, 2012). Sales,
safety, and customer service training derive from these categories and evidence
has suggested the need for each within organizations over time.

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NEEDS ANALYSIS PLAN AND CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

As Werner (2017) suggests, needs can exist on any of at least three levels,
considering the organization, the job/task, and the individual. Each level of
analysis measures different aspects of the organization and correlates specifically
with the need for organizations to develop employees to sustain value creation and
growth. This report more specifically outlines the three levels of needs analysis
below.

o Strategic/organizational analysis suggests where in the organization

training is needed and under what conditions it will occur.
o Task analysis explains what must be done to perform a job or
complete a process successfully.
o Person analysis reveals who needs to be trained and what kind of
training they need. An increasing focus today is on important
competencies needed by employees to do their work (Werner, 2017,
p. 123).

Implementing the above levels of analysis requires implementing specific methods

to gather information. McConnell (2002) suggests using a combination of
methods, such as interviews, questionnaires, or having discussions in meetings
with key stakeholders. An additional perspective underlying effective needs
analysis are the approaches that can help in undertaking training needs analysis
and ensuring effectiveness of training programs. HR groups must understand how
training needs assessment, analysis, learning culture and training effectiveness
strengthens the overall employee development program within the organization.
(Mukerjee, 2019).

When developing a corporate education strategy for determining employee

development solutions, organizational, task, and person analysis is enhanced by
asserting the use of an instructional methodology well known throughout theory
and practice. Along with the concepts previously noted herein (training process
subsystem at figure 1 and levels of needs analysis), it is recommended that
organizations accept assessment and development procedural elements associated
with the use of the ADDIE model. Salas (2018) suggests that integrating the
analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation framework helps
to not only enhance the overall learning experience but also improves employee
performance and value creation in organizations. Anderson (n.d.) outlines
descriptions of the ADDIE process steps at Figure 2.

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The overall goal for employee development efforts is to affect behavioral change
and skill development in employees being considered for key roles or to increase
performance. Having a well-rounded needs analysis structure provides a process
to ensure appropriate development opportunities are provided to the right
employees at the right time (Aziz, 2013).

SOLUTIONS EXAMPLES FOR CORPORATE EDUCATION

One idea for a corporate education solution is succession planning. Organizations
historically have had to prepare for the retirement of their leaders. Enhanced
performance helps to create measurable value within organizations, so developing
succession plan solutions is advisable. Consideration must first be given to the
current theory and practice surrounding the use of succession planning models. A
decision-based strategy for succession planning may
center on four important aspects that require decisions to be made before moving
forward with the full succession strategy. These aspects include:

1. Identifying Current Talent

2. Metrics for Succession Plans
3. Computerized Succession Planning Models
4. Common Succession Planning Mistakes (Mathis et al, 2017 pp. 332-
334).

Rothwell (2010, p. 51) has opined “succession planning is traditionally a strategic

change effort designed to prepare people for promotion within an organization by

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emphasizing internal talent development.” As in any strategic plan, priorities must

be made explicit, policy and procedures defined, and individuals and groups
directed and motivated toward the action defined in the plan (Luhn-Wolfe, 1996).
This report examines three program planning perspectives on succession
management: (1) Refining the Program [Rothwell], (2) Developing High-
Potentials [Noe et al] and (3) Getting Started with Succession Planning [Adams].
Though not an exhaustive examination, each perspective can be leveraged to help
begin the development of a succession strategy that can utilized to help close gaps
in manager and leader roles.

First, succession planning should include a well-designed development system to

support employee development. This belief makes sense when considering Mathis
et al (2017) contention that it takes two to three years to develop qualified
successors. To ensure the well-designed system, Rothwell (2005) thus believes that
beyond startup, some additional steps will usually need to be taken before a
systematic succession planning and management (SP&M) program becomes
operational. These steps include:

 Preparing a program action plan

 Communicating the action plan
 Conducting SP&M meetings
 Training on SP&M
 Counseling managers to deal with SP&M issues uniquely affecting
them and their work areas (p. 156)

Additionally, succession planning focuses on high-potential employees. Not many

in the employee development field would argue that assertion. The typical
approach to developing high-potential employees is that they go through individual
development programs (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2016) which may
be derived from the spectrum of career development activities. Key to successful
succession planning models will be how organizations go about accomplishing
three essential stages that are embedded within the succession strategy: (1)
selecting high potentials, (2) creating developmental experiences, and (3) active
involvement with company executives. And finally, in preparation for succession
planning, it will be critical for stakeholders of the process to agree on terminology
that will be used to frame succession planning solutions. The goal, as Adams
(2010) suggests, is regardless of the terms or words used, there should be
agreement that the organization seeks a plan to sustain effective leadership over
time and multiple leadership changes. Some terminology that may be universal
across organizations include:

 Leadership sustainability planning. This promises a goal of ensuring

effective leadership over time by preparing the organization for both
planned and unplanned leadership changes.

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 Emergency backup succession planning. Planning to facilitate rapid

transfers of duties and authorities to designated individuals if the
current executive or other key leader is unable to function.
 Leadership planning. This frames succession planning as readiness for
staff and board backup and succession. This approach emphasizes
defining who leads in your organization.

Another idea for a corporate education solution is developing competencies for

high potentials. Derr, Jones, and Toomey (1988) have suggested in that
organizational leaders must find ways to manage high potential employees and that
many managers equate the term 'high-potential' with executive ability. Today,
some might suggest high potentials can also be lower-level supervisors or
managers capable in the short run of roles as director and vice-president level
employees. This report assumes organizational leaders would agree that high
potentials exist among throughout the management ranks…even their lower-level
managers. As such, a focus on developing competencies for high potential is
desirable. The key business stakeholders can agree to leverage the research and
theory behind Schoenfeldt and Steger’s (1990) work on what they call threshold
competencies, meaning competencies all managers should possess to be effective
across manager levels. The selected competencies are seen at table 2.

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To help achieve competency success consideration may also be given to internal

job rotations and job-related certifications. Job rotation helps to develop new
knowledge and skills internally and it is believed that greater variety of jobs/work
adds to motivation (Werner & DeSimone, 2012). The obvious advantage of job
rotation is that it helps develop employees’ capabilities for doing several jobs. Job
rotations might prove very useful as employees from very departments can learn
and practice skills across department sections. Clear policies that identify the
nature of job rotations and provide the appropriate training are more likely to make
the job rotation a successful strategy (Mathis, Jackson, Valentine & Meglich,
2017). Job-related or industry-specific certifications as part of a complete
employee development strategy can further strengthen the corporate education
program. Management development is overall training that has an immediate and
a long-term organizational benefit and there are many external resources and
educational options available for management development (Frost & Wallingford,
2011). Professional organizations like the Society for Human Resource
Management (SHRM), the Association for Talent Development (ATD), and the
American Society for Quality (ASQ) offer a variety of high-quality programs for
employee development. It should be noted that the programs focus more on HR
professional and employee development.

In addition, the Human Capital Institute [HCI] is also a great source for HR
employee development programs and certifications. According to the
organization’s website, it is built on the principle that human capital management
is the most powerful lever for performance and growth (HCI, n.d.). This is
especially significant considering organizations rely on strong management
development programs that grow managers who will create organizational value
and achieve business success. Many of the employee development solutions at HCI
are found within their HR certification programs. These certifications include the
following employee development solutions.

 Strategic HR Business Partner (Most Popular)

 People Analytics for HR
 Coaching for Engagement and Performance
 Leadership Development and Succession Strategist
 Empowering People Leaders (HCI, n.d.).

Each of the professional organizations mentioned focuses more on employee

development aimed at HR or quality professionals. However, organizations may
still leverage the sources to conceptualize and create specialized learning solutions
for non-HR managers and employees.

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REFLECTIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND CONCLUSION

Employee development programs can provide organizations with a competitive
advantage. They are used to develop all levels of employees to fill needed
leadership roles, replace retiring or removed employees, and create positions due
to organizational changes or new facility demands. Strategic HR business partners
in organizations will be challenged to add value to organizational operations.
Improving the employee development function and aligning the improvements
with the business strategy can help increase value creation and profits for the
business. Such improvements also help HR groups build capacity and create
positive credibility among the organization’s key stakeholder groups. A consensus
among today’s organizations and academic literature is effective HRD
implementation aids in performance improvement for employees, processes, and
systems. To ensure a proper wholesome coverage of human resource development
practices for the organization, the most important task would be for HR groups to
set up a human resource development department capable of addressing the needs
simultaneously of the organization and its employees.
In crafting the overall policy for the company’s management development plan the
focus should be on three key elements: (1) approaches to employee development,
(2) systems for career management, and (3) development-related business
challenges. Throughout each of the elements, there will be much attention given
to details such as administrative requirements, timing recommendations, staff and
supervisor training, and other pertinent items. These aspects of development are
characteristics of a well-planned succession planning and management strategy.
Succession planning is a business imperative that provides for the organization’s
sustainability and success. However, an effective succession planning strategy is
only as good as its component parts, namely, data-gathering through needs
assessment, career development activities, training and education solutions, and
upper-level senior leader support.
As organizations struggle to keep pace with its competition, they must find
differentiators that set them apart. Many today would argue that effective talent
management solutions are a substantial differentiator, or ‘X-factor’ for competitive
advantage. Most organizations believe that competitive advantage is achieved
through a talented and dedicated workforce. They also believe that effective talent
development solutions can be leveraged to sustain talented, motivated, and
dedicated employees. It is recommended that once a strong employee or
management development program is in place, HR teams continue aligning
development processes, tools, and associated metrics with established
organizational outcomes. The Association for Talent Development (2005) states
“the most successful formal learning programs have a great deal of accord between
the material, results, and processes, and the least successful have significant
discord” (sec. 3).

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