Many employees claim they learn best while doing, so they prefer to dive right in and learn as they go when they get a new job or take on new responsibilities. But the most successful and quickest learning on the job takes place when there is a formal on-the-job training (OJT) program--a fact many organizations and managers fail to take into…

When training outside one's culture, it's obvious that certain assumptions no longer apply. That lesson is less obvious when working with a home-grown audience. But even within a society, the cultural touchpoints depend upon the audience's age and geography. If one wants to be thought of as a leading-edge trainer, one has to stay current. That…

Employees in a negotiation training workshop are chatting happily in a company cafeteria near San Francisco. They're not on break. They're on assignment. Their objective: to discover three things they didn't know--and wouldn't have guessed--about each other. The exercise isn't about the information, though. It's about the methods they used to get…

One may be the loneliest number, but Verizon isn't complaining. After appearing five times in the Top 10 over the last six years, the telecommunications company captured the No. 1 spot on the Training Top 125 for the first time in 2012. Despite a relatively flat training budget and a work stoppage that resulted from the expiration of union…

This article presents "Training" magazine's exclusive analysis of the U.S. training industry, featuring 2011 training expenditures, budgetary allocations, delivery methods, and training priorities. Now in its 30th year, The Industry Report is recognized as the training industry's most trusted source of data on budgets, staffing, and…

Any organization with a comprehensive training program has a leadership development curriculum. These programs include everything from conventional classroom learning with guest speakers to high-tech simulations and lavish retreats. There also may be mentorship thrown in, as well as multiple job rotations. Despite the well-rounded curricula, many…

Farmers Insurance claims the No. 2 spot on the Training Top 125 with a forward-thinking training strategy linked to its primary mission: FarmersFuture 2020. It's not surprising an insurance company would have an insurance policy for the future. But Farmers takes that strategy one step further, setting its sights on 2020 with a far-reaching plan to…

A return to normal after a crisis is a good thing. Who doesn't want back what once seemed lost? The problem is it usually isn't a simple task figuring out how to patch together a scaled-back training program. When the recession hit in fall 2008, trainers were asked to scale down programming and make do with fewer resources. With a recovery in full…

For SCC Soft Computer, a clinical information management systems provider, learning and development long has played an essential role in maintaining a high-growth global company. In 2010, the organization proved through ramped-up offerings, improved training success rates, and continual programming evolution that training is still a top priority.…

When an employer sees on a resume that an applicant graduated at the top of his or her business school class, does that necessarily translate into guaranteed success behind the desk at the company? A business school background can't hurt, but most organizations know it is far from enough. With more individuals touting business school degrees on…

In this article, "Training" editors recognize innovative and successful learning and development programs and practices submitted in the 2012 Training Top 125 application. Best practices: (1) Edward Jones: Practice Makes Perfect (sales training); (2) Grant Thornton LLP: Senior Manager Development Program (SMDP); (3) MetLife, Inc.: Top Advisor…

For The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., last year proved the perfect backdrop for meeting learning and development goals as the company completed the largest acquisition in its history. While training and development have always been a priority for PNC, in 2010 the company climbed one step higher. The acquisition of National City…

"Training" magazine taps 2011 Training Top 125 winners to provide their learning and development best practices in each issue. This article looks at strategies for aligning training with business goals and creating models to measure return-on-investment (ROI) and other financial metrics pertaining to training.

Creating a balanced learning space for employees is about more than trying different types of seating. It is a challenge that an affect how well employees absorb the lessons and whether they will be able to product better results for the company. The possible solutions are as diverse as the learners. This article describes how three companies…

Future leaders' creativity and problem-solving skills have been honed in leadership courses, but that doesn't mean they are ready to use those skills to further a company's place in the world. With emerging markets in Asia, South America, and other areas of the world, a workforce needs to have an understanding of and interest in cultures beyond…