Survey: Half of Employers Plan to Emphasize, Fund Executive Training More in ’07

About 50 percent of employers in the United States aim to increase money spent on and time devoted to supervisory and executive-level training and development in 2007, according to a survey by Novations Group.

The Boston-based global consulting organization conducted the Internet survey of more than 2,046 senior HR and development executives in November and December.

According to the survey, the top-ranking categories of training, out of a choice of 11, are supervisory/management skills and leadership/executive development, respectively.

“We expect training and development budgets to remain relatively stable, but we always track subtle, year-to-year shifts in priorities,” Novations CEO and President Mike Hyter said. “Greater focus on building management skills and bench strength has been a trend for at least three years, and it tells us organizations are worried about senior-level turnover and the loss of retirement-ready baby boomers.”

In response to the question, “With respect to training and development spending and staff priorities for next year, how much will your organization budget for each of the following kinds of learning content?” survey participants said:

• Leadership/executive development
  
  
  
  • More: 46 percent
    
  • Same: 39 percent
    
  • Less: 5 percent
  
  
  
• Supervisory/management skill
  
  
  
  • More: 43 percent
    
  • Less: 46 percent
    
  • Same: 4 percent
  
  
  
• Sales/customer service
  
  
  
  • More: 30 percent
    
  • Same: 39 percent
    
  • Less: 6 percent
  
  
  
• Technical training
  
  
  
  • More: 26 percent
    
  • Same: 57 percent
    
  • Less: 5 percent
  
  
  
• Interpersonal/teamwork
  
  
  
  • More: 24 percent
    
  • Same: 55 percent
    
  • Less: 8 percent
  
  
  
• Communications
  
  
  
  • More: 20 percent
    
  • Same: 59 percent
    
  • Less: 5 percent
  
  
  
• Diversity/inclusion
  
  
  
  • More: 19 percent
    
  • Same: 45 percent
    
  • Less: 6 percent
  
  
  
• IT skills/systems
  
  
  
  • More: 18 percent
    
  • Same: 49 percent
    
  • Less: 7 percent
  
  
  
• Project management
  
  
  
  • More: 18 percent
    
  • Same: 49 percent
    
  • Less: 7 percent
  
  
  
• Business practices
  
  
  
  • More: 16 percent
    
  • Same: 53 percent
    
  • Less: 4 percent
  
  
  
• Basic skills
  
  
  
  • More: 14 percent
    
  • Same: 57 percent
    
  • Less: 9 percent

Hyter also said he expects to see blended learning solutions playing a larger role for training and development in 2007. Additionally, he said he thinks organizations will increase talent management efforts that regard the employment life cycle in an integrated way.

Further, Hyter said he thinks pressure will mount in terms of calculating the value of training and development, especially for diversity and inclusion, and succession planning will become the foremost issue to address in regard to training and development.