Any good manager relies on a few tried-and-true methods to train, develop and retain top talent. Digital learning platform HMH seeks to shake this traditional routine by giving employees the opportunity to grow by actually leaving their teams.
As part of their LEAD Connected program,
"We know in talent management that sometimes the way up is not vertical," says Alejandro Reyes, chief people officer at HMH. "You need to learn new things so you become better prepared for the next vertical move, and that's what this program does. You become more aware of what it takes for the company to be successful and you learn new things about yourself."
Identifying better methods for learning and development is a hot topic among HR departments. According to Axonify, 93% of employees said that well-planned
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Rotation programs are an integral part of many companies, offering the benefits of enhanced employee experience, as well as increased engagement and satisfaction, which lead to
HMH is currently in the process of putting its second group of nine employees through the rotation program, with a third slated to begin next January. Each group of employees reports to HR while still getting paid their original salary, and is guided through three six-month rotations in various departments, based on their particular interests and skills.
One key component that makes the program a success is the level of support given to those who participate. With expert help from a rotation manager, a group leader and individual mentors, it is safe to take big risks, safe to fail, and in the end, helps to build the confidence employees need to be their best professional selves, says Reyes.
"In the end, we create an internal talent market," he says. "We have nine names and we have their resumes, the top leaders already know them, and they use open positions to make a proposal for maybe two or three of them. So each participant gets two or three — sometimes five — job offers, and chooses for his or her interests."
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What they also create is a loyal, engaged workforce and a reputation for supporting their people's development. Employees see the investment being made in them, and leaders witness the greatness of the program's participants and say, 'We want more of that,' Reyes says. The program, which is listed under HMH's overall diversity efforts, made sure its leadership was made up of people from various demographics, which helps to promote stability in that regard as well, he says.
Kimberly Mosby, who started her career in education before joining HMH 14 years ago, was nominated from her position of senior product manager to participate in the LEAD Connected program as part of the second group, and is currently in her second rotation.
"As an educator, you recognize the importance of lifelong learning," Mosby says. "What I love about the program is it's given me a glimpse into places I didn't know existed and an opportunity to interact with those particular folks and network within those areas."
Those selected by their managers go through an application process similar to that at a university. Because the recommendation to get in must come from leadership, is an honor just to be recognized, Mosby says. The commitment to promoting from within shows the company's dedication to its current employees, and makes you want to stay, she says.
"There are times where you work at a place and say, 'We have this amazing talent, but yet we hire from outside," says Mosby. "Loyalty means something. It means something if a company is willing to invest in you, because you're willing to invest back in them."
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In addition to the individual benefits to employees, the LEAD connected program has also improved company culture by promoting deep bonds among the employee participants and those they interact with. Like the exposure to different job areas of the company, the cohorts meet people in other departments they may never have otherwise, offering the chance to develop even more learning and mentorship opportunities, as well as unexpected friendships.
"It's important for any company that wants to have this type of program to help folks in it to gel," says Mosby. "When I moved into my first rotation, one of the [other] nine moved into my former role and did a few of the tasks that I used to do. So she would reach out and say, 'Kim, how did you do this?' And I would walk her through. She and I forged a relationship, and then a third person moved into that person's role, so the three of us would have these offline conversations and help each other out."
Another unique aspect of the program is that participants actively help design every step of their own development and instruction plan, which means they get as much out of it as they put in, says Mosby. From the rotation setting to the book study and the leadership and speakers they engage with, the members of the cohort determine their own experience, she says.
"Where else would we have been able to write our own six-month job description," Mosby says. "Allowing participants to be in the driver's seat, that's what makes LEAD Connected so different from other established programs."
