Introduction

‘Development academy’ is a term we hear more and more frequently. CIPD research suggests there are five times more development academies in 2020 compared to 1990. So, what is the concept behind these academies? And what are their ‘must have’ design factors for delivering improvements in business performance and employee engagement?

Development academies are found in a diverse range of organisations, across an array of different sectors. No matter the size, structure or maturity of an organisation, if it is committed to making a long-term investment in workforce development, then there is a convincing argument for adopting the academy approach.

What is the Academy Approach to development?

Josh Bersin captured it very succinctly in a recent article: An academy goes beyond a ‘library of content’. It is a place people go to advance their job-related capabilities. It goes beyond technical and functional skills, and focuses on the skills, knowledge, and experiences employees need to succeed and the company needs to thrive.

Academies provide integrated development programmes to grow and hone the skills and talent needed by the organisation. They are places of continuous and collaborative learning, with development interventions that keep pace with the changing needs of the business. They are not just a library of learning content or a selection of courses!

IBM research of 4,500 senior execs in 50 countries, identified that the challenges are not just technical skills, but also the more complex social behavioural skills. Additionally younger workers are less interested in technical skills and want to learn problem-solving, leadership, influencing and communication skills.

Who are they for?

Academies are typically used for the development of leaders and managers or for communities in professional or specialist roles. However, they are applicable for any skill set and any level of role, and can be equally beneficial for communities of graduates and apprentices.

Comcast has an ‘Academy of Customer Service’, Cemex has a ‘Supply Chain Academy’ and a ‘Safety Academy’, Visa is building a ‘FinTech Capability Academy’ and Capital One has a ‘Cloud, Digital, and Cybersecurity Academy’. OPL has supported academies for general leadership, project management, commercial management, and engineering.

A key requirement of the academy approach is the robust assessment of the participant audience, including skill/competency levels and breadth/depth of experience. This may sound like a simple task, but the collation and maintenance of robust information about employee skills and capability is a sizable challenge for any organisation.

What are the advantages of Academies?

The academy approach is often cited as being the proven development ‘formula’ for the advancement of real business capabilities. The direct impact of development on performance within organisations is notoriously difficult to quantify, so what is the basis for these claims? A key contributing factor is the ‘golden thread’ that directly aligns the objectives of academies with the objectives of the wider organisation, so the development activities and opportunities provided by academies are directly linked to the corporate strategy. Having a constant ‘finger-on-the-pulse’ of the organisation’s priorities enables academies to monitor and predict development needs and be in a constant state of evolution. This is particularly important in our increasingly complex and competitive business environments, where off-the-shelf training programmes can rarely be adapted quickly enough to meet the specific needs of the organisation.

Creating a continuous learning experience is a common aim of academies. This is a key differentiator of the academy approach from traditional corporate learning and development offerings, which often have a ‘once and done’ ethos. Academies can offer long-term development opportunities and utilise a varied mix of development resources that mesh with the daily workflow, such as project work, coaching programmes and content from sector-specific leaders and experts. Bersin calls it ‘Learning in the Flow of Work’, where we started to think about learning at the point of need. By using real business problems as learning tools, academies can provide opportunities for innovation and improvement. This reality-based learning facilitates timely and collaborative problem solving.

Academies are often credited with giving employees more personal responsibility for their capability and career profiles and providing clarity on how their career can progress via participation in academy programmes. Kraft Heinz calls its academy ‘OwnerVersity’ to reflect its focus on creating employee ownership of personal development. Having well-defined and transparent career development pathways motivates employees, improves engagement and engenders commitment to the development process and the organisation. This, in turn, means that the skills and knowledge development delivered by academies is more likely to be retained within the organisation, strengthening valuable corporate memory and helping to create a competitive advantage.

With transparent information regarding the required knowledge, skill and experience for current roles and/or potential future roles, employees can gauge their career progression options within the organisation. By mapping out role requirements and providing development options to gain the relevant skills and experience, a very clear message is sent about the organisation’s commitment to developing and retaining the skills it needs and values. This increases employee awareness and understanding, which in turn creates a culture of openness, fairness and equity.

Quantifying the return on investment of development activities is always challenging, however various case studies illustrate how the academy approach can have an impact on the bottom line that is both measurable and sustainable. The design and implementation of the academy approach requires significant investment of time and resources. However, without this investment, learning and development budgets are in danger of delivering inconsistent results and unreliable returns. Development teams need to fully understand the skill and capability requirements of their organisation, both current and future, in order to design and deliver development interventions that will have a sustainable impact on performance.

Summary

In the ongoing climate of change and uncertainty, it’s increasingly important to ensure that development strategies and programmes are providing the best opportunities for employees to gain and hone the skills and expertise needed to deliver business objectives.

Organisations need to plan for greater flexibility in response to change and uncertainty, whether that is with regards to customer needs, technology, the political climate, financial constraints or employee expectations. You need a capable, agile and engaged workforce in order to adapt and respond to these changes and uncertainties. The academy model is an extremely effective approach to meeting this need. By ensuring relevance and consistency of content, academies help embed corporate culture and messaging. They provide clarity and transparency with regard to development opportunities and progression routes, encouraging employee engagement and ownership.

We hope that this brief blog has provided a useful overview of the internal academy approach to employee development. You can access the full report and supporting case studies below.