Category: Learning & Development

Employees are valuing career development more than ever—it’s a sign that the company is willing to invest in their future. How are businesses approaching training today? What are their pain points, and what topics are being addressed in training?

From Managers to Magnets: How to Make Inspiring Leaders

Let’s be real: bad managers don’t just frustrate employees; they drive your best talent out the door. The difference between a manager that people tolerate and a leader that people love comes down to skills HR must develop right now. Want to turn your managers into magnetic leaders who inspire loyalty, performance, and trust? All […]

The Ghost Growth Trap: Why “Advancement in Name Only” is Killing Trust

Career development is supposed to be an empowering journey. Yet, for a vast number of U.S. workers, it feels like a lie. A new survey from MyPerfectResume reveals a phenomenon called “Ghost Growth”: the illusion of career advancement that comes without any raise, promotion, or real change in authority. The findings paint a stark picture for HR […]

Coca-Cola’s 3 Step Strategy for HR: Structure That Delivers Clarity

At SPARK TALENT, Sue Lam, VP of Global People Analytics at The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC), laid out the strategy for HR to shift from a fragmented, reactive function to a strategic business driver. She shared how TCCC transformed from 32 fragmented business units into a “networked organization.” The key was simple: HR dropped the reactive support role and […]

STEM

Building a Resilient STEM Workforce Starts in the Classroom 

The education sector is faced with a whirlwind of changes, from delays of billions in expected federal education funds for K-12 schools to the actions that redefine the federal government’s future role in education.   As conversations arise around how changes targeting education will impact students in the near-term, it’s critical that these discussions also […]

How AI Challenges Recruiters to Shift from Admin to Strategy

Forget the panic of jobs being replaced; the true challenge of AI is getting Talent Acquisition (TA) to fundamentally redefine its value. That was the consensus from SPARK TALENT‘s “Unscripted Expert Discussion: TA in the Age of AI—Friend, Foe, or Future,” moderated by Jennifer Kirkwood CEO & Founder of Talvana Consulting, and featuring panelists Bertrand Dussert VP, Talent Acquisition […]

The Heart of AI: How Hyatt’s HR is Redefining Talent with Care and Courage

Forget chasing the latest software—the biggest challenge in the AI era is the human equation. Carlee Wolfe, Associate Vice President of Leader Development and Organizational Effectiveness at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, is tackling this head-on. She sees the future of talent management not in code alone, but in a powerful partnership between technology and organizational values.  In her […]

How to Leverage Exit Interview Data to Improve Retention Strategies

Exit interviews are sometimes overlooked in favor of focusing on the people who choose to stay rather than those who leave. However, departing employees often provide candid insights into your company’s strengths and weaknesses, making exit interviews a strategic opportunity to gain data for improved retention. Why Exit Interview Data Matters for Retention Recent research […]

SPARK TALENT Day 2: HR’s 3-Part Playbook for AI, Outlier Sourcing & CX

If Day Two of SPARK TALENT gave us one clear takeaway, it’s that the future of HR is less about managing processes and more about becoming architects of organizational change and talent scouting.  Our keynotes from Ross Sparkman, Bertrand Dussert, and Blair Bennett’s hot session, didn’t just talk theory; they handed us a three-part playbook for […]

From Order-Taker to Architect: Day 1 Key Takeaways from SPARK TALENT on AI, Ethics, and Workforce Strategy

Day One of the SPARK TALENT 2025 conference delivered a unified mandate to HR and Talent Acquisition (TA) leaders: the reactive, service-provider model is obsolete. Success requires you to stop being an “order-taker” and become an “architect of the workforce.” Three powerful sessions defined the essential shifts necessary to make that change. 1. The Strategic […]

Gen Z Is Reimagining Work—Is Your Office Ready?

Across the country, many companies are establishing return-to-work mandates. Driven by existing lease agreements and lingering suspicion that remote workers aren’t as productive as they claim, most companies are ignoring a critical flaw in their RTO strategy: maybe it’s not that employees don’t want to be in the office—they just don’t want to be in […]