Who isn't familiar with McDonald's? Its golden arches are among the most recognizable brand icons in the U.S. What many are less familiar with is the methodical and distinguished learning and development that supports that brand. Training that begins by preparing employees to serve customers at the counter, and extends to programs that help…

While a main goal for corporate trainers traditionally has been to train employees to reach organizational goals, many trainers may find their roles expanding. With companies cutting back on staffing and consolidating multiple job roles into single positions, career development has taken on a much larger significance. At forward-thinking…

Employee engagement is not just HR's responsibility. While HR is responsible for the process of measuring and driving engagement, improving it is actually everyone's responsibility. And that means reducing the barriers to productivity to drive business performance. Training departments can play a pivotal role. Their job is to enhance curriculum or…

Professional connections cannot only win a person a job, they can also win employees a top-notch learning organization. In this article, four Training Top 125 winners--CareSource University, Coldwell Banker, inVentiv Health Inc., and Kendle International--describe how they are using Web 2.0 social networking features to facilitate their employee…

"TGIM" (Thank God, It's Monday) is phrase rarely heard from employees. But most organizations wish it were. Research continues to show that engaged employees are productive employees. And productive employees mean a bigger bottom line. The top three factors critical to employee engagement relate to recognition, career development, and the direct…

When a company's core competence is processing data, it is sometimes easy to lose sight of the obvious--the information right under its nose. In the case of Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP), a business outsourcing company specializing in human resources, payroll, tax, and benefits administrations solutions, that is not a problem. Through…

Even in an industry where rapid change is the status quo, it takes a special kind of company to handle the training challenges posed by a major corporate acquisition and massive product rollout. No one has ever accused Verizon of thinking small-scale when it comes to training initiatives, but over the last year, the telecommunications giant…

Operating a financial investment company in an unstable economy is not easy. But the right training at Vanguard ensures satisfied customers. The company made an investment of its own in learning and development that paid off big in 2009. The learning offerings, both innovative and efficient, keep its workers updated on strategies that bring…

Why do employers go to the trouble and considerable expense of providing training for the people who work for them? Traditionally, the purpose of company-sponsored training has been to prepare specific people to do specific jobs or to do them better. (SSH)