HR STRATEGY
Scaled Agile, Inc. | March 25, 2022
Scaled Agile, Inc., provider of SAFe®, unveiled its Spring Launch with over 20 new features and resources designed to help SAFe professionals successfully transition skills from the classroom to the workplace. Focused on three areas, Lean Portfolio Management, organizing around value, and Release Train Engineer facilitation, the new offering includes workshops, practice and facilitation guides, e-learning, SAFe collaboration templates, and focused community sections.
"Applying SAFe in real-world environments can be daunting, These new resources enable SAFe professionals to develop the specific skills needed to help their organizations accelerate digital innovation and achieve business agility. Those leading the adoption of Agile at scale will love the ability to learn what they need at the moment they need it, and business leaders will appreciate knowing that their teams can consistently deliver on the needs of a dynamic business."
-Chris James, CEO of Scaled Agile, Inc.
Key highlights of the Spring Launch include:
Resources for Organizing Around Value:
Organizing Around Value Community section, Practice Guide, and Collaborate Templates to get started on the Organizing Around Value journey.
Value Stream Mapping Community section and Collaborate Templates to continue the journey.
Business Agility Assessments to communicate and plan for success.
Resources for Launching a Lean Portfolio:
Getting Started Workshop for Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) class participants to prepare for the LPM implementation kickoff with field-tested patterns.
LPM Practice Guide with interactive modules and embedded practice resources to ensure a successful Lean portfolio journey. The online resources help change agents align, organize, strategize, operate, govern, and measure a Lean portfolio.
Leading in the Digital Age, a cohort-based leadership development program that supports leaders in their Lean-Agile journey.
Resources for Release Train Engineers (RTE):
Role-based Community section and RTE Essentials e-learning to help gain confidence on day one.
Virtual iteration events, custom workshops, and virtual PI Planning with PI Event Facilitator Guides and SAFe collaboration tools.
RTE Role-based Assessment and Team and Technical Agility Assessment and Growth Recommendations to measure success.
Leading SAFe® is available in Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, and Brazilian Portuguese to support global members of an Agile Release Train.
The new resources are available on the SAFe® Community Platform to all SAFe® Program Consultants and SAFe® Enterprise Members. In addition, LPM resources are available to LPM course attendees, and RTE resources are available to those with "RTE" selected as their role in the SAFe® Community Platform.
About Scaled Agile, Inc.:
Scaled Agile, Inc. is the provider of SAFe®, the world's most trusted system for business agility. Through integrated solutions that help teams unlock better ways of working, Scaled Agile is redefining the way the world's leading organizations identify and deliver customer value, capitalize on emerging opportunities, and improve business outcomes. Over 20,000 businesses and government agencies rely on SAFe and Scaled Agile's Global Partner Network to accelerate digital innovation and compete in a fast-changing marketplace. Scaled Agile is a contributing member of the Pledge 1% corporate philanthropy and community service movement.
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HR STRATEGY
Salesforce | January 27, 2022
Salesforce, the global leader in CRM, today published its new Global Digital Skills Index, revealing a growing global digital skills crisis and an urgent need for action. The Salesforce Index is based on over 23,000 workers in 19 countries reporting their readiness to acquire key digital skills.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents (73%) don't feel equipped to learn the digital skills needed by businesses now and even more (76%) don't feel equipped for the future. Despite 82% of survey respondents planning to learn new skills in the next five years, only 28% are actively involved in digital skills learning and training programs now.
The global digital skills gap
This gap is a concern – but it also presents an opportunity. With companies around the world rapidly transitioning to digital-first models, the demand for employees with digital skills has soared.
The Salesforce Index's overall global score for digital readiness, assessed in terms of preparedness, skill level, access, and active participation in digital upskilling, is currently only 33 out of 100. The countries represented in the survey ranged from scores of 63 to 15, highlighting that while certain countries feel more digitally ready than others, there is an urgent need for global investment to close the digital skills gap and build a more inclusive workforce.
Everyday digital skills don't translate to the workplace
Everyday skills such as social media and web navigation don't necessarily translate to the core workplace digital skills needed by business to drive recovery, resilience, and growth.
More than two thirds of all Gen Z respondents (64%) say they have advanced social media skills — supporting the stereotype of digital mastery among the younger generation — but less than a third (31%) believe they have the advanced digital workplace skills needed by businesses now.
Generational skills gap
However, the Salesforce Index also reveals that younger respondents have the greatest confidence and ambition to learn new skills — over one-third of Gen Z is actively learning and training for skills needed over the next five years compared to 12% of Baby Boomers.
The most important digital skills needed by businesses today
According to the Salesforce Index, skills in collaboration technology are viewed as the most important digital workplace skill for workers today and over the next five years. But despite respondents' prowess with everyday collaboration technology like social media, only 25% rate themselves advanced in those collaboration technology skills needed specifically for the workplace.
Business has a critical role to play
Now more than ever, businesses have a responsibility to act to address the growing global skills gap. Salesforce is committed to investing in the future workforce through its diverse set of workforce development programs, including:
Trailblazer Community, a global network of 15 million people across the Salesforce ecosystem who help each other learn new skills and succeed with Salesforce.
Trailhead, Salesforce's free online learning platform which has helped more than 3.9 million people skill up for the future of work.
Pathfinder Training Program, a workforce development program that prepares individuals with the technical, business, and soft skills needed to pursue a career in the Salesforce ecosystem.
Salesforce Military, which offers free online training classes and certification exams at no cost for active-duty military, veterans, and military spouses. Salesforce also connects participants with potential employers.
Salesforce Talent Alliance, an initiative that connects Salesforce partner companies to job candidates trained on Salesforce through Trailhead and brings new talent into the fast-growing ecosystem.
Trailblazer Connect, which helps people connect to mentorship and career opportunities through events and online resources.
Comments on the news
"There's a gap between the frontier of innovation and the skills necessary to use those innovations, That in itself, is not new. But what is new, is the scope of that innovation, how widespread it is, how it has diffused in every aspect of life. It is hard to do almost anything these days without some form of digital interaction."
-Peter Schwartz, SVP, Strategic Planning and Chief Futures Officer, Salesforce.
"At Salesforce, we've made it our mission to empower anyone to learn and harness the digital-first skills needed for the jobs of today and tomorrow, We are building critical pathways to the new economy by enabling anyone to build a dynamic career, company, and community with Salesforce."
-Kris Lande, SVP, Marketing & Community, Salesforce.
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HR STRATEGY
Glassdoor | January 15, 2022
Wpromote was named one of the top 50 Best Places to Work in 2022 and awarded a Glassdoor Employees' Choice Award across all industries in the U.S. small and medium company category. The 14th annual Employees' Choice Award is based solely on elective, anonymous employee feedback about their job, work environment, and employer on Glassdoor, the worldwide leader on insights about jobs and companies.
We don't believe great work is possible without a supportive culture that prioritizes a strong-work life balance, Our people are the driving force behind our success as an organization and what we can achieve for our clients, and continuing to improve the way we work through employee feedback is a top focus. As a leader, this should be a no-brainer: a better work culture and investment in our employees' growth means people are more willing to try new things, take risks, and unlock their full potential.
-Wpromote CEO Mike Mothner
Between pandemic disruption, "The Great Resignation," and a hyper-competitive job market, both retention and talent acquisition are particularly challenging for organizations across every industry. Marketing agencies in particular have struggled to retain employees. But 95% of reviewers on Glassdoor are willing to recommend Wpromote to a friend because investment in workplace improvement and culture is not a brand new priority and is constantly evolving based on multiple employee feedback mechanisms, including an annual employee engagement survey.
On Glassdoor, current and former employees voluntarily and anonymously share insights and opinions about their work environments by sharing a company review, designed to capture a genuine and authentic inside look at what a specific job may be like at a particular company.
"The world of work is rapidly evolving, fueled by the pandemic and now millions of workers reevaluating their expectations from employers. This year's Best Places to Work winners are leading the way by listening and responding to employee feedback and reimagining the employee experience to truly put their people first, It's inspiring to see these employers step up during the pandemic to expand and grow company cultures where employees feel supported and valued in and out of work. Congratulations to all of this year's Employees' Choice Award winners."
-Christian Sutherland-Wong, Glassdoor chief executive officer.
Glassdoor's Best Places to Work were determined using company reviews shared by U.S.-based employees between October 20, 2020 and October 18, 2021. To be considered for the U.S. small and medium company category, a company must have had fewer than 1,000 employees and have received at least 30 ratings across each of the nine workplace attributes (overall company rating, career opportunities, compensation and benefits, culture and values, diversity and inclusion, senior management, work-life balance, recommend to a friend and six-month business outlook) taken into account as part of the awards algorithm. The final list is compiled using Glassdoor's proprietary algorithm, led by its Economic Research Team, and takes into account quantity, quality and consistency of reviews.
About Wpromote
Wpromote is a digital marketing agency that helps our clients Think Like A Challenger: from enterprise brands to fast-growing digital disruptors, we believe that the right marketing strategy can help every business connect with customers and drive profitable growth. With 6 offices across the United States, we help leading brands like Whirlpool, TransUnion, Zenni, Adobe, and Frontier Airlines achieve not just performance increases but success against overall business objectives by taking a holistic approach that combines best-in-class expertise and proprietary technology. As the top Performance Marketing Agency in the latest Forrester Wave, we're proud we don't answer to anyone's interests but our clients.
About Glassdoor
Glassdoor is revolutionizing how people everywhere find jobs and companies they love by providing deeper workplace transparency. Professionals turn to Glassdoor to research ratings, reviews, salaries and more at millions of employers, and to Fishbowl by Glassdoor to engage in candid workplace conversations. Companies use Glassdoor to post jobs and attract talent through employer branding and employee insights products. Glassdoor is a subsidiary of Recruit Holdings, a leading global technology company, and a part of its fast-growing HR Technology business unit.
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HR STRATEGY
the Best and Brightest Programs | December 28, 2021
WOW! Internet, Cable & Phone (NYSE: WOW), a leading broadband services provider, was named one of Denver's Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® for the second consecutive year by the National Association for Business Resources (NABR). WOW! secured the regional award in Denver last year as one of the area's inaugural recipients and recently received national recognition as a 2021 Best and Brightest Company to Work For in the Nation®, winning the award for the eighth time and fourth consecutive year.
The Best and Brightest Companies to Work For award is given to companies, like WOW!, that demonstrate dedication to maintaining an excellent employee culture, pioneering innovative and thoughtful human resource practices and going above and beyond to positively impact the lives of employees.
As part of its focus on recognizing the value of its people, the company recently awarded shares of WOW! stock to all employees. This benefit is just the latest example of WOW!'s dedication to its workforce. WOW! is committed to continuously providing career development opportunities, offering competitive wages and benefit packages, as well as instilling and promoting a company culture of respect and excellence, values aligned closely with its core mission.
"It's an honor to receive this award for the second time in Denver, where WOW! is headquartered, We're incredibly proud of our Denver employees' unwavering commitment to providing excellent service to customers and their constant dedication to embodying WOW!'s core values every day."
-David Brunick, chief human resources officer of WOW!
One of 17 companies receiving this recognition in Denver, WOW! was evaluated across the following categories: employee achievement and recognition, communication and shared vision, diversity and inclusion, employee enrichment, engagement and retention, work-life balance, compensation and benefits, community initiatives and strategic-company performance. WOW! has continuously demonstrated that its leadership and human resources practices positively impact the professional development and well-being of all of the company's employees.
In response to the ongoing challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, WOW! has remained committed to ensuring employee safety. Since the initial height of the pandemic, WOW! has made significant strides in nimbly navigating the future of work by implementing new procedures for virtual and remote work that allow all workers to feel safe and secure, while maximizing efficiency.
"As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to reshape the workplace, our employees have shown incredible strength in adapting to these changes while continuing to provide exceptional service to our customers, Our record of achievement as a Best and Brightest Company demonstrates WOW!'s success in creating an excellent workplace in Denver, across local markets and on a national level, a record that we strive to uphold."
-Teresa Elder, CEO of WOW!.
About WOW! Internet, Cable & Phone
WOW! is one of the nation's leading broadband providers, with an efficient, high-performing network that passes 1.9 million residential, business and wholesale consumers. WOW! provides services in 14 markets, primarily in the Midwest and Southeast, including Michigan, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia. With an expansive portfolio of advanced services, including high-speed Internet services, cable TV, phone, business data, voice, and cloud services, the company is dedicated to providing outstanding service at affordable prices. WOW! also serves as a leader in exceptional human resources practices, having been recognized eight times by the National Association for Business Resources as a Best & Brightest Company to Work For, winning the award for the last four consecutive years.
About the Best and Brightest Programs
The Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® competition identifies and honors organizations that display a commitment to excellence in operations and employee enrichment that lead to increased productivity and financial performance. This competition scores potential winners based on regional data of company performance and a set standard across the nation. This national program celebrates those companies that are making better business, creating richer lives and building a stronger community as a whole. There are numerous regional celebrations throughout the country such as Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Houston, Milwaukee, San Diego and San Francisco.
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