The Association for Talent Development (ATD) recently announced the 2022 ATD BEST Award winners, and Procede Software is thrilled to have been among the honorees. ATD’s BEST Award is the talent development industry’s most rigorous and coveted recognition. The global program recognizes organizations that demonstrate enterprise-wide success through talent development.
“These organizations are driving impact and solving business challenges through talent development practices, and they are doing it in innovative ways,” said Tony Bingham, ATD president and chief executive officer. “Senior leaders in these organizations understand the critical strategic role learning has, and they are committed to investing in the growth and development of their people.”
Lindsay Kramer, Procede’s Director of Education & Training Services said, “We are honored that ATD recognized Procede Software for our commitment to investing in our employees. Our Learning and Development program is an integral part of our business strategy. Providing our employees with opportunities to enhance their skills and grow their careers is a key way we drive success for ourselves and for our customers, and they have the added benefit of reinforcing our positive company culture.”
Our Talent Development Strategy
Procede Software’s talent strategy is to hire individuals whose values align with the company culture, provide comprehensive resources to help them grow their skillsets and careers, and create opportunities for new roles and promotions within the company. As Kramer explains, “An individual’s abilities and outlook are often more valuable than their experience. We look for alignment with our company values, as well as characteristics like problem-solving skills, willingness to take on challenges, and service to others.”
Both C-level and senior leadership take an active role in company-wide training and development: they maintain an open-door policy which fosters a mentoring culture, and are available to collaborate, brainstorm, and provide input and direction based on their professional experiences. The formal employee onboarding and ongoing development programs are managed by a dedicated Employee Development Committee that is comprised of members from the Education & Training Services, Learning & Development, and Human Resources teams. The Procede Workforce Training program is focused on both onboarding and ongoing professional development and incorporates activities designed to enhance industry, product, and role-specific knowledge, as well as soft skills such as leadership and communication.
In addition to its more traditional onboarding and professional development offerings, Procede has developed several innovative initiatives to foster knowledge and skills and strengthen culture, including weekly virtual lunches with the CEO; company-wide activities such as spirit weeks; virtual happy hours; Lunch and Learns on a variety of topics from employee wellness to power skills and most recently, an employee rewards and recognition platform to keep employees engaged and motivated. These have become an essential way the company builds community.
A Successful Approach
Procede’s CEO, Larry Kettler refers to the strategy of hiring people for cultural fit, providing comprehensive onboarding, and supporting their internal growth and development, including transferring between departments and roles, as “finding the right seat on the bus.” Over time, it’s proven to be a successful approach, both for employees and for the company itself. More than 35% of employees advanced their careers at the company in the last year via promotion or by moving into newly created roles. Kettler explains the positive impact this has on the business, saying: “When we support our employees, they, in turn, support our customers. It’s a big part of why we have a 98% customer retention rate and can pour our year-over-year revenue growth right back into the business.”
Additionally, the Procede Workforce Training program has resulted in reduced time to proficiency, employee turnover is below industry average and continues to drop, and employees consistently cite culture as one of things they most appreciate about the company.
We’re hiring! If you are interested in exploring careers at Procede Software, check out our open positions.