Training Top 10 Hall of Fame

Microsoft Corporation and SCC Soft Computer are the newest inductees into the Training Top 10 Hall of Fame, joining the ranks of the 11 companies named to the hall since its inception in 2008 (Wyeth Pharmaceuticals subsequently was acquired by Pfizer Inc. in 2009). These 11 companies held Top 10 spots in the Training Top 50, Top 100, and now Top 125 rankings for four consecutive years. Microsoft and SCC Soft Computer were formally inducted into the Top 10 Hall of Fame at this year’s Training Top 125 Gala, held February 13 during the Training 2012 Conference & Expo in Atlanta. Members remain in the Top 10 Hall of Fame for a minimum of three years. They can choose to remain in the Hall of Fame by adhering to specific guidelines or they can opt to reapply for Training Top 125 consideration.

Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft values organizational learning, which encompasses individual employee, manager, leader, business group, region, and discipline-specific needs as they relate to the company’s mission, values, and business priorities.

Microsoft reaches its 92,000 employees through four major workforce education organizations: field readiness (sales and customer-facing employees), product development (engineering group), professional development (leadership and management), and marketing. Leadership of each organization functions as part of a corporation-wide Learning Council.

The Microsoft Learning Council (the enterprise-wide governance team) provides alignment between the core learning organizations within the company: engineering, sales, marketing, and corporate learning. The Learning Council ensures linkage of learning and development initiatives to the business priorities and provides
enterprise-wide strategic planning and direction for the various learning communities within Microsoft. The Learning Council also ensures that the processes, systems, and infrastructure are in place to deliver on the company’s business requirements.

The Corporate Learning and Development group, as a part of the Talent & Organization Capability team, is responsible for the programs and infrastruture to attract, develop, and manage talent at Microsoft. This Learning and Development group drives talent development against core competencies and core programs for all Microsoft employees, business groups, and professions by audience—individual contributors, managers, and
executives. 

Engineering Excellence as one of the core learning organizations at Microsoft is a strategic performance improvement team primarily responsible for driving learning across all Microsoft engineering disciplines worldwide (35,000-plus people) and for building engineering processes, tools, and practices. The group’s primary goal is to ensure delivery of prescriptive, authoritative guidance for engineers in the form of product engineering processes, training curricula and resources, career guidance, subject matter expertise, community experiences, and customer information—all tied directly into Microsoft business
priorities.

The Sales, Marketing, and Services Group Readiness (SMSGR) organization is responsible for building complete selling knowledge and skills that are role-specific, targeted to the field’s needs, and delivered in the best and most time-efficient method possible. This helps
continuously improve and simplify how Microsoft field staff, partners, and customers innovate, grow market share, and increase the customer and partner experience.

SCC Soft Computer

Founded in 1979, SCC Soft Computer is one of the leading providers of clinical information management systems for the health-care information technology industry. At the forefront of laboratory, genetics, blood services, outreach, pharmacy, and radiology information systems software development, SCC has successfully addressed the challenges of global learning, even in uncertain economic times.

In less than 10 years, SCC has assembled one of the finest professional training teams in the health-care IT industry. In 1998, SCC offered 17 instructor-led courses to its clients and 240 employees. Within three years, SCC created a department that today serves more than 1,600 internal clients and 6,000 external clients with a training staff of 40-plus worldwide. Today, SCC offers 14,000-plus courses to its clients and staff. The success of the department is attributable to Don Keller, SCC’s CLO and vice president of Global Education, and the team he has assembled. His vision has established SCC as an organization that recognizes the importance of training and continuing education, and values the contributions made by well-trained employees.

A blended approach to education, training, and learning has enabled SCC to reap far greater rewards and see a higher return on its training investment. SCC utilizes multiple resources and considers different training options when developing training plans that minimize the time it takes a new employee to become a self-reliant and productive member of the workforce. By implementing training plans that enable existing employees to continuously develop their skill sets and keep up with changes in the allied health-care and health-care IT fields, SCC has seen a vast improvement in employee morale, reduced turnover, and a steady increase in employee referrals.

Placing in the Training Top 125 for nine of the last 10 years (in particular, in the Top 15 in 2007, the Top 10 in 2008 and 2010, and the Top 5 in 2009 and 2011) is a selling feature in SCC’s marketing and sales collateral. SCC also credits its continued placement on this list with giving it an edge in being awarded several strategic client contracts in the last several years.

This “little giant” has become a major player in the competitive global health-care information technology industry, thanks, in large part, to its continued dedication to, and investment in, employee training and development.

TOP 10 HALL OF FAME

BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON: No. 9 in 2007, No. 1 in 2006, No. 2 in 2005, No. 4 in 2004, No. 6 in 2003. Representative: Vicente Gonzalez, Learning and Development

DELOITTE LLP: No. 6 in 2004 and 2005, No. 8 in 2003, No. 9 in 2002. Representative: Bill Pelster, National Director, Talent Development, Deloitte Services LP

ERNST & YOUNG: No. 6 in 2007, No. 3 in 2006, No. 7 in 2005, No. 8 in 2004, No. 7 in 2003. Representative: Michael S. Hamilton, Chief Learning & Development Officer – Americas

GENERAL MILLS, INC.: No. 7 in 2008 and 2009, No. 5 in 2007, No. 10 in 2006.Representative: Kevin D. Wilde, Vice President, Chief Learning Officer

IBM: No. 2 in 2006, No. 1 in 2005, No. 1 in 2004, No. 2 in 2003. Representative: Gordon Fuller, Global Design & Dev. Leader, IBM Center for Advanced Learning

KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION: No. 9 in 2006, No. 5 in 2005, 2004, and 2003. Representative: Brent Bloom, Senior Director of Global Talent & Development

KPMG LLP: No. 5 in 2010, No. 2 in 2009, No. 5 in 2008, No. 7 in 2007. Representative: Cyndi Bruce, Executive Director, Center for Learning and Development

MICROSOFT CORPORATION: No. 9 in 2011, No. 8 in 2010, No. 10 in 2009, No. 9 in 2008. Representative: Jim Federico, Senior Director, Platforms & Operations, Microsoft Corporation

PFIZER INC.: No. 8 in 2006, No. 3 in 2005, No. 2 in 2004, No. 1 in 2003. Representative: David Gauci, Director, Worldwide Talent & Organization Capability, Pfizer Inc.

PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS: No. 1 in 2010, 2009, 2008; No. 2 in 2007.Representative: Tom Evans, Chief Learning Officer

THE RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL COMPANY: No. 1 in 2007, No. 4 in 2006, No. 9 in 2005, No. 10 in 2004, No. 9 in 2003. Representative: Diana Oreck, Vice President, Global Learning & Leadership Center

SCC SOFT COMPUTER: No. 4 in 2011, No. 9 in 2010, No. 3 in 2009, No. 8 in 2008. Representative: Donald Keller, Chief Learning Officer and Vice President, Global Education & Development

WYETH PHARMACEUTICALS: No. 5 in 2009, No. 3 in 2008, No. 8 in 2007, No. 7 in 2006. Acquired by Pfizer Inc. in 2009