What background and qualifications do you have in workplace learning and development?

Providers should have a strong background in adult and workplace learning, with significant experience coaching and training leaders and employees. They should understand that development requires employees to explore and understand their specific strengths and opportunities in the context of their role and organization, create a practical action plan that targets these areas, and follow through on that plan. Your provider should be prepared to support your team over time, as real improvement comes from practice, not from a one-off course or workshop.

All members of The Hayward Group team are senior-level talent management specialists with years of experience in employee learning, training and development. They include professionals with graduate-level degrees in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Organizational Development, Registered Psychologists, and ICF Accredited Professional Certified Coaches.

How do you help participants identify their key strengths and opportunities?

Reputable providers will take the time to understand the context and goals of the development program, rather than push a ‘one size fits all’ solution. With that in mind, they should be able to suggest a range of specific tools to help participants reveal and target specific needs. This includes having valid and objective methods for exploring their talents and development opportunities, with the intention of creating tailored development plans for each individual. Otherwise, participants are left guessing about how well their skills and approach line up with expectations, with only a vague understanding of how they should focus their efforts.

The Hayward Group’s assessment program includes a variety of methods for evaluating competencies critical to participants’ success, including job-specific ability tests, behavioural style questionnaires, 360° feedback surveys and other tools customized to the target position. The specific tools and competencies evaluated will depend on the results of a discussion with key stakeholders, which ensures only the most useful and valid evaluation methods are included.

How do you help participants explore their development needs and set goals?

Unfortunately, many providers either coach and train without objective assessments, or depend on a generic tool and computer-generated report to provide what should be specific insights tailored to the individual. Just as important as having a valid assessment to inform development needs, providers should have the expertise to interpret assessments in the context of the role, team, organization and individual - and then help the participant set informed and targeted developmental goals.

The Hayward Group consultants have extensive training and experience in a variety of assessment instruments and methods, and know how to best work with participants to explore their results. All programs include one-on-one debriefs with the consultant, who takes the time to not only review comprehensive reports, but also work with participants to understand how these results might be impacting their job situation and performance.

We also provide participants with supplemental materials and activities to help them appreciate and ‘own’ their results. For example, our Key Insights Exercise includes a summary of the assessment and debrief session from the consultant’s perspective, along with questions to help participants highlight and describe what they’ve learned about their top strengths and opportunities. This document can then be shared with their manager and used to facilitate development planning.

Finally, development plans are created in partnership with the consultant, who will provide templates and guidance to help participants set clear goals for the coming year. This includes a range of options that depend on their goals and intentions, such as activities, books, courses, coaching and training options offered by our certified coaches and educational partners.

How do you ensure progress and accountability?

Providers should clearly understand the importance of developmental follow up and support, rather than simply suggesting a particular ‘one time’ course or resource. The fact is that people tend to lose enthusiasm and slide back into old habits without regularly revisiting their goals and commitments, and without a measure of progress and success.

The Hayward Group development program fosters accountability in a variety of ways. For example, throughout the year, the consultant schedules development checkpoint meetings with participants to ask about completed activities and improvements. Together, they’ll also discuss whether the development plan should be updated in response to current situations and challenges. More formal coaching can be provided by a specialist with expertise in specific areas or competencies, depending on need.

Typically at the 12-month mark, we also suggest that participants complete a full or partial re-assessment as a way to objectively measure their progress and inform more significant updates to the development plan (as needed) for the coming year. This can be particularly motivating, having objective proof that their efforts have made a difference.

How much time will it take to complete the program?

Beware of providers who promise significant improvement within a short period of time or suggest that a specific course or coaching is ‘the answer’. True learning and development can be difficult and time-consuming, and requires regular practice, feedback and expert guidance.

The Hayward Group’s development program is designed to be an ongoing process. Typically, initial assessment, debrief and development planning occurs over the first 3-4 weeks (e.g., a 1.5-hour assessment, 2-hour debrief and 2-hour development planning session). This is followed by regular checkpoints with a consultant throughout the year, as well as any coaching and training that the participant and manager feels would be helpful for fostering accountability and engagement. Assessments are then repeated after a set period of time, often every 12 months, to gauge progress and update plans for the subsequent year.

Learning and development should never truly end, as employees continue to progress, encounter new opportunities and challenges, and reach goals and milestones throughout their careers.

How much does the development program cost?

The cost of a development program can vary widely across providers, depending on the methods used, hours required and whether they provide supplemental training and support after the initial intervention. For example, while some providers simply offer a one-time course or workshop, others offer ongoing coaching and other services.

Once the needs evaluation has been completed, The Hayward Group will provide you with a detailed proposal and project plan, including program options, timelines and pricing. It is during this phase that the consultant will be able to suggest the most appropriate methods and supporting services for your specific organization and participants. That said, a standard program that includes a comprehensive assessment and 360° feedback survey, debrief session, development planning and development checkpoints starts at approximately $4,500 per participant.

Ask us about lowering costs through relevant training grants, such as the Canada-Alberta Job Grant (CAJG). Depending on your needs and the level of internal support provided, we can also administer select parts of the process, such as candidate assessments and development planning.

What responsibilities do we have as clients*? How much of my time will this take?

As with most talent management consulting, there are many providers who each have different expectations regarding client involvement. For example, a one-off workshop may only require the participant to ‘sign up and show up’, while others consult and work in partnership with key stakeholders throughout the program.

Our goal at The Hayward Group is to handle as much of the process for you as possible, including communications and logistics, assessment administration, development planning and subsequent participant support, with clients generally needing to invest a few hours in the program (i.e., much less than a full-fledged program administered internally). That said, we insist on a needs evaluation discussion with key stakeholders up-front to ensure we design the most appropriate and impactful program. We also encourage participants’ managers to be involved at certain points in the program, such as reviewing Key Insight Exercise summaries and approving and supporting participants’ development plans. The latter is especially important for ensuring that development plans and goals align with the manager’s expectations.

*clients being key stakeholders like the participants’ manager and/or members of the HR team.

Can your team support other talent management programs?

One of the benefits of working with a talent management firm, as opposed to a single training provider, is that they can review and suggest best-practice methods for use across other programs. The result is a more integrated approach to recruitment, development, succession and career planning.

The Hayward Group consultants have a great deal of training and experience in both recruitment and development, including support for competency modeling, performance management, succession planning and a range of other talent management areas.

Do you have any references or testimonials?

An established provider should have no trouble providing client (and participant) references and testimonials that reflect the value and benefits of working with them.

You can read some of ours below, and click to see more testimonials and details from our work with various clients.