Most Indian organisations' skilling programmes below average: Study

Cornerstone OnDemand's Talent Health Index Report finds that 60% organisations lag in automation and learning strategies

Almost 60 per cent of organisations in India are trailing in talent development initiatives and their innovative practices are limited, said a report on Thursday.

Cornerstone OnDemand Inc's '2023 Talent Health Index (THI) Report: India Edition' studied human resources (HR) practices and talent development programmes across industries. Here are some highlights from the annual report.

'Administrative maturity'

Most Indian organisations are at the "administrative" maturity level or below, indicating mastery of basics but a limited exploration of innovative practices. Talent programmes lag in automation and learning strategies are not robust at this level.

Around 41 per cent of organisations are in the administrative category and 20 per cent fell below it, in 'foundational'.

The report found that only 17 per cent of organisations used advanced learner-centric tools to streamline talent processes, and over 55 per cent did not leverage artificial intelligence (AI) technology for talent optimisation.

Only 39 per cent of organisations focus on identifying skilling needs aligned with their business strategy. Moreover, only one-third or 35 per cent of organisations worked consistently to provide a personalised approach to "learning journeys". Moreover, only 33 per cent of organisations' learning content aligned to associated skills with proficiency levels.

High-performing organisations

Only one per cent of organisations in India were regarded as "sophisticated". These high performing organisations (HPOs) organisations were found to have higher ratings in customer satisfaction, productivity, employee retention, and overall performance. HPOs excelled in learning and development, talent mobility and reporting, and data and analytics.

Nishchae Suri, Managing Director - India, Cornerstone, emphasized the urgency for organisations to invest in a holistic talent management strategy. Suri stated, "Organisations must invest in a well-rounded, multi-faceted talent management strategy to thrive amidst evolving workplace challenges. The average Talent Health Index score in this first India edition placed organizations in the “Administrative” maturity level, suggesting there is a lot of room for improvement. Talent leaders must act urgently and adopt a whole-system approach to build a comprehensive talent development ecosystem.”

The survey took responses from HR and talent leaders at 127 organisations between August 2022 and September 2023. Responses were categorised into four different categories that reflect the maturity of an organisation. These categories were foundational, administrative, sophisticated and transformative, with each level building on the previous one.