Horizon Point Consulting

Category: Talent Management and Development

We provide full service talent management and talent development consulting services. Read our blogs in this category for stories and best practices from real clients and real research.

  • How HR Can Actually Use AI

    How HR Can Actually Use AI

    As we wrap up our series on Artificial Intelligence, we’ve learned that AI isn’t as scary as some people make it out to be and that we can use it in a variety of ways- but with some caution- in order to impact our workplaces in a positive manner. 

    We’ve tried to emphasize that AI is best to leverage when: 
    You do the task a lot, 
    It is a manual process, 
    It is prone to human error, therefore:
    It’s time consuming. 
    So if you have the data sources you need and the technology to do it,
    Let AI help. 
    And go do something more value added with the time you save.

    As I’ve wrapped up my personal deep dive into AI for HR, I’ve found our friend Ben Eubank’s book Artificial Intelligence for HR to be a useful tool in framing the technologies that can impact HR by functional area.  Here, I’ll summarize some practical uses by functional areas based on Ben’s insights as well as some of my own.  I’ll also recommend some tools I have seen in action. 

    Workforce Management (Time & Attendance) 

    • Clocking in and out with facial recognition
    • New companies are capturing the market of the uberfication of staffing with AI tools to provide labor on demand to fill gaps in staffing.  Check out Onin Flex as an example. 

    Payroll & Benefits

    • Automating many of the payroll processes and checking for errors that many companies still do manually.  
    • Analyzing pay data for pay parity issues
    • Offering on demand pay. Check out Immediate as an example. 
    • Voice activated and/or chatbot technology to respond to benefit inquiry questions or how employees can perform certain tasks on his/her own. 

    Recruiting/Talent Acquisition

    • Screening resumes by keyword search (you’ve probably been doing this for quite some time) 
    • Take it a step further, once you have your technology query candidates by your filters, have the technology reach out to them to schedule the first step in the selection process
    • Use tools to rediscover applicants and match old candidates for other jobs
    • Use tools to rank candidates and let it learn from your rankings to screen candidates (caution: if you put bias in, you will get bias out)
    • Check out LinkedIn Recruiter that has a variety of features to help identify candidates based on a variety of criteria.  One criteria that I find most interesting (and Ben points this out in his book) is Candidate Receptivity. In other words, how likely will a potential candidate be interested in your opening and company? 
    • Use some pretty cool assessment tools.  One company I’ve been following since 2018 when I met them at the HR Tech conference is Pymetrics.  They are worth checking out.

    Learning and Development and Talent Development and Management

    • There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t hear about the “skills gap”.  It’s a macro issue and an issue at every company with internal talent.  There are tools on the market now that help you understand your internal talent’s skills and then help you hire internally or place people on projects based on skills analysis (Remember, tools like this are only as good as the data you put in them.  If skills aren’t in the database or aren’t accurate, it won’t work.)   A quick google search will give you a list of software tools in this space. 
    • Tools to recommend learning content for users at the individual level and at the organizational level.  Think of your Amazon Recommendation list for learning content. Take a look at page 153 of Ben’s book to understand how this works.
    • Giving leaders tools for coaching based on performance data and feedback so learning content is customized by user.  Voice technology tools that can listen and help coach a manager through specific issues. 
    • Insights to help you better understand correlation and causation between a number of dimensions and employee performance and engagement.  Features can include what if analysis (What if employee engagement rose by X percentage points, how much would turnover decrease?) to sentiment analysis (taking a large amount of qualitative employee survey data, summarizing it and making recommendations for action). 

    Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging  

    • Identifying biased communication in email, Slack, etc. and in job postings.  Check out Textio as another company I’ve been following since 2018 in this space. Their technology helps with bias and receptivity in job postings and they also have a product for writing better performance feedback.
    • Blind screening tools for recruiting, removing information that would indicate dimensions in which bias may occur. 

    Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list of things AI is doing in HR, but it is a start. If you are thinking about vetting technology vendors, this may be a good list to begin with by walking through these items and asking, can your technology do this? 

    If it is a comprehensive list HRM system and it can’t do most of these things, or provide API technology to connect to tools that can, you may need to vet other vendors. 

    What functional area in HR are you most interested in leveraging AI technology? 

  • ANNOUNCEMENT: Launching two NEW Career Development Trainings!

    ANNOUNCEMENT: Launching two NEW Career Development Trainings!

    Horizon Point has been working on two NEW Career Development Practitioner Training Offerings available Fall 2024. One will be a School Career Development Advisor (SCDA) Training. The other, an Alabama Workforce Challenges & Solutions course.

    School Career Development Advisor (SCDA) Training

    Horizon Point’s SCDA Training is designed for providers who work in many settings and help prepare students for meaningful work and managing their careers. These providers work with other staff to coordinate the design, implementation, and monitoring of school and community-based efforts to improve the chances of students entering the job market with skills, knowledge, and credentials to be competitive.

    The objectives for the SCDA Training are organized into two primary competency areas (1) knowledge of skills related to student advising and (2) knowledge of skills related to working with business and industry. SCDA Training can be offered independently, for those with school experience, or it can be offered in collaboration with Facilitating Career Development (FCD) Training for those who want more information on providing quality career development services. SCDA Training is a total of 48 hours of instruction.

    Register here: https://horizonpointconsulting.com/what-we-do/career-development/scda-training/

    Alabama Workforce Challenges and Solutions

    We are experiencing unique workforce challenges in Alabama, and solutions seem out of reach. As educators, employers, and community leaders, we can move the needle forward and create workplaces that put People First. Our Workforce Challenges and Solutions training focuses on practical methods to get more people working by understanding the challenges and implementing solutions.

    In this workshop participants will:

    • Examine the Labor Participation Rate and relevant labor market trends 
    • Discuss research and data around why labor participation rates are in decline
    • Explore strategies to remove barriers and pull people into meaningful work

    Register here: https://horizonpointconsulting.com/shop/workforce-solutions-alabama/
    *Enter code HPCPOINTBLOG24 for a 10% discount!

    As you can see, this has been an exciting time for Career Development at Horizon Point. We hope that you take advantage of all that we have to offer this Fall!

  • Be Creative Anyway: How ATD24 Made Me Feel Better About AI

    Be Creative Anyway: How ATD24 Made Me Feel Better About AI

    Attending the ATD24 International Conference made me feel so energized and prepared for another year around the sun in talent development. The obvious buzzword: Artificial Intelligence (AI). I walked away with pages and pages of notes on AI in training and development. Mary Ila kicked off our series on AI last week, so now I’m sharing a rundown (written in part using ChatGPT) of my key AI takeaways from ATD24.

    Generative AI: The Game-Changer in Scenario-Based Learning

    One of the sessions that really stood out to me was “Use Generative AI to Create Scenario-Based Learning” by Kevin Alster and Elly Henriksen from Synthesia. They showed us how generative AI can take the heavy lifting out of creating scenario-based learning (SBL). Imagine being able to quickly craft engaging, real-world scenarios that captivate your learners and improve retention.

    The tools and frameworks they demonstrated were incredibly user-friendly, making it feasible for anyone to enhance their courses without needing a PhD in AI. This session made it clear that SBL, powered by AI, is not just a future concept but a present-day reality that can significantly elevate our training programs.

    Navigating the Inclusion Maze with AI

    Then there was the eye-opening session by Mychal Patterson of The Rainbow Disruption, titled “AI Doesn’t Mean ‘Always Inclusive.’” This was a deep dive into the potential pitfalls of AI when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Mychal highlighted some serious risks, like biased data leading to exclusionary outcomes and the lack of diversity in AI development teams. These are real challenges that can undermine your DEI efforts if not addressed properly.

    This session was a reminder that while AI offers huge benefits, we need to implement it thoughtfully and inclusively to avoid reinforcing existing biases. We’ve written about inclusive training before, and now we are reminded to be more intentional with avoiding language and representation bias, with or without the use of AI.

    Demystifying AI for Leadership Development

    DDI also showed up strong with Patrick Connell’s session, “Demystify AI for Development: What’s Hype, What’s Real, and What to Do,” which struck a perfect balance between optimism and practicality. He debunked some common myths about AI (i.e. we’re not all losing our jobs) and showcased how it can be a real asset in leadership development.

    From using AI-driven assistants for data analysis to generating personalized content, Connell provided a roadmap for integrating AI into our strategies in a way that enhances, rather than overwhelms. This session made AI seem less daunting and more achievable. Since the conference, HPC has practiced using AI to write first drafts of program learning objectives, training outlines, and more.

    Redesigning Training Programs to Stay Relevant

    Another session that hit home for me was actually during the Chapter Leaders Conference that some of us from ATD Birmingham attended prior to the International Conference. The session was “Making it Competitive: Redesigning Your Chapter Programming to Offer Relevant Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities” by Miko Nino. Miko stressed the importance of continuously updating and evaluating our training programs to keep pace with the changing demands of employers and learners. Using technology to assess and enhance curriculum effectiveness was a major highlight.

    The session also covered developing marketing and financial plans to ensure these programs are not only impactful but also sustainable. It was a comprehensive guide to making our training offerings more competitive and relevant.

    Tackling AI Integration Challenges

    Of course, the conference didn’t shy away from discussing the challenges of integrating AI in training and development. But the consensus was clear: with careful planning and a commitment to ethical considerations, we can mitigate the risks.

    For us, an example might be clearly identifying when something we deliver is made with AI, even in small part. If we use AI to create graphics or images that we share in marketing or in training programs, we need to clearly label those as made with AI. We’re all still learning how to use AI ethically, and it starts with a good faith effort on the front end.

    So…What’s Next?

    ATD24 gave me so many insights on AI in training and development. The sessions highlighted how AI can help make learning more personalized, efficient, and inclusive. But they also underscored the need for thoughtful implementation; the future of T&D is not just about adopting new technologies, but about doing so in a human way that truly enhances learning for everyone.

    For now, my AI journey is all about “do it anyway”. Feel intimidated by AI and use it anyway. Don’t feel very creative? Create anyway. Using AI in my work helps me be creative anyway, and that’s a positive in my book.

    Image made with AI to illustrate the idea of “create anyway”
  • Matthew McConaughey Inspired Me and 8,000 Other People

    Matthew McConaughey Inspired Me and 8,000 Other People

    I finally had the opportunity to attend an ATD International Conference & Exposition, known as ICE by true ATD-ers. This year’s event in New Orleans featured a stellar lineup of keynote speakers, a broad range of learning sessions, and countless opportunities for relationshipping and professional growth.

    Matthew McConaughey Was There

    Known for his captivating storytelling and unique perspective on life, Matthew McConaughey’s keynote, “Greenlights: Rethinking Success and Leadership,” drew from his personal experiences and professional journey. He shared insights from his #1 New York Times bestselling memoir, Greenlights, which chronicles his life’s pivotal moments and the lessons learned along the way. 

    His speech emphasized the importance of resilience, authenticity, and embracing life’s challenges as opportunities for growth. McConaughey’s engaging storytelling and down-to-earth wisdom resonated deeply with attendees, leaving them inspired to lead with courage and creativity in their own careers​.

    And So Was Artificial Intelligence

    That section about Matthew McConaughey was written with ChatGPT (except for the picture I took from wayyyy in the back). Since I got home from the conference, I’ve been challenging myself to use more AI tools. I’m a Millennial, I’m no Zoomer digital native. 

    I’m excited about the potential of AI in helping HR and TD professionals provide higher quality services, and I’m also bristling at the fact that I’m not very good at using it yet. I like being good at things (set up for the next section on Daniel Pink!), and I’m not good at AI. But I’m trying. That’s probably the biggest takeaway for me from ATD42; none of us in talent development are all that good at using AI just yet, but we’re trying! 

    I Filled Up My Notebook

    I took feverish notes during every session I attended. I’m usually the one just taking pictures of the slides (I still did) and maybe sending myself links to view later. ATD24 was so juicy for me that I had to scribble down everything everyone said for 4 days. 

    My favorite note that I immediately shared with the HPC team was from Daniel H. Pink, one of our all-time favorite authors. He’s cheeky. He grounds his writing in real, relevant research. The quote I wrote down, underlined, and sent to the team was, “Make a To Don’t List”. 

    This is a picture of a notebook held up in front of the stage at a conference. The notebook has the words, "Make a To Don't List" written on it.

    For context, Dan meant that sometimes we get so stuck on “getting sh*t done” that we get in our way. In his own life, his To Don’t List includes things like:

    • Don’t start the day answering emails 
    • If I’m not willing to do it next week, don’t say yes to it 

    Dan also says he keeps a notebook at his desk that is specifically for acknowledging and recording progress. At the end of every day, he writes down 3 ways he made progress. He admits that he never looks at it again, but the act of writing down his progress to close out the day helps him leave his desk feeling accomplished. I’m going to try it, and I hope you will, too. 

    There Was Something For Everyone

    This section was also written using ChatGPT, when I asked it to summarize the conference. It’s a pretty good summary! ATD has something for everyone. 

    Learning Tracks and Sessions

    The conference featured a diverse array of learning tracks designed to cater to various aspects of talent development and HR management. These included:

    1. Career Development: Focused on helping professionals advance their careers and develop others’ skills.
    2. Future Readiness: Addressed the skills and knowledge needed to prepare organizations for future challenges.
    3. Instructional Design: Covered the latest trends and best practices in designing effective learning experiences.
    4. Leadership & Management Development: Aimed at enhancing leadership skills and strategic management capabilities.
    5. Learning Sciences: Explored evidence-based methods for improving learning and performance.
    6. Learning Technologies: Examined the use of technology to facilitate learning in the modern workplace.
    7. Managing the Learning Function: Discussed strategic approaches to managing learning and development programs.
    8. Measurement & Evaluation: Focused on assessing the effectiveness of talent development initiatives.

    Networking and Expo

    The ATD Expo was a major highlight, featuring exhibitors showcasing the latest tools, technologies, and services in talent development. It provided attendees with hands-on experiences and the opportunity to explore innovative solutions that can enhance their organizations’ learning and development programs.

    Additional Highlights

    • Preconference Learning: Offered intensive workshops and certificate programs for deep dives into specific topics.
    • Career Center: Provided career coaching, resume reviews, and networking opportunities to help attendees advance their professional journeys.
    • Virtual Experience: Ensured that those unable to attend in person could still participate in key sessions and network with peers virtually..

    How is Your Soul? 

    The theme for ATD24 was Recharge Your Soul. I absolutely felt recharged when I left, so much that I couldn’t stop talking about it (still can’t). 

    Robert “X” Fogarty asked us in the opening session how our souls were doing, and I can’t speak for anyone else, but I needed to hear that. So much of what we do in HR and Talent Development comes from the soul. If the soul’s not doing so hot, the impact isn’t there either. 

    X started Dear World, and I totally recommend checking it out. At Horizon Point, we are People First and we put People First, and we believe that people’s stories are important. Dear World is all about using stories to inspire and connect people. Take a look at their work, and also ask yourself, “How is your soul?”.

  • Swinging for the Fence to Slow Productivity

    Swinging for the Fence to Slow Productivity

    We swung for the fences and came up short…
    Yeah, you win some, you lose some, it ain’t always home runs
    And that’s just the way life plays…
    Morgan Wallen

    A few years ago, I was facilitating a DiSC training session with one of my colleagues. We use a motivation checklist tied to the DiSC Personality Model to emphasize that different things motivate different people.

    We always encourage people to ask a peer what they think motivates them. Based on the behaviors you observe in another person, “What do you think makes them tick?” is the question we ask. I asked my colleague during the session to comment on what she thought my top two are. 

    She immediately said, “Well one is, ‘Taking on new challenges.’” 

    It wasn’t one of the top two I had marked.  Actually, in going through the checklist, it really wasn’t one I had even considered. 

    But as I reflected, I realized how off my self awareness might be.  She was spot on. I’m always swinging for the fence. On top of that, I very rarely wait patiently for the next pitch. I take on as much as I can, always ready for the challenge of knocking it all out of the park. 

    Too Many Balls 

    Following my sabbatical almost three years ago where I said no to everything for almost eight weeks, I came out refreshed and ready to swing for the fence again. I slowly but surely started picking up balls. One at a time, we added client after client, one of which is sucking the ever living life out of me right now. I picked up volunteer board seat balls. Thinking that the flexibility my husband now had given his change in careers would allow him to help out with the softballs of three kids, I said yes to more. Yes to travel, both personal and professional, yes to training for a marathon. Yes to a 17 year old from Costa Rica living with us. 

    Not only is my disposition to always swing for the fence, I am also always juggling a lot of balls trying to hit them all out of the park. Balls I’m trying to help others hit out of the park. I realized on one random Tuesday in April, I had dealt with ten different people calling me in crisis- or perceived crisis- needing my help. None of them were family, all balls I had picked up doing apparently what I’m good at.  As my husband has said, “I swear you have a sign on your forehead that reads, ‘Please spill your guts to me. I am here to help!’”

    But then a curveball invariably gets thrown. And two softball sized ones- one professional and one personal- hit me like a ton of bricks this spring.

    As I told my team, “I can juggle 18 balls at a time, but throw me 19 with a curve, and I want to drop them all.  It makes me realize maybe 15 balls is where I should have stopped.  I never should have picked up 16, 17, or 18 to begin with.  

    If I had never picked up those three, I could have handled the softballs, but by not stopping before it got to be too much, I seemed to be ill equipped to function given the big two.  

    I immediately went to, ok, sabbatical time again!  I need eight weeks of nothing! 

    Grand Slams

    For our second quarter planning meeting, you better believe “Sabbaticals” was on the agenda.  Unlike last time, everyone saw it and everyone brought it up before it was even time to discuss it. Everyone on the team has been in the business of picking up lots of balls too. We love to play the game, leaning into our mission, but it can get exhausting. 

    At our yearly planning meeting three months prior, we had worked hard to see where everyone was with current projects and what people wanted to grow in and what people wanted to divest in. I had named these things for myself too, already knowing in January that there were some balls that I wanted and needed to throw out.  But sometimes divesting in things takes time.  And I am trying to exit on some of them gracefully.  And I really wanted to equip my team to lead on some things they were capable of doing even better than I could, but there was inevitably some training involved in that. 

    We’d made plans for transitions. I communicated to boards I served on that I would not be serving another term- find a replacement! I’d be done with my bucket list marathon at the end of April. My so-stressful-I-can’t-sleep-at-night looming client issue would come to a peak at the same time and then be easier (or so I thought). 

    But by April, I was ready to say, “Forget gracefully!”  Every ball I’ve got is being thrown to the curb!”  

    “And that’s just the way life plays….”

    Right after this, I find myself heading to Oxford, Mississippi for a Morgan Wallen concert. You see, he is my daughter’s favorite musician. For Christmas, we had surprised her with tickets to his concert at Ole Miss in April. At the time, I wasn’t aware of how difficult the time between Christmas and April would be. The last ball I really wanted to have to juggle over that weekend was to be away from home again. 

    But she was ecstatic, and we weren’t going to miss it. After four hours in the rain listening to not one, not two, but three opening acts, he finally came on stage. A few songs in, he transitioned to my daughter’s favorite song, ‘98 Braves.  

    I felt the slow creep of the lyrics speaking to me:

    We swung for the fences and came up short…
    Yeah, you win some, you lose some, it ain’t always home runs
    And that’s just the way life plays…

    The personal issue got even more pronounced while I was gone.  The client issue came to a head right after I got back, and it was shared with me that it would get even more intense over the summer and into the fall. 

    Again, the thought, just throw the balls away. All of them. Quit swinging.

    Then, as I was unwinding the evening after my client engagement, I got a call from my husband. “He’s hit a grand slam! Cortez hit a grand slam!!” Drew was almost in tears. Our brown eyed boy who after seven years of baseball with us, had finally hit one over, and a grand slam at that!  His mother was in tears, I was in tears.  

    Seasons of Life 

    It takes some time for me to moderate the pendulum swings in my life. I preach moderation, but I often don’t practice it. And when I’m swinging for the fence all the time with too many balls, I get to a breaking point. I want to quit. 

    But, as I reflected I realized, I think I’m entering a season in my life where I can begin to honor the seasons of the game.  

    As Emily Freeman says so aptly, “Just because things change doesn’t mean you chose wrong in the first place. Just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean you have to do it forever.”  

    I’ve realized I’m in the season now where I would rather see someone else hit home runs. I get more joy and satisfaction from the win a teammate gets than I do experiencing it for myself. Like the speaking gig they are invited to instead of me. Like the colleagues who are about to land a very big fish or two that could substantially change their income (we pay a commission on business anyone lands) at a season in life where income is being sucked out like a vacuum. Kids in college ain’t cheap. For someone else to serve in that board role and learn.  

    It used to be that if our brown eyed boy was going to make it to a game or a practice or anything for that matter, we were going to have to take him.  After almost seven years, his mom takes him to most things now. She has stepped up to the plate and she is helping him knock it over the fence. It is a joy to see the evolution of their journey. 

    Most importantly, there is no greater joy than to see my kids well and excelling. Although Cortez isn’t our biological child, his successes and my three biological kids’ successes are more important to me than almost anything. Faith’s- our Costa Rica 17 year old- successes are important to me. The wonderful team I get to work with everyday at HPC are all so important to me.  And when I say successes, hitting a real grand slam isn’t what I mean, although the hard work and commitment that goes into hitting them is. 

    I’m ready to throw the balls for others to hit, not hit them myself. And I’m ready to be happy with a single, especially if it knocks in another run.  I’m not ready to stop stepping up to the plate or step up to the mound, I just need to modify my game plan. 

    And maybe you do too. 

    “When we want to give up, maybe what we need to do is open the door to doing things differently, not doing something different all together. “

    Mary Ila Ward

    “Slow Productivity” 

    For me, doing things differently is looking like a shift from choosing an all or nothing pace. A pace defined by what Cal Newport describes in his book titled the same as “Slow Productivity”.  His key pillars include: 

    • Focus on fewer things
    • Work at a natural pace
    • Obsess over quality

    Maybe I’ll take a sabbatical before 2024 is over, maybe I won’t (everyone else on the HPC team will be taking one in 2024-2025). I will be taking the summer to practice slow productivity, where I focus on the fewer balls that matter, namely, helping others succeed at the game, working at a pace that is more reasonable by saying no to the things that aren’t for me in this season, and by obsessing over the quality of relationships that are most important to me. 

    What Really Matters?

    In that same DiSC training, where I realized my self-awareness was totally off the mark in the challenges I take on, I also realized maybe I wasn’t totally self-aware illiterate. 

    The second motivator my colleague picked for me was, “Helping other people succeed.”  I had picked this one too. 

    I think my swinging for the fence can get in the way of me helping other people succeed sometimes. Especially people closest to me. It comes from a motivation to take on new challenges coupled with a desire to fix things. I’m looking forward to watching others hit it out of the park- by throwing the ball well, taking the bunt to advance the runner in front of me, or simply cheering from the stands- realizing that taking on challenging situations may just come in the form of helping others put in the work and patiently waiting seven years or more for the dividends to come.