ATD provides resources

Through ATD’s communities of practice, the association provide resources for professionals in the form of research, analysis, benchmarking, online information, webcasts, books, and other publications. These include the following:

• ATD Research provides benchmarking on trends and topics like coaching, gamification, measuring, and evaluating, and an annual analysis of industry investments and best practices.
• ATD Forum convenes private and public sector organizations from around the world.
• TD magazine keeps readers up-to-date on the latest ideas, trends, and best practices.
• ATD Press publishes the best titles on talent development, training delivery, instructional design, learning technologies, performance improvement, talent management, and more.
• ATD Online Library provides access to nearly 3,000 articles, business books, and summaries, plus select content from major newspapers and news sources.
• TD at Work is a series of monthly short format publications on crucial topics in talent development.

Find out what ATD offers firsthand. Check out the association’s website at www.td.org.

• ATD brings the community together through content, in conferences, and online.
• Communities of Practice focus on key areas of the field and are led by community managers whose in-depth knowledge ensures that the content, offerings, and resources serve members’ needs.
• International Conference & Exposition serves the needs of the worldwide community of talent development professionals.
• ATD TechKnowledge Conference & Exposition focuses on e-learning and the use of technology.
• Learning Events and Workshops address learning and networking opportunities on key topics in the field.
• ATD builds member networks through 120 U.S. chapters, international strategic partners, and volunteer-led international member networks.

ATD offers career development opportunities

• ATD Job Bank and career resources are in the online Career Center.
• Certification is the CPLP credential for individuals in talent development.
• More than 70 face-to-face and online programs, plus the ATD Master Series, cover the Areas of Expertise in the ATD Competency Model.

ATD recognizes excellence and best practices

• Advancing Talent Development Awards honor individuals’ thought leadership in the profession.
• ATD BEST Awards honor organizations that demonstrate enterprise-wide success as a result of employee talent development.
• Excellence in Practice Awards recognize results achieved through practices, interventions, and tools from the entire field of talent development.
• ATD Certification Institute Awards recognize organizations, thought leaders, and credential holders that support the profession through the Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) credential.

To be a part of this rewarding profession, become a member of ATD. You will be amazed at what a difference it makes to have the opportunity to grow and network with other professionals. Learn more at www.td.org.

Competencies

In the ATD Competency Model, competencies are defined as clusters of knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors required for success in all jobs across the talent development profession.

Foundational competencies

Foundational competencies underlie the successful completion of many tasks and are, therefore, found at the base of the model. The model defines each of the 19 foundational competencies and provides examples of key actions that are included in each. The 19 foundational competencies are grouped into six clusters: business skills, global mindset, industry knowledge, interpersonal skills, personal skills, and technology literacy.

• Business skills: The training profession continues to strengthen its role in the boardroom. With that role comes an expectation of business skills. The model includes six business competencies: analyzing needs and proposing solutions; applying business skills; driving results; planning and implementing assignments; thinking strategically; and applying innovation.

  Although you will certainly find these competencies in many professions, their existence in this model highlights the important role that talent development professionals play in helping drive organizational success.

• Global mindset: The training profession must adapt to the increased globalization of businesses. This includes three competencies: appreciating and levering the capabilities, insights, and ideas of diverse individuals; working effectively with individuals from different backgrounds; and working effectively across cultures and borders given the increasingly global workforce.
• Industry knowledge: The training profession often must know other industries or industry sectors. This includes two competencies: being actively scanning and assessing information about current and emerging trends, as well as developing and maintaining knowledge of other industries. A good example of this is a trainer in an organization that serves the pharmaceutical industry or sales training department.
• Interpersonal: The model identifies five interpersonal competencies: building trust; communicating effectively; influencing stakeholders; networking and partnering; and emotional intelligence.
• Personal: The model identifies two personal competencies: demonstrating adaptability and modeling personal development. These two should not come as a surprise, given the emphasis on both throughout this book. Talent development professionals are often expected to model appropriate behavior when change occurs, whether that change is global, cultural, economic, social, or political.
• Technology Literacy: The model identifies one overarching technology literacy competency: identifies, selects, and applies a variety of technologies, matching the appropriate technology to the specific opportunity or challenge at hand. More simply put, this is about using the right technology, not just any technology.

Talent development professionals are role models of the profession. As a talent development professional, you will want to create learning opportunities to upgrade your own knowledge and skills. You must also be in a continuous learning mode for two reasons: first, to serve as role models, and second, because talent development must stay ahead of and on top of new developments in our profession and in the industries that we serve.

Areas of expertise

Areas of expertise refer to the specific technical and professional knowledge and skills required for success in the talent development field. In simple terms, these comprise areas of specialization for the field. Although some professionals are highly specialized and deep in one or two areas, many people aspire to be generalists who can demonstrate deep expertise in more than one area.

Areas of expertise sit above the foundational competencies in the model because both are required. Ten areas of expertise are identified. The ten areas of expertise are listed here:

• Change Management
• Coaching
• Evaluating Learning Impact
• Instructional Design
• Integrative Talent Management
• Knowledge Management
• Managing Learning Programs
• Performance Improvement
• Training Delivery

This book covers almost all from this list.

Value to the individual

Typically, individuals seek to become certified because it adds to their credibility. It may also provide them with greater opportunities for employment, promotion, and increased earning potential. It can also help to provide a structured pathway for their professional development. Sometimes, certification is even preferred for a given job.

Value to the employer

Certification also provides value to organizations. It can help employers by providing a reference point when evaluating job and promotion candidates. In the January 2005 edition of Training + Development magazine, Jamie Mulkey, Ed.D., a test development and security expert from Caveon (a firm specializing in test security), explains that organizations request certification from employees for a number of reasons. “Primarily, organizations want to validate that their workforce is qualified. And a rigorous testing process, such as professional certification, helps them do this.” She added that “certification has become the mantra for many organizations who want to ensure individuals in their organization are competent to perform in a given job role.”

Value to the profession

Certification helps to establish a set of defined standards for the field. It can help to codify a profession and establish these standards. At the end of the day, certification can serve to raise the bar of professional practice.

In another sense, certification in the training field has intrinsic value. Because competency assessment and people development are at the heart of what people know and do in this field, certification is an important means to an end. In fact, it is often the training and education departments that are the first to outline the requirements for competent practice. Thus, this certification is merely echoing at a macro level what is already being done by those under its umbrella at the micro level.

Step 1: Assess general readiness

Individuals are encouraged to assess whether they meet the eligibility and whether certification (versus some other route, such as a college or university degree or a course or learning event) is right for them.

Step 2: Apply and sign code of ethics

Applicants complete an application, which includes submitting references and signing a code of ethics.

Step 3: Complete practice examination

Applicants can opt to take the pCPLP practice exam to pinpoint areas for development. This step provides feedback about where knowledge gaps may exist.

Step 4: Complete test preparation or course of study

Applicants can choose from a variety of programs to prepare for the CPLP examinations. ATD has a number of instructor-led and online courses to take, called Preparing for the CPLP.

Step 5: Complete general multiple choice exam

After selecting a testing window and test center location, applicants take the 150-item multiple-choice exam.

Step 6: Complete project (work product)

After passing the multiple-choice exam, the performance submission provides an opportunity for applicants to demonstrate their skills in one of several areas of expertise. Depending on the nature of the area selected, the individual will be asked to submit a videotaped submission or a report.

Step 7: Proudly display your designation

After applicants pass the work product, they receive the designation from ATD CI. Applicants then become CPLP certified and have earned their bragging rights.

Step 8: Apply for recertification

In order to keep current and to advance the profession, recertification is required every three years. Evidence of the completion of a variety of types of professional development units are required to maintain the certification. This can fall into a variety of categories:

• Supplier certificates
• ATD certificate programs (for example, Human Performance Improvement Certificate)
• Attending ATD’s annual conference (ATD’s International Conference and Exposition)
• Certification in related programs (for example, Certified Performance Technologist (CPT))
• ATD chapter programs
• University programs or courses
• Volunteer services (boards or officer positions)
• Publications

Consult the ATD Certification Institute (CI) for specific point values and requirements pertaining to recertification.