program in place aligned to both the company’s key
performance indicators and the expertise project
managers required to grow.”
Training is never one-size-;ts-all, so organiza-
tions need to provide di;erent training to employ-
ees in di;erent stages of the talent pipeline. “We
have both external and internal training programs,”
says Ms. Castren. “We start with project manage-
ment training for nonproject managers on funda-
mentals, and build up to programs through which
participants can get certi;ed at di;erent project
management professional levels.”
At entry-level, employees in project management
who are building up their competencies might be
expected to complete internal training and also
obtain their Certi;ed Associate in Project Manage-
ment (CAPM)® certi;cation, she says. As practitio-
ners move up the ranks, they are encouraged to get
their Project Management Professional (PMP)® or
Program Management Professional (PgMP)® certi;-
cation, training for which the company pays.
In order to advance, individuals may have different training needs. Beyond formal training programs, mentoring and leadership development
programs are often valuable. Recognizing there’s
no panacea, smart organizations will do whatever
necessary to keep top performers in the pipeline. “If
an employee can help the company be successful,
then we’re going to make sure they’re successful,”
Mr. Roy says. PM
“Every
employee in our
company has
an individual
development
plan, whether
they want
to move into
a leadership
position at a
higher level or
just develop
new skills.”
—David Roy, Columbia Pipeline
Group, Houston, Texas, USA
Source: Talent Management: Powering Strategic Initiatives in the PMO, PMI, 2014
Acquiring Talent
Few organizations excel in identifying replacement candidates in the
event of turnover:
20%
of business leaders say
waiting for resources
delays execution.
17%
of HR managers say their organizations
reduce delays in strategic execution by
maintaining a pipeline of candidates.
