In August 2023, Intel Corporation (Nasdaq: INTC) and partner Handcrafted Learning were awarded Gold for “Best Advance in Leadership Development” by the preeminent awards organization in the learning and development industry.

The Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards recognize best practices for initiatives in Human Resources, Talent Acquisition and Management, and Learning and Development. This year, Intel and Handcrafted Learning were recognized for Manager Essentials, a groundbreaking practice-based skill development program for new managers that led to measurable real-world behavior change around the globe.

Intel was founded in the spirit of learning and discovery. A company of scientists and inventors, Intel’s greatest asset has always been the world-class technical expertise and enterprising spirit of its talent. “We shared Intel’s vision for managers to serve as skilled coaches, role models, and trusted leaders who bridge the gap between organizational strategy and talent development,” said Handcrafted Learning Founder, Dorothy Cafino Finnigan. “The challenge was that great managers become great through years of real-world experience. Intel didn’t have years. They needed new managers to become great now.” Based on that need, the Intel and Handcrafted project team devised a strategy for enabling new managers to build skills in the flow of daily work.

“What’s unique about this program is that managers actually apply new behaviors in the real world with their real teams,” said Chris Munson, Intel Program Manager. The 10-week program differed from traditional training experiences because instead of participants waiting until graduation to begin applying skills in the real world, participants in Manager Essentials spend 10 weeks applying new behaviors on the job.

“Our goal was to create a skill accelerator for new managers: an environment where they could safely build the skills to enable innovation on their high-performing teams,” said Gem Moon, Design Director at Handcrafted Learning and the creative lead behind the program. “We shifted the traditional paradigm for how learning is done at Fortune 500 companies. No ‘homework.’ No ‘classes.’ Instead, we gave learners the tools to spend 10 weeks in a continuous cycle of trying experiments in the real world, observing the impact, and then trying something different. People built their skills the way we all do: through practice.” That real-world practice was supported through group sessions facilitated by experienced Intel managers and one-on-one strategy conversations with chosen peers.

“We were in our pilot when we first noticed the extraordinarily high rates of completion for on-the-job activities,” said Munson. “At an almost 100% rate, new managers were putting these techniques into practice in the real world. What really exceeded our expectations was that 92% of people were choosing to meet up with peers and work together to solve real problems.” The high degree of voluntary engagement can be attributed to behavioral science: at every interval throughout the program, learners choose the experiment they’ll try in the real-world and choose the peer with whom they’ll strategize. Choice is a known driver of behavior change.

In addition to the real-life stakes of firsthand experience, Manager Essentials provided learners with targeted practice through immersive eLearning simulations and challenging scenarios that learners problem-solved during group sessions. These skill-specific experiences gave managers a chance to explore new behaviors in a safe-to-fail environment before trying high-stakes techniques with their real teams. “We knew that new managers needed to gain firsthand experience and receive meaningful feedback and guidance from other Intel managers,” said Moon. “The innovative design of Manager Essentials accomplished both goals.”

200 pilot participants in three regions—Europe, Asia, and the Americas—expressed their enthusiasm for the innovative approach, giving the program a 100% net promoter score. Based on the unprecedented success of the pilot, Intel launched Manager Essentials globally. As of Q3 2022, 23 cohorts of managers had experienced the program around the globe. As the dataset grew, the evidence of measurable impact grew too.

Rigorous qualitative and quantitative data was collected to determine the effectiveness of Manager Essentials, including retention rates, team performance, and individual behavior. The results were conclusive. For example, participants completed skill assessments before starting the program and again six-weeks after program end. Observation-based skill evaluations were also completed by their direct managers and direct reports. Managers who participated in the program improved in 16 behavioral metrics, ranging from business decision-making to feedback and coaching. “The concrete increase in 16 behavioral metrics across such a large dataset is part of what makes this program such an important part of Intel’s ongoing work to support our talent pipeline,” said Munson.

Through interviews, focus groups, and live learner testing, participants expressed a theme that provides context for the impressive data: the learner-driven interactive design led to a culture of learning where new managers could be vulnerable, make mistakes, and build relationships with peers who could share insightful feedback. “A great use of my time,” said one participant. “Any new manager would benefit because the content is so relevant and being put into a cohort of ‘similar stage’ managers is key. We were able to share our challenges and learnings of being a new manager.” Since the program helped learners build the habits of experimentation, intentional practice, and giving and receiving peer support, those skills are contributing to the accelerated development of program participants in the months and years after the program ends.

“Excellence Award winners are shown to be organizations that truly value their employees and invest in them through their human capital management programs,” said Brandon Hall Group Chief Operating Officer Rachel Cooke, Excellence Awards program leader. “These programs have been validated as best in class for business value and the impact on the employees themselves.”

The award for “Best Advance in Leadership Development” recognizes the bold experimentation, rapid iteration, and rigorous measurement undertaken by Intel and Handcrafted Learning to create this breakthrough in experiential on-the-job learning. Manager Essentials represents an advancement in the way new managers are upskilled in Fortune 500 companies and is a testament to the power of disciplined measurement and rapid iteration when creating large-scale learning solutions that are results-oriented, scientifically proven, and meticulously handcrafted.

About Intel
Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) is an industry leader, creating world-changing technology that enables global progress and enriches lives. Inspired by Moore’s Law, we continuously work to advance the design and manufacturing of semiconductors to help address our customers’ greatest challenges. By embedding intelligence in the cloud, network, edge and every kind of computing device, we unleash the potential of data to transform business and society for the better. To learn more about Intel’s innovations, go to newsroom.intel.com and intel.com.

About The Brandon Hall Group™ Excellence Awards
Brandon Hall Group is the only professional development company that offers data, research, insights, and certification to Learning and Talent executives and organizations. For over 30 years, we have empowered, recognized, and certified excellence in organizations worldwide, influencing the development of over 10 million employees and executives. Our Excellence Awards program was the first to recognize organizations for learning and talent and is the gold standard, known as the “Academy Awards of Human Capital Management.”