Intel and Handcrafted Learning Win Gold Award for Best Advance in Leadership Development
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 Handcrafted Learning
Handcrafted Learning is a custom learning and development company that designs and develops innovative learning experiences for Fortune 500 clients. Our passionate team of consultants, strategists, designers, and developers create interactive eLearning simulations, hands-on workshops, and on-the-job tools that help employees build skills and help organizations change culture. We’ve helped clients increase retention, improve job performance, and meet shareholder-facing ESG goals. For more information about Handcrafted Learning, visit handcraftedlearning.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."
Handcrafted Learning Wins Gold Award for Best Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Learning Program
Click to view the article on Yahoo Finance.
In August 2023, Handcrafted learning was awarded the highest honor in the learning and development industry for a new diversity and inclusion training created on behalf of Fidelity Investments.
The Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards recognize best practices for initiatives in Human Resources, Talent Acquisition and Management, and Learning and Development. For its Fidelity training, Handcrafted Learning won Gold for “Best Learning Program That Supports and Promotes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.” The honor was awarded for Activating Allyship and Unlocking Allyship, two practice-based eLearning experiences that were handcrafted to help managers and associates measurably build inclusive behaviors.
“Fidelity’s Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Strategy is built on our five key commitments—Diversity, Inclusion, Opportunity, Transparency and Accountability—and is designed to help us achieve a diverse and inclusive workforce. This shapes the way we engage with and support our associates, how we serve our customers and clients, and how we strengthen the communities in which we live, work and serve,” said Wendy John, Head of Global Diversity and Inclusion at Fidelity Investments. “The strategy helps create clarity for all associates, at all levels, on what actions they can take to support an inclusive culture, and the Activating Allyship and Unlocking Allyship learning programs have supported a progressive and continuous learning experience for all of our associates. This learning is essential in our efforts to foster an inclusive workplace.”
The first interactive eLearning experience, Activating Allyship, was launched in October 2021 to managers around the globe. Within days of launch, employees were enthusiastically sharing the training with one another, creating a groundswell of support. Since then, Activating Allyship and its sequel, Unlocking Allyship, have been experienced by Fidelity’s 70,000 employees with a 97% satisfaction score from survey respondents. “I keep hearing ‘best training ever’,” said Gail Manley, Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion Strategy at Fidelity. “It’s unheard of to get ratings that high for an eLearning.”
Gem Moon, Design Director at Handcrafted Learning, attributes the grassroots success of the allyship learning experiences to the realistic content and choice-driven interactivity. “We designed nuanced content that reflects how people really think, talk, and act. Each scenario was based on real employee experiences from our Fortune 500 partners, so as learners make choices, make mistakes, and experience the outcomes of their decisions, they’re practicing behaviors they can apply in the real world.”
Hundreds of the anonymous write-in comments from Activating Allyship and Unlocking Allyship specifically reference the realism and relatability of the scenarios. “The real-life scenarios were extremely helpful in allowing me to think through how to proceed,” writes one learner. “This practice is helpful because we often aren't given the opportunity in real life situations where things transpire at a rapid pace.”
One of the goals of the Fidelity and Handcrafted project team was to prove that interactivity and accessibility were not at odds. Users of assistive technology were able to experience the practice-based design of Activating Allyship and Unlocking Allyship like all learners. “I thought it was fantastic. The options were great,” said Jeff Wissel, Chief Accessibility Officer for Disability:IN, the global disability inclusion nonprofit that advises Fortune 500 companies on accessibility. Jeff Wissel is proudly legally blind. “From an accessibility standpoint, it felt so natural. I felt included.”
Not only was the training unprecedentedly popular among Fidelity managers and associates, but it made a measurable difference in the experience of underrepresented employees. Fidelity’s bi-annual Associate Pulse Survey results are published in the 2022 Diversity & Inclusion Report. In the survey, 45,000 associates shared their perspectives on Fidelity’s culture. Between Q2 2021 and Q1 2022—the time in which Activating Allyship launched to Fidelity’s population—there is an increase in the percentage of associates who believe that Fidelity creates a culture of inclusion. The largest statistical shift is among Black employees: a 6% increase in three quarters.
"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.”
Wendy John summarized the ongoing impact of the allyship eLearning experiences on Fidelity’s culture and business goals. “The learning programs surrounding the concept of Allyship have advanced our firm’s inclusion goals and our strategy by building skills and behaviors that foster inclusion and belonging across our workforce. This helps associates feel valued and that they can thrive at Fidelity, which also supports our firm’s retention efforts.”
About Handcrafted Learning
Handcrafted Learning is a custom learning and development company that designs and develops innovative learning experiences for Fortune 500 clients. Our passionate team of consultants, strategists, designers, and developers create interactive eLearning simulations, hands-on workshops, and on-the-job tools that help employees build skills and help organizations change culture. We’ve helped clients increase retention, improve job performance, and meet shareholder-facing ESG goals. For more information about Handcrafted Learning, visit handcraftedlearning.com/.
About Fidelity Investments
Fidelity’s mission is to strengthen the financial well-being of our customers and deliver better outcomes for the clients and businesses we serve. With assets under administration of $11.7 trillion, including discretionary assets of $4.5 trillion as of June 30, 2023, we focus on meeting the unique needs of a diverse set of customers. Privately held for over 75 years, Fidelity employs over 70,000 associates who are focused on the long-term success of our customers. For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit https://www.fidelity.com/about-fidelity/our-company.
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."
Screenshot from Unlocking Allyship for Leaders
Handcrafted Learning Honored by Fast Company’s 2023 World Changing Ideas Award
Click to view the article on Business Insider.
The 2023 winners of Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards were announced May 2nd, honoring innovative projects, bold social initiatives, and sustainable products that are changing the way we work, live, and interact with the world.
Handcrafted Learning, a learning and development company that creates behavior-changing learning experiences for its Fortune 500 clients, was honored in the category of Established Excellence. They are one of 10 companies honored for having a track record of making the world more equitable, accessible, and sustainable.
A panel of Fast Company editors and industry experts selected winners and honorees from a pool of more than 2,200 entries across climate and energy, health, AI, urban design, education, politics, technology, corporate social responsibility, and more. The 2023 awards featured entries from across the globe, from Italy to Singapore to New Zealand.
“We like to say that we change an organization’s culture, one behavior at a time,” says Handcrafted Learning’s founder, Dorothy Cafino Finnigan. “We design immersive digital experiences where employees practice making decisions, then experience the outcomes of their choices.” It’s learning experiences like Activating Inclusion that caught the eye of Fast Company’s judges.
“It’s thrilling to see the creativity and innovation that are so abundant among this year’s honorees,” says Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan. “While it’s easy to feel discouraged by the state of the world, the entrepreneurs, companies, and nonprofits featured in this package show the limitless potential to address society’s most urgent problems. Our journalists have highlighted some of the most exciting and impactful work being done today—from housing to equity to sustainability—and we look forward to seeing not only how these projects evolve but how they inspire others to develop solutions of their own.”
About the World Changing Ideas Awards
Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards are focused on social good, seeking to elevate finished products and brave concepts that make the world better. A panel of judges from across sectors evaluate feasibility and the potential for impact with the goals of awarding ingenuity and fostering innovation on the road to solving the problems that affect us all.
About Handcrafted Learning
Handcrafted Learning is a custom learning and development company that designs and develops innovative learning experiences for its Fortune 500 clients. Handcrafted Learning’s passionate team of consultants, strategists, designers, and developers create interactive eLearning simulations, hands-on workshops, and on-the-job tools that help employees build skills and help organizations change culture. Handcrafted Learning has helped its clients increase retention, improve job performance, and meet shareholder-facing ESG goals.
Handcrafted Learning received the Great Place to Work® award, was an honoree of Fast Company's World Changing Ideas Award, and is certified as a minority- and woman-owned small business by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). In accordance with the recommendations of Disability:IN, the global disability inclusion non-profit that works with 400 of the world’s largest companies, Handcrafted Learning creates experiences that meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), 2.1 Level AA. Handcrafted Learning advocates for all companies to sign Disability:IN’s Procure Access Statement, which includes Google, AT&T, and CVS Health among its first 20 signatories.
Contact:
Dorothy Cafino Finnigan
Handcrafted Learning Launches Impact Measurement Plans for New Fortune 500 Clients
Handcrafted Learning, a learning and development company that creates learning experiences for Fortune 500 companies, launched an offer for new clients: custom impact measurement plans to help Fortune 500 companies track the impact of skill development programs. Each measurement plan is designed to reveal changes in employee behavior and organizational culture.
Handcrafted Learning is known for developing highly interactive learning experiences that are simulations of the jobs people do. In those experiences, users make choices, make mistakes, and experience the outcomes of their decisions. The announcement of this offer means that new Handcrafted Learning clients will receive an accompanying impact measurement plan that allows them to track the concrete outcomes of learning experiences and learning journeys.
“Since our founding, we’ve designed impact measurement strategies for select clients,” said Handcrafted Learning’s owner and co-founder, Dorothy Cafino Finnigan. “We’re excited to now offer that service to all our partners.” Handcrafted Learning’s impact measurement model avoids the pitfalls of traditional methods. “If you deploy surveys that ask ‘did you enjoy this training,’ you’re not going to find out if the learning experience was effective. Instead, we measure four areas of impact: business outcomes, job performance, behavioral indicators, and personal experience.”
At Handcrafted Learning, the desired outcomes are what guide the learning experience design. “When we kick off projects, I ask clients: What are you being measured on? What metric are you trying to move?” said Lead Learning Experience Designer Tony Clavelli. “Once we know the business outcomes we’re working towards, we identify the employee behaviors most likely to improve those metrics. Then, we design learning experiences that give employees the opportunity to practice those behaviors.”
Examples of past impact measurement strategies include A/B tests measuring sales for a major retailer, equity and inclusion metrics for a healthcare organization, and performance data on speed and accuracy for a global transportation company.
About Handcrafted Learning
Handcrafted Learning is a learning and development company that designs and develops innovative learning experiences for its Fortune 500 clients. Handcrafted Learning is certified as a minority- and woman-owned small business by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). In accordance with the recommendations of Disability:IN, the global disability inclusion non-profit that works with 400 of the world’s largest companies, Handcrafted Learning creates experiences that meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), 2.1 Level AA. Handcrafted Learning advocates for all companies to sign Disability:IN’s Procure Access Statement, which includes Google, AT&T, and CVS Health among its first 20 signatories.
Contact:
Dorothy Cafino Finnigan
Handcrafted Learning Celebrates Its Anniversary as a Certified Minority- and Woman-owned Business
Handcrafted Learning, a learning and development company that serves Fortune 500 clients, has been minority- and woman-owned since it was founded in 2009. This month marks the five-year anniversary of Handcrafted Learning becoming certified by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the two leading certification organizations for minority- and women-owned businesses in the United States.
Certification by each organization was a milestone in Handcrafted Learning’s history. “Handcrafted Learning has always been proud to be a woman- and minority-owned small business,” said Handcrafted Learning’s owner and co-founder, Dorothy Cafino Finnigan. “One of the best parts of becoming certified by WBENC and NMSDC has been the opportunity to connect with other women of color who lead businesses. It’s a really special community that supports one another.”
Increasingly, Fortune 500 companies are measuring their internal and external impact on equity. “Over the last few years, many of our clients have started using an inclusion index or diversity scorecard to track their progress,” said Handcrafted Learning’s Director of Operations, Soo Choi. “One of the ways companies evaluate their impact on diversity and inclusion is by collecting data on the diversity of their supplier base.”
For Handcrafted Learning and the 12,000 minority-owned businesses certified by NMSDC and the 18,000 women-owned businesses certified by WBENC, being certified allows clients to track and report that data.
Women of color are a distinct minority among founders and leaders of tech companies. “Thanks to WBENC and NMSDC, we’ve met trailblazing women of color leading companies in other male-dominated industries like finance, data and analytics, and manufacturing,” Cafino Finnigan said. “As women of color running a business, it can be easy to feel alone because you don’t often see yourself represented. That’s why it’s so powerful and inspiring to be part of these organizations. I’m grateful for all the people I’ve met, and the ways we’ve been able to help each other, practically and personally.”
About Handcrafted Learning
Handcrafted Learning is a learning and development company that designs and develops innovative learning experiences for its Fortune 500 clients. They have served clients in every major industry, including high-tech, hospitality, and financial services. Handcrafted Learning creates experiences that meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), 2.1 Level AA. Handcrafted Learning advocates for all companies to sign Disability:IN’s Procure Access Statement, which includes Google, Merck, and T-Mobile among its first 20 signatories.
Contact:
Dorothy Cafino Finnigan
Handcrafted Learning Announces the Launch of Custom Interactive Learning Experiences for Learners Who Are Blind
Handcrafted Learning, a learning and development company that creates learning solutions for Fortune 500 clients, announced the launch of a new offering: custom interactive learning experiences that serve users who are legally blind. Through this service, Handcrafted Learning supports organizations that are committed to meeting Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) at a AA level while providing end users with best-in-class interactive digital training.
Handcrafted Learning is known for creating highly interactive learning experiences that are simulations of the jobs people do. In those experiences, users make choices, make mistakes, and experience the outcomes of their decisions. This announcement signals that learners with no vision or low vision can fully engage in the same game-like experience as their colleagues.
“Computer-based training for learners who are blind has traditionally been awful. If you use a screen reader, you probably know what I mean,” said Handcrafted Learning’s owner and co-founder, Dorothy Cafino Finnigan. “For years, our team has been passionate about answering the question: what makes a great interactive learning experience when you can’t see the screen?”
Handcrafted Learning’s research and development led the team beyond the training industry into the world of games. “In early interviews with learners who use screen readers, we asked what games people played and what made those experiences either frustrating or enjoyable,” Cafino Finnigan said. “We experimented and gathered feedback from learners who used their assistive technology in a variety of ways. We iterated until the user experience was as smooth and engaging for non-sighted learners as it was for sighted ones.”
Accessible learning experiences by Handcrafted Learning have already been launched to over a hundred thousand learners. With today’s announcement, the company is officially offering this service to more clients.
“Our goal is to create equivalent experiences, so we test during development and get feedback from real learners who use assistive technology,” said Gem Moon, a Lead Learning Experience Designer at Handcrafted Learning. “If part of our design doesn’t give them the intended experience, we change the design. We want something that will be equally interactive for all learners.”
More and more Fortune 500 companies are committing to providing accessible experiences to their employees, as outlined in statements like the one launched in September by Disability:IN, the global disability inclusion non-profit that works with 400 of the world’s largest companies. Google, Merck, and T-Mobile are among the first 20 signers of the Procure Access Statement, which publicly confirms a company’s commitment to advancing the procurement of accessible digital products and services.
“We’re excited that some of our clients are starting to prioritize creating accessible learning experiences for their employees,” said Soo Choi, Handcrafted Learning’s Director of Operations. “Our developers, visual designers, and learning experience designers have spent years improving our user experience design processes, and are proud to have integrated accessibility considerations into our project lifecycle.”
“Upholding WCAG AA standards is a baseline, or at least it should be,” Cafino Finnigan said. “Our team strives for a higher standard: to create accessible interactive learning experiences that are meaningful, fun, and allow people to practice real job skills.”
About Handcrafted Learning
Handcrafted Learning is a learning and development company that designs and develops innovative learning experiences for its Fortune 500 clients. Handcrafted Learning integrates accessibility considerations into prototyping processes and learner testing practices, and consults with clients who are new to accessible learning design. Handcrafted Learning is certified as a minority- and woman-owned small business by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
Contact:
Dorothy Cafino Finnigan
Handcrafted Learning welcomes Soo Choi as Director of Operations
Handcrafted Learning, a learning and development company for Fortune 500 companies, welcomes Soo Choi as its Director of Operations. Choi was the Director of Content Operations at HarperCollins Publishers and brings 15 years of experience to her role at Handcrafted Learning.
“Soo’s experience building and analyzing operational workflows for a major organization will be valuable as we prepare for growth,” said Handcrafted Learning’s owner and co-founder, Dorothy Cafino Finnigan.
While at HarperCollins, Choi spearheaded the growth of their eBooks division and helped the organization move from analog publishing to a fully digital workflow. Handcrafted Learning is a partner to dozens of Fortune 500 companies and adding Choi to the team will support continued growth while maintaining their quality of service.
“I was intrigued by the high-quality work that Handcrafted Learning produces and the caliber of their clients, but what really struck me is their vibrant internal culture,” said Choi. “I’m excited to be part of it.”
Choi graduated from the University of Florida and spent over a decade in New York City during her publishing career. She now lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family.
Choi will be establishing processes at Handcrafted Learning that combine her insights from her career at a Fortune 500 company with the people-centered values of Handcrafted Learning’s custom creative work.
About Handcrafted Learning
Handcrafted Learning is a learning and development company that designs and develops innovative learning experiences for its Fortune 500 clients. The company has been 100% remote since its founding in 2009 and its team members live across North America. Handcrafted Learning is certified as a minority- and woman-owned small business by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Handcrafted Learning creates experiences that meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), 2.1 Level AA and advocates for all companies to sign Disability:IN’s Procure Access Statement, which includes Google, AT&T, and CVS Health among its first 20 signatories.
Contact:
Dorothy Cafino Finnigan