1.
Attract, Engage and
Develop Talent using Open
Badges: An IBM case study
With David Leaser

2.
About the Conference
2 Days, 6 Education-packed sessions

3.
About David Leaser
David Leaser
David Leaser developed IBM’s first cloud-based learning
solution and is the program developer for IBM’s new Open
Badge program, a leading edge program to attract, engage and
progress talent. Mr. Leaser is the author of a number of thought
leadership white papers on talent development, including
“Migrating Minds” and “The Social Imperative in Workforce
Development.” Leaser has trained more than 4,000 clients and
developed more than 30 training manuals and video tutorials.

4.
@david_leaser
HOW WILL WE BUILD THE NEXT
GENERATION IT WORKFORCE?

5.
@david_leaser
PROBLEM
THE WORLD
IS FACING
A SERIOUS
TALENT

6.
@david_leaser
CRITICAL
FOUR OUT OFFIVE BUSINESSES
SAY THERE IS A
SHORTAGE OF TALENT
Aberdeen Group, 2015: Zach Lahey, “Pre-hire Assessments: An Asset for HR in the Age of the Candidate

7.
@david_leaser
RECOGNIZE SKILLS
SIGNALS ARE EMERGING
THAT WILL
DRAMATICALLY
CHANGE THE WAY WE MUST

8.
@david_leaser
labor
market
lifestyle
changes
technology
Rise of
contract
labor
Rise of
globally
connected
teams
Need for
blended
skills
Need to
verify skills
Flexible
work
Learning is
a lifestyle
Engagement
is waning
Flipped
classrooms
Gamification
& virtual
reality
Collaborate
online
Blockchain
will grow
Data mining
& analytics
Cloud will
grow
New jobs
every 4.4
years

9.
@david_leaser
THE BIG
ELEPHANT
IN THE ROOM IS

10.
@david_leaser
CLOUD HAS
DECENTRALIZED
AND
DEMOCRATIZED
IT STRUCTURES

11.
@david_leaser
A SHADOW
IT STRUCTURE
HAS EMERGED

12.
@david_leaser
AND THAT IS
AFFECTING
JOB ROLES

13.
@david_leaser
TODAY’S IT JOBS
NOW REQUIRE
HYBRID SKILLS
Programming BusinessMarketing Design

14.
@david_leaser
A
C D E
B
How things were
F
A
D
G
E
C
B
How things are How things really work
People rewarded
for their skills and
abilities, not
position
THE RISE OF GLOBAL TEAMS
From Josh Bersin, Bersin by Deloitte

15.
@david_leaser
THE “GIG” ECONOMY
IS CHANGING
EMPLOYEE
RELATIONS
Contract Employee

16.
@david_leaser
CLOUD
HAS ACCELERATED
CHANGE

17.
@david_leaser
MONTHS
18
WEEKS
12
SOFTWARE RELEASES ARE MEASURED IN WEEKS!
2014 2016

18.
@david_leaser
PROGRAMS
THESE CHANGES WILL
REQUIRE YOU TO
RETHINK
YOUR OUTDATED

19.
@david_leaser
LEAD
AS EXISTING STRUCTURES
DECLINEIN EFFECTIVENESS
YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO

20.
@david_leaser
SKILLS
EVERYTHING POINTS TO A
NEED TOCHANGE THE WAY
YOU DEVELOP AND TAKE INVENTORY OF

21.
@david_leaser
CREDENTIALS NOW MUST BE
☑ TIMELY
☑ VERIFIABLE
☑ PORTABLE
☑ DISCOVERABLE

22.
@david_leaser
IT?
HOWWILL YOU
DO

23.
Open Badges: Credentials for the
modern workforce
1. Digital emblem which symbolizes skills and
achievements at the nano level
2. Contains metadata with skills tags and
accomplishments
3. Easy to share in social media: LinkedIn,
Twitter, FB, blogs
4. Tethered to the issuer to validate and
verify achievement
5. Standards-based on Mozilla’s Open Badges
standard

24.
@david_leaser
Digital emblem
which symbolizes
skills and
achievements
SHAR
E
Contains metadata
with skills tags and
accomplishments
Easy to share in social
media: LinkedIn,
Twitter, FB, blogs
Tethered to IBM to
validate and verify
achievement
Provides a progression
path to advance
commitment
Analytics provide
insight into how a
program is performing
Open Badges: Verified with metadata

25.
@david_leaser
Knowledge Skills Proficiency Certified General
Badging is how we will measure resume-worthy IBM skills in the market
IBM Badges: Five unique emblems

26.
@david_leaser
The results for IBM have been substantial

27.
@david_leaser
The ROI for Open Badges is significant
1 Dr. Haiyan Zhang, 2015, How do I recognize thee, let me count the ways; IBM Smarter Workforce Institute Whitepaper
2 IBM Customer Support data analysis
3 IBM Badging Pilot survey results.

28.
@david_leaser
How does badging convert to real value?
• Broadcast achievements
• Motivate participation
• Develop personal Brand
• Connect with jobs
• Generate qualified leads
• Enhance our brand
• Differentiate IBM
track and nurture talent
• Candidate selection
• Improved company
performance
• Skills maps
• Team building

29.
@david_leaser
2.5 million potential views for every 10,000 badges
Social Media impressions are huge

30.
@david_leaser
Open Badges create a consolidated skills
registry capturing all achievements

31.
@david_leaser
Open Badges build a heat map to
match talent and skills with jobs
You can now see and map “nano” skills around
the globe – create teams and match business

32.
@david_leaser
Dynamic labor market data is built
into every badge we issue

33.
@david_leaser
Use cases for the entire organization
Reduce customer service
Motivate customers to develop skills
to reduce support calls and critsits
Solidify the client base
Build advocacy and strengthen
client relationship and commitment
to IBM
Track skills at the nano
level
Create a heat map of critical skills
for achievements earned across the
globe both internally and externally
Build a loyal skill base
Build a vibrant and large pool of
skilled developers and consultants
to use and support our solutions.
Enhance expertise
analytics
Access the issuing criteria
associated with each IBMer’s
badges to infer expertise
Promote Technical
Eminence
Provide easily shared digital
credential for key IBM Technical
achievements
Crowd-source critical skills
Organizations create badges that
reflect the skills that are most in
demand in the markets in which
they complete
Recognize IBMers
Recognize IBMers publicly for their
skills and achievements – a
“modern” alternative to posting
plaques and certificates on the
office wall
Acquire talent
Pre-screen external candidates
who have badges related to the
roles and skills for which we are
hiring
Increase license sales
Drive increased engagement with
customers through solution
downloads and trials
Achieve career milestone
Collect evidence of demonstrated
expertise in support of
achievement of the next major
career milestone
Accelerate shifts in
expertise
Provide direction and signal change
to IBMers through the creation and
issuance of badges

34.
@david_leaser
IBM’s “Getting Started” Checklist
1. Identify your badgeable
activities (who, what, where,
when, why and how many)
2. Determine how you will
assess completion, track and
maintain attendees
3. Complete a badge program
profile
4. Meet with badge team to
review and implement
5. Establish a landing page for
the activity – badge needs to
point to an external page
6. Incorporate persuasive
messaging into the activity
and notifications
7. Issue badges and notify
badge earners
8. Survey and measure results

35.
@david_leaser
IBM’s Lessons Learned
1. Develop a solid
communication plan with
persuasive language.
2. Badge issuer must own the
relationship with the badge
earner.
3. Build consent (privacy, info
sharing) into the activity.
4. Provide strong benefits
statements (marketing) into
the intro letter to badge
5. Follow a template for badge
landing pages.
6. Add certification / skills paths
into the metadata for all
badges.
7. Retro badges are less
successful; limit time period
to 90 days.
8. Names are important:
Nobody wants a “newbie”
badge.

36.
@david_leaser
ibm.com/training

37.
Q&A

38.
Don't Miss the Next Session!

39.
Connect with David Leaser
• Website: ibm.biz/badging
• Twitter: @david_leaser
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/david-leaser-6b95505
• IBM: david_leaser@us.ibm.com