Kimberly-Clark Professional Recognized for Outstanding Talent Development Program

Mar 20, 2017 10:00 AM ET

ROSWELL, Ga., March 20, 2017 /3BL Media/ -- Kimberly-Clark Professional is proud to be recognized for best practices in talent development by the Association for Talent Development’s (ATD) 2016 BEST Awards program. The organization honored 36 organizations from six countries to receive a 2016 BEST Award.

Talent development plays a huge role in bringing new sales hires up to speed. Kimberly-Clark’s SkillMaster program is focused on getting new sales hires up to speed faster by pairing seasoned pros with new hires for on-the-job skills building. A university-type system based on a 100, 200, and 300 series of courses also teaches them all the information they need to know.

In addition to new hires, the sales talent strategy revolves around three other work groups: enterprise sales professionals, frontline managers and distributor sales professionals. Each of these groups receives training that is specially-tailored to their respective role, thus setting them up for success when they are out in the field. 

When asked about this accomplishment, Cecelia Berger Sharp, Director Marketing and Sales Capability, replied: “Achieving this award began when the team attended an ATD conference in 2012. We sat in the audience and watched a presentation from a BEST winner. I turned to one of my team members and said- ‘We are going to win this one day!’ Our journey began that day to benchmark and bring in best practices to make an impact to the business.”

The BEST Awards are the talent development industry’s most rigorous and coveted recognition. The BEST Awards recognize organizations that demonstrate enterprise-wide success through talent development. Applications are assessed in a rigorous blind review by members of the BEST Awards advisory committee, a group of experts in the field.

“The companies receiving this recognition set a high standard for the talent development profession. They are solving business challenges through talent development practices, and they are doing it in innovative ways,” said Tony Bingham, ATD President and CEO. “Leaders in these organizations understand the strategic role learning has, and they are committed to investing in the growth and development of their people.”

About ATD
The Association for Talent Development (ATD) is the world’s largest professional membership organization supporting those who develop the knowledge and skills of employees, improve performance, and help to achieve results for the organizations they serve. Originally established in 1943, the association was previously known as the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD). ATD’s members come from more than 120 countries and work in public and private organizations in every industry sector. ATD supports talent development professionals who gather locally in volunteer-led U.S. chapters and international member networks, and with international strategic partners. For more information, visit www.td.org.

About Kimberly-Clark Professional
Kimberly-Clark Professional partners with businesses to create Exceptional Workplaces, helping to make them healthier, safer and more productive. Key brands in this segment include: Kleenex, Scott, WypAll, Kimtech and Jackson Safety. To see how Kimberly-Clark Professional is helping people around the world to work better, please visit www.kcprofessional.com.