Although Tiberti says she considered the forum valuable, she never expected it to be the catalyst for The Hartford's virtual corporate university, which has helped her and her 30 staff members increase their knowledge base and advance their careers. During the past 20 years, corporate universities have migrated away from the ivy-covered academic institutions they emulated. Today, they more often consist of a partnership formed between an IT department and a local college to offer online training and distance learning companywide. Traditionally, most corporate universities have concentrated their curricula on training junior and midlevel employees. However, a recent trend toward in-house executive education has led some companies to include a new emphasis on leadership development in their programs.
Studies show that managers have an important role in people leaving or staying with a company.
It was so successful that The Hartford now runs the IT leadership forums every quarter. Employees who are promoted to their first supervisory position must complete a Web-based curriculum within 30 days. The training provides a basic instruction to company policies and procedures, finding and using resources, and understanding fiduciary responsibilities. Then entry-level managers are required to spend one week at a local training site studying performance management, reviewing organizational structure and learning state and regional laws and regulations that govern the IT industry. Finally, the managers must attend an introductory session at the Leadership Center, where for two weeks, they meet with Boeing managers from around the world to develop leadership skills.