EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT AT ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, known
ID: 389294 • Letter: E
Question
EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT AT ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, known as ESPN, is in the global multimedia sports and entertainment business. To remain in its leadership role in the sports and entertainment business, ESPN needs to continue to provide the best live sports programming as well as expand and develop its digital presence through social media. To do so, ESPN recognizes the importance of creating exceptional employee experiences through its commitment to people, partnerships, culture, and excellence. Employee development plays a key role in helping to create exceptional employee experiences at ESPN. But employee development at ESPN faces several challenges. One challenge is the speed at which the global news, broadcasting, and entertainment business operates. This can make it difficult for employees to take the time away from activities such as producing and delivering programming to focus on development activities. Another challenge is that ESPN has reportedly been asked by its parent company, Disney, to cut as much as $250 million from this year’s budget. This likely will result in layoffs for 200–300 employees.
ESPN has taken several steps to ensure that its development efforts overcome these challenges and support employees’ career interests and goals, enhance their skills, and grow top leadership talent. ESPN requires every employee to complete an individual development plan (IDP). The IDP helps employees consider where they currently are in their careers, their career goals, and how they plan to reach their career goals. The learning function at ESPN reviews and supports the IDP, which has been completed by over 95% of employees.
Similar to other companies, ESPN uses the 70-20-10 approach to development. This means that most employee development occurs on the Page 418job, whereas 20% comes from relationships and informal learning, and 10% from formal courses targeted at specific skills. For example, ESPN has a Leadership GPS, which is a tool used by employees to track their development progress. The Leadership GPS helps employees set development goals. It also provides advice on which types of development activities (such as courses, job shadowing, or experiences) are available and will help them meet their goals. ESPN The University offers courses related to different business areas, which are taught by executives and business leaders. This is important because its gets company leaders from different business areas involved in developing employees. It also helps to provide employees with a greater understanding of the different aspects of ESPN’s business such as production, programming, and HR and how they fit together. ESPN Center Court is a development program targeted exclusively to high-potential employees who are on the fast track to future leadership roles in the company. Center Court uses job rotations to give high-potential employees the opportunity to experience different aspects of the business. They also interact with the company’s president and top executives. To facilitate development through relationships, ESPN has a mentoring program known as Open Access that is available to all employees. The only requirements are that employees desire to learn from others and want to build relationships to achieve their development goals.
To ensure that development activities support business needs, ESPN has a learning and advisory board, which includes senior leaders and vice presidents from its different businesses. Every major initiative is reviewed and has to receive support from the board before it is implemented. Also, the Employee Learning Council, which includes employees from each of ESPN’s business units, provides feedback and helps to plan development programs
Do you think ESPN should place less emphasis on developing employees because of the current need for layoffs? Explain your answer.
Explanation / Answer
I believe that in order to sustain and remain at the top, employee development is a major and integral asoect and for an organization like the ESPN it is of utmost importance. If we look at the structure of the organization we will observe that it is quite remarkable because they believe in perfection of service provided for which employees need to constantly develop themselves in this context and the organization is also making it mandatory but the individual development plan programme for employees. The result has also been quite good because a 95% success is something to be very proud of as well.
The challenge is that the organization needs to cut down on their budget to some extent and after a research and planning conducted, it is estimated that the organization will have to lay off a number of employees around 200-300 and hence I believe that the organization should adopt a different approach for laying off. There are certain non negotiable guidelines which the organization possess and based in that laying off employees would be a fair decision because such policies and aspects are non negotiable and there is no tolerance for the violation of the same. Disciplinary issues, performance issues on a frequent basis, not meeting the expectation for a quite a number of times, etc. Although the organization can lay off employees even without a proper reason but an organization like ESPN should mainTain their image as a brand and should ensure that there is no negative publicity at all.
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