In our “Power of Us” series, we are highlighting associates from around the world who are going above and beyond in their job and communities during the COVID-19 crisis. In this edition, we interview Charles Donnell, Director, Global Talent Development. Charles and his team launched a digital badging program in the midst of the pandemic, giving associates an opportunity to earn learning credentials and share their achievements with their network.
1. Tell us about your role as Director, Global Talent Development.
In my awesome role I oversee our People & Professional Development offerings in North America, including our virtual classroom and online courses. I have global oversight of our Learning Technologies including PVH University, powered by Workday, learning content creation tools, and our newest learning technology: digital badging! My team produces all the content, posts, and videos you receive in your email inbox and the cool stuff you see from PVH U on our news channels! I am also part of the WERK LGBTQ+ New York Chapter Leadership Team!
2. What is digital badging and what does this program provide to associates?
I have global oversight of learning technologies and in late 2019 we launched our new global learning platform – PVH U, powered by Workday. One thing we observed since launching our new platform is that many associates (thousands!) were taking our classroom and online courses, but there was not an easy way for them to showcase what they had learned. And in this 21st century digital age, it’s not only about the knowledge and skills you have, it’s also about what you are sharing with others. As a result, I connected with Credly, the world’s largest digital badging platform to understand how we could bring Digital Badges to PVH. In summary, Digital Badging enables PVH associates to take a wide array of PVH University learning offerings, and then upon successful completion (usually a course, with an assessment component) they are able to share their knowledge and accreditation both internally on PVH social platforms, as well external on social platforms like LinkedIn. This enables our associates to promote and enhance their personal brand, and also showcases PVH’s commitment to empowering our associates to design their future.
3. What results have you seen so far since the launch of digital badging?
We launched our first digital badges in late-October 2020 and we have been so amazed by the incredible uptake by our associates in this program. We started with 2 badges, one focused on Inclusion & Diversity and the other focused on being a good Virtual Collaborator (as the majority of PVH associates are currently working from home). As I write this article, over 2000 badges have been issued across all regions, functions and brands of our company (that’s nearly 500 a month), so the program is truly global and associates are avidly sharing their learning achievements on our internal platforms and over LinkedIn!
4. Can you share what is on the horizon for digital badging this year? What else can associates expect from the program?
Well, I don’t want to give away too many surprises yet. But, what I can tell you is we are scaling the program both internally and externally. We are partnering with different functions within PVH to develop badges focused on upskilling associates in specific capability areas. In addition, we are having conversations with some external institutions to collaborate a cross-branded badge. Exciting things ahead!