DENVER, Jan. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Deloitte's 2013 Human Capital Trends Report, "leaders are tasked with meeting high expectations for performance and talent, despite dramatic shifts in technology, globalization, demographics and regulation."

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"Changes in workforce structures and the way people work today have created increased demand for well-educated leaders with technological age knowledge and skills," Dr. Peter Pintus, instructor in graduate level organizational development and leadership programs at University of the Rockies, said. "Companies are putting more emphasis on nurturing corporate culture and are looking outside of traditional human resources roles to handle strategic personnel planning and talent management."

"With major changes in the way businesses are staffed, organizations are paying extra attention to employee engagement and motivation, with the goal of driving deep cultural change," said Pintus. "Many successful leaders have realized that businesses should have a learning culture to grow and prevent stagnation. As a result, there has been an increased interest in careers that assess organizational performance and focus on personnel development, succession and replacement planning."

Pintus highlights three trending careers for 2014:

Chief Learning Officer (CLO) – a chief learning officer is a C-level executive in charge of creating a proactive learning culture within a company or organization. From strategic development and planning, to e-learning and performance management, the CLO determines how to best match employee education with the organization's goals, strategies and market share. According to a CEO study conducted by IBM, one of the biggest differentiations between high performing organizations and their peers is the capability to drive change.

"CLOs serve as the leading change agent within the company," said Pintus. "This role is very valuable and has become increasingly important in today's fast-paced business environment as well as for long-term strategic planning. In most companies the CLO position is separate from human resources as it focuses on the overall culture of the organization."

Corporate Consultant – corporate consultants offer a wide range of services to make a company, business unit or a department more effective. The responsibility ranges from evaluating systems and processes to offering employee training and developing management team skillsets.

"Some trending corporate consultant roles include corporate learning consultants (CLCs) and organizational development consultants. Both positions provide planning, leadership, and coaching to ensure the company's learning and development plans align with long-term goals," said Pintus.

Executive Coach – an executive coach helps managers and executives improve their business, and often, their personal life, by observing organizational behaviors, recognizing individual talents, and mentoring. Focusing on interpersonal, strategic, and leadership skills, an executive coach assesses existing processes and performance plans and assists with succession and replacement planning.

"It's becoming more critical for organizations to focus on what truly motivates employees and inspires them to perform at their best," said Pintus. "With changes in organizational structure and external factors affecting businesses today, understanding how to create a culture that recognizes, motivates and educates employees will continue to become increasingly important for leaders and organizations."

About University of the Rockies
Expertise, purpose, and leadership – these ideas are at the heart of University of the Rockies. A graduate school of the social and behavioral sciences, University of the Rockies offers master's and doctoral degrees through the School of Professional Psychology and the School of Organizational Leadership. Students may take classes in downtown Denver, Colo., or work toward degrees online from anywhere in the country. No matter where they are, the students and faculty of University of the Rockies are passionate about excellence in business and in society. For more information, please visit rockies.edu or call Shari Winet, Vice President of Public Relations, at 866.621.0124 x2513.

Contact: Shari Winet, Vice President of Public Relations
866.621.0124, ext. 2513 • shari.winet@rockies.edu

SOURCE University of the Rockies