At a time when only a third of organizations offer formal internal mobility programs—and just one in five employees feel confident making internal moves, according to LinkedIn Learning—one people leader has embraced an innovative approach to developing early-career talent.
Certinia, a Salesforce-native cloud solution with 850 employees in seven countries, launched its Emerging Talent Advisory Board (ETAB) program in 2024. After just one year, company leaders and participants say it has delivered extraordinary results for retention and promotion rates while generating real business value.
Here’s how it came to drive success (with tips on how to start a similar program).
The internal mobility gap
Aptitude Research found 93% of companies believe a strong learning culture boosts employee morale, and 67% plan to increase their investment in learning and development this year. Yet, fewer than half feel confident that their current learning culture is effective—highlighting the need to reassess and realign their strategies.
This presents a challenge for retaining early-career employees and emerging talent. As Amanda McCollum, vice president of human resources at Adams Keegan, noted recently in a guest piece for HR Executive, “HR leaders need to showcase their ongoing skill development and career growth opportunities” to effectively retain younger talent.
Despite growing concerns about Gen Z job-hopping and rising employee turnover costs, most organizations still lack structured pathways for internal career development. According to LinkedIn Learning, this disconnect represents a critical missed opportunity. In fact, a recent LinkedIn report found that 94% of workers say they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their careers.
Case study: A strategic investment in future leaders
Certinia’s chief people officer, Kris Kildahl, partnered with the company’s CEO, DJ Paoni, to create the Emerging Talent Advisory Board—a comprehensive 12-month program designed to develop and retain high-potential early-career employees.
Certinia provides all employees with access to LinkedIn Learning, Salesforce resources and its proprietary Certinia Academy. However, ETAB stands out as a distinctive opportunity that was developed organically alongside these offerings.
In its first year, ETAB’s 12-person cohort included participants from across the United States, UK and EMEA. “All were nominated by senior leadership and comprised a well-rounded representation of the workforce,” notes Kildahl.
She says nominated participants were identified by managers and other leaders as high-potential: smart, hardworking and leadership-driven employees.
“Many early-career employees share the same desires and motivations as previous generations, but the opportunities are different,” explains Kildahl, highlighting why targeted, purposeful development initiatives like ETAB are essential in today’s workplace.
To meet this need, the Certinia ETAB program includes six months of intensive development training followed by strategic project work with real implementation potential. During this time, participants receive direct mentorship from exec-level coaches while working on actual business challenges across functions.
The value of this program is supported by Deloitte research, which found that 86% of Gen Z workers say having a sense of purpose is important to their job satisfaction and wellbeing. In a global survey of 22,841 participants—including 14,468 Gen Zs and 8,373 millennials from 44 countries—Deloitte researchers suggest that this is a universal priority employers can’t afford to ignore.
Exceptional outcomes for emerging talent retention
According to a 2024 study by Deloitte, nearly six in 10 Gen Z and millennial workers believe they need to reskill or are considering roles less vulnerable to automation. This suggests that early-career talent seeks opportunities to make themselves more valuable to their organization.
Given this priority, Certinia’s program outcomes speak volumes: Kildahl reports a 92% retention rate and a 67% promotion rate among ETAB achievers—more than six times the typical promotion benchmark.
“This program has the potential to transform the trajectory of participants’ careers,” says Kildahl. “However, the benefits aren’t exclusive to those who join the ETAB. The program also serves as a feedback mechanism, as the ETAB group shares their experience and perspective with Certinia leadership.”
Tips for creating an emerging talent cohort
For organizations looking to create similar programs, Kildahl offers the following recommendations:
- Have a strong commitment from the leadership team. Be sure they understand the value.
- Structure a program that offers participants the chance for both “learning and doing.”
- If possible, find an opportunity for in-person collaboration. Certinia aligned the ETAB program’s kickoff and closing with major company events—the senior leadership summit and the annual revenue kickoff—to maximize impact and visibility.
- Guide participants on how to prepare presentations to avoid an “11th-hour scramble.”
- Offer “graduates” the opportunity to continue to serve in an advisory capacity and as coaches to future participants
Adding another layer of benefit, the ETAB program has become a powerful recruiting tool for Certinia. While the talent acquisition team highlights it during recruitment, “the best PR is word of mouth from participants, including their powerful LinkedIn posts,” emphasizes Kildahl.
With its remarkable success in just the first year, Kildahl’s closing thoughts reflect both pride and encouragement: “I hope others have the chance to adopt something similar.”
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