Leadership is no longer just about managing teams—it’s about inspiring, engaging, and fostering a culture of growth. As businesses navigate hybrid work models, digital transformation, and rising employee expectations, the demand for skilled and empathetic leaders has never been greater.
Conduent, a global technology-led business solutions provider, understood this shift and set out to redefine its leadership development approach. With its award-winning People Management Fundamentals (PMF) programme, Conduent is ensuring that every people leader, regardless of experience level, is equipped with the mindset, skills, and tools to lead with confidence and consistency.
However, scaling a leadership initiative across a diverse, global workforce requires more than just vision—it demands the right learning strategy. That’s where Skillsoft became a game-changing partner. As part of The Skill Shift series—a collection of transformative learning stories curated by Skillsoft and People Matters—we explore how Conduent successfully leveraged Skillsoft’s expertise to scale, personalise, and embed the PMF programme into its leadership DNA, setting a new benchmark for people management excellence.
The Birth of the PMF Programme: A Vision for Leadership Excellence
With thousands of people leaders across its global workforce, Conduent recognised the need to establish a unified, high-impact leadership approach—one that embodies its core values and fosters an inclusive, high-performance culture. The People Management Fundamentals (PMF) programme was born—a comprehensive leadership initiative designed to provide a standardised yet flexible learning experience for all people leaders, regardless of tenure or expertise.
“Our objective is to train all our current people leaders by the end of 2025. We have already covered half of them, and our approach is designed to be engaging, impactful, and scalable.”
— Govind Srinivasan, Global L&D Lead, Conduent
The programme’s success has been widely recognised, earning Conduent the Impact Award for Transformative Leadership Development at the Skillsoft India Customer Awards 2024. This prestigious recognition highlights PMF’s effectiveness in building strong, people-centric leadership that drives meaningful workplace transformation.
The Core pillars of PMF
At its core, PMF is built on three fundamental leadership pillars, each shaping how people leaders engage, develop, and support their teams:
Communication – Leaders are empowered to engage with clarity, influence with purpose, and inspire action, ensuring alignment across teams and geographies.
Coaching – By developing strong mentorship capabilities, managers become enablers of growth, performance, and career progression within the organisation.
Caring – A human-first approach ensures that people leaders prioritise well-being, inclusion, and a supportive work culture, fostering long-term engagement and retention.
These pillars form the foundation of a leadership culture that is not only consistent but also deeply rooted in Conduent’s organisational values.
Scaling leadership development with Skillsoft
Leadership development cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach. To resonate with leaders across different roles, locations, and learning preferences, Conduent structured the PMF programme around a blended learning mode with the help of Skillsoft.
This three-pronged approach—Education, Exposure, and Experience—ensures that people leaders receive theoretical knowledge, real-world insights, and hands-on practice to apply their learning effectively.
Education: Online and instructor-led learning sessions provide foundational knowledge on leadership principles.
Exposure: Fireside chats with senior leaders, cohort-based learning, and an interactive online community enable knowledge-sharing.
Experience: AI-powered skill simulations and practice scenarios allow leaders to hone their abilities in real-life workplace situations.
“Skillsoft’s content and learning platform, Percipio, have been instrumental in driving this initiative”, said Srinivasan, “Their vast library of high-quality, up-to-date learning resources ensures that our people leaders have access to relevant, impactful training materials at their fingertips.”
One of the standout features of Skillsoft’s integration with PMF has been the use of AI-driven coaching simulations. These scenario-based exercises allow people leaders to practice decision-making in a risk-free environment, helping them build confidence in handling real-world leadership challenges.
Additionally, Skillsoft’s analytics tools have enabled Conduent to track completion rates, measure engagement, and fine-tune the programme based on data insights—ensuring continuous improvement and alignment with business goals.
Measuring Success: The Tangible Impact on people leaders
A leadership programme’s success isn’t measured by enrolments alone—it’s about the real-world impact on leadership behaviours, team dynamics, and overall business performance.
Therefore, the PMF programme’s impact has been overwhelmingly positive, with learners reporting high satisfaction and tangible improvements in leadership effectiveness.
Post-session surveys consistently receive high 90s approval ratings, indicating strong learner engagement and relevance.
Three months post-completion, surveys reveal that a vast majority of participants apply their learning in day-to-day leadership.
Direct managers confirm a positive behavioural shift in participants, citing improved team communication, coaching effectiveness, and people-first leadership styles.
Early trends indicate a correlation between PMF participation and lower attrition rates, reinforcing the importance of strong leadership in employee retention.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of this programme is seeing our leaders shift to a more human-centric leadership approach. In the rush of deadlines and performance pressures, it is easy to forget that we are leading people, not just managing tasks. PMF has helped instil that awareness,” said Srinivasan.
The future of leadership development at Conduent
With the success of PMF, Conduent is now looking at further enhancing the programme by:
- Shortening the learning journey from 12 months to 6-8 months for greater agility.
- Integrating AI-driven coaching to provide real-time feedback to people leaders.
- Personalising content recommendations based on individual leadership needs.
- Expanding self-directed learning opportunities to foster continuous skill development.
“Skillsoft’s role in enabling self-directed learning has been invaluable,” said Srinivasan. Their platform personalisation ensures that people leaders return to learning voluntarily, engaging in certifications and upskilling on their terms.”
As Conduent continues to refine its approach, the PMF programme remains a flagship initiative, setting the gold standard for leadership excellence within the organisation. The programme is not just training leaders—it’s shaping the future of leadership within its organisation. By partnering with Skillsoft, Conduent has been able to deliver a world-class, scalable leadership experience that equips their own people leaders with the skills they need to thrive. This investment in leadership development remains a cornerstone of its success—ensuring that its people leaders are empowered, engaged, and ready to drive the organisation forward.
Stay tuned for more stories in the “Skill Shift Series,” where Skillsoft and People Matters explore how companies are redefining learning to bridge the skills gap and drive business impact.
Learn how Skillsoft Percipio can transform your organisation’s learning journey today!