Partner Talent Network: Scheduled to launch in second quarter of calendar
2008, the Partner Talent Network sets a new standard in the industry and
will serve as the foundation for a global Cisco talent solution. Web 2.0
collaboration capabilities will foster better communication between
employer and candidate, while the use of interactive video will eliminate
the need for text resumes and job postings. Replacing the existing Partner
Talent Portal, the new platform will provide targeted candidate matching,
interactive talent maps and personal branding capabilities as well as
career-exploration tools for students and candidates anywhere in the world,
significantly expanding the talent pools that Cisco can connect its
partners with.
Recruitment Services Solutions: Through this new initiative, channel
partners that have difficulty finding experienced talent can supplement
their strategies by using recruitment firms who specialize in IT networking
talent. Moreover, they can do so at a Cisco negotiated reduced rate. In
some cases this rate is nearly 50 percent lower than the pre-negotiated
rate. This talent recruitment solution is currently available in the United
States, Canada, Europe, the emerging markets and Asia Pacific through a
variety of relationships.
Professional Career Accelerator: Today's employees require a sophisticated
blend of professional, technical and business skills. This new partner-
development program provides critical on-the-job training focused on
professional and business skills aligned to Cisco technologies. The channel
partner can thus assess employee talent as well as receive guidance on
creating a development plan customized to an individual's skills. This
program also uses job-role playbooks, allowing the channel partner to set
the development pace and cost based on its needs and the needs of the new
hire.
Talent Pool Connections: Expanding the pools of qualified talent to which
Cisco can connect its channel partners is critical to addressing the global
IT skills gap. Cisco recently added the Cisco® Networking Academy®
Alumni Association of more than 200,000 active registered graduates and the
Cisco Career Connections Web site, which receives roughly 20,000 resumes
per month, to the list of qualified talent to whom Cisco is connecting its
partners.
Study Echoes Global Partner Feedback
The North American study commissioned by Cisco and conducted by the
Institute of Partner Education and Development, provider of channel
intelligence through world's largest solution provider databank, garnered a
97 percent confidence rating. Thirty-four percent of the respondents said
that hiring additional qualified employees was key to growing company sales
and capacity with 48 percent ranked the hiring of technical talent and 34
percent ranked the hiring of sales talent as difficult.
"As a company that focuses on delivering technology solutions to banks and
credit unions we have very specific talent needs and without qualified
people with industry knowledge our ability to grow is hindered," said Dan
Holt, co-founder and CEO of Heit, Inc., a Cisco Premier Certified Channel
Partner. "Cisco understands this issue because it listens to its partners
like no other company in the industry, but perhaps more importantly it is
taking action and addressing the issue aggressively with us."
About Cisco
Cisco (Contact Information: Press Relations: Lang Tibbils Cisco Systems, Inc. 408 853-9013 ltibbils@cisco.com Analyst Relations: Rebecca Noriega Cisco Systems, Inc 408 853-5819 rnoriega@cisco.com Investor Relations Contact: Marilyn Mora Cisco Systems, Inc. 408 527-7452 marilmor@cisco.com