An interview with Ed Betof

by Jeff Wendt

Vice President, Talent Management & Chief Learning Officer
BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)

A corporate executive with solid teaching & learning credentials talks about the college-corporate interface.

July 2006

Tell us about your background

Ed Betof

I have a bachelor's, a master's and Ed.D., all from Temple University. My first ten employment years during and after graduate studies were spent as a teacher and consultant working with both public and private schools. I next headed HR Planning and Development at an insurance company. Then I worked for 12 years at Hoffmann LaRoche Pharmaceuticals in executive development, regulatory affairs and new product development and served on the leadership team of that business. I spent four years working as an executive coach and consultant in the practice area of organizational change. Since 1997, I've worked at BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) in various roles. I co-authored a book in 1992 entitled "Just Promoted," which is still in print. I've also served as an adjunct faculty member at Penn State, Temple University and the Center for Creative Leadership. Currently I guest lecture at Columbia University and Rutgers University.

Is any of your career path replicable by others?

Interesting question. Watch for graduate schools to begin to prepare and certify people as Chief Learning Officers (CLOs). The more adept schools will likely combine offerings from their business schools and schools of education. I'm a member of an advisory committee at the University of Pennsylvania that is pursuing just such an effort.

Give us an idea of the size and scope of the CLO job at BD.

BD is a global medical technology company. We manufacture medical devices, instrumented systems and reagents. We focus on improving drug therapy, enhancing the quality and speed of diagnosing infectious diseases, and advancing research and discovery of new drugs and vaccines. We call our employees 'associates,' and we have 25,000 of them around the world. Just over half of our $5.4 billion annual revenues are generated outside the United States. My responsibilities include leading BD University (BDU), company-wide succession planning, talent acquisition and performance management. BDU has 300 - 400 course offerings each year. Since 2000, BDU has taught more than 10,000 associates. During 2006 we expect that number to be 6,000 to 7,000.

What are the skills in demand at BD that drive workplace learning?

All learning that goes on within our company is 'applied learning.' It must be aligned with our business strategy, purpose and values. We have many types of associates, including executives, scientists, engineers, office workers, salespeople, manufacturing associates, and supply and distribution associates. So all learning must be tailored to each associate's role and responsibilities. People who are continuous learners are, most frequently, the ones best suited to be leaders and successful professionals within our company.

What are BD's affiliations with colleges and universities?

Our relationships take a couple of forms. There are the schools from which we recruit talent for new hires, including Northwestern University, Wharton, Rensselaer, Duke, MIT, Penn State, Cornell, Fairleigh Dickinson, Stevens Institute of Technology, Rutgers, Stanford, University of Nebraska and University of California, San Diego.

Once employed, ongoing degree-based learning may be pursued, both undergraduate and graduate. If the learning desired and the school chosen are approved according to our published criteria - and according to the associate's individual development plan -- a BD associate can expect to receive tuition assistance of 100 percent if he or she does well in the program. The colleges and universities near our offices and manufacturing facilities often are the providers of choice. Our tuition assistance policy also includes distance learning offerings from accredited institutions.

In a somewhat different relationship, two BD executives presently serve as board members at Rutgers University and Fairleigh Dickinson University. BD has also had academic leaders serve on our Board of Directors.

Do you have formal or informal training relationships with community colleges?

Not at this time, although nothing precludes us from utilizing the local resources of community colleges.

For new hires, what BD jobs require a college degree?

The roles that we consider 'professional' and/or 'managerial' require college degrees: engineers, sales roles, scientists, financial analysts, accountants, research associates, HR partners are examples. Numerous roles require graduate degrees.

How important is the content of an undergraduate's transcript when you hire someone fresh from college?

The whole picture of an undergraduate's background is very important. The individua'ls major and areas of concentration combined with the history of academic accomplishment tells us a lot. The courses taken and grades earned provide indicators of the candidate's ability to learn. The time-to-degree is important as well as the person's other roles on campus. Learning agility is a principal characteristic of people who become successful at our company. We also look at their involvement in co-curricular activities, involvement in community projects and other indicators of who the person is and what we call a "motivational profile".

How important is an undergraduate's school?

We hire from a wide variety of fine institutions. If a school is known for special excellence in a particular field, that's important to us. For example, we believe Penn State is tops in supply chain management. I also agree with Loren Pope that the right small college can change a person's life for the better. But we have one job to fill with one person. As important as the school or the grades are, our evaluation of the person's current capabilities and their potential to learn, grow and develop are key hiring factors.

How can colleges better prepare undergraduates for employment at BD?

Graduates should be able to write well and communicate well in person. They should know how to learn -- especially in new and different situations. They must know how to work with others and to solve problems in collaboration. At our company, teamwork and collaboration is essential, as is the ability to work and contribute individually. College should teach and put teamwork into practice. It's actually easier for us if students learn teamwork on campus first.

It is very important for us to recruit graduates where the mastery of their profession is well underway as a result of the college experience. Colleges should significantly strengthen their career guidance and career counseling capabilities. Many graduates have underdeveloped insights and capabilities. They need help on how to start a career and how to manage it. Many don't have a career magnetic north as it were. It's a pity.

Finally, specialty training at college, such as engineering and the sciences, should have a work component. Those subjects should no longer be exclusively academic exercises.

What is your assessment of the relative value of classroom learning vs. distance learning for undergraduates?

It depends on the subject matter. Some content can be absorbed in any environment. Other content cannot. Laboratory experiences and opportunities to apply learning in a work situation, such as internships are important for certain areas of study. However, distance learning has a very real place with today's students and in the workplace.