An Interview with LinkedIn’s Kevin Delaney

When I first heard the news last week about Microsoft’s acquisition of LinkedIn for $26 billion, I was in a state of awe, especially after recently interviewing Kevin Delaney, the Head of Learning and Product HR at LinkedIn. To listen to our episode with Kevin Delaney, click here. shutterstock_333091820

LinkedIn has experienced major transformation from being recognized as a SaaS (Software as a Service) social people record system, to becoming a competitive Talent Acquisition provider, to then further expanding in offering learning solutions and more through their acquisition a little over a year ago of Lynda.com. Most of our discussion focused on how Kevin is leading HR and learning to organize these functions efficiently to support growth, and develop teams and individuals to be more adaptable, innovative and sustainable.

After the acquisition by Microsoft, Brandon Hall Group’s HCM Analyst Team deliberated about how Microsoft’s acquisition might impact the market. You can probably imagine the analyst speak with the different scenarios that we played out – who might be next for buyouts and how fast will these companies grow or even become obsolete if their technology and vision are not ready to immediately take on the future. The news articles coming from financial analysts on the LinkedIn acquisition – not surprisingly — revealed a broad mix of opinions:

You will find other insights from financial analysts in articles published here.

I’m anxious to see how quickly Microsoft will be able to integrate with LinkedIn and benefit from LinkedIn’s innovative and progressive talent.   Will Microsoft have a major impact on the HCM market or what types of plays will Oracle, SAP, and other major players make? What else may arise that is not on our radar to disrupt or level out the market?

Don’t forget to listen to our podcast that took place right before the acquisition with Kevin Delaney, who is an HR leader with 20 years of experience in Fortune companies, start-ups, and high-growth technology companies. During my interview with Kevin, I learned a lot about his focus in his current new role at LinkedIn, the corporate culture, and how LinkedIn was structured for hyper-growth. Some of the general insights I walked away with:

  • Talent decisions are highly data-driven
  • Learning products are designed, delivered and marketed similarly to how you would go-to-market externally
  • Audience experience is critical
  • Finding a balance between creative and sustainable is paramount to success

Furthermore, to be able to support and execute LinkedIn’s, Kevin shared the following three levels of engagement that are essential:

  • Stabilize – set proper expectations
  • Create and cultivate a highly creative environment for ideation
  • Sustain – always look ahead and keeping things moving in a continuous fashion

You can download the show anytime at the HCMx Radio site.

               –Rachel Cooke, Chief Operating Officer, Brandon Hall Group
@RachelCCooke

 

 

 

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Mike Cooke

Chief Executive Officer of Brandon Hall Group Mike Cooke Prior to joining Brandon Hall Group, Mike Cooke was the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of AC Growth. Mike held leadership and executive positions for the majority of his career, at which he was responsible for steering sales and marketing teams to drive results and profitability. His background includes more than 15 years of experience in sales, marketing, management, and operations in the research, consulting, software and technology industries. Mike has extensive experience in sales, marketing and management having worked for several early high-growth emerging businesses and has implemented technology systems to support various critical sales, finance, marketing and client service functions. He is especially skilled in organizing the sales and service strategy to fully support a company’s growth strategy. The concept of growth was an absolute to Mike and a motivator in starting AC Growth, in order to help organizations achieve research driven results. Most recently, Mike was the VP and General Manager of Field Operations at Bersin & Associates, a global analyst and consulting services firm focused on all areas of enterprise learning, talent management and talent acquisition. Tasked with leading the company’s global expansion, Mike led all sales operations worldwide. During Mike’s tenure, the company has grown into a multi-national firm, conducting business in over 45 countries with over 4,500 multi-national organizations. Mike started his career at MicroVideo Learning Systems in 1992, eventually holding a senior management position and leading all corporate sales before founding Dynamic Minds. Mike was CEO and Co-Founder of Dynamic Minds, a custom developer of software programs, working with clients like Goldman Sachs, Prentice Hall, McGraw Hill and Merrill Lynch. Also, Mike worked for Oddcast, a leading provider of customer experience and marketing solutions, where he held a senior management position leading the company into new markets across various industries. Mike also serves on the Advisory Board for Carbon Solutions America, an independent sustainability consulting and carbon management firm that specializes in the design and implementation of greenhouse reduction and sustainability plans as well as managing the generation of carbon and renewal energy and energy efficiency credits. Mike attended University of Phoenix, studying Business Administration and Finance. He has also completed executive training at the Chicago Graduate School of Business in Chicago, IL.

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