• by Ray Schultz , July 31, 2022

Hearst has been using a system called TalkMeUp for its high-potential employee development program. 

“TalkMeUp was integrated into the emerging leaders program and provided an opportunity for participants to home in on their individual communication skills,” states Heather Ragone, vice president, talent development and learning at Hearst.

Hearst’s use of TalkMeUp expanded more than 20-fold over the past year. It has been adopted in all aspects of the business. 

“All of this is interwoven into how [everyone] communicates,” Ragone adds. TalkMeUp users can “record their message, practice, and get real-time feedback,” she continues. 

The result: These elite leaders showed a 30% improvement in communication skills, with some staffers showing up to a 78% improvement. 

TalkMeUp is a video practice and coaching platform built on AI. Users can record themselves on a cellphone or laptop “free of judgment and consequence,” the company states.

TalkMeUp cites stats showing that “communication barriers are leading to a delay or failure to complete projects (44%), low morale (31%), missed performance goals (25%) and even lost sales (18%)—some worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.”