Aon plc and Kaplan announced on January 7 a collaboration to bring together their talent assessment and development services under the umbrella of the Kaplan Performance Academy (KPA), essentially making Aon's suite of assessment solutions available through the academy.

Aon's talent assessment practice is a segment of its Human Capital Solutions business and offers services including aptitude tests, personality assessments, job simulations, and data and analytics for pre-hire assessments, employee development and identification of leadership potential, according to the announcement. Kaplan Performance Academy is a primarily digital learning environment that provides a combination of live learning experiences and online coaching for organizations.

Andrew Perkins, Global Director of KPA, said that data and insight about talent is only “half the story”, and the other half involves actually doing something about that data and insight. “It’s rather like having a fitness assessment at the gym. It’s a great place to start, but what can I do now? What can I achieve? Who can help me?” he said. “For both Aon and Kaplan, human potential lies at the heart of what we offer our clients. Aon helps clients see that potential, while Kaplan helps clients develop it. The combination of our respective experiences and expertise to offer clients an end-to-end solution makes for an exciting prospect for both companies and our clients.”

Brandon DeCaro, sales director for Aon’s Human Capital Solutions business, said: “We know how to identify the right people, and Kaplan knows how to unlock their potential. It’s an ideal collaboration to provide a comprehensive talent development solution for our clients. KPA provides the role-based development that supports our talent assessment tools with a focus on performance outcomes that our clients truly value.”

The global talent assessment industry is estimated to be worth between $3 to $4 billion annually and set to grow between 5-10 percent in the next few years, numbers that have likely increased following 2020's impact on the labor markets.