People-centric learning satisfies employee needs at speed

Tech-enabled learning enables 24/7 learning

A chief advantage of tech-enabled learning is that it’s always on tap: people can add to and consolidate their skills in the flow of their everyday work, but also at any other time that suits them. Learning experience platforms (LXPs) enable them to personalize and add to their knowledge in small increments: not everything needs to be learned in long lessons or in broad courses.

Sometimes, people simply want to find out how to fill one particular knowledge gap. For instance, “I get this issue all the time. If the customer purchase order was raised in Country A, but it was in the currency of Country B, and we provided goods and services to Country C, is VAT applicable, and at what rate?”

In fact, LXPs enable people to explore by category or content, just as they might search at home by title or by genre on a streaming platform when they’re looking for something to watch in the evenings. “I have two or three half-hour slots this week, and I’m looking to advance my understanding of XYZ. What have you got for me, LXP?”

Just as a streaming entertainment platform can track previous preferences and make recommendations, “integrated talent management” technology can use search histories, people’s job profiles, and career progressions or interests to suggest learning paths, competency-based learning, and job-aligned learning. The technology’s in-built intelligence means individual competencies can be curated at scale, so individual employees can improve their skills in a way that delivers value not just to them but to the business.

Leveraging design to drive people-centric learning

Learning Design, which needs to take precedence in today’s times, is an upgraded version of Instructional Design. This structural foundation supports learning experiences while considering the complex interactions between the instructor, learner, and the platform.

Tech-enabled learning systems consider the qualities of a learner – their prior knowledge, existing skillsets, and a multitude of other factors – and modify the course or learning processes that can adapt to the unique needs, circumstances, and goals of the individual. This, is in turn, helps the learner guide the direction or outcome of their training through data-driven platforms.

What’s more, learning can be embedded into the platforms on which employees operate, so the systems can train them to be better on the job, adapting intelligently to their rate of progress and also to their preferred learning approaches. You no longer need to “sit next to Nellie” when Nellie just went digital. Approaches like this are transforming the face of learning – especially when employees need to keep pace with technologies that are evolving and/or being superseded all the time.

Intelligent, people-centric learning driven by innovation

I mentioned that intelligent learning systems can adapt to the needs of individual people. It’s a trend that’s crossed over from sales and marketing. Just as businesses are increasingly developing customer personas and customizing their products and services to meet the expectations of those groups, so organizations are defining learning personas for their employees, putting learners at the center, and tailoring what and how they need to acquire knowledge to their own circumstances and preferences.

Digital interactive practice sessions, podcasts, multiple-choice tests, written submissions, videos, virtual reality, and extended reality role-playing are just a few of the possibilities. Whatever the case, the aim is to make learning impactful relevant and accessible for everyone.

As with so much else in the digital age, the content itself is key – but the format can make or break its prospects of success. So, too, can the ecosystem that underpins it all: organizations need to build and sustain an infrastructure that enables them to keep pace not just with emerging technologies but also with changing business practices and people’s evolving needs.

To use a favorite line of ours here at Capgemini, a smart and flexible learning infrastructure can help get the future your business wants – and that your employees want, too.

To learn how Capgemini’s Intelligent Learning Operations can drive a personalized, frictionless, and continuous learning journey across your talent management cycle, contact: sarita.fernandes@capgemini.com