Corporate Archive - imc Learning

On 8th March we celebrate International Women’s Day. This year’s focus is: Equal opportunities and equality of women and men. As in previous years, a large variety of events, forums and discussion groups are held under the hashtag #EmbraceEquity. Given our experiences during the corona pandemic, we at imc already asked ourselves last year, whether the crises undid decades of progress on the path to gender equality. As part of a roundtable discussion that included many external guests, we looked at the topic of “Women in the Hybrid Working World”. This generated a wealth of new and thought-provoking ideas. We wanted to know what has changed since last year, and how equality is realised. So, we asked our Executive Board and our colleagues.

The return from maternity leave did not go according to plan. Lockdown made the envisioned full-time role impossible, as Sabine Sauer and her husband faced challenges many other couples were only too familiar with. They needed to balance two 40-hour working weeks with childcare. Sabine decided to reduce her hours in her sales role at imc. Her employer’s reaction was a thoroughly positive experience: “It was very straightforward. As a woman, I was given the opportunity to do a cool job without the full-time commitment.”

When talking to Sabine, it is obvious that she loves her job. “Improving processes and driving communication between departments is extremely important to me.” A few weeks ago, she was promoted to Head of Account Management. This came completely unexpected for her. “I think it’s really cool that my employer trusts me to handle this role even though I don’t work full time. There would be no chance of that happening at other companies.”

However, reactions to her promotions were often more reserved in her private circle. She would hear comments such as “How are you going to manage?” or “Is that not a bit much for you?”. The sportsmanship of the former marathon runner and triathlete shines through in how she handles these doubts. “You only improve when you step out of the comfort zone.” Sabine has learned to push through and encourages other women: “You will achieve a lot with good organisation and structure.”

In recent years, a thorough change has become apparent among many fathers. They are no longer satisfied with being a weekend or leisure dad. Fathers now value family time as an important asset. Kenneth Littlepage – aka Kenny – is the proud dad of a 2-year old daughter. He made a conscious decision for parental leave. “There are various ways you can plan parental leave. We opted for a hybrid version, where I would work three days a week and my wife would work two.”

Kenny highlights that this model not only strengthened his relationship with his daughter, but also that with his wife. Both him and his wife would look after their daughter, handle the household chores and take responsibility for everything else on the days the other party was at work. Neither was exempted from any particular task. This helped him experience his child in a totally different way as a father. He also had to learn that everyday life is difficult to plan with a child, and some flexibility is always required.

He is very thankful that his employer offers flexibility and praises the new hybrid work model that imc introduced after the pandemic. “You can decide whether you want to work in the office or from home. That puts me and my wife on an equal footing. We have the same opportunity to coordinate our schedules and support each other.”

Simone Weber, Instructional Designer at imc, can confirm that equality extends far beyond the family context. About ten years ago, she took over her parents’ winegrowing business, cultivating the six-hectare vineyard together with her husband – on the side. Simone loves her work on the vineyards, which offers her a perfect balance to the “brain-work” at imc.

Leading a 20-member Instructional Design team, her days are filled with appointments and consultations. The vine is at the other end of the scale. “I am outside, all by myself. I listen to audio books or podcasts. Nobody speaks to me. It is really quite meditative.”

Simone appreciates the flexibility offered, but also wants to give something in return: “The grape harvest starts on a different date each year. I can take a 2-week holiday at the right time, whether that is in September or in October. My employer has always been accommodating in that regard. I will say though, that I am also willing to be flexible. If a meeting requires me to be on location, I don’t mind staying a little longer. There are times where you give, and times where you receive. I believe you need to maintain a balance – and that works quite well at imc.”

Equality and fairness – at imc, these two topics are not reserved for International Women’s Day.

Kerstin Steffen, Director Brand Strategy, has been heading the empowerHer Programme for almost four years, supporting women and young talents. She experienced many different aspects in her own career, both highs and lows. This is why fairness is so important to her now: ““Fairness means that we need to get rid of personal, unreflected prejudices and judgments, and biased, preferential treatment in order to create a fair and equitable world. Each and every one of us can actively support that within their own sphere of influence.”

Sven R. Becker, Member of the imc Executive Board, also emphasises that a holistic view of equality is necessary, and that it cannot be reduced to gender alone. “We need to look at a bigger picture of equality. It encompasses a variety in opinion, in work practices and much more. The most important thing is to self-reflect on everything you say,” he concludes. “In the end, it is people – not measures – who make diversity and inclusion thrive in a company.”

Thus, all of the company’s diversity programmes – from female leadership to inclusion – have self-reflection at their very core. Sven R. Becker aims to set a good example at all times. “I try to pay attention to my own words, and the effect those words have. And that is what I would like to see in others.”

Formula 1 and learning management systems don’t really have much in common. But if you want to be a pro in either of them, you need a lot of passion. And that’s definitely something Ravi Tandon, a customer success manager at imc Australia, has in abundance.

I’ve probably never spoken to any imc employee who is as passionate about the product they’re responsible for as Ravi. But then Ravi is, as he freely admits, quite a crazy guy, who still regrets the fact that he never got to be a Formula 1 driver. In this interview, he talks about his tasks, why he made the LMS his girlfriend, and a job interview that featured some very tricky questions.

You know, my role is actually a mix of customer success manager and e-learning consultant, and indeed I feel this is a very critical role for the company. Because here in Australia these roles are not so strictly separated from each other as in Germany, for example.

So, I take care of all issues that our customers have with our learning management system (LMS) and make sure they feel comfortable with our service and our product. But that’s not all. It’s also part of my job to ensure they trust and believe in us as a capable team.

Our tagline is “we empower”. And that’s what I try to do: I aim to empower customers to work as effectively as possible with our product. My goal is to find the best business solutions for them. Moreover, I want to make talking to us a positive experience for them, and, as I said earlier, make sure they don’t feel like just another number.

That’s correct. My career path at imc is quite unusual. I started in pre-sales for our LMS, but then worked in the content team for a while. It was a great time, and I learned a lot, but I feel that I’m more of a tech guy. I love our LMS, and that is where I belong.

But one thing that all my roles at imc had in common was a great sense of exciting complexity. In the content team, the approach was rather top down, but the process was highly creative. In the LMS team, you work with a lot of different departments and people in various roles. That can be challenging and involve a lot of back and forth, but I love interacting with different people and in different ways.

I just love our system. For me, the LMS is like a black hole – and I mean that in an absolutely positive way. It’s so wonderfully complex, and you’re always finding new functions, or new ways to use certain functions. It’s like navigating in a spaceship in outer space, and I’m the navigator – for our customers.

It just feels good when a customer calls you – perhaps they’re desperate, or annoyed with something – and I can help them out. I enjoy that feeling of confidence and being a subject matter expert with the ability to turn an unhappy customer into a happy one within the space of a single phone call.

But I have to give big credits here to the team in Germany. At the beginning, they taught me a lot about the system, and they still have so much detailed knowledge that they’re always happy to share.

I’m originally from India, but I lived and worked for many years in the USA. When the e-learning company I was working for closed, I applied for a visa for Australia. I just didn’t want to go back to India, plus Australia seemed like an interesting country. When I finally arrived here, I had nothing. No apartment, no friends, no job.

Then I saw the job at imc, and it just fitted perfectly. So, I applied, got it, and spent the first three months in my new country making the imc LMS my new girlfriend. I wanted to learn as much about the system as possible and really get a deep understanding. So, I did a lot of self-learning, including in the evenings and on the weekends.

Oh yes, that’s a great story. As I said, I had worked in e-learning before and had 15 years of work experience. Anyway, when I was interviewed, it was a panel including a German-speaking colleague.

First, he asked some basic questions about me – my attitude and things like that. But then he wanted to test me, so he gave me some more challenging questions. Well, I was able to answer all of them. I challenged him back and told him to give me harder questions, but I was able to answer all of those, too.

Finally, he gave me a mischievous grin and said: “Ok, now I will give you one question, and I guarantee you will not be able to answer it.” I told him to go ahead but was still optimistic. Well, he asked me a question in German – which, obviously, I couldn’t answer as I don’t speak German. It was hilarious!

New Work. It’s been the talk of the business world in recent months, and that’s certainly true here at imc. Not that we were ever happy just to leave it at words. So, a year ago exactly we decided to turn our working world on its head and try something new.

Our New Work model would be 100 percent flexible – but not 100 percent remote. Our goals were specific, our aims high, and our motivation strong. Since then, there have been new benefits, new structures and changes aplenty. But what could we do better? What else needs to be done? And what do our employees think? Let’s take a look at the highlights and see what we can learn from the year that was.

Quite a lot has changed for us after a year of hybrid working. We’ve gone 100 percent flexible but not 100 percent remote – while staying true to our corporate goals, as intended. There have been other changes too, such as our new workation model, a new onboarding programme and new offices. And the feedback from our employees shows we’ve taken the right approach and the transformation is meeting with approval. But what’s the verdict from the company’s point of view?

Christian Wachter, Chair of the Executive Board of imc, shares his take: “For us as imc, the New Work transformation has been a major step in the right direction. Employees and job applicants alike definitely see it as a plus. Our new structures and work philosophy provide an up-to-date, flexible way of responding to today’s challenges and needs and providing an attractive working environment. And we’ve done that in a way that allows us to stay on track with our corporate objectives.”

But all the positives aside, the introduction of New Work is by no means a guaranteed success. It requires active, collaborative design, as Elke Zastrau, Head of Human Resources and member of the New Work Transformation team, explains.

“For us, New Work is an ongoing transformation process that’s all the more challenging because there are no role models that are 100 percent transferable. Also, certain general challenges are more difficult in a hybrid context. Hence, on the transformation team we’re looking at how our leaders shape aspects like individual recognition, identification, interaction, and inclusion. We’re also paying particular attention to issues relating to productivity, results focus and innovativeness at imc.”

So, what milestones have we achieved in 12 months of New Work? Let’s take a closer look and reflect on the highlights.

Our new onboarding programme has been a major hit – with existing staff as well as new hires. That’s because, with our transformation under way, the time was also right to rethink our old onboarding journey. Alongside global processes, we wanted to create a harmonised journey that did more than merely inspire and motivate new staff. It had to communicate our brand and all its associated values as well. It was also important to take a hybrid approach because, our love of digitalisation aside, we know that communication has to be human. Accordingly, the journey could not be purely digital. It had to include face-to-face meet-ups with staff at the office as well. Needless to say, there had to be room for fun and entertainment, too. And we’re very pleased with the results.

The aim of our new office concepts was to create even more scope for individual development and creativity. This was important because our workforce is highly diverse, with highly diverse needs. So, we set about giving our offices a new look on a small budget, with just a few simple tweaks. We wanted offices that were functional and versatile yet inviting. Spaces that were global in design, but with unique local character. The result? Modern workspaces that are flexible, enhance efficiency and create a pleasant working environment.

Buoyed by the positive energy of the last year, we’re starting 2023 with new goals. But we also want to continue to support and drive our transformation process. The changes introduced need to be consolidated and further developed over the long term. These include the adaptation of our leadership programme and the continued professionalisation and improvement of our operating model. We’ll also be focussing on leadership and coaching in the New Work model. And needless to say, there will be one or two more office makeovers. Exciting times ahead! We’ll keep you posted.

To test the AI, the instructional designer used an old training project that had already been completed. “The tasks I gave ChatGPT were repeats of ones I’d completed myself when I designed the training.”

Summarising long texts:

ChatGPT does a very good job here. It can trim long, complex texts down to any word count and unpack jargon, producing short, easy-to-understand-prose.

Translating:

Here, ChatGPT is similar to DeepL, except that you can specify style. For instance, you can tell it to translate into simple or age-appropriate English.

Brainstorming:

Here, ChatGPT can come up with good initial ideas that you can build on in the later design process.

Arne Benoist did, of course, encounter a few limitations. “For summaries and translations, we can only use public domain content, as OpenAI is an open, online platform. You should never upload company data or confidential information. Currently that would fall foul of most companies’ data protection and privacy rules.”

Designing modern e-learning content is an intensely creative process. It seems strange to think a hunk of AI might make a good job of it. So, Arne Benoist gave it a try:

“For many of our designs we use stories, complete with scenarios, characters and plots. Hence, I asked ChatGPT to create a scenario for a web-based training course on cybersecurity. Well, the chatbot did pretty well, actually, but after a few repeat requests I kept getting similar scenarios. I’m sure I could have got better drafts if I’d fiddled around a bit more and given more specific instructions. But the first stories were too smooth and lacking in dramatic tension for my liking.”

Learning with chatbots and IT-powered applications is already a thing in many areas of corporate learning, including with imc Express. But integration of ChatGPT itself? Arne Benoist thinks that’s still some way off. “In most cases we’re working with highly detailed, specific content. So, to use AI in our training courses, we’d have to build the AI ourselves – so we could control it. I’m referring here mainly to data protection, but also to verifying sources.”

Nevertheless, Arne Benoist will be keeping a very close eye on ChatGPT and similar developments. “I’m very much aware ChatGPT is the start of something big, and it has quickly garnered a lot of fans. But I think we still have a way to go before it will truly revolutionize employee training and development. While I can imagine integrating ChatGPT or similar applications in the future, we’re not quite there yet for the kinds of projects we look after.”

Used correctly, with proper planning and linked to job profiles, learning paths can be a valuable tool for long-term, targeted employee development. Some companies are already aware of the value of learning paths in their bid to overcome skills shortages. They systematically foster lifelong learning and are using them to good effect through their learning management systems (LMS).

This is possible because learning paths are core parts of commonly used learning platforms. Put simply, learning paths are used to map long-term training and professional development plans that span multiple courses. These courses can consist of a very wide range of learning content types, including online courses, face-to-face training, and even periods of blended learning. And often there are dependencies between the individual courses: the learner can’t book Course B until they have successfully completed Course A or met some other prerequisites.

Applying these sorts of rules regarding the logical order of learning steps gives rise to various learning concepts. For example, you can create open learning concepts with freely selectable module sequences so the learner can choose the order in which they progress through the modules. Alternatively, you can create closed scenarios in which the sequencing of modules is fixed.

Moreover – and this is where it gets interesting – you can set up these scenarios either as content-based or level-based learning paths. Interesting because this is the point where learning paths become true development paths.

Content-based learning paths are the classic solution and are found in most learning platforms. You can use them to provide and track structured learning content over longer time frames. Take, for example, a six-month onboarding programme in which the participants are required to complete a series of diverse courses.

In case a new hire is assigned to a certain group – say, Sales – in the LMS, they can automatically be signed up for the onboarding programme for that group (in this case “Sales”).

Depending on how the learning path is configured, the new employee is then required to take a test. Depending on the results, they are either allowed to proceed directly to certain modules or required to complete the entire learning path. The learner can in most cases work through the modules in any order they like and can book things like face-to-face training themselves.

In many cases, successful completion of the learning path is conditional on taking a test or passing an assessment interview. Once the learning path has been successfully completed, our learner automatically receives a certificate, which is automatically stored in the system.

Learning paths of this type are a relatively simple way of structuring learning content or courses and are standard in commonly used learning management systems.

This opens up a wealth of applications, as imc business consultant Tobias Sommer explains: “Daimler Global Training, with whom we co-created learning paths of this type, uses them in various scenarios, such as helping employees to meet the requirements of certain job profiles.

Other clients use level-based learning paths for recertification. Recertification means that an employee must regularly complete prescribed professional development courses within the learning path in order to maintain their status as a specialist in a certain area.

Other options for getting the most out of level-based learning paths include using them in conjunction with job advertisements, certificates, and clearances to access certain documents. In other words, certain prerequisites and access restrictions can be tied to pre-defined levels.

Take, for example, a learner who is in learning path two of three. Before the learner can graduate from their current learning path and hence gain access to sensitive documents, their supervisor must confirm in the system that they have acquired all the necessary knowledge. Only then, and after passing a final test, will the learner be authorised to access the documents in question. You can also take the same approach with job profiles: employees are blocked from seeing certain job advertisements until they have acquired the skills needed for the job in question.

Then there’s the certificate use case, as Sommer explains: “The system can also be set up to generate certificates automatically so that, on completion of learning requirements, learners automatically receive certificates which are then also automatically stored in their profiles. This saves time by eliminating manual up- and downloads and HR involvement. Learners can receive certificates on completion of the entire learning path or, in the case of level-based learning paths, on completion of each level as well.”

As we have seen, the potential of learning paths is immense. Tobias Sommer: “Used consistently, level-based learning paths are more like development paths that can be used to take professional development – or even the push to fill skills shortages – to a whole new level.

If I know exactly what qualifications my employees have and consistently provide professional development, I will have the agility, for example, to rapidly fill positions from within the company. I can simply look up which employees might be suitable based on their qualifications and save myself any unnecessary searching.

And that’s why I think this function still has enormous potential, and why I’d like to see more companies recognising that and taking advantage of it.”

Diversity. It’s hard to think of a word that’s been more polarising this year. Heidi Klum used it in practically every episode of “Germany’s Next Top Model”, positioning herself as pro-diversity in the modelling industry. The reaction may not have been universally positive, but at least the issue was on the agenda.

And now sports fans, too, have been forced to think about diversity, thanks to it being a constant feature of the coverage of the recent Football World Cup in Qatar. Many found the focus on diversity unwelcome, but then again, many also felt the matter wasn’t receiving nearly enough attention. One question came up again and again: Does diversity even have a place in professional sport? Obviously, that’s not something we at imc can provide a final response to, but what we can say is that diversity and inclusion have become even more important to us this year.

In order to establish diversity and inclusion as broadly as possible in our organisation, we launched a D&I programme – a programme organised by our employees, for our employees. To ensure everyone can find what they are looking for, the programme is structured into three main elements: EmpowHER, a programme to connect and empower women at imc; the Cultural Diversity programme; and Diversity of Interests, a programme to celebrate the personal strengths of our employees and the interests that drive and inspire them.

With the year drawing to a close, we wanted to get everyone around a (virtual) table one last time to reflect on the successful year that was and look ahead to the year to come. And that’s precisely what we did. The D&I crew’s official end-of-year debrief was held in virtual form in December. The attendees reflected on the highlights of 2022 and then got down to the exciting business of what would be happening next. The short story here is that many of the D&I initiatives were so well received at imc that they will be continued in 2023.

The InspireHER tandem programme will be back next year, helping women within the imc organisation to network, share experiences, ideas and tips, and foster personal growth through mutual reflection and feedback.

Next year will also see the return of the “Get to know more about ...” series of cultural diversity talks on ways of overcoming various stereotypes here at imc. The organising team has sessions planned for each of our locations.

The “Diversity of Interests” team is also keen to step things up next year. They will be organizing barcamps where employees from all locations will be encouraged to talk about and celebrate their respective personal qualities, knowledge, interests and talents – including personal interests outside of work, such as volunteer work, social engagement, club memberships and unusual hobbies.

Kerstin Steffen, Director Brand Strategy, imc

“Our end-of-year event was truly inspiring in every respect,” says Kerstin Steffen, one of the founding members of the D&I crew. “It’s so pleasing to see that our diversity movement is growing steadily and reaching more and more employees. We’ve already achieved so much, so we’re still totally fired up to keep going. This positive spirit shone through at our get-together, and we can’t wait to see what next year brings.”

It’s been a year of changes – and not just for our corporate culture and work model, but for our physical offices as well. There can be no New Work without new offices, so we embarked on something of a makeover, rethinking our workspaces and giving them a fresh new look.

We wanted offices that were functional and versatile yet inviting. Spaces that are global in design, but with unique local character. Somewhere that lends itself well both to efficiency by day and relaxed after-work events in the evening. And we made it happen, achieving big changes on a small budget with just a few simple tweaks. But don’t just take our word for it. Read on to discover our new (old) offices.

One of the key aims of our office makeover was to ensure a coherent brand image while giving expression to local characteristics, so we mixed central brand elements with distinctive regional elements.

And we’re very pleased with the results. The walls at our Australian office are now adorned with kangaroos, motifs from the outback, and the outline of the map of Australia. Meanwhile, at our Munich office you’ll encounter classic motifs from the Oktoberfest and references to the stunning exterior of the Allianz Arena football stadium – including elements in the blue and white colours of the Bavarian flag. Each office now has its own distinctive look.

Coworking space or private space?

Today’s employees want workspaces where they can feel comfortable and be productive – although just what that means can vary from person to person. That’s why, at many of our locations, we allow our employees to choose the style of workspace that works best for them.

For example, in Saarbrücken, Munich, London and Switzerland, we have coworking spaces where employees can go about their own work while being able to share ideas with their colleagues without having to get up from their desks. This promotes interaction and personal exchange – both of which are crucial to New Work.

Employees wanting more peace and quiet, on the other hand, can opt for a closed-door office. Providing a space away from the open-plan area, these cubicles (known in Germany as “phone boxes”) offer privacy for longer phone calls and freedom from noise and distractions.

Equipped with video equipment such as diffused lighting and cameras and featuring attractive design elements, these cubicles and other private offices are also ideal for video calls, webinars, and other online events requiring a professional setting. Our Melbourne office, for example, already offers this kind of set-up for high-quality video streaming.

Touchdown areas: Perfect for work and after-work events

Our touchdown areas, meeting rooms, lounges and common spaces are designed for teams who want to get together to brainstorm and work intensively on projects. They are optimised for functionality, flexibility and collaboration, but are also ideal for informal networking and socialising.

In Saarbrücken, for example, some seating, a candy bar, a TV and a bit of greenery was all it took to transform an area of our marketing department into a kind of coffee shop-style living room – an ideal spot to take time out and chill.

In Munich, we created a lounge area in the style of a bookshop. We simply upgraded the existing fitout and furnishings by adding decorative elements, lighting and reference books, and invited employees to store personal items to lend the office a personal note. What’s more, the area can easily be reconfigured for team events by adding additional seating.

Franziska Filser, an instructional designer based in Munich, has the following to say about this particular office makeover: “We were given a say in the design, which I think was really nice, and so in Munich we now have a wonderful office space that’s a pleasure to be in and works well as a communal lunch area. So yes, the makeover was a resounding success.”

In an extra-special highlight at our office in Australia, one of our local employees designed and painted a motif featuring the imc slogan “We Empower” on the wall. The slogan goes together well with a small bar and sofa corner, creating the ideal venue for after-work events and lending the office a unique look and feel.

“Our office was in something of a sorry state after the pandemic, and the revamp gave it a bit of sorely needed tender loving care,” says corporate designer Adan van Winden. “The area now has a vibrancy that makes it a nice place to be.”

Everyone likes working in their freshly made-over offices, but getting to that point was half the fun, not to mention a great opportunity to get the various teams together on site. The teams redesigned their offices themselves, which served to enhance team cohesion. The completion of each makeover was followed by a mini after-work party, with everyone gathering to celebrate the end result.

In short, the office makeovers were a huge success in so many ways – so much so in fact that we want to run similar makeovers in stages at our other locations. Plans for our offices in London and Singapore are already well in hand, and in Switzerland we have just moved into a new office, so we’ll be doing a makeover there too. We’ll keep you posted!

Rewriting the way we learn for 25 years – A milestone in the history of imc and a reason to celebrate properly. However, we wanted to celebrate more than just our success. We wanted to leverage this occasion to unite our team across the world. Realising our new work model, what we care about the most is our employees.

Bringing the positive brand vibes from our headquarters to all our locations and bringing our employees together is not an easy feat, given that some teams are thousands of miles apart. We still embarked on this journey regardless and realised one thing above all: personal encounters, positive feelings and emotions are crucial for New Work.

Come and experience some of the highlights with us! Join our journey from Saarbrücken through Australia to Singapore.

“100% flexible but not 100% remote.” We declared this our motto at the beginning of the year when our hybrid model was launched. While we pride ourselves in the flexibility we offer to work from home, we still value the connection to the office and to our company highly. Thus, the invitation to our company’s anniversary is a welcome occasion to look back at these past 25 years together and celebrate them.

For our European teams, our headquarters in Saarbrücken were an ideal destination, offering a perfect place for exchange, networking and celebrations. Especially after the corona pandemic, we wanted to seize this opportunity to bring many of our teams together again. For many employees, it was the first time they met (again) after more than two years.

They were beyond excited. Being able to meet colleagues from other locations in person literally caused euphoria. “What a party!” Alison West, Strategic Pre-Sales Consultant, exclaimed. “We were looking forward to this event, and it did not disappoint. Being able to put a face to the names we were very familiar with lifted the atmosphere to new heights. It was very noticeable how much everyone appreciated the opportunity to spend time together. I’m already looking forward to the next event.”

At the end of the day, the overriding conclusion was: Remote work makes many things easier, but personal encounters are invaluable.

During our visit of our Melbourne location, we could not help but acknowledge just how important it is to come together on site, spend breaks together and hold in-person meetings in the conference room. Sven R. Becker, Member of the Executive Board, and Kerstin Steffen, Director Brand Strategy, personally embarked on a journey down under with the mission to spark intercultural exchange. The result? Two weeks packed with a wealth of experiences: personal encounters, inspiring discussions, intercultural exchange, workshops and team building.

With so many positives, it was not easy picking out the highlights. While the office redesign was incredibly exciting, the Team Day created around the company anniversary lifted spirits to new heights.

Jordan Wolley, Pre-Sales Consultant, shares the team’s take on the visit: “Sven and Kerstin joining our team in Australia gave us a huge energy boost! Taking on board the knowledge and the experiences they shared, we are determined to show the world what imc Australia is all about and the role we play in bringing the best learning technologies in the world to our market. I can’t wait for our next opportunity to work together!”

Overflowing with positive energy and inspired by new ideas and learning experiences, Kerstin and Sven left for the next stop of their journey: Singapore. At our Asian location, the visit focused on branding, team building, networking and cultural exchange.

After the visit, Sven R. Becker concluded: “While travelling to the different locations we were reminded that maintaining intercultural contacts is of great importance to us as an international organisation. When it comes down to it, that’s exactly what we are: we share the same desires and goals.”

Kerstin Steffen adds with emphasis: “Organisational development and especially new work also require intercultural skills, as well as respect for people and their culture. That is why the exchange between our countries was particularly important. It is fundamental for our business success. We must leverage our diversity and find common ground to achieve the best results possible.”

Now, the success story does not end there. Further activities have already been planned in Singapore to enable even more successful collaboration as a team. We can’t wait to tell you more about it!

Our visit to Singapore marks the end of our tour of the imc locations for this year. What did we get out of it? We utilised these past weeks and months to go beyond celebrating our 25-year company history with our teams across the world – we built bridges together.

The insights we gained will be collated and analysed to help us realise positive changes. “From a personal and cultural perspective, this journey was immensely enriching,” Kerstin Steffen sums up the visits to Melbourne and Singapore. “Digitalisation is a great enabler for many things in our global environment. It virtually removes boundaries between countries and time zones. Yet, when changes are implemented – as is the case with new work – personal encounters, positive feelings and emotions are crucial for active change design. This is why I am extremely grateful that the local teams were open to this exchange. We learned a lot from each other.”

Times have changed for L&D - while many large organisations were already putting resources into digital transformation, our workforce is now more dispersed, with hybrid and remote working looking like it’s here to stay even post-Covid.

Alongside these trends, we have ubiquitous access to more information through ever-faster Internet and mobile devices, while top talent expect to be supported in their professional development - otherwise, they will move on.

What remains the same are people and their motivations. People are fundamental to any company, and what drives a company forward and helps it to stay afloat in a competitive market is an engaged, well-informed and adaptable workforce.

Here we look at how to facilitate the personal and professional development of top talent by creating the perfect learning experience for a remote or hybrid workforce, so that training can become a key competitive advantage.

Keeping your workforce at the forefront of your industry requires regular formal training, but also informal and rapid knowledge sharing between employees and departments.

The ability to respond quickly to new products, services, industry guidance and competitive environments through learning will give any company a competitive edge, but this can be diminished when working remotely.

Whether we’re training face-to-face, digitally or virtually, the fundamentals have remained the same for a very long time; we’re socially motivated learners who need context, reinforcement and practice to acquire new skills. We don’t respond well to formless, monotone, poorly presented content, and we don’t retain information as effectively when we’re not engaged. Making your learning journey engaging, enticing and efficient is where technology can come in.

Technology has revolutionised how we design and deliver learning experiences. Today, learners expect a digital training experience that’s accessible, flexible and engaging.

They’re used to platforms such as Netflix that neatly package and categorise content for them, and offer a library and playlists with a user-friendly interface.

There are a wide variety of digital and online tools that can help learners have a positive learning experience. These are especially useful when it comes to mandatory training, such as for legal or industry compliance, which employees know they need to undertake but may not necessarily be enthusiastic about.

It doesn’t matter how engaging and talented your experts may be, if the platforms and tools you’re using to host a learning journey aren’t up to scratch then your learner will find it difficult to focus.

When seamlessly integrated, there are 3 key L&D tools that can help you create the perfect learning experience even when your teams are disparate. These are the LMS, LXP, and rapid content authoring tools - let’s examine each in turn.

A Learning Management System (LMS) maintains, tracks and records a learner's journey, including analysing their comprehension of subject matter and completion of learning events. An LMS will help L&D managers track an individual's or a group’s progress through training by serving as a system of record and audit, and pinpointing where they may need additional help or support.

There are several types of Learning Management System which meet various needs and budgets, including open source software, deployed or Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions. An open source solution is free at the point of access and has a committed online community that will update it regularly, rolling out improvements and add-ons for all to use. It can be a good option for companies with tight budgets who desire something to enhance their learning experience without breaking the bank. However, it can be a security risk without expert set-up and support, and can often be plain and uninspiring out of the box, requiring a great deal of design and customisation - all of which comes at a cost of course.

A hosted or Software as a Service (SaaS) system runs on someone else's server, is set up by a provider and may offer a more customised solution compared to open source software. These systems are usually quite ready to use out of the box.

A deployed LMS solution is set up on computers within your premises, which has its pros and cons. There are greater up-front costs to install the LMS software on-site, but it may save you more money in the long run. This might be a good choice in highly regulated industries and when you have the in-house technical expertise to maintain it.

Historically, the LMS can be unintuitive, unattractive and complex for the user, making it difficult to navigate and read or watch the learning content. In some cases, a badly designed LMS can create more of a hurdle to learning than the content itself.

A Learning Experience Platform (LXP) is the Netflix of the learning technology world. A quality learning experience is designed to entice, encourage and excite learners to consume the content. It’s for self-motivated learning to develop their personal and professional knowledge and skills, which in turn will usually bear fruit for the employer too.

The LXP is designed to be more intuitive to use than the LMS, and utilised effectively, it should provide contextualised, relevant and custom content from multiple sources in order to cater for different learning styles and preferences.

It’s a diverse learning ecosystem of multimedia content exploration.

LXPs enable you to create a personalised experience that can curate and recommend the best content for each person.

We were talking earlier about how hard it can be to motivate people to undertake essential, mandatory training, such as compliance. Well, an expertly executed LXP should make learning feel fun and easy for your learner, yes really - fun, and in turn, hopefully, it will help employees to feel supported and valued, and help to create a culture of learning within an organisation.

Think of the difference between using Netflix or scrolling a government site, what one would you prefer to use? The more at ease and enthused your learners feel in their learning environment the better their journey will be.

The imc Learning Suite combines the best of both an LMS and LXP - giving L&D teams what they need to deliver and track training, and giving employees a place to explore learning opportunities for personal and professional development.

Rapid content authoring tools are a form of software that enables experts to create and package learning content using various forms of media. It means your experts or training managers can create new content, make changes and send updates to learners quickly and easily. The working landscape is ever evolving, especially in post-covid times with hybrid working becoming the norm, and tools such as rapid content authoring empower companies to respond swiftly to changes and stay relevant.

Adopting content authoring tools can enhance your digital transformation journey as a company, empowering experts and learning and development professionals to create adaptive engaging content promptly.

Rapid content authoring tools can help you:

Repurpose existing content quickly
Keep development costs low
Respond swiftly to new products, services, market or environmental changes
Update and upscale content quickly
Deliver knowledge in easy-to-digest chunks
Share content with learners on any device

Content-authoring tools include software Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, Lectora and Camtasia. However, you might have in-house subject matter experts willing and ready to create and share their experience and expertise if they can avoid the learning curve of software used by professional instructional designers.

imc Express enables the quick creation of elearning materials that are rich, engaging and multimedia, but without that learning curve.

A learning ecosystem comprises the elements that make up your user's learning journey and environment including the tools, platforms and technologies. Just like the natural ecosystem, the more diverse the learning environment, the more effective the learning will be.

A complete, well-integrated Learning Suite can enhance not only your learners' experience but your subject matter experts' effectiveness too, enabling them to build engaging content and communicate quickly and efficiently to drive knowledge sharing.

Technology helps learners have a positive learning experience, especially when it comes to compulsory training where they may lack the motivation to complete.

Learners today expect training to be engaging, entertaining and diverse in format. This is especially true as remote and hybrid working is on the rise and our workforce becomes more distributed.

People are looking for social connection, a platform that is instinctive to use and easy to digest content that they can absorb and experience digitally or virtually. The latest and best in learning technology can help us achieve all of this.

Want to learn more about leveraging the latest technology to create the perfect learning experience for a remote or hybrid workforce? Contact us here at imc Learning.

Here we offer examples of a good learning experience from a handful of our projects.

It’s always a shame when training is rolled out without due consideration for learner engagement. This is one of the reasons that e-learning has a bad reputation - it’s too often seen as a ‘Click next’, box-ticking exercise that employees want to get through ASAP then get on with their day.

High quality, engaging e-learning helps to ensure that learners absorb, retain and implement new knowledge and skills, bringing about long-term behaviour change and improved performance.

Delivering a good learning experience can also help to create a culture of learning where employees then go seeking out personal and professional development opportunities that will benefit the whole organisation.

So on to some examples of where our e-learning solutions, including custom content and learning management systems (LMS), have enabled training to deliver real impact…

Jägermeister has around 1000 direct employees, plus a large network of resellers and external distribution partners around the world, making a large number of people requiring training.

At the same time, a coherent and strong brand image that all employees identify with is a top priority for Jägermeister, so the learner experience was considered crucial.

They decided to use the imc Learning Suite for their training platform because the well thought out extended enterprise scenario, in combination with the clear module structure, convinced them that we were a good fit for their needs.

Following testing and roll-out, users were especially taken with how the e-learning content triggered an emotional response. The consensus among the employees: Once you log in to Meister Academy, the training courses don’t feel like learning.

The direct integration of LinkedIn Learning courses was also received very favourably, as it gives employees an even greater choice of courses.

Philipp Terstesse, Manager Global Trade Marketing at Jägermeister, gave the following summary:

“Our goal was to create a learning experience that takes a new approach and motivates learners. The learner and employee experience were extremely important to us.

We firmly believe that our digital ambitions go a long way towards shaping the future of our brand. We are thrilled to have a strong partner in imc who will stay by our side as we embark on this journey into the future together.”

Read more about our work creating an LMS and blended learning for Jägermeister.

Established within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), this organisation based in South Korea was set up to assist developing countries in adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate change.

At the time of writing, The Green Climate Fund (GSF) had raised $10.8B USD to support 200 projects and avoid 2.1B tonnes of CO2 pollution.

The fund wanted a comprehensive onboarding and training solution providing an understanding of GCF's climate focus, shared values, governance, policies and practices, all underpinned by a learning experience framework and strategy.

We worked closely with GSF to create their Learning Experience Framework - a continuous model of learning and development that embeds opportunities of meaningful experience, exposure and education.

This was followed by 20 hours of Digital Orientation Modules, focusing on four core types of digital learning approaches to meet the diversity of needs we discovered throughout our research:

Scenario-based training
Storytelling
Problem-based learning
FAQs and resources

As a result of this e-learning, we were able to measure a reduction in human operational and procedural error, while embedding confidence and competence among new employees.

imc and the Green Climate Fund were recognised as Platinum winners in the 2021 LearnX awards. Client feedback was also extremely positive - George Zedginidze, Head of Knowledge and Change Management at the Green Climate Fund said:

“We at the GCF are elated to be partnered with imc! Their professionalism and flexibility has made this project what it is today. We are especially thrilled with the imc team, whose time, effort, and abilities have made this partnership a success.”

Read more about this onboarding and learning experience project for GCF.

“Welcome to Fraud City. The city “eats” its residents – skin, hair and all. We hope you’re up to it. Enter at your own risk.”

Not your usual intro to compliance training! This entire web-based training (WBT) course involved motion design and adopted the style of “Sin City”. It takes the brave participant to a corrupt city full of dangers and suspect colleagues – accompanied by Detective Fraudless.

The employee navigates through the training course with the criteria for identifying cases of fraud being revealed along the way. So are behavioural patterns that call for special attention.

Audi demonstrated great courage with this unconventional concept – and reaped the rewards: The elaborate and polarising concept leaves a lasting impression, creating a buzz among almost all employees.

Laura Schumacher of the Audi Compliance Department told us:

“Compliance training is always a tricky subject. For this WBT though, we received very favourable feedback from our employees!”

Read more about this fun and engaging compliance training for Audi.

Equality and new work concepts as a formula for success

Stepping out of the comfort zone – Wine-growing entrepreneurs, part-time managers and working dads

Part-time manager: Career with time for family

Working dad: Co-parenting as a family model

Between the office and vineyards: 2 jobs, 100% satisfaction

Self-reflection at the core of the imc diversity programmes

Members of the imc Diversity Movement Gather to Celebrate Successful Year

Diversity and Inclusion at imc: How We Are Continuing to Walk the Talk

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The crazy tech guy who wanted to be a Formula 1 driver

Meet Ravi Tandon, Customer Success Manager at imc Australia

Ravi Tandon

Hi Ravi, great to meet you! How would you explain to your parents what you do as a customer success manager in e-learning?

That sounds like a very important role. What does it involve exactly?

So, you need an in-depth knowledge of our LMS, the imc Learning Suite, but you haven’t been working with the LMS the whole time you’ve been with imc? Is that right?

What do you like most about your job?

Which skills do you think are the most important for your current job?

How did you come to imc, and where did you work before?

I heard your job interview was rather funny. What happened?

What makes working at imc special compared to other companies?

Ok, and now for a few short, random questions. Please complete: When dealing with colleagues, it is especially important to me...

Which department would you like to visit for a week?

If you could travel back in time, would you choose the same career path again?

Name something that drives you up the wall?

What’s your favourite movie?

How much coffee do you drink?

What are your hopes for the future?

A Fine Line Between Genius and Madness: A Day in the Life of an IT- System Administrator

Teamwork makes the team work: A Technical Consultant debunks the myth of the Hermit Techi

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Best of 2022: Milestones of the New Work Transformation at imc

Taking stock after 12 months of New Work

New Work one year on – Our verdict

Welcome on board – Our new onboarding journey

New from old – Our new workspaces

Rethinking communication and collaboration

Health awareness: imc Cares

Brand-new: Our workation model

Still a long way to go: Looking ahead

New Work – New Office?

Why intercultural exchange is crucial for New Work

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Hype or future: Will ChatGPT revolutionise corporate learning?

AI and chatbots have the potential to transform employee training and development – Our experts check out the possibilities

Diving right in: Making friends with ChatGPT

Arne Benoist, Instructional Designer at imc

But: Can ChatGPT creatively design training content?

Still some way off: ChatGPT integration into training courses

Big things are happening

Can Germany afford its current AI scepticism?

AI in Corporate Learning

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Development Paths: Moving Beyond Learning Paths

Learning paths have been part of corporate learning for a while, but they’re not being used to their full potential. Learning paths offer more than just a way of providing short-term training for employees. They can be an absolute game changer in the fight to overcome skills shortages.

Greater potential than you might think: Learning paths in LMS

Learning sequence and dependencies within learning paths

Leveraging content-based learning paths for more structure and better learning experiences

Level-based learning paths and recertification

Direct integration of certificates and new jobs

Using development paths instead of learning paths: What’s the benefit?

Diary of an LMS

Informal learning: Everyday hero of work

More about our LMS

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imc D&I crew looks back at 2022

In-Person and Remote: Members of the imc Diversity Movement Gather to Celebrate Successful Year

End-of-year debrief and campaign recap

Kerstin Steffen, Director Brand Strategy, imc

Diversity and Inclusion Isn’t Just for Diversity Week and Pride Month

Diversity in e-learning content

Contact

New Work – New Office?

New from old: How we’re rethinking our workspaces here at imc

New Work also means new office spaces

The perfect mix: Global, but with a local touch

No New Work without new offices

Come on in: Our entrance areas and foyers

Coworking space or private space?

Touchdown areas: Perfect for work and after-work events

Teamwork makes the dream work