“Constant, Targeted, and Open Communication Is Vital for Successful L&D Initiatives”
Antonia and Jacqueline, which L&D and HR topics of last year will we encounter again in 2024 and why? Which ones will be new?
Antonia: In the new year, we can expect hybrid and remote work arrangements to continue, bringing unique opportunities and challenges. Addressing employee engagement and experience, especially in a remote setting like getAbstract, remains a worthy challenge. During COVID-19, we recognized that while remote work offers flexibility, it can create a sense of disconnect. Prioritizing employee well-being is an ongoing responsibility. Only when employees feel safe to discuss their stresses openly do we have a workplace prioritizing their well-being and mental health. At getAbstract, as we embrace agility, it’s essential to cultivate a learning environment with microlearning, personalized paths, and self-directed learning to inspire curiosity and promote continuous development.
Jacqueline: Thanks to Antonia’s great foundational work, internal learning will shine a new light at getAbstract in 2024. Currently, I’m designing a learning platform bundling all resources to make learning easy. We use existing resources like abstracts and Actionables. Additionally, “Share your Passion/Expertise” aims to let employees globally share their expertise in short learning videos. The goal is to pass on knowledge in a compact form. I am excited to see how the format is received and will keep you up to date.
What are specific burning issues, and how do you address them?
Antonia: getAbstract, with a globally distributed team, quickly adapted to work-from-home mandates three years ago. However, our HR team realized that remote work and increased screen time impacted employees’ mental well-being.
Jacqueline: That’s why, together with Antonia, our Employee & Leadership Development Lead, Sonja Kuhn, spearheaded a burnout prevention program, which is mandatory for leaders and optional for employees. Feedback was positive, creating a safe space for open dialogue. I am planning to enhance those connections with more virtual coffee breaks, one of the wishes I got through internal surveys, and by continuing “FridayPM Unplugged” – Friday afternoons without meetings, company-wide – to combat meeting fatigue and promote focused work, learning, and creativity.
Antonia: To address the challenges of remote work, we also introduced a 2-month “work-from-anywhere” policy, allowing employees to work abroad and stay connected globally. Trust is at the heart of flexible work arrangements, and this is especially true for additional initiatives and benefits of working from anywhere.
Seeing so many colleagues making use of getAbstract’s offer and, at the same time, keeping productivity levels rising was remarkable to observe.
Antonia McGrane
Antonia, what have you learned this year in setting up People & Culture? What has worked and what hasn’t?
Antonia: The introduction of the new People & Culture function was met with enthusiasm. Initiatives like webinars, book clubs, wellbeing sessions, and a fun year-end event received high engagement. People & Culture sparked potential and expectation. Because I continued my work as a learning consultant for 20+ clients as well, I found additional and fascinating insights into learning cultures across diverse organizations.
So, you got many valuable ideas for your new job on your ‘regular’ one?
Antonia: Yes! It was highly valuable to understand the challenges and opportunities our clients faced. One obstacle, for example, was occasional leadership buy-in issues on the customer side. To address this, showcasing potential benefits, return on investment, and positive impact on employee engagement and organizational performance is crucial.
Jacqueline, what will you focus on? What can you take away and modify from the lessons learned?
Jacqueline: Next year’s focus is on remote work challenges. I mean, we all got used to working from home very quickly and appreciated the benefits of the short commute from bed to desk. However, working from home also presents challenges, be it daily self-motivation, onboarding new employees, feeling integrated into the team, a balanced workload and managing over long distances. So, internal learning tailored to those needs is crucial for employee development.
I firmly believe that everyone likes to learn new things. It’s simply a matter of employees finding what appeals to them at the moment and helps them progress.
Jacqueline Matter
That’s why we rely on a virtual learning space where all resources are easy to find. My many years of experience working with L&D specialists from global companies helps me to understand that no matter how good the resources are – if they are not adequately tailored to the employees and promoted accordingly, they will not be successful.
L&D is currently facing challenges worldwide. What is your take on cutbacks in learning departments?
Antonia: Strong learning organizations encourage open communication, diverse perspectives, and practical application. Initiatives like diversity training, emotional intelligence development, or leadership programs strengthen empathy, understanding, and supportive relationships among employees. L&D’s mission includes supporting employees in navigating changes with confidence. If you cut back on them, you cut back on your culture.
Jacqueline: Additionally, L&D impacts employee satisfaction – and this is true from onboarding to leadership development. Cutting back on L&D risks employee satisfaction and may incur new costs.
For example?
Jacqueline: If companies do not offer their employees development opportunities, they can watch them go. Then, they must look for, find, hire and train new people for the vacant position.
The previously ‘hidden’ costs of turnover have become particularly apparent to all too many companies in recent years – many of them have, therefore, rethought their approach and ensured that they made upskilling as normal as ergonomic office chairs.
Jacqueline Matter
Which tools can L&D departments use to achieve a high return on learning investment without blowing up the budget?
Antonia: I think taking small yet meaningful steps and leveraging internal talent is powerful. Bite-sized learning supports employees in day-to-day activities. Marketing these and having a learner-centric approach is essential to instill curiosity and capture attention. L&D teams must employ creative strategies to make learning visible and appealing and answer the question: “Why is this learning important for me?”
Jacqueline: Taking over from Antonia, my approach is to make the existing structure more transparent and easier to navigate. Seeing that no-frills-initiatives like “Friday PM Unplugged” or allowing our workforce to enjoy their birthdays off are easy to set up, add no costs and show appreciation is very encouraging. So, from my perspective, constant, targeted, and open communication is vital for successful L&D initiatives while remaining flexible and learning from past initiatives helps budget-wise.
Antonia, what advice would you give Jacqueline?
Antonia: Jacqueline’s experience and creativity will serve her well, so I don’t need to give her any advice she’s not already aware of:
Acknowledge internal talent, be learner-centric, and focus on showcasing the potential benefits of People & Culture. It’s crucial to establish a compelling case to win management support.
Antonia McGrane
Jacqueline, what goals do you want your work for People & Culture to be measured against?
Jacqueline: Internal surveys for employee satisfaction and metrics like click numbers on learning resources help. But ultimately, if my work helps a person improve, progress, and feel more comfortable at work, my biggest goal has been achieved.
About Antonia & Jacqueline
Antonia McGrane was a Customer Success Manager at getAbstract for many years. In 2023, she instilled getAbstract’s new People & Culture position and is now embarking on an adventure to Australia with her husband. Jacqueline Matter is a Customer Success Manager at getAbstract and will be the company’s People & Culture representative in 2024.
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