Educe Group implemented a social learning platform called EduceConnect to address challenges from a dispersed workforce. They sought to improve knowledge sharing, reduce reliance on experts, and speed onboarding. Implementation involved understanding organizational readiness, seeding the platform with existing content, considering search strategies, identifying experts to contribute, and a soft launch focused on new hire training. Success was measured by faster response times, increased collaboration, and reduced administrative tasks.

1. Virtual Success = Real Results
Training Magazine 2013
The Educe Group
#trg13 #virtual2IRL

2. Question For You…
What is the biggest
challenge affecting your
business today?
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3. Question For You…
What thoughts or phrases
does the term “the new
world of work” conjure?
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4. Question For You…
What are you doing to
prepare for the “new world
of work”?
What are your plans?
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5. Objectives
To explore:
 The best solution for Educe (case study)
 Using “social” for employee onboarding/communities
 “Enterprise Social Networking”
 Creating the business case for social
 Elements of a successful implementation
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6. Educe Environment
implement
HR technology
adopt performance
content
development small
plan business
social networking
talent develop
vendor
consulting selection
services
= employee locations learning
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7. Educe Environment
commercial
regulated
retail
health care
small business
financial
global
pharmaceutical
government
hospitality
compliance US-based
= employee locations manufacturing
= client locations
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8. Educe Challenges
• In person meetings
twice a year
Expertise Dispersed • Weekly status
Office
meetings through
Locations
web conferences
• Monthly all-hands
deep dives
Geographically
• “Educe All” emails
Dispersed
• Document repository
Client Travel
Limited “Connectivity”
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9. What really got the ball rolling…
In 2010, one-third of Educe
employees were new hires,
joining the organization at
different times to fill different
roles. With a growing virtual
team, the in-person
onboarding model used in the
past was not going to work.
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10. Educe Objectives
Speed of Response Employee Empowerment
External Internal
Accelerate Effectiveness of Our Virtual Team
Where did
she go now?
 Improve access to/reuse of organizational knowledge
 Reduce use of email as a method of knowledge exchange
 Reduce dependency on experts
 Reduce new hire onboarding time
 Improve onboarding experience
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11. Our Solution: EduceConnect
Varied levels of
expertise
Exchanges are
captured – can
be reused
Wherever,
whenever
Ability to limit
access to groups
Everyone can First day access
Extensive profile
contribute for new hires
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12. Question For You…
What steps would you take
to implement a social
learning platform?
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13. Implementation Steps
Understand
- set achievable objectives
1 Organizational
- understand challenges
Readiness
- consolidate existing data
2 Seed Data
- provide examples to be followed
Consider Search
3 - use lessons learned from other initiatives
Strategy
Find Your - enables everyone to be a contributor
4
Experts - changes as employees gain experience
Deploy a Soft
5 - ability to make corrections
Launch
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14. 1: Understand Organizational Readiness
- History of collaboration
Things to Consider:
- Comfort with technology
 Start with a group that already collaborates, and secure buy-in with the
experts in that group
 Launch with a limited set of functionality. Add on as adoption takes hold.
 Understand your organizational challenges
I hope she’s
not looking
This has me written this way…
all over it.
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15. Common Objections
What if the data is
What if the outdated?
data is not Who is going to
accurate? monitor the site?
How are we going to What if someone
control what people comments
contribute? inappropriately
about another
employee?
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16. Educe Organizational Readiness
Pros Cons
• Already work in teams • Not good at loading
• Culture of collaboration documents
and knowledge sharing • No dedicated
• Consolidation rather than person/team to manage it
introduction of technology • Know-it-alls
• “Early Adopters”
• Familiar with the space
Understand strengths
• People want it and weakness, and
work with them
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17. 2: Seed Data
- What data has no home?
Things to Consider:
- What repositories can be replaced?
 Drive initial system use with a library resources that can’t be accessed in
any other system
 Demonstrate how the system will consolidate disparate information
repositories
 Set an example for how you want data to be entered and tagged
I have no idea My email is over the limit
when I last again. We’ve got to get this
backed up my thing going.
laptop…
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18. Why will employees use it?
• Saves time
• Reduces rework
• Lessens dependence of geography
• Lessens dependence on standard work hours
• Lessens learning curve for new employees
• Motivates members
Call me when I can find Wow. She really
something useful on this just said that.
thing…
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19. Informal Learning Activities + Methods
Activity Example Method
“I’m receiving an error message Discussion, Chat;
Problem Solving
– anyone know what to do?” Workspaces; Issues
Requesting “Does anyone have the most
Discussion, Chat
Information recent SoP template?”
Seeking “Has anyone dealt with this
Discussion, Chat
Experience/Advice situation?”
Creating Resources;
Sharing links, files, tips and
Knowledge Discussion; Skills;
tricks
Repository Impressions
“Check out the new mockups. Ideas; Ratings;
Vetting New Ideas
All feedback welcome!” Discussion
“I’m going to Training 2013. “Following” People;
Networking
Anyone else?” Profiles; Workspaces
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20. Model “Ideal” Entries
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21. 3: Consider Search Strategy
- Company Terminology
Things to Consider:
- Existing Applications
 Structure/ tag information to allow users to quickly locate what they need
 Think about SharePoint, document repositories, or other past experiences
 Avoid creating silos of information
 Consider pre-populating tags for people to select
 Think about how and when different audiences will use the system
Vendor, year, document type,
client…we need as many tags as
possible…
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22. Tag Strategy
User Search
Filters
Access Experts
and Assets
Simultaneously

23. 4: Find Your Experts
- Who are your “experts”?
Things to Consider:
- Can this definition be expanded?
 Ensure all experts are findable
 Require all employees to complete their profile
 Employ competencies, certifications
 Encourage experts to post resources using various incentives or establishing
contribution goals
Expert Expert Expert Expert Expert Expert
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24. Profile Management
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Self Others Contributions

25. 5: Deploy a Soft Launch
- Early Adopters
Things to Consider:
- Current Company Initiatives
 No need to “create” activities, use the real thing
 Focus on evaluating your process, not the technology
 Use the first phase to solicit feedback before structure becomes more complex
 Initial group will naturally aid the data input process
This is one of our top
priorities this year.
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26. New Hire Training
One-stop shop
for curriculum
and HR items
Instant access to
mentors
Self-service,
self-paced ramp
up
Forum for Q&A
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27. Performance
Competencies
Organizational
Individual Goals 360 Assessments
Goals
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28. Adoption Process
Newcomers explore
the site and peruse Add links and
existing resources files; leave
Make Establish
and discussions ratings and
connections by appropriate
“following” impressions level of
others; build governance
own profile
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29. Outcomes
Understand - consolidated multiple systems into single
1 Organizational application
Readiness - designed a phased approach
- provided guidelines for creating ideal
2 Seed Data
entries
Consider Search - prepopulated tags to select from
3
Strategy - allow employees to create new tags
Find Your
4 - everyone set up as a contributor
Experts
Deploy a Soft - new hire onboarding
5
Launch - client-specific sites
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30. Question For You…
How would you measure
the impact of a social
platform?
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31. Measurement
Resourcing
Response Administrative
Tasks Time to Deployment
Product Questions
RFP Information
Contacts
Opportunity
Response
Client Satisfaction
Client Issues
Templates
Time to Fly Solo
Time to “Expert” Document
Examples
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32. Metrics
Speed of Response Employee Empowerment
External Internal
 Average client response  Employee retention – still
time decreased from 2-3 engaged from home office
days to less than 1 hour  Time to deployment reduced
 Elimination of email from months to weeks
distribution lists  Increase in overall
collaboration
32 Educe Group Confidential

33. Disaster Recovery – Unintended Consequences
Educe
New
York City
office
33 Photo: Bloomberg.com

34. Q’s and A’s
#virtual2IRL if we don’t get to chat
Educe Group Confidential

35. Thank you for your interest!
Contact Us
Brandon Williams
Email: bwilliams@educegroup.com
Phone: 540.471.0186
Twitter: @bdotw
Additional information and white papers can be found at:
www.educegroup.com
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