So, you’ve identified a learning program opportunity. The question is, what is the most effective way to deliver this content?

A lot of factors play into the answer, says the WBT Systems team on its blog.

For starters, if your organization already has a credentialing program, does the topic fit its requirements? Then there’s the matter of budget. What can your team afford to design and deliver effectively?

“If you foresee a program having a long shelf life without the need for regular updates, you can afford to invest in instructional design for a course,” the team writes. “If the program is on a regularly changing topic, consider formats that are less expensive to design, such as webinars or standalone modules.”

Because the program is for members, it’s also important to understand what they will be most receptive to.

“If your target audience aren’t natural students with a high motivation for learning, you may want to break up courses into a series of smaller programs as part of a learning pathway,” the team says. “Find a way to give learners a faster sense of achievement and progress. Their sense of progress will motivate them to register for the next program.”

Outsourcing Team Talent

Interesting. Companies are using internal gig platforms to match employees to projects that will help them learn new skills. — by @hrdive https://t.co/gp0MnfcwHr pic.twitter.com/iB7M2eVVgK

— Deirdre Reid, CAE (@DeirdreReid) August 1, 2019

Projects function best when teams have the desired skills required—but matching people to projects is no easy task. Where outsourcing to freelancers was once the solution, now some employers are creating internal platforms to find “gig workers” among current employees.

“Technologically savvy organizations are utilizing their own engineers to build custom platforms for this purpose,” which could mean using machine learning algorithms to match employees with assignments, said Laurie Bienstock, global leader of talent management at Willis Towers Watson, in an interview with HR Dive. “In other cases, organizations may be using enhanced spreadsheets to inventory and track skills and connect supply and demand.”

For workers, an internal platform also offers the opportunity to gain new skills, move around within the organization, and increase productivity.

Other Links of Note

Getting started on social media? Network for Good offers an overview of how to set up your social profiles and what and when to post.

Speaking of social, here’s how to write a social media policy for your organization, according to the Hootsuite blog.

Meeting planning isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. The Eventbrite blog shares five common hiccups to plan around.