White Papers
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Learning for the sustainable enterprise: How investment in learning drives long term competitive advantage [PDF 109 KB]
Sustainability is now a hot trend, and often it is associated with environmental responsibility. However, the environmental benefit is just one of the positive outcomes of a sustainable approach. Sustainability is a strong business principle that simply means to sustain positive results over a longer period, for more stakeholders, while continuously reducing cost and negative impact of various kinds. Seen in this light, sustainability is not such a revolutionary idea.
Aberdeen: Achieving Real Business Value with Learning and Development [PDF 905 KB]
Learning at work: e-learning evolution or revolution? [PDF 616 KB]
Latest trends and blends in management and leadership development
By Professor William Scott-Jackson, Terry Edney and Ceri Rushent
Why Talent Walks Out the Door
[PDF 781 KB]
This new whitepaper by Nigel Paine, previously head of the BBC's Training & Development operation, provides 10 key strategic actions that can be taken in order to move organizations forward, together with the critical role that learning and development plays in helping companies keep hold of the talented employees they have.
CAFÉ REPORT: Client Advisory Forum Event 2008
[PDF 305 KB]
Café stands for Client Advisory Forum Event. It has been an integral part of SkillSoft’s planning process since the company’s inception and has helped SkillSoft evolve with the ever-changing corporate learning market. Over the years many innovations have come about as a result of input gained at Café.
Essential Learning – The Employee Perspective [PDF 1.2 MB]
SkillSoft's new global research into employee attitudes towards learning and development; Essential learning – the employee perspective.
This is a study into the views of employees across the UK, Europe and the US about their corporate training. SkillSoft wanted to compare and contrast, by country, the differences in attitudes to training. Specifically, do employees:
- Believe that learning is an essential part of their organisation's strategy
- Receive training to enable them to do their jobs effectively
- Receive training that allows them to develop their career
- Have a consistent view on what constitutes effective training
- Say they have been asked to carry out tasks without training
- Believe they need to commit personal time to training
A Set of Best Practices for Targeting, Aligning and Measuring Learning [PDF 812 KB]
This paper offers a set of best practices for identifying learning needs that support business priorities, align a solution and measure results. It is a consolidated set of ideas, tips and techniques collected from the experiences of SkillSoft customers.
Highlights include:
- Helps organizations move from "order takers" to business partners
- Provides practical approaches
- Is based on the best practices of organizations around the globe
- Outlines an approach for level 4 msmt
- Prescriptive method to make the shift from the left of the LGM to the right
Integrating Learning into the Enterprise: A Look at the IBM Enterprise Learning Portal [PDF 1.47 MB]
This case study takes a close look at one of the largest learning on-demand solutions in the marketplace today – Learning@IBM Explorer, the IBM learning portal. Learning@IBM Explorer provides employees with a single, easy-to-use, role-relevant means by which to access almost every learning and development resource offered by the company.
The Business Benefits of e-Learning in High-Growth Companies [PDF 640 KB]
This research report looks at learning strategies and the use of e-learning technologies in high-growth companies – by focusing on the experiences of six such organizations. In addition, we include data from Bersin & Associate's Corporate Learning Factbook research, our annual benchmarking study on trends in corporate learning practices.
The True Value of Learning [PDF 244 KB]
Yogi Berra, that paragon of word manipulation, exposition and baseball, is often quoted as saying, "The future ain’t what it used to be." And, surprisingly, so it is in the world of learning measurement. We cannot sustain our training departments based on how well we do against our training budgets. This only leads to the budget being cut on a year by year basis. If we measure ourselves as an expense, so we shall be treated like an expense. That means we are the first to go when funds are needed elsewhere.
Aberdeen: All Aboard - Effective Onboarding Techniques and Strategies [PDF 832 KB]
This study, conducted by Aberdeen Group, found that 84% of organizations that achieved Aberdeen’s "Best-in-Class" status included a formal new hire training program in their Onboarding process. Furthermore, the findings show that new employees who participate in onboarding are able to achieve ideal levels of productivity more quickly in their new positions. Titled, "All Aboard: Effective Onboarding Strategies and Techniques," the comprehensive report is based on surveys and interviews with nearly 800 HR/HCM and business line managers at organizations around the world – the majority of which are located in North America. The response alone proves how much interest companies have in improving the retention of their employees.
Aberdeen Group: Learning and Development: Aligning Workforce with Business Objectives [PDF 755 KB]
For organizations that seek to align their workforce with business objectives and turn human capital into a competitive advantage, organizational learning and development will be a critical enabler. This August / September, 2007 study is a compilation of survey responses from 687 organizations globally and provides a roadmap for companies that desire to improve the productivity and alignment of the workforce through Best-in-Class strategies and pursuits.
The Greening ofTraining: How Sustainability is Reshaping Organizational Learning [PDF 268 KB]
Is your company "going green?" Would you like it to? This paper looks at corporate sustainability efforts and the pivotal role that the learning department can play in them. Also included are practical ideas for making training more environmentally-friendly.
The Impact of Work Force Agility on Business Performance [PDF 264 KB]
Agility is an issue that is becoming more and more prominent in businesses across industries. While it is a common goal, its meaning can be somewhat ambiguous. Depending on the context, agility can mean different things to different organizational units. But one common thread persists: the accelerating speed of change. Change is not only driving organizations to keep up and anticipate, but more so to be its catalyst in order to be competitively positioned.
Bersin & Associates May 2007 Research Bulletin [PDF 996 KB]
Bersin & Associates May 2007 Research Bulletin focuses on leadership development and showcases an unbiased view of SkillSoft's Leadership Development Channel. The Bulletin is a great resource for enterprises looking to invest in their leadership development programs and offers advice on what should be considered when implementing programs to develop organizational leaders.
Open Learning Services Architecture (OLSA): An integrated learning environment that meets your enterprise needs [PDF 363.7 KB]
With an expanding inventory of content and new, more dynamic content types that combine traditional courseware with related services, SkillSoft customers are often challenged by the integration and maintenance necessary to deploy these resources to their learners. SkillSoft has responded to this need with the creation of SkillSoft Open Learning Services. The goal of Open Learning Services is to simplify and enhance deployment of SkillSoft's various offerings through a customer's platform of choice.
How Executives Stay Informed: A Study of Resources Used and Time Spent Locating Critical Business Information by Bersin & Associates [PDF 114 KB]
The study, written by Bersin & Associates, finds that most senior-level executives spend hours each week searching the Internet in frustration for business-related information that will help them stay informed and current. It shows that costs of time searching for information can exceed $50,000 annually for each executive. Of the study's 202 respondents, 43% were over age 50 and 40% were between 36 and 50 in age. The vast majority, 84%, were male. 49% of respondents had C-level or vice president titles; 51% had director-level titles.
Linking Learning to the Broader Human Capital Strategy [PDF 746 KB]
By John Chaisson
Human Capital Institute
For organizations to leverage learning to its fullest potential, learning programs need to be targeted at critical competencies and strategic business objectives. When learning strategy is linked with human capital strategy the results can be dramatic. In this white paper from the Human Capital Institute, noted experts from the field of learning and human capital, as well as practitioners, discuss the theoretical and practical issues in managing learning in relation to competencies. Participants in this discussion include Paul Storfer, Human Capital Science; Josh Bersin, Bersin & Associates; Allison Rossett, San Diego State University; Sarah Beers, Fidelity Investments; Viginia Clark, Unisys; Karen Kocher, Cigna; and others.
The Four Stages of e-Learning, new research by Bersin & Associates [PDF 782 KB]
What are the evolutionary stages of corporate e-learning? At what stage of e-learning maturity is your organization and how does it compare with other companies? "The Four Stages of e-Learning: A Maturity Model for Online Corporate Training" details the corporate e-learning market and identifies the stages of growth and maturity common to many learning organizations. Based on interviews and surveys with more than 500 executives and learning managers, the study describes how corporate learning changes with the adoption of new technologies and learning resources.
At the Speed of Business: 5 A's of the Corporate Learning Chain [PDF 251 KB]
The corporate learning infrastructure must simultaneously meet the corporate objective of providing appropriate materials that will be useful to the organizational goals and also satisfy the learner's criteria for selection, or it won't be used or accessed. This concept is reflected in the five As of an effective corporate learning chain. IDC examines how a corporate information resource system must incorporate each link in the chain to provide maximum benefit to the enterprise.
Extending Reach and Ensuring Effectiveness of Leadership Development: The Role of Technology-Based Learning
[PDF 2 MB]
Leadership is an important element of organizational success. So, it is not surprising that many companies look for ways to extend the benefits of leadership development to more employees. Technology-based learning approaches such as online courses, books and video programs can be used effectively to develop employees at all levels.
CAFÉ REPORT: Client Advisory Forum Event 2007
[PDF 243 KB]
Café stands for Client Advisory Forum Event. It has been an integral part of SkillSoft’s planning process since the company’s inception and has helped SkillSoft evolve with the ever-changing corporate learning market. Over the years many innovations have come about as a result of input gained at Café. This paper includes a few of the more recent product areas that have developed in response to customer feedback.
Business Impact and Challenge Series: Design and Development Guidelines
[PDF 3.5 MB]
Today's learners expect e-learning to be as engaging and visually rich as many of the Web-based environments they encounter on a daily basis. SkillSoft's latest content innovation, the Business Impact and Challenge Series offerings, were designed with those expectations in mind. Using a rich mix of Flash-based animations, video, and audio-driven dramatizations, each Business Impact or Challenge creates a concise, yet contextually rich scenario filled with realistic characters and business challenges. The result is a set of highly engaging learning assets that appeal to multiple generations and that can be used in support of multiple workplace performance learning models and environments.
Strategic Issues Facing Enterprise Learning: Report from SkillSoft's Executive Advisory Board
[PDF 130 KB]
SkillSoft brings together its Executive Advisory Board (EAB) annually to discuss the major issues of interest to the enterprise learning community. The group is comprised of high level executives in many of the most advanced learning organizations in the world. Their opinions and concerns are a bellwether for the overall learning market. This white paper documents the SkillSoft Executive Advisory Board meeting held on March 29, 2006.
SkillSoft Product Strategy Roadmap[PDF 745 KB]
SkillSoft looks forward to introducing many new solutions that address our customers' learning challenges and help their learning programs work more effectively at a strategic level within the organization. This roadmap offers a thorough overview of SkillSoft's development plans for the coming months and the customer needs that these initiatives are designed to address.
Making the Abundant Relevant: Solving Today’s Learning Challenges Through a Next Generation Technology Architecture [PDF 173 KB]
There are two major challenges facing SkillSoft customers today: the need to integrate a wide variety of technology systems and content types, and the need to present content in a way that is relevant to the individual learner. These problems are getting more difficult as the number of content types and technology systems proliferate and the trend toward aligning learning programs with business initiatives accelerates the need for relevance. SkillSoft agrees with customers and analysts who say that these problems must be solved in order for e-learning to reach its potential, and this is the impetus behind SkillSoft’s Open Learning Services Architecture (OLSA) initiative.
What Return on Investment does e-Learning Provide? [PDF 214 KB]
Organizations make investments in e-learning
solutions with the expectation that the solutions will
have a measurable impact on performance by
achieving specific business outcomes. Measuring the
value of learning solutions enables organizations to
demonstrate the return on investment they make in
training. In addition, organizations that measure
training are able to increase the contribution of their
learning solutions using continuous improvement
processes that drive higher levels of return through
enhanced performance over time.
The SkillSoft Learning Growth Model [PDF 654 KB]
The SkillSoft Learning Growth Model describes the predictable stages that all companies go through as they progress from their initial e-learning implementations to enterprise-wide, strategic e-learning.
Getting Started with e-Learning [PDF 163 KB]
The face of corporate learning has changed. It is no longer possible to develop your human capital with a single approach. Today’s corporate environment calls for out of the box thinking, incorporating the benefits of many types of learning to benefit your company’s single biggest investment – your people. Evaluating the ever-growing corporate learning solutions that are available enables you to obtain full benefit from your learning programs, by selecting the range of learning resources that best match your strategic corporate goals.
Eight Phases of Workplace Learning [PDF 707 KB]
Today’s learning organizations recognize the
prevalence of informal or just-in-time learning and
search for ways to support this type of learning in
tandem with more formal blended training programs.
This paper proposes a structure of eight phases of
workplace learning that can serve as a framework for
designing blended learning solutions with formal and
informal components.
Blended Learning Strategies [PDF 185 KB]
Instructional Design Model for Courseware [PDF 536 KB]
Just as fashion designers cannot create new lines of clothing without regard to principles of construction, shape, and form, designers of effective e-learning also require similar knowledge of foundational principles, theories, and models. This paper describes the instructional design model that is at the core of every course SkillSoft develops. The paper also discusses a variety of learning theories and instructional strategies that are used flexibly and creatively within that model to meet a broad range of learning requirements.
ID Model in IT Courseware [PDF 2.6 MB]
ID Model in Business, Compliance and ES&H [PDF 4.4 MB]
508 Accessibility [PDF 227 KB]
Providing accessible learning is a fundamental need as today’s
work force expands to include a more diverse population of
workers. This diversity includes the baby boomer generation that
continues to work later into retirement age; an educated group of
disabled workers who are now graduating from universities and
other establishments of higher education; and other workers who
have situational disabilities. Accessible learning allows organizations
to recruit and retain employees with disabilities and enables
the continued contribution of an aging work force. It allows
organizations to attract new talent and maintain their investment
in their high performance knowledge workers. In short, accessible
learning can be more than a compliance goal; it is also a competitive
advantage
EMEA e-Learning Benchmark Survey [PDF 289 KB]
Take an in-depth look at how employees use e-learning; when and where they do it; what specific skills e-learning has enabled them to develop; how these skills have been put into practice in the workplace; and whether the knowledge gained is widely shared. Most e-learning surveys are often limited in their scope. This study includes interviews with more than 200 employees from a wide range of organizations, across 14 countries. The scale of this participation ensures the results from this study are a true representation of the effectiveness of e-learning as a tool to increase skills and performance.
SkillSoft Dialog [PDF 1.5 MB]
