N3 has always prioritized learning. And now, thanks to a collaborative partnership and a pitch-perfect rollout, that priority is as strong as ever, empowering employees to develop as the company scales.
N3 is an outsourced, integrated sales and marketing execution firm that integrates digital marketing, inside sales and custom analytics. The company accelerates adoption by converting digital interest into long-term consumption through a customer-centric, solution-based selling approach. N3 has grown significantly over the past few years, taking on more client engagements and opening offices around the world.
In June 2018, after scaling to 11 offices globally, the organization realized a new strategy for company-wide training was crucial. Specially, Senior Director of Global Learning and Development Matthew Kaufman said N3 was looking for a “quick-to-market, yet effective and scalable learning solution that could keep up with the company’s growth and address all of the unique skill sets employees need to be successful.”
Once this business priority was identified by both the L&D team and executive leadership, the L&D team conducted extensive research and set out to find the optimal solution for their organization.
Why N3 Invested in LinkedIn Learning: An “All-Encompassing” Content Library Employees Can Access in Real Time
With a relatively small group focused on L&D for a large global organization, it was clear that continuously delivering content built in-house at scale was an unsustainable strategy.
“It came to a point where we were struggling to find the time to provide team members the necessary hands-on classroom training during ramp up and forward-thinking coursework for individual career development,” Kaufman said.
Much of the learning needed at N3 presents itself real-time — supporting the specific needs of their clients across many industries. So, the team identified a need to acquire high quality content to leverage through their existing Learning Management System (LMS).
As the team began their search, one provider stood out amongst the rest: LinkedIn Learning.
“We were first impressed with the fact that LinkedIn Learning had a strong technical library with industry-recognized curriculum and content to prepare technical talent for certifications,” said Director of Global Learning and Development Rodney Hearns. While diving deeper into their research, Hearns also added that LinkedIn Learning was “all-encompassing from a content perspective. There really was no limitation in any way.”
After integrating LinkedIn Learning into the company’s LMS, the L&D team was able to standardize curriculums based on departmental specific needs. The wide variety of subject matter, from technical to soft skills, fit the needs of the organization perfectly — allowing for employees to find exactly what they need to support their clients.
For example, if one client requires expertise in data analytics and storage systems, it’s on individuals like Business Development Representative Darshana Shah to learn on-demand. Shah recalls being “able to quickly find five different entry level courses, taught by experts within the [customer’s specific] field” and applying them instantly.
Once the decision was made to provide LinkedIn Learning to the entire global team, N3 focused on an efficient and innovative roll-out strategy to drive adoption and engagement and maximize their investment.
Spoiler alert — they absolutely crushed it.
Result: 100% activation as learning becomes part of the organization’s DNA
In September of 2018, the L&D team received executive-level support and developed a four-week deployment plan for distributing LinkedIn Learning licenses to the organization.
Each week was focused on a different region of the world — North America, LATAM, EMEA and APAC. There were four sessions held each week—two sessions to onboard managers and executives, followed by two sessions focused on all employees in each region.
It was imperative that Kaufman and his team attained executive-level buy-in first. The executive team was able to clearly advocate and highlight the importance of this initiative across the entire organization.
It worked.
Since launching in September of 2018, the N3 team has achieved the following engagement:
- 100% of licenses activated
- 13,000 hours viewed
- 10 hours and 35 minutes average time per viewer!
Brian Cochran, Senior Learning Specialist and LMS Administrator, notes that N3 continues to “sow the seeds early by getting users up and running the first day they join the company.”
“We’ve done an excellent job building continuous learning into our DNA from the start,” Kaufman added.
N3 achieved such high engagement and built learning into their culture with the following tactics:
- Accountability: Executive level buy-in/support of continuous learning.
- Guidance: Built scalable learning curriculums that could be used by employees regardless of start date and assigned a license and new hire onboarding Learning Paths to employees on Day 1.
- Communication: Launched “Take 5, Learn 5”—a monthly newsletter geared towards providing relevant recommendations, new courses and feature updates to inspire employees to always be learning.
- Support: Scheduled open classroom sessions – a space to work through challenges and ask questions to the L&D team.
This impressive engagement is highlighted in leaders like Director of Sales Management and Transformation Michael Moncada, who are making time during their day to learn. “I watch LinkedIn Learning courses while eating lunch,” Moncada said. “I’ll choose a subject and watch throughout the week or month until the subject is complete.”
The on-demand convenience of LinkedIn Learning on any device aligns to the busy schedules of each employee.
“You don’t need to finish the course in one session, you can take a break and pick up where you left — just like you would do when you watch Netflix,” said Sebastian van Ooijen, a business development representative at N3.
Perhaps the new culture of continuous learning at N3 is summed up best by Shah: “The world today is constantly changing,” she said. “I believe that you must pivot and change with it. It starts with expanding your knowledge.”
That’s exactly the mindset N3 needs to stay competitive and continue their success globally.
Topics: Customer stories
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