At our recent SuccessConnect 2023 event, we announced the new integrated learning experience to a broader audience for the first time and received very positive feedback from our customers. Leverage the virtual sessions available from SuccessConnect to gain insights and see the new integrated learning experience in action:
- Maximize skills growth with the new, integrated SAP SucccessFactors learning experience
- See the new integrated learning experience from SAP SuccessFactors Learning in Action.
But what exactly makes our SAP SuccessFactors Learning customers so excited? As mentioned in my blog, Maximize Skills Growth with the New Integrated Learning Experience in SAP SuccessFactors ‘ SAP SuccessFactors Learning is a key part of our broader future-ready workforce strategy. The new integrated learning experience for SAP SuccessFactors Learning includes a newly re-designed learning home page, learning recommendations and much more. This integrated learning experience is based on extensive research that identifies the many learning options available to workers – the items that people “have to learn”, such as mandatory learning for safety and compliance; those that they “need to learn” to excel in their roles and achieve business objectives; and what they want to learn based on their own interests, aspirations, and motivations.
And now with the 2H 2023 release, customers will start seeing the integrated learning experience in their instances – on both web and mobile. It comes out of the box! Provided your instance meets the technical prerequisites (see more details here: Enabling your workforce for the future with the new integrated learning experience ), your learners will automatically have access to this new experience with the 2H 2023 release when they navigate to their learning home page within SAP SuccessFactors. The current experience does not go away, and users can flip back and forth using a simple toggle at the top, thus keeping access to the functionality they are familiar with, as needed. Administrators can determine whether the default page is the current experience or the new one available with the 2H release. Users can then choose their preference, which will be honored when they come back to Learning. Learners can start reaping the benefits of the new experience – with valuable new features such as the ability to quickly create calendar blocks to make time for learning, straight from the home page, or the brand-new learning bookmarks – while still keeping access to their existing views and tools as more features get added to the new experience over time.
Please note: If you need more time, you will have the ability to temporarily opt-out of the new integrated learning experience for a limited time. In this case, the learners would not see any changes, nor any of the new functionality. Using the new integrated learning experience customers will be able to leverage the benefits like to:
- Provide an individualized user experience that puts employees and their needs and interests at the heart of the functionality.
- Create an intelligent and curated personal learning experience drawing on all the aspects of the user’s aspirations, motivations, skill targets, workstyles, and learning preferences, in addition to their roles and previous experiences.
- Leverage simple cross-modular functions and features by breaking down the silos of navigating through the suite for a more unified and consistent learning and talent strategy.
- Provide a great individualized user experience to highlight the value of investment the organization is making, and the organization realizes the value through greater productivity, higher returns, and less turnover.
- Improve learner engagement with new features offered like the option for the learner to bookmark trainings or to mark their calendar
But let’s get more concrete now and take a look in more detail at some of the highlights delivered in 2H2023 release with the new integrated learning experience:
New learning home page (structure)
We deliver an integrated learning experience for accelerated skills growth with a redesigned, re-architected home page which is unique to each employee. First and foremost, we have introduced a guided experience view to the learning plan available on web and mobile to make it easy to take the next step needed to complete necessary learning. We have prioritized this information based on the type of learning needed for quick and easy distinction. Learner’s “have to learn” items, like mandatory trainings, show right at the top with a clear color-coded status indicator, and ordered by most urgent, with the ability to scroll through the carousel or flip to view all to help users know what learning to prioritize.
Learners also have access to the “invest in myself” section here learners can bookmark learning for future review to help them further grow in their development, and easily retrieve their bookmarks directly from the new home page. Learners can also find recommendations from peers and trusted colleagues. In addition, personalized AI recommendations are available to each learner, based on their learning history as well as skills within their growth portfolio. When courses are linked back to skills and proficiency levels, completion can also automatically trigger an update of their growth portfolio.
Required assignment details
In the past, learners could get overwhelmed by the thousands of courses offered by their organization. The new learning home page visualizes the required learning assignments very clearly, by prioritizing what the employee has to learn. When it comes to required training, the compliance status is clearly visible at the top of the learner’s stream so that the employee can always be on top of their learning. A learner can also plan ahead and make time for learning by directly blocking time onto their calendar, straight from the course, with the new Block calendar function that allows them to download .ics files to their local calendar.
In addition, it’s always clear what the next action is on each item. If there are surveys required for completion of an online course, prerequisites a learner first needs to take, or the learner wants to join a virtual session, the next action is showcased. Learners can also check-in to a registered class and access the class QR code directly. If the learner is on a waitlist, they can see their position and status for easy follow-up and there is a clear indication when e-signatures are required for completion. Also, if a learner has requests from others to take an action on, such as task observation, those are showcased in the “requests for me” area. In addition, approval flows can be re-triggered if they have been rejected for online courses. Those assignment details and structured approach gives the learner much more guidance to stay engaged and on track.
Enhanced search
Learning discovery is a key part of building a learning culture, and as part of our 2H 2023 enhancements, we are delivering a brand-new search experience with new ways to find results and dynamic filter options. As learners type a search term, they will get keyword suggestions as well as proposed results in the flow of search. On the search results page, learners can bookmark items for later perusal. The search capability offers greater ability to search based on specific skills, duration, mobile availability and other attributes.
Talent intelligence that drives learning and growth recommendations for each employee
The new integrated learning experience is highly transformative in the way we visualize and deliver learning recommendations through AI-driven talent intelligence.
While any recommendations suggested by peers highlighted within a dedicated section to treat the referred learning with the importance needed by bringing them prominently to the learner’s attention, our AI engine allows learners to receive personalized recommendations based on their own learning history, as well on their growth portfolio, role in the company, and job role. As with all machine learning algorithms, these recommendations will improve and become more and more valuable over time, with further usage and inputs. Note: the AI recommendations are an opt-in feature.
Customers who are using SAP SuccessFactors Opportunity Marketplace can help their employees to continuously grow by connecting them to opportunities that fit their aspirations leveraging technology such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. Opportunities shown include learning new skills, roles, exciting assignments, dynamic teams, mentor programs, peer connections, and more.
The focus in 2H 2023 is on the learner experience, with a new streamlined user interface that focuses employee learning on what they have to, need to, and want to learn, powered by AI recommendations unique to each employee. In 2024, and continuing through 2025, we plan to*:
- Further enhance search capabilities and AI recommendations
- Support goals- and skills-based learning journeys
- Extend the enhancements for curricula and program experience to detail pages
- Reimagine the manager experience
- Enhance admin capabilities for the integrated learning experience
(*subject to change)
I hope you are as excited as we and many of our customers are to leverage the great benefits of the new integrated learning experience. An experience brought to your learners to help them get guidance on priorities and opportunities and to empower organizations to establish more integrated talent and learning strategies. Not to forget that this is just the start of more to come with next releases.
Interested in more information on the 2H2023 release highlights? Then check out the Learning Release Highlights Video, Release Highlights Brochure and explore more Release Information at our customer community. You can find a list of all enhancements on the What’s New Viewer.
Margit Bauer, Director Solution Marketing for SAP SuccessFactors Learning