The notion of a ‘Corporate University’ has been around for some time; approximately for the last 40 years, companies have been looking to foster an environment of growth, learning, and knowledge sharing.
Early adopters of the movement attempted to create this landscape – innovation at its most vibrant and dynamic state, a culture of expertise and experience-gathering, and a mirror to the kind of rich and eclectic space, one found in universities or college campuses. However, results were varied; some were purely overloaded HR divisions adding little in value, except for additional bureaucratic layering, while other actually contributed to a firm’s profitability and employee productivity.
The big question is, what makes a corporate university successful? Are there a set of best practices that makes initiatives like these, more streamlined and goal-oriented?
Remember, a corporate university is not a larger rendition of a training department. Training essentially looks at filling in gaps in the employee expertise/skill-base, with an eye on specificity or immediate requirement. On the other hand, a corporate university is a more strategic approach, connecting and unifying the many factors impacting individual performance.
Here then, are 5 ideas/elements which could transform a corporate university’s capability to actually make a difference:
1. Ensure there is a clear direction
**A corporate university is driven by a tightly-knit governing body of senior managers or ‘sponsors’. This is critical towards ensuring there is a channeling of ideas, a concentrated model, and a ‘face’ to the university**. Consider LearnshipOpens a new window , a provider that’s dedicated only to foreign language learning – a very clear value proposition to complement your vision.
The HR or L&D divisions will obviously become primary sponsors – however, a healthy mix of other stakeholders, pan-organizational senior leadership, and interested executives, is advisable.
2. Enunciate a vision for the program
If you’re a part of the HR team, it’s important to work in close coordination with the marketing function, to outline a brand identity for the university. Now every brand, requires a vision enlivening the implementation schedule. Further, the vision must be articulated well and must be known to all. Consider asking yourself the following questions:
What is the kind of enterprise you want to become?
What makes an employee most valuable?
What tangible change will the university bring in?
3. Enable the creation of a structure, determine scope, identify stakeholders, and their needs
Every university requires a strong administrative team and a faculty. These roles and responsibilities must be clearly laid down. Here are some common areas which need clarity:
What will comprise of the course curricula?
Which departments and functions will be principally supported by the university?
What do the students want?
Defining these areas, establishing a blueprint that helps determine a clear pathway, and utilizing technology to offer tools, solutions, and applications that can simplify this process is key to the success of a corporate university.
Most firms nowadays deploy solutions which can assess employee needs, analyze data streams coming in for greater insights, enhancing decision-making. Finally, these tools help in the setting-up and in the dispensation of the learning/knowledge areas, as identified.
4. Enlist cutting HR tech
A unified delivery system that can maintain and schedule online classroom courses is important for a corporate university to achieve its desired goals. The most common practice is to select and purchase the most fitting ‘Learning Management System’. While selecting an LMS, it’s vital to decide whether it is time to build, buy, or ‘freeware’ a frameworkOpens a new window . Again, this would be best resolved by answering a few relevant questions:
What are the exact numbers for the ratio between online coursesOpens a new window and offline learning sessions?
Are you looking at offering direct access to users for registration – or is this a reference-driven process (by line managers)?
Are there multiple locations across the divisions and sites, which require to be integrated via a Cloud-based model?
Will you have social media channels in action – or mimic the idea like OracleOpens a new window ?
Will you offer device-agnostic support covering phones (like the TrivantisOpens a new window mobile-focused offering), tablets, and wearables?
5. Evaluate progress and development consistently
**The LMS should be able to monitor an employee’s progress over a period of time – which would then be spread across their entire career and all the courses completed, with the data stored for later interpretation on a demarcated reservoir**. Feedback from trainers should also be embedded in this record – preferably in real-time, like Glint’s approachOpens a new window – with access for line managers, in order to streamline appraisals and succession planning. You could even automate the entire process to keep things running smoothly, as VerintOpens a new window recently realized.
There you have it – the 1st year is always the most difficult for a corporate university. Loyalty could be an issue, interest levels may dip, sponsors may be uncertain of their role, and employees will question its impact.
That said, it’s paramount to stick to your vision, and stay grounded despite the chatter. Over time, the university could become a true meeting place for new ideas, the brightest minds, fresh skills, and could possibly shape your company’s future.