Informal learning is the best way of gaining knowledge and skills in the workplace. We are a bit like sponges - we suck up experiences and knowledge and we learn from observing other people. Research shows that we actually gain more knowledge more effectively in informal learning contexts, rather than in traditional ‘formal’ training situations. That’s not to say formal training such as eLearning isn’t necessary or effective (quite the opposite!) but it’s clear that in general the learning paradigm is moving from traditional instructor-led training to a culture of constant knowledge acquisition, where the focus is on continued learning, not discrete training events. This means that it’s pretty important your organisation encourages informal learning, otherwise known as ‘social’ learning, because it involves employees learning from those more experienced, sharing their knowledge and collaborating. Informal learning also covers more general learning at work, such as trial and error, learning from feedback and coaching. It’s vital that organisations give learners the opportunity to learn informally at work. If we’re stuck in cubicles, barely allowed to have a chat around the watercooler, or have such strict KPIs we can’t afford to stop what we’re doing even for a moment, informal learning will be stifled. Yet on the other hand, if we’re given the opportunity to converse, work together and observe others, informal learning will flourish - and we’ll actually learn more and improve our productivity than if we’d been chained to our desks the whole time. Factors that influence informal learning There are a few styles or types of informal learning, as hinted at above. This kind of learning can be done individually, with others, or an on organisational level. Here’s more about each one in turn: Individual informal learning This includes self-directed learning, trial and error, and modelling (copying others). It is influenced - both positively and negatively, so watch out - by factors such as: Confidence (if we feel capable of improving our skills) Interest in the profession (do we care enough to actively learn?) Endurance for change (are we happy to evolve with our situation and learn things as and when required?) Previous experience (do we have a good outlook on learning?) Professional capacity (are we able to essentially put our tasks on hold and dedicate an hour, a day, etc to improving our skills?) Job satisfaction (if we’re happy in our roles, does that make us more or less motivated to seek change?) Accessibility (how able are we to seek out more experienced colleagues in order to learn from them, and are we able to access training when we want it?) Peer to peer informal learning This covers mentoring, coaching and working in teams to improve knowledge. Factors that influence this kind of informal learning include: Climates of collaboration (is working together encouraged or discouraged?) Sharing and trust (are more experienced others happy to share their experience, or are they worried about helping others to reach the same level as them?) Feedback (is feedback readily accepted? How is it handled in the workplace? Is it a ‘done thing’ to seek feedback?) Support and encouragement (if our manager isn’t on our side, it’ll be hard to get any kind of mentoring programme of the ground) Opportunities to meet professionals (are we able to meet with more experienced colleagues or industry professionals? This can be hard if we work in a group setting with similarly-able colleagues) Organisational informal learning This style is slightly more formal than other kinds, since it can revolve around career development policies, job assignments and HR systems, but it is still very different from traditional ‘formal’ training programmes. Factors influencing organisational/environmental informal learning include: Learning support system (is there a structure in place to support us as we embark on learning?) Rewards (everything is much more motivating and engaging if we are rewarded for it!) Challenging and valuable work (if we don’t feel challenged we may not feel any desire to increase our knowledge. Similarly, if we doubt our work is valuable, we might not find the motivation to improve) Learning culture (is everyone else encouraged to learn, or is it a bit taboo? Does management accept, embrace or encourage informal learning?) Time and space (are we afforded enough time to set ourselves career goals and work on different job assignments?) Clearly, there’s a lot more to ‘informal learning’ than first meets the eye. It’s not only learning from others and learning while ‘on the job’ - there are many facets to informal learning and it’s important that organisations understand and encourage each one. Want to learn more about informal learning and how it can be combined with formal training? Download our free white paper by clicking the button below!    The post The Hidden Gems of Informal Learning appeared first on Growth Engineering.

The ‘Five Moments of Need’ model proposed by Bob Mosher and Conrad Gottfredson is another way to look at the differences between formal and informal learning. There are a few different moments throughout the learning of new things when we need to gain information instantly - in other words, five moments of learning need. 1. Learning something for the first time At this moment of need, we may be embarking on a new training course. This is the moment we begin our learning journey and content enters our noggins for the first time. Obviously, we need access to training or learning materials at this stage; otherwise we’ll never learn anything! 2. Learning more of something Sometimes, our interest will be piqued and we’ll want to continue learning, or the training will only be partly completed. Either way, there is a need to learn more. At this moment of need, we may be beginning to understand the content quite well, but we still need access to more training. We can satisfy these two moments of need with formal learning - such as classroom-based learning, online training on Learning Management Systems, webinars and virtual conferences, or any combination of the above. According to Mosher and Gottfredson, formal learning makes up 5% of learning. We don’t stop learning once the formal training is over. We actually need to continue learning throughout our working lives, and these final three moments of need highlight these times. 3. Trying to remember or apply We’re not perfect, us humans. We forget things. That’s why learning content needs to be available to us when we are trying to remember something that we had learnt, or figure out how to apply it. 4. When things change Part of learning is adapting to change and still being able to apply the training. After all, we wouldn’t get very far if we could only ever work out mathematical sums if we had a basket of apples and three hungry friends! If we can’t adapt our knowledge to varying situations, we’ve not truly learnt the content. That’s why training should be available whenever and wherever we might need it. 5. When something goes wrong Thinking on our feet is a great skill to have. Without the ability to do so, we won’t be able to tackle any challenges which come our way or apply our knowledge in new ways to solve problems. This, and moment of need #4, call for a ‘just in time’ approach to learning. These three learning moments of need mostly commonly occur in the context of work, after the initial formal training event(s) have occurred. According to the model, informal learning covers 95% of activities that take place in order for us to truly understand and improve our knowledge. Informal learning at work covers things like collaboration, observing others, coaching and mentoring, feedback and accessing prior training online to go over it again in our own ways and in our own time. When you think that 95% of what we know we gain from learning at work, you can see how important it is that the workplace provides opportunities to learn! We’ve written about informal/social learning quite extensively in the past. You can click here to see all our tagged blog posts, or alternatively click the button below to download a free white paper all about informal learning!    The post What’s Your Learning ‘Moment of Need’? appeared first on Growth Engineering.

Technology has come a long way since most of us began our education. Calculators are now a feature of every mobile phone, rather than having to be powered by a super-computer or carried around in a suitcase. Smartphones can perform a huge number of functions that we used to need various different pieces of equipment for, from a separate MP3 player and a laptop computer to a pedometer strapped to our waistband and a compass in our pocket. It stands to reason, then, that in addition to all the entertainment uses of technology, we can also utilise these new functionalities for educational purposes. Here’s a rundown of our favourite apps, websites and products that make learning that much easier: Rosetta Stone Probably the most well-known piece of software available for learning languages, Rosetta Stone has made a name for itself as being an engaging and effective way of learning to speak a new language. It has gone through plenty of changes over its 20 years in existence, keeping up with changing technologies and pedagogies, and has benefited 12,000+ organisations, 9,000+ public and non-profits, 22,000+ educational institutions and millions of individual learners worldwide. And they still found time to make an app! eBooks No longer do we have to trade a healthy back with knowledge and lug around 1,000-page tomes. Nowadays technology has made it possible to condense gigantic books into a tablet the thickness of a pencil and the weight of a pack of cards. And observers are none the wiser as to whether you’re reading 50 Shades of Grey, War and Peace or Computing for Dummies. Additionally, eBooks have significantly reduced the cost of learning, down from £12.99 or so for a book (much more for a technical book!) to £5 or less for an eBook. This opens the doors hugely to learning new things, as we’re no longer restricted by what we can spend or carry. YouTube While at first glance it can be seen as an entertainment-based website, YouTube is actually a mine of educational gold. From ‘how to’ tutorials to conference talks, YouTube really makes learning easy for those of us who learn best by watching and listening. And the ‘Recommended’ videos down the side help to expand our knowledge in ways we hadn’t imagined, taking us from sales techniques to book writing tips to, of course, hilarious cat videos. Wikipedia Everything you could ever want to know is now housed on one website, editable by individuals. If you’re a subject matter expert and you find a topic lacking or non-existent, you’re welcome to contribute to its creation and benefit hundreds of thousands of others who aren’t as knowledgeable. It’s a pretty nice ego-booster to know you’re helping out so many people hungry for knowledge! From conducting research for your chemistry homework and learning about the solar system to completing your tax return and finding a list of all horror films released since 1980, there is information for every instance. And with Android and iOS apps available to download, finding information is easier than ever before. Learning Management Systems Well, we couldn’t list our favourite technology-related learning resources without including our Academy LMS in the line-up! Learning Management Systems are online platforms for delivering, monitoring and reporting on training programmes. Corporate LMSs are used within organisations to upskill employees, while educational LMSs can be used for higher educational purposes. Some Learning Management Systems are pretty basic and will do just the bear minimum, while others - the Academy LMS included - offer much, much more: gamification, social learning features, classroom management, performance management and more. These are just a few of the technologies available to us which have made it so much easier to find information, learn new things and improve our lives. Want to learn more about how technology is making learning more fun and engaging? Download our free white paper below and see how technology can be used in the classroom to boost learning!    The post Our Favourite Uses of Technology to Make Learning Fun and Easy appeared first on Growth Engineering.

Learner engagement is what all L&D departments, learning technology companies and training providers aim to achieve. Without engagement, training simply won’t work. It may appear to work, in that learners might show improved test results directly after training. But in the long run? To achieve the long-lasting behavioural change that training is supposed to cement? Well, that is dependent on learner engagement. A lack of engagement is related to low levels of academic achievement, high levels of learner boredom and disaffection, and high drop-out rates (at least in voluntary courses - in corporate scenarios the employees will just have to lump it and their performance will drop accordingly!). It’s a shame, but learners generally view online learning as boring or as a mere grade game, where they try to get by with as little effort as possible - they coast through their training doing the bare minimum just to keep their managers happy, in other words. So, we know we need to aim for ‘engagement’, and we know what happens when we lack it. But what is engagement really? The American Heritage College Dictionary defines engagement as being ‘actively committed’, to ‘involve oneself or become occupied; to participate’. In their 2009 research paper on school engagement, Fredricks, Blumenfeld and Paris define engagement in three ways: Behavioural engagement Essentially this is how we behave when learning. It draws on the idea of participation in an activity - the more willing we are to participate, the more engaged we are. When we’re involved in academic, social and extracurricular activities there is more likely to be a positive outcome from the training, and less chance of dropping out. Emotional engagement When we have an emotional connection to tutors, our fellow learners, experts, L&D staff and so on, we’re more willing to do the work required of us. That’s one of the reasons it’s so important that learners are encouraged to socialise and communicate on their Learning Management System, and is why gamification - particularly the use of leaderboards, where we can see how other people are doing - helps to motivate us to learn. Cognitive engagement If we’re happy to invest our time in our tasks, we’ll be more thoughtful in our endeavours and more willing to exert the effort necessary to comprehend complex ideas and master difficult skills. That’s not to say one of these definitions is better than the others. In fact, they’re more helpful if they are taken together, as they’re intertwined. Together, they are able to offer a richer characterisation of learners than is possible when we think of them as single, separate components - because, really, they are never distinct. Our behaviour will always be influenced by our emotions, and the cognitive effort we put in will impact on how we perceive the training. It’s also important to highlight that these components aren’t all or nothing. We can be emotionally engaged to a degree just as we can put in a little bit of cognitive effort (e.g. simply memorising the content) or a lot (using self-regulated learning strategies that promote deep understanding). This suggests that engagement isn’t a stable characteristic, but is variable in terms of intensity and duration. We can be engaged in the short term, in certain situations, or for a long time consistently across all situations. And if Fredricks et al. are correct in their assertion that ‘engagement, once established, builds on itself’, it’s vital that organisations make the effort to engage their employees in their training. We’ve set out one way that organisations can get employees engaged - read the gamification white paper below to find out how engagement will boost business success!    The post You Probably Don’t Know What ‘Engagement’ Really Means appeared first on Growth Engineering.

Not everyone has a magic wand to cast a spell on learners and get them to instantly adore their training. There’s no potion that you can slip into employees’ drinks to get them to engage with their online learning. No magic word to awaken some instinctive desire to learn. Unfortunately, the bottom line of it is that encouraging learners to go online and take their eLearning courses is not always easy. Even with all-singing, all-dancing, state-of-the-art learning technologies, it’s hard to get employees to participate in their training. And this applies whether you’re training on sales, new product launches, soft skills or compliance - though the last is known to be devilishly disengaging! Employees simply don’t think they have the time to complete the training required of them, or they don’t see the benefit of it, so they don’t bother. It’s pretty sad. So how do you get your employees to engage with eLearning? Ultimately, we think that what gets seen gets done. By making things visible, individual performance is highlighted. That’s why we put rewards and recognition at the heart of the learning experience. On the Academy LMS, recognition is given each time a learner logs on to their Learning Management System and accesses eLearning, downloads materials, completes tests and communicates with others. Badges, points and rewards - which fall under the term ‘gamification’ which you may have heard of (if not, click here!) - come together to make the learning work because employees need to gain the badges if they want to appear on the leaderboard. You might be thinking, "A poxy leaderboard? So what? No one would aspire to get on a leaderboard!" But actually, research (and our own customers’ experiences) has proved that leaderboards are incredibly engaging for learners. The leaderboards are visible to all learners, though individual leaderboards for different divisions or teams can be set up to encourage some healthy competition. When a learner logs into their LMS, they’re greeted with the leaderboard, which shows them who is on the top spot - i.e. who has gained the most badges for doing the most eLearning courses and interacting with their Academy - and highlights where they fall on the ladder of legends. If an employee sees they’ve been dropping down the rankings, they’ll be motivated to do the necessary - whether that’s to take outstanding eLearning courses or tests, or any other activity - to begin their climb to stardom once again. ‘What gets seen gets done’ also applies to training content. If it’s hard for learners to find out what they need to do next, it simply won’t get done. On the other hand, if their training to-do list is obvious, they will be motivated to complete it - or at least devour a few of the tempting eLearning morsels to boost their prowess. Knowing this, we’ve created the Academy with an easy-to-navigate dashboard that instantly tells learners what they need to do: it’s there, loud and clear, just waiting for them: My Things to Do. Can’t say fairer than that, right? We’d love to show you a bit more of the Academy so you can see for yourself the correct way to engage your employees in their training. Simply click the button below, fill out the form and we’ll be in touch to arrange a demo. Ta-ta for now!    The post Turn Your Zombie Learners Into Learning Legends! appeared first on Growth Engineering.

It’s incredibly hard to make predictions for the future. Things can change in a heartbeat, especially in the technology industry, where inventions and developments can change the trajectory of a product overnight. So when we think about eLearning courses and where they might be in a year or two, it can be tricky to pin down the developments that will make the most difference. What might seem inconceivable to us now may become commonplace in a year’s time; conversely, what is the ‘next big thing’ at the moment may be relegated to the ‘nice idea but would never work’ dustbin in a month. However, there are a few things we can be certain of when it comes to eLearning modules: eLearning will be more fun There’s not much worse than having to drag yourself through a boring eLearning module, is there? Okay, a bad case of the runs might be worse, but ultimately a mind-numbingly dull eLearning unit will be up there with the worst of them. That’s why we can say almost categorically that any learning technologies company worth its salt - and any organisation that cares about its employees - will create eLearning that is fun and enjoyable for learners. How this is achieved isn’t as clear-cut, though we suggest using a game-based authoring tool to do the job. Read more about that here! eLearning will be a game for developers If taking eLearning modules is a bore, just think how soul crushing it is to develop such deadly dull modules! In the future, eLearning production will become enjoyable in and of itself. This’ll help developers, subject matter experts and other L&D professionals to create truly exceptional eLearning. If the creators of content are having fun and enjoying the process, the eLearning they create will far surpass anything made by brain-dead drones forced to work with out of date slideshow presentations… eLearning will be incredibly interactive and personalised Right now, a lot of eLearning deserves to be rounded up and eradicated. You’ve probably experienced it before: click ‘Next’. Read the page. Click ‘Next’. Read the page. Click ‘Next’. Select your answer from three possible choices. Click ‘Next’. Read the page. And so on, ad infinitum. It’s not exactly riveting, is it? We live in a world where interactivity is valued. We can interact with petrol pumps by selecting our preferred method of payment; we can buy cinema tickets online or on our smartphones and select exactly which seat we’d like to plonk ourselves; in fact, in some cinemas we can even push a little button on our seat to request snacks during the film! We can interact with the environment around us to such an extent that it seems almost alien to not be able to do this during eLearning. Why should we be forced to passively sit through eLearning when an Apple Watch can tell us when it’s time to stand up and stretch? When our car knows our preferred seat position from our partner’s? It’s like being forced to order a ‘coffee’ when what we really want is a venti, half-whole milk, one quarter 1%, one quarter non-fat, extra hot, split quad shots, no foam latte, with whip, 2 packets of splenda, 1 sugar in the raw, a touch of vanilla syrup and 3 short sprinkles of cinnamon. In the future, eLearning units will know our names. We’ll be able to enter specific details into the module - our job role, specific challenges, problem colleagues - and the content will adapt accordingly. In all, it’ll make for a much richer learning experience and result in a deeper level of understanding. Which is exactly what we’re aiming for with eLearning! These are just a few ways that we think eLearning will change over the next year. In some respects, we’re already there… Our new content authoring tool, Genie, is gamified to make the development experience engaging for content creators, and produces some really rather fantastic game-based eLearning units to keep learners happy, too. Read more about Genie here or click the button below to head on over to Genie’s magical lair:  The post Where will eLearning be 1 year from now? appeared first on Growth Engineering.

Whether securing a budget is a feat in and of itself, or your organisation is happy to splash the cash, once you’ve got your L&D budget you’ll need to start spending it. With so many options out there, how can you be sure you’re betting on the right horse? Here are our top tips to clever budget spending: Plan for now, and for the future If your idea is to roll out training to a small number of employees first, and then expand the training if successful, make sure you consider the costs involved. If your deal for 100 users seems too good to be true, it just might be - how much will the price increase for 1,000 users? Conversely, some price plans seem expensive at the lower end, yet the more users that are added, the better the deal becomes. So plan for the future: if you know you’ll need a 2,500 user plan within one year, research those numbers now - not just the initial 100! Weigh up basic vs comprehensive packages Think carefully about what your online learning needs really are. Do you need an all-singing, all-dancing Learning Management System? Or do you need a more basic learning platform with has fewer features, but which will take up less of the budget? ‘As standard’ or ‘Optional extra’? It’s also important to consider which features will come as standard and which will be an optional extra. This will vary from vendor to vendor, so make sure you compare them carefully. What might seem like a cheap deal can quickly become more expensive when certain features are selected, which might be included in the costs of another option. Bells and whistles If you want to make the most of your L&D budget, you need an online training solution which will engage your learners; something that will encourage them to log on and take the training under their own steam, without having to cattle prod them into compliance! Well, not all online learning solutions can achieve this. Most Learning Management Systems are just that - systems for managing learning. There’s nothing in there about securing learner engagement, making learning fun or, you know, actually being an effective way of training learners online. Ultimately you’ll need more than ‘just’ a Learning Management System to get learners truly engaged. Finding an LMS that is dedicated to supercharging learner engagement is tricky, but luckily for you, you’ve stumbled upon the site of the world’s #1 gamified Learning Management System, renowned for boosting engagement and making the learning process enjoyable. Find out more about the Academy LMS by requesting a demo webinar tour!  The post Responsible for an L&D budget? Here are 4 things you need to consider appeared first on Growth Engineering.

Working in a team… Giving credit where it’s due… Sharing the glory… There’s a lot that team sports can teach us about online learning. Learning is not a solo affair You can’t very well play football without teammates or opponents, and you shouldn’t expect to learn entirely on your own, either. So much of what we know comes from sharing ideas with other people, collaborating on projects and learning from watching others. Respect the team captain When working on a project together, whether it’s online or face-to-face, you’ve got to defer to the team captain. If someone is more knowledgeable than you, don’t try to talk over them, ignore their advice, ‘block’ their communication or badmouth them to your fellow teammates. On the Academy LMS - our gamified Learning Management System - this equates to listening to those learners who have reached the top of the leaderboard (they clearly know their stuff!) and who have gained the most badges in a particular area. If they’re performing well on the LMS, stick with them. You could learn a lot, kid. Pass the baton You won’t win a relay race if you try to make it all the way around on your own. Equally, you can’t expect to know everything all of the time. Every now and then you’ll need to hold out the baton in front of you and let someone else, with fresh legs and new ideas, take the lead. This’ll give you the chance to recoup, gather your thoughts, practise what you’ve learnt and then be ready to charge once again when the time is right. Practice makes perfect In order to really succeed at a sport - not just a team sport - you’ll need to put in the effort in the form of hours and hours of practising. Similarly, learning new things takes practice, too. You’ll need to be as dedicated to improving your knowledge as you are to reducing your golf handicap, or hitting the back of the net with every strike. Put these things together - practising, working together, giving credit where it’s due and learning from more knowledgeable others - and you’ll be well on your way to being the perfect teammate—err, learner. Want to find out more about how learning is like a team sport? Download our white paper for free below!    The post What team sports can teach us about learning appeared first on Growth Engineering.

What does the workplace of the future look like? Will we type while walking on a treadmill? Will we all be working from home, calling in with video conferencing software? Or maybe we’ll each be entitled to 30 minutes’ yoga instruction each morning? A paper by unum called The Future Workplace identifies some key trends that employers and business owners will have to consider. Here are a few key takeaways (make sure to check out the full report here too!). Mind matters It’s becoming increasingly important that not only is an employee’s physical wellbeing catered for - with adequate breaks, access to tea, coffee and water, a safe environment in which to work, etc - but that their mind and emotional wellbeing are looked after, too. It makes sense, of course. We’re not drones with parts that need oiling to keep us working. We’re individuals who are affected by many different things; not just how squeaky our joints are. In terms of training, this would involve not just workplace safety training (such as what to do in the event of a fire) but also training on recognising stress in the workplace and how to deal with it. Engagement Here’s something we know a lot about! Evidence shows that just 13% of us are truly engaged in our work, with 24% actively disengaged. It’s incredibly worrying, since an engaged workforce is a happy workforce. 32% of British workers feel exhausted juggling career, family, friends, a social life, fitness and other commitments, and say they don’t think they will want to work later in life. Despite this, evidence does show that the general trend in Britain is towards an ‘ageless workplace’, where employees increasingly continue to work well after retirement age. But in order for organisations to take advantage of this trend, the exhaustion that employees are feeling needs to be addressed. Clearly, being asked to take training on top of feeling exhausted and desperate is not a big win for organisations. So it’s important that engagement issues are highlighted and tackled. Overload creep This involves a feeling of being ‘always on’ and available for work, and is said to be felt by 73% of British workers. Rather than them being energised and engaged, overload creep demotivates them and significantly increases both stress levels and the likelihood that they will leave their jobs - at huge cost to British businesses. That’s why organisations need to recognise and respond to stresses and to ensure that any mental health issues of employees are addressed. Employees want (and need!) to be able to shut off for a while. If they can’t do it while at home because of keeping up with emails or continuing to work, they’ll take it wherever they can - often during their working days. Asking employees to do more may not seem like the way to go, but training can help to alleviate some of these issues. If the training is enjoyable and different enough from their usual day-to-day work, then employees might be able to consider training as their ‘break’. This might certainly be the case with game-based eLearning, as employees might not even feel like they’re doing much work. And training can give employees the boost they need to re-engage with the organisation, since they’ll know they are important enough to warrant upskilling. Intuition To counter the issues emerging from the previous trends, employers need to embrace the idea of both an ‘ageless’ and a ‘mindful’ workplace. Unum’s report suggests employers should work to transform the workplace into one where "age is irrelevant, energy levels are maximised, the mind is cultivated and people can ‘switch off’ sometimes to refresh themselves mentally and be more productive in the long term". From an L&D perspective, it’s clear that training and development needs to be involved in this process. Upskilling employees will re-engage them in their work; they’ll feel motivated to perform; they’ll keep up to date with the skills they need to do well, such as technological skills; and good eLearning can even provide a bit of a break from the hard slog. You can read the entire unum workplace of the future report here. Find out more about how training can help to re-engage and motivate employees by downloading our free white paper below:    The post The workplace of the future appeared first on Growth Engineering.

Our very own Head of Customer Excellence, Mr Richard Culpin, has reached the finals of the UK Customer Experience Awards! Please excuse us while we hoist Richard up on our shoulders for a celebratory lap around the office… Now that’s done, let’s explain a bit more about the awards, the category and what this means for Richard and Growth Engineering. The Customer Experience Awards, part of Awards International, was created to recognise and reward outstanding achievement in customer experience across a variety of industries and disciplines, showcasing the organisations and talented teams within them. The lovely Richard, having spearheaded numerous campaigns and initiatives within Growth Engineering to deliver outstanding service to our equally lovely clients, is now being recognised within the CX Awards’ "Professional of the Year" category. Richard is one of just five individuals in the finals of the category and stands among professionals in such well-known organisations as Barclays and Direct Line. Tough competition, but we have faith in you, Rich! The Professional of the Year award is given to super-awesome customer service professionals who respond to a particular problem or opportunity within their organisation and have a big impact on the business - which is something Richard has most definitely achieved at Growth Engineering, having come up with numerous initiatives - such as the Support Centre and Admin Training Academy - over the three years he has been a GEople. Juliette Denny, Growth Engineering’s Managing Director, said: "Rich is an essential part of what keeps Growth Engineering growing and succeeding. I’ve handed him enormous responsibilities, but I always know I’ve placed them in good hands. "Rich’s initiatives have been integral to Growth Engineering delivering an online learning experience that learners love. I’m delighted that he has reached the finals of the Customer Experience Awards - his achievements deserve to be recognised!" Of course, it’s not just about tooting our own horn. Juliette’s praise is thoroughly backed up by customers: Estelle Shepherd, Global Head of People at Hall & Partners: "We’ve been a classic ‘pain in the ass’ client … Rich is endlessly patient. He makes me feel he’s glad to hear from us and turns around every request within hours. He has my heartfelt gratitude and respect - when we launch it will be thanks, in no small measure, to Richard." Monique Griggley, Marketing Manager at Tech Data Corporation: "Richard has an unmatched can-do attitude … His knowledge and passion shine throughout his work so his customers become motivated and quickly adapt to the platform. I look forward to working with Richard in future." Alex Skelt, L&D Manager at Steinhoff UK Retail: "Richard provides a personal level of service and questions us properly about what we want to achieve, leading to better outcomes for both parties. Richard is an outstanding representative for Growth Engineering and one of the key reasons why I’d promote them to others." Aw shucks, guys! It’s so awesome to know our Rich is doing such a fab job. We knew he was, of course, but to hear it from the horse’s mouth (so to speak) warms our cockles. But that’s not all! You may remember (how could you forget?) that our Academy Learning Management System was ranked the #1 LMS in the world for 2015. Well, Craig Weiss, CEO of E-Learning 24/7 and creator of said list, highlighted our ‘extraordinary’ service and support as one of the reasons why we made the top spot. So well done Richard, and the new addition to our Customer Excellence department, Rebecca! If you’re wondering, we find out the exciting results of the Customer Experience Awards on Friday 25th September at the Park Plaza, Westminster Bridge. Fingers crossed, Rich! You can book a place at the awards ceremony via the awards website here. Find out more about what makes our Academy LMS the best in the world by requesting a guided webinar tour - just click the button below and fill out the form!  The post Exciting UK Customer Experience Awards Announcement! appeared first on Growth Engineering.