Learning Experience Platform Definition — And Why You Should Invest in One

Learning experience platform definition? Before we get to that, let’s look at the industry. Learning Experience Platforms (LXPs) have taken corporate learning by storm, blossoming into a $300M+ industry and growing by 50% each year. These LXPs have already begun to merge with or replace Learning Management Systems which have dominated the learning industry. So what is an LXP, and why should you consider investing in one?

Learning experience platform definition

So what is the learning experience platform definition? An LXP’s closest sibling is the learning management system (LMS), which houses a catalogue of coursework for a company’s employees to use. While an LMS is a closed system, its content predetermined by management, an LXP learning experience platform takes learning from the hands of managers and places it straight into the hands of employees.

In addition to being able to house all of a company’s core training and compliance, learning experience platforms expand learning possibilities by offering a vast library of channels, skills, and learning paths that are delivered to employees based on job role, usage, and even skill level using the power of AI. These robust platforms give companies the power to deliver internal training and supplement it with external training sources like LinkedIn Learning, Go1, or Open Sesame — and in many cases LXPs allow learners to opt into content of their choice in addition to content that’s assigned to them.

In short, LXPs are the Netflix or Hulu of learning, using powerful algorithms to deliver learning that is relevant and engaging to your audience while also giving companies progress-tracking, social learning capabilities, and more.

LXP learning: how it works

Now that we understand the learning experience platform definition, what kinds of learning content are offered and how are they delivered? 

Types of LXP learning Content

One of the key benefits of using LXPs is that the sky’s the limit when it comes to content types. LXPs can easily house existing training and courses while also being able to store off-the-shelf content, but let’s not forget about video, PDFs, audio, websites — anything is fair game. It’s a place where training can thrive to help learners find learning topics and formats that fit their needs.

How LXP Content is Delivered

1. Usage-based learning

All employees will be able to see learning that is recommended to them based on usage. Courses that have the most views and completion will be shown and recommended. 

2. Skills-based learning

LXP platforms also serve recommended learning to employees based on job role, and some learning experience platform vendors even use built-in assessment engines to determine the most relevant skills-based courses to recommend.

3. AI Content Analysis

Some learning experience platform vendors have begun introducing AI content-analysis, which enables the platform to go as far as finding specific sections of courses and learning content to zero in on the exact concepts and skills users need most. This feature in particular really reinforces that LXPs are the “Netflix of learning”. After all, we’ve all been swept into a Netflix binge or two based on recommendations. Maybe learners will do the same.

Now that we understand how LXPs deliver content, what are some of the core benefits of using these platforms?

Benefits of learning experience platforms

LXPs follow a learner-centered approach

While older learning systems like LMS place most control with company management, LXPs take an intentional detour from this way of doing things, presenting its users with choices (what? choices?) in the form of learning paths that are tailored to their skillsets, job role, and interests. This bottom-up way of approaching training communicates a sense of trust from a company culture standpoint, and it’s a great way to both attract and keep top-tier talent.

LXPs encourage exploratory learning

When an LXP platform is designed well, it encourages exploration and reduces friction that comes from users being spoon fed content that doesn’t meet their needs. Giving users control in their learning process inspires the kinds of soft skills companies look for in teams like self-directedness or curiosity.

LXPs open the door for modern, interactive learning

One of the many great benefits of learning experience platforms is that they are built for modern forms of learning. No longer do employees have to sit through outdated presentations and tired voiceovers. With LXPs, your company has the ability to implement modern, custom eLearning that incorporates engaging tech like video roleplay, branching scenarios, and motion graphics. All of these elements enhance course concepts, bringing ideas to life for your audience, encouraging interaction, and helping retain knowledge for success in their roles.

LXPs create a culture of learning

One of the biggest benefits of learning experience platforms is their ability to create and communicate a culture of learning. Top-tier talent look for companies that are committed to their growth and invested in their success. By fostering a culture of learning through a modern tool like an LXP, you’re communicating to every person that walks through your doors how dedicated you are to their well-being and the development of their skills.

This has the ability to transform onboarding and employee retention; offering a structured and engaging onboarding process for new hires will translate to job satisfaction and lower rates of turnover.

Invest in LXPs for better learning outcomes today

You heard the learning experience platform definition. The benefits of lxp platforms can’t be overstated—the industry will continue to grow and expand, and the question you should be asking isn’t if you will invest, but when. These platforms have all the power and modern capabilities you need to create a culture of learning, build successful teams, and reach your next big goals. So what are you waiting for?

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What Does Onboarding Mean? And How to Make the Most of It

Onboarding is vital in the way it shapes customer and employee perceptions. Onboarding is a process that has the potential to shape the way people see your company for the better. So what does it mean, what are the benefits of a good onboarding process, and what are some tips for making yours more effective?

What does onboarding mean?

In general, onboarding is the process of introducing someone to your company along with its services and products. More specifically, onboarding can apply to both employees and customers/clients.

What does onboarding mean for employees?

With employee onboarding, the focus is on introducing new employees to job responsibilities, company culture, and relevant employee policies. Other times, it’s about introducing existing employees to a new campaign, product, or service. Generally, the process for employees lasts anywhere from 30 to 90 or more days and is meant to be highly detailed to ensure your employees future success.

What does onboarding mean for customers?

Customer onboarding, on the other hand, is about introducing clients or customers to your products and services. It often begins after the point of sale, and it involves proactively sharing the most critical how-tos to get started right away, answering specific customer questions and concerns, and delivering on all of the promises made before the point of sale. It’s a way to show your clients you are who you say you are and secure long-term brand loyalty. Customer onboarding is generally best when condensed and focused answering specific, targeted consumer issues.

Whether onboarding involves employees or customers, it should always do the following for your audience:

• Introduce and familiarize them with your products, services, and company
• Reinforce their decision to interact with your brand
• Motivate them towards passion and enthusiasm

Time dedicated to onboarding

One quality of successful employee onboarding is an adequate time. When companies invest in a thorough processes for new hires that span their first few months, the results are staggering. First impressions are powerful for employees, and positive ones lead to higher job satisfaction as well as retention rates. And because talent replacement can be costly, onboarding is something that’s worth getting right the first time.

Tips for a better onboarding process

Here are a few tips for crafting a top-notch process:

1. Start with a thorough understanding of your audience

Your employees and customers might feel new or unknown to you, but you have an existing employee and customer-base to learn from that can help you shape a better onboarding process. Learn as much as you possibly can about the people being onboarded, including their knowledge level, experience, values, and attitudes—this way, the content and structure of your process is tailored to set them up for success.

2. Structure the process around company goals

When structuring the process, it’s vital to have an understanding of company goals and objectives. For employees, what are the technical and people skills your employee needs to do a good job? Which policies are essential to avoid future conflict? What are the values you need every employee to share in order to collaborate well and represent your company well?

For customers, what do your clients need to know in order to be literate in your product or service? What are the actions you want them to take as a result of being onboarded? Get specific with your picture of success and make sure every element of your process pushes the audience towards that goal.

3. Simplify and modernize with technology

With today’s technology, companies have the opportunity like never before to customize learning to the user. Consider investing in a learning experience platform (LXP) to take your customers and employees through the onboarding process at their own pace while providing personalized learning suggestions based on their interests. LXPs also boost the interactivity of your process, allowing for motion graphics, interactive learning, and more.

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Sales Onboarding Best Practices — 6 Awesome Examples

Sales onboarding best practices have to be considered if you want to make the most of your team. You’ve recruited a great new candidate, you’ve asked them all the right questions, and you even have the thumbs-up from their future colleagues. The hard part is over, right? Along with recruiting and screening top talent, onboarding new sales employees is one of the most important ways for organizations to maximize the success of their salesforce. In fact, according to research from the Sales Management Organization, companies that get onboarding right and follow best practices for onboarding sales people enjoy 10 percent greater sales growth rates than organizations without effective programs.

If you’re looking to make improvements to your onboarding program, it comes down to developing a set of sustainable, strategic sales onboarding best practices. Successful onboarding programs master three key elements: content, structure, and measurement. You can think of content as the “what” of onboarding and structure as the “how,” while measurement tracks the overall effectiveness of your program. 

This all sounds great on paper, but what does effective onboarding look like in action? Let’s take a look at practical examples of sales onboarding best practices at organizations around the country.

Sales onboarding best practices: content

What are the goals of your onboarding program? For most, the objective is for new hires to walk away feeling prepared for their jobs and like they’re part of the team. That means you need to stock your program with the right content to help new team members understand your culture, your customers, and how you do business. It’s a tall order, but the ROI of onboarding sales people well is well worth the investment.

“Day in the life” training

Set new salespeople up for success by starting orientation before they even walk through your doors. At Hubspot, new hires are invited to experience a day in the life at the company before their official first day. The idea is to start giving them context and information before the onslaught of tasks that come with a new role. Take a page from their playbook and bring new reps in for a day of observation, shadowing, and meet-and-greets before the real work kicks in.

Informal learning opportunities

Your new hires will have plenty of formal assignments on their onboarding to-do list, but leave some room for self-guided learning opportunities. This is the kind of content that new hires will seek out on their own to supplement their interests and address pain points. 

For one of our medical device partners, their approach to sales training and enablement is a mix of ongoing and regional training events, plus podcasts, marketing videos and mobile-friendly learning modules that reps can use on their own. Another idea? Make internal and external coaching available to new hires. Especially for more experienced or executive-level hires, a personal touch and experiential learning is critical for long-term success. 

Sales onboarding best practices: structure

Want to retain new hires for at least three years? According the Wynhurst Group, new employees who go through a structured onboarding process are 58 percent more likely to stay with the company for more than three years. But how do you structure your training for both productivity and retention? Here are a few examples from high-performing organizations.

A 60 to 90 day training period

It’s easy to want new hires to be productive right away—and some organizations, like Facebook and Google, take that approach successfully. But for most, it’s more effective to think of an employee’s first 30, 60, or 90 days as a training period. Research shows that when employees are prepared and trained properly, they’re more productive and engaged long-term, all of which means they’re more likely to stick with your organization. 

Take AccountingDepartment.com, a virtual company that provides outsourced accounting services to small businesses and entrepreneurs. The company views a new employee’s first day as the first step, not the last. In fact, new hires don’t interact with a client at all for at least thirty days. Instead, that time is entirely devoted to learning company processes, getting to know colleagues, and learning the methodology through a mock client account. Everyone has time to thoroughly learn the ropes before they dive into the daily mix.

Step-by-step onboarding

One of the most common emotions that pops up during onboarding is a feeling of overwhelm: too much to do, not enough time to do it. That’s why structure and organization is key to effective onboarding. At Fog Creek, they use Trello to build a step-by-step process that breaks down onboarding into a series of manageable tasks. 

Likewise, Quora sends all new hires through the same 10 onboarding talks to ensure everyone has the same foundation for success. At LinkedIn, onboarding sales people is organized into weekly guides that ramp up new hires over the course of 90 days. Across the board, organization is the name of the game.

Sales onboarding best practices: measurement

Measurement is a critical part of successful onboarding. How much should a new salesperson learn, and by when? And how do you measure success? Milestones and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are great staples to help you track your goals and identify issues before they become a problem. But top organizations are also getting creative with how they use their people to measure success, too. Here’s how it works. 

Gather feedback

What’s the first thing that you do when you notice performance issues with new hires or a spike in turnover? Most companies run to the boardroom to run diagnostics with the executive team. In reality, your first move should be to ask frontline employees for feedback. 

At Sibson Consulting, gathering feedback is one of their top best practices. Whether you’re noticing red flags or not, make it routine to ask for feedback when new hires complete onboarding. Ask them what was most useful and what they wish they had learned. Sibson conducts anonymous surveys as well as focus groups to gather a diverse range of feedback on how onboarding is going.

Pay employees to quit

When retention is your top priority, the idea of paying a new hire to quit sounds totally counterproductive. But consider this statistic: a BambooHR survey found that 31 percent of new hires had quit their job before their six-month anniversary. And the longer that someone who’s not a good fit stays on board, the more it costs you. 

At Zappos, onboarding focuses on culture so that new team members know exactly what to expect moving forward. After one month, any new employee who doesn’t feel aligned with the culture and values is offered $2,000 to quit. The quicker you transition out employees who aren’t a good fit, the sooner you can get the right person through the doors instead.

Now that you’ve seen how other companies add their own creative twists to the fundamentals of good onboarding, take a look at your own program through the lens of these sales onboarding best practices. There’s a science to effectively onboarding new sales employees, but it’s up to you to master the art of it by finding the right tools and strategies for your salesforce.

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