Why Big Data analytics is a big boon for organisational learning Posted on : May 03 - 2016

It is interesting to note that from the dawn of civilization until the internet boom in the early 2000’s, mankind generated “X” amount of data. Post the internet revolution and emergence of smartphones and the e-commerce boom, we are generating “2X” data almost every other day and this number is only accelerating. Almost every organization from finance to medical is undergoing this digital revolution. As a result, Big Data is no longer a buzzword in the business circles. Leaders already realize the significant business value one can gain by tapping into large, complex data sets. This fact can be reiterated by a recent Gartner study which states that 75 percent of organisations plan to invest in Big Data in the next two years. This shows that Big Data is a reality and we need build cognizance of the same

In addition to adding business value, many organisations are realizing how much Big Data affects employee learning. Also, Big Data can help companies remain ahead of the pack with team statistics and the possibility of higher productivity, retention and engagement.

Here are five ways organisation’s learning programs can benefit from big data analytics.

Hyper-personalise learning to enhance businesses performance

Through Big Data, organisations can see what learning programs are the most successful on an individual level and how individuals prefer to learn. This analysis is helping them hyper-personalise learning delivery that addresses individual preferences and improves efficiency and effectiveness of the employee’s learning and development, which will, in the end, increase business performance.

Multinational organisations with their global presence need to understand that one size does not fit all. This means that they cannot devise a global strategy and expect everyone to fit into it. It is important that the subsidiaries in each country are able to modify and personalise the strategy as per their demographics to match and resonate their norms. This way employees are more likely to identify with the strategy, making it all the more effective. In a similar fashion, companies must shift the way they view employees and consider focusing on the individual and his or her unique learning needs. With Big Data, it will help organisations pinpoint unique and effective learning methods for their employees—which will help them produce better business results.

Hyper-personalised learning delivery can have greater impact on employee engagement and productivity.

Tie the loose strings

Learning programs are implemented to empower employees with the right skillset. These programs are usually devised by L&D professionals in organisations and at times might not be entirely effective. This is where Big Data comes into play – one can get insight into missing links within employee learning. Looking at corporate learning and development results, data analytics can spot key skills employees are lacking. That way, employers are able to identify and fix missing links within their learning initiatives.

Return on Investment (ROI)

Another important benefit of Big Data is its ability to not only pin-point future learning trends of businesses, but can also predict the return on investment of a specific learning program. At the end of the day, businesses need to see value from their investments. Companies will use Big Data to analyse a learning program and see whether it will have the desired impact of organisational, individual and business unit success. As such, big data can weed out ineffective learning methods and give real time analytics to what programs actually work.

Visualisation = Better learning

Organisations need to make Big Data not only beneficial to upper management, but to employees overall. Having the data accessible is one thing, but when organisations share and display their data in a visual format through charts, infographics and pictures—it can enhance the employee learning experience and engagement.

Apart from an enhanced learning experience, , the results of these learning programs appeal to employees since seeing the benefit the learning programs brings to the table will change their attitudes towards future programs.

Big Data = Better business opportunities

Lastly, Big Data analytics can not only predict future trends, but give organisations ideas for more business opportunities when it comes to learning. For instance, if a majority of employees struggle with a certain learning program, it could inspire businesses to attack the problem in another way, such as different learning tactics or teaming up with a different learning company. These new business opportunities directly impact the work being done, as well as a better ROI. Source