Cornerstone OnDemand is adding more learning options through several new partnerships and integrations. The result will be, in the company’s words, a “Netflix-style” experience that leverages its learning system to provide more personalized training.
According to a survey by the company, 89 percent of its customers say a culture of continuous learning is very important to their success and longevity. At the same time, 39 percent view their present culture as “transactional and compliance-based,” which comes at the expense of helping workers develop new skills and prepare for changing roles and business needs.
Since that survey was just conducted in May, we suspect Cornerstone had already determined to bulk up its learning options, especially since the newly announced initiatives include integrations between its learning suite and LinkedIn and Workplace by Facebook.
“Our expanded subscription offerings provide our clients with a holistic solution to meet their learning needs today and into the future,” said Cornerstone CEO Adam Miller.
Besides helping the workforce deal with the nuts-and-bolts of transition, more players believe a strong learning culture contributes to retention as well. Earlier this year, Pathgather CEO Eric Duffy told us, “The thing employees keep telling their companies year after year is that among all the benefits they receive, they value training and development the most.” While Duffy’s company certainly has a a bias here, we’ve heard a number of HR and L&D professionals say the same thing.
Covering the Learning Bases
The integration with LinkedIn Learning will allow users to access the social network’s content seamlessly and as well as track training activity, Cornerstone said. Meanwhile, the integration with Facebook’s Workplace will allow them to share personally curated “learning playlists” without having to switch between Cornerstone and Facebook.
Together, the moves mean Cornerstone is putting its fingers into two slices of the L&D pie: the more traditional approach taken by LinkedIn and the rising movement toward social learning, which relies on employees themselves to become subject matter experts for their colleagues on specific topics.
In terms of courses, the company already has a respectable lineup of options, including relationships with CyberU, TED and Skill Pill. Among the additions:
- Bookboon, an eBook solution for corporate learning.
- ENI, creator and publisher of an international e-learning product that offers practical exercises embedded within office applications.
- Pluralsight, a technology learning platform.
- Whil, a provider of digital well-being training programs.
Regarding subscription-based content, Cornerstone will add courses covering:
- Verticals such as healthcare, nonprofits, manufacturing and education.
- Functional skills and job functions.
- Courses focused on skills related to organization-wide themes, such as compliance, executive leadership and digital transformation.
- Languages for specific geographic regions.
Santa Monica, Calif.-based Cornerstone has 36 million users with about 3,200 employers worldwide.
Image: Cornerstone OnDemand
