How I Launched An Industry-Leading Company University

As companies strive not just to keep up but to stand out, they require a robust internal university that propels their progress and nurtures their workforce’s thirst for knowledge.

In 2019, my journey from Head of Talent Acquisition to Head of Talent Development at Stuart marked a pivotal moment. I embarked on a mission to construct a bespoke learning framework that would cater to our diverse workforce spanning five countries. My vision was clear: to create a distinctive, uplifting learning & development system accessible to employees at every echelon.

In pursuing this mission, I set three main objectives:

1. Empowering Everyone: I believed every team member deserved the chance to develop their skills and reach their full potential, regardless of their role.

2. Cultivating Cultural Change: I aimed to foster greater engagement and happiness among our team, with the intention of creating a meaningful shift in our company culture.

3. Driving Company Growth: One of my main priorities was to propel the company forward, supporting its expansion and development.

Here is the blueprint that underpinned our success:

1. Strategic learning needs assessment:

• Strategy: Assess business strategy to identify capabilities needed for reaching goals (analyse company OKRs, talk with CEO and leaders, examine business challenges).

• Skill Gaps: Organise focus groups, send surveys to employees, book calls with managers to understand the learning needs and expectations.

• Culture: Assess cultural pain points and challenges to address through initiatives (review engagement survey data, talk with leaders, observe cross-departmental issues).

2. Crafting a learning matrix:

• Framework: Design a university with pillars tailored for all levels (junior, managers, leaders), skills (technical, interpersonal, personal growth), or learning objectives (self-leadership, cross-functional performance, etc.)

• Blended Learning: Mix in-person and virtual activities. Incorporate various learning formats such as workshops, peer learning, real-world projects, guest lectures, self-paced learning modules, etc.

• Gamification: Create a company-wide game involving points, badges, and healthy competition to promote behaviours reinforcing your company values. Think out of the box to shift the culture.

3. Branding the university:

• Brand Identity: Establish your company university's brand with a logo and brand colours. Name each framework pillar creatively to resonate with your audience and reflect your company ethos

• Communication Plan: Develop an internal newsletter for university updates, use office posters, and create branded goodies like stickers, pens, and mugs. Generate excitement with announcements during All-Hands meetings.

• Ambassadors: Form a community of enthusiastic employees, i.e. L&D ambassadors, to provide feedback, relay information, engage their teams, and evangelise the academy.

This journey was a collective effort, involving collaboration across departments, from marketing to leadership, and beyond. And the execution of this 3-step blueprint brought remarkable success to Stuart Academy, receiving praise from all levels of the organisation and greatly enhancing employee satisfaction.

P.S: Eager to explore the transformative potential of internal universities in your company? Schedule a discovery call with me here. Together, let’s ignite a passion for lifelong learning and build a thriving learning culture within your organisation.