How to develop the right competencies at any time with an internal Academy

Knowing exactly which competencies belong to whom, why and how to develop them

Being able to develop the right competencies at any time with the right learning methods

In today's rapidly changing business world, employees' competencies, stages of development and personal learning preferences are becoming increasingly diverse. To respond to this, many companies are opting for an internal Academy. An internal Academy is an integrated system that helps employees continuously develop through a mix of physical and online education and training, both internally and externally.

The internal Academy as a trend?

More and more companies are opting for an internal Academy. They are experiencing the following benefits in practice:

• Knowledge transfer: It allows employees to transfer their knowledge to newcomers, preserving valuable company information even in the face of rapid staff turnover.
• Attractive employer: An in-house Academy shows that staff development is a priority, making the company more attractive to potential employees and lateral entrants.
• Efficient onboarding: It captures the entire onboarding program, making the onboarding of new employees much more efficient.
• Adapt quickly: In a time of rapid change, such as digitalization and new laws and regulations, an in-house Academy can quickly retrain employees.

Online-only Academy?

Some companies opt for a fully online Academy, which includes content such as podcasts, videos and VR materials. The benefits of an online Academy are:

• Time savings: Learning content only needs to be created once and then can be used indefinitely. Employees do not have to travel to a physical location for training.
• Easily customizable: Content can be quickly and easily modified, keeping it relevant and keeping employees engaged.
• Flexibility: Employees can learn at their own location and pace, providing flexibility and convenience.
• Individual pace: Employees can set their own learning path, while managers can easily track progress.
• Interactive and engaging: Online academies offer a variety of learning formats and methods, including videos, audio, infographics and more, making learning more interactive.
• Online Communities: Online communities around subject areas are becoming increasingly popular, which is important for employees who increasingly work from home.

New learning trends are observable within online academies, such as nano-learning, audio-first approaches and cohort-based learning.

The Power of a Hybrid Academy

While much can be done online, personal contact and coaching remains important. An ideal in-house Academy is therefore hybrid, combining online learning with group training and personal coaching.

• Online: You use for an individual personalized approach and 24/7 availability.
• Group training: You use for cohesion, team building and developing new standards.
• One-on-one coaching: Is used for personal development.

How do you set up an academy?

Setting up an academy should be done step by step:

1. Start by defining an employee development strategy and identifying needed competencies.
2. Involve the right people: HR, managers and experienced employees, as well as external coaches and trainers. Everyone can contribute in co-creation to the value of the internal Academy.
3. Choose a learning management system (LMS): in which progress is automatically tracked and content is tailored to the right employees.
4. Develop or buy learning content: This allows you to build the Academy piece by piece: each tutorial, learning module, coaching program or test is a separate building block. So you can start small.

Develop a learning culture

Setting up the learning environment is itself a valuable learning process, in which many internal dynamics emerge. Openness and engagement are the keys to success. Encourage employees to provide feedback and build a learning culture that continues to adapt to the needs of employees and the organization.

Communication around the Academy is crucial, and not just at induction. The Academy needs to be top-of-mind in a company that values competency development. So keep communicating and involve employees in improving the learning experience.

What does it provide in terms of competency development?

An internal Academy can strengthen employees' knowledge and competencies, increase efficiency and productivity, and thus contribute to better organizational results. Who wouldn't want that?

But: an internal Academy is primarily a tactical response to a strategic choice that precedes it. Before embarking on an Academy, you need to determine what your company is now and will be in the future, what competencies belong to it and which ones then need to be developed.

So strategic employee development and a vision of competency development are important conditions. You can read exactly what that is and how to get started in the white paper: “Create predictable success with the right people and the right competencies”.

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