getAbstract shows that learning doesn’t have to be formal or take a large length of time. The whole concept of compressed knowledge is enormously powerful to me.
Whyte & Mackay produces and distributes some of the world’s most highly-awarded and respected whisky and spirit brands. The Glasgow-based company was founded in 1844 und today employs over 400 people across the UK and beyond.
The historically UK-centric company is in the process of building a global and more inclusive human resources strategy. It thereby faces the challenge of integrating and engaging a highly heterogeneous workforce, ranging from production employees without fixed workstations or internet access to executives with tight schedules. Mandy O'Neill, Learning and Development Manager, explains: “We want everybody to have the opportunity to be engaged and take personal ownership of their own learning.”
O’Neill’s goal is to unlock development potential at all levels, in addition to fostering high potentials. The versatile content of getAbstract, which ranges from leadership and management to science and practical methodology, enables all employees to find something pertinent to their professional and personal development. Easy access to the tool allows employees to self-direct their learning. The mobile app came in particularly handy for production staff, O’Neill explains: “What was really important to me was to give everyone the same learning opportunities. People who prefer to access content from their personal devices, including their phones, can now do so. That’s a new step in our efforts to advance inclusive human resources development.”
An important success factor of the getAbstract solution is that it has helped Whyte and Mackay implement a 70:20:10 learning approach. “Whether we are using getAbstract to prepare for workshops or to assign follow-up activities, the tool offers several ways to touch learners,” says O’Neill. The getAbstract microlearning tool allows workshop instructors to design short learning sessions and assign summaries curated by getAbstract’s Customer Success Team. Participants in a recent workshop on "Communication and Influencing," for instance, were able to familiarize themselves with and compare different approaches to the topic prior to attending. Before and after the workshop, participants uploaded short videos, in which they communicated their learning expectations and then summarized and shared their personal learning takeaways. The user data helped O’Neill manage workshop activities: “I was able to watch how participants engaged with the learning content. It was powerful to see how people embraced both on- and offline learning activities.”
O’Neill has been working closely with the Customer Success Team to tailor the getAbstract learning solution to the company’s specific needs: “Working with getAbstract feels like a genuine partnership. The level of support and engagement we receive is outstanding.“
The strong partnership has enabled the company, steeped in tradition, to implement an integrated and self-directed employee development approach. A key aspect thereof is the combination of informal and formal learning, also known as "blended learning." Says O’Neill: “getAbstract shows that learning doesn’t have to be formal or take a large length of time. The whole concept of compressed knowledge is enormously powerful to me.”
