Interview: We want training to help us align our staff with the cultural transformation of Grup Pyrénées
ROGER DOMÍNGUEZ, Learning Solutions Director at ACTUA SOLUTIONS; MÓNICA CLAVEROL, Training Manager at GRUP PYRÉNÉES; ACAINA LUIZ, Learning Strategy & Innovation consultant at ACTUA SOLUTIONS; and ESTER CUSINÉ, People Director at GRUP PYRÉNÉES.
Faced with the obvious need to digitalize its training processes and the cultural transformation it is undergoing, Grup Pyrénées – the first commercial brand in Andorra, with services in catering, retail, wholesale distribution, etc. – decided to implement an e-learning solution with Actua Solutions. The company’s objectives were to be able to reach all employees, to integrate all its content in a single environment that was flexible and scalable, and to involve employees in its cultural transformation.
How has Grup Pyrénées’ training model evolved?
Ester Cusiné: Until the pandemic, we conducted all training in classroom format, but we were not able to meet all the needs of our staff. At that time we had 1,000 employees, coming from many different businesses, with different profiles and backgrounds. When Covid arrived, we spent two years without being able to do any training, so the need to digitize our processes became evident. Ninety percent of our staff did not even have corporate mail, being in the stores or in the restaurants.
In addition, there was a change in the company’s General Management, which brought about a cultural transformation. Learning is part of the business, we cannot act only in a reactive way, training based on the needs that businesses communicate to us and the budget they have. All this made us consider the implementation of an e-learning software.
Monica Claverol: The previous model was basically focused on onboarding processes rather than on employee development. Our turnover was high and, as a result, we allocated most of our training resources to new recruits, instead of providing ongoing training to the rest of the team. Thus, one of the priorities we pursued with the new model was to reach all employees. In addition, we wanted the training to help us align the workforce with the cultural change and awaken their interest in becoming better professionals.
What were the main requirements when looking for an LMS?
MC: We had no previous experience in digitization or in the use of technology to support training, so we canvassed several suppliers. One of the most important requirements for the new solution was the flexibility to create training paths. We are currently 1,500 employees, but we have 300 different jobs: we are present in retail – with department stores, supermarkets, shopping malls, high street stores, etc. -, automotive, catering, etc. Each of these groups has different needs from the outset, but these needs also change over time, so we have to adapt quickly.
On the other hand, we also needed it to be scalable to allow us to continue growing. In a short period of time we have grown from 1,000 to 1,500 collaborators and we expect to continue in this line. In addition, we were also looking for a customizable solution, which could be corporate and recognized by collaborators, and which would allow the introduction of gamification. We finally opted for Totara’s solution from Actua Solutions.
How did the collaboration project begin?
Acaina: We saw from the beginning that the most important thing in this project was cultural change. The company sought to create a culture in which employees value training positively, understand that it is part of the business strategy and that it generates new opportunities within the company. That is why, when we started the project in May 2022, we decided to begin with a strategic consultancy in order to understand the challenges, opportunities and technical and human requirements. We worked hand in hand with Pyrénées on what not only the digital learning platform but also the training strategy should look like.
Once we finished this initial phase, we started with the different lines of work: the implementation of the solution, the configuration, the instructional design, the design of the motivation strategy, etc. in a process that has lasted eight months in total.
In addition, we developed a communication plan with managers and directors so that they could see not only what types of training exist within the platform, but also what impact it would have on their staff. This solution also offers opportunities for them, for example, through reporting tools, reports, etc.
MC: We finally launched in February of this year, starting with a pilot we conducted with the Sales collective, around 300 people. We chose this group because of their impact on the business and because they represent approximately 20% of the workforce, which we felt was a good sample. In addition, it is quite a heterogeneous team in terms of profiles: we have very consolidated points of sale, with people who have been with the company for a long time, and others that we opened last summer, with collaborators with a different background and digital maturity. After this pilot, in March we opened the platform to another group, this time food employees, who numbered around 350 people, and in April we launched it to the entire workforce.
What trainings are you currently providing?
MC: We have not limited ourselves to transferring to the online format the training we had in the classroom, but we have created new itineraries. We have 17 different onboarding processes depending on the group of employees, and now, with the new solution, we have managed to standardize them so that they are similar. The user is now fully aware of the learning path to be followed in a structured, organized and sequenced manner. In addition, we offer another 15 parallel programs for the rest of the teams called ‘The Essentials’, focused on specific training for each position.
We have structured the catalog in eight blocks according to strategic priorities: customer, culture, management, sustainability, technology, soft skills, compliance and languages. Within these, we can differentiate between mandatory training, which we assign directly from the People department and which employees take during working hours, and voluntary training, which takes place outside working hours and is open to the entire workforce. The latter include the GoodHabitz catalog with more than 100 courses (skills, Office, wellness, languages, etc.), which we will publish periodically. The platform also includes training related to Occupational Hazards and Occupational Health, which, until now, was housed in other software and which we have now been able to integrate here.
What benefits has the Totara platform brought to Pyrénées?
Roger Domínguez: We have created a learning ecosystem integrated with the group’s main tools, for example, the HR ERP and the mandatory training management application, and we have also integrated the registration of classroom training in the same environment.
On the other hand, with the new solution, the company has been able to organize content that was previously segregated, achieving a unified experience and optimizing the user experience and journey. In addition, the new environment is very flexible, highly customized and personalized in terms of design, processes, operations and integrations.
In addition, Pyrénées has now achieved greater traceability and data mining capabilities at the analytics level. With the platform, it is possible to know who has followed a training, who has logged in but dropped out, etc. In terms of employee motivation, the solution has also been a lever for change in the digital cultural transformation process that the company is undergoing.
AL: In this sense, another key point has been the introduction of gamification as a motivational strategy. Each time an employee completes a course or participates in an activity, he or she earns “Pyri-Punts” which can then be exchanged for various gifts in a store managed by the Pyrénées Training team. These products are closely linked to the company. For example, as the company sponsors soccer and basketball in Andorra, it gives away tickets to attend matches and merchandising, as well as menus at its McDonald’s restaurants, breakfasts at some of its restaurants, etc. This is very motivating for employees.
EC: The fact that we have implemented, for the first time, a digital tool for our 1,500 employees has a huge impact on all these people, but also on their families and friends. In Andorra, with a population of 80,000 inhabitants, Grup Pyrénées is a benchmark. In addition, there is no unemployment here, attracting and retaining talent is complicated. That is why we want to place training within the employee life cycle as a strategy to retain and be one of the best places to work in the Principality.
What access and participation data do you have?
RD: Since its launch, the platform has registered 975 active users. In addition, user satisfaction is very high. In mid-March we had a 75% approval rate in the onboarding programs. On the other hand, there are very interesting cases of heavy users, people who are getting involved in the platform in a very intense way and who ask for more training.
How has the collaboration between the two companies been?
EC: For us it has been a clear success story. It was not about implementing an e-learning solution but about understanding the company’s culture. We are investing a lot of technology in this process of cultural transformation and it was a very pleasant surprise to see, from the first meeting with Actua Solutions, that the technology has been very successful. shared passionThe way they moved forward together with us as a partner, and above all, the respect for our culture and our casuistry without judging, but trying to understand us. We have always felt very accompanied. They have adapted the product to what we needed. In addition, digitization was not our expertise, so we put all our trust in them and they have been totally up to the task.
What are your plans for the future?
MC: We are very aware that we have just started and the great success is that the whole team currently has access to the Totara platform. Now, our main objective is to normalize its use in everyday life. We must consolidate the creation of contents and itineraries for each group.
In addition, we are working on launching a mobile application before this summer to encourage groups that do not have a personal computer to access the platform in an easy, agile and fast way from their phones. They will even be able to be offline and continue consuming training content.
We also want to focus on the itinerary of our 170 managers. They are a fundamental piece in the cultural transformation we are making and in the normalization of digitalization. They have to see this platform as a tool that helps them in their day-to-day management. We are also developing a leadership model project that will be integrated into the new platform as of this June.
On the other hand, we plan to include in the solution a collaborative tool so that our specialists can transmit their knowledge to others in a structured way. We will do this through training pills that we will integrate into the platform.
Factor Humano conducted this interview for the June 2023 Magazine #13.
