Definition
Scalable Learning Design means creating learning that can support more people without increasing workload at the same rate.
Context
As Acting Program Manager for Microsoft’s Work Smart program, I led the redesign of a global IT onboarding program run by 10 international trainers.
It covered the IT tasks new hires needed to start work at Microsoft, such as setting up an email signature, booking meeting rooms, and accessing systems.
Challenges
The previous onboarding model couldn’t keep up with the pace of new hires because:
- It relied heavily on live sessions, which created scheduling delays as recruitment increased.
- It varied by region, which made it harder for trainers to support other regions.
- It covered too much content in one session, which made it harder to remember and apply.
- It couldn’t cover everything new hires needed, so some important skills were missed.
- There were limited reference materials, such as job aids, for new hires to use after the session.
Actions
These are the main changes I made to help the onboarding program support more new hires without increasing workload at the same rate.
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I converted sections of the content into eLearning modules.
This meant learners could complete content outside the live session, making the live component shorter and easier to schedule.
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I restructured the onboarding into three stages.
| Pre-Learning | This content is delivered before the session. |
| Live Session | This is content delivered during the session. |
| Post-Learning | This is content delivered after the session. |
This made the program easier to scale because:
- Pre-learning reduced support tickets by giving new hires access to important information from their hire date.
- Live sessions could focus on practice and feedback instead of theory, helping new hires perform independently.
- Post-learning reduced support tickets by helping new hires find and remember answers.
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I standardised onboarding content across regions.
This reduced variation in what new hires were taught, made it possible for trainers to support sessions across regions, and made onboarding content easier to maintain.
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I matched each piece of content with the ideal delivery mode.
For example, meeting room technology was taught in person because learners needed to practice with the equipment. In contrast, setting up a Microsoft Teams account was moved into eLearning modules. This meant live sessions could focus on tasks where trainer support added the most value.
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I used videos to support parts of the live session.
This was useful because some parts of the training were hard to recreate live, such as common errors. The videos made these quick to show.
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I repeated important content across all phases of onboarding.
This helped new hires remember how to complete tasks, which reduced support tickets.
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I created and distributed job aids in the workplace.
For example, I placed meeting room job aids next to Microsoft Teams meeting room equipment. This helped new hires join meetings at the point of need, which reduced support tickets.
Outcome
In about 6 months, completion rates for the online onboarding modules exceeded the KPI by 37%. This was the leadership team’s main measure of success for the new approach.
Reflection
Exceeding the completion KPI by 37% was a positive result, but this only shows participation.
The most important measure of a learning initiative is how much it improves long-term performance.
That’s why the main performance metric could have been fewer support tickets in areas covered by the program.
Explore
I created a Scalable Learning Framework that covers more strategies for designing learning programs that scale.