“The solution proposed by Woonoz is perceived as highly innovative, high-impact and differentiating by all our employees at KPMG.”

Company: KPMG

Sector: audit, consulting and accounting expertise

Number of employees: 8,000 employees in France

Client’s requirement: Facilitate the integration of new recruits within KPMG

Training plan : Tax system, accounting, financial analysis and social management

Type of training: anchoring of knowledge

What were your requirements?

Each year KPMG recruits more than 500 new employees in France who come from different backgrounds. This means varying levels of qualifications – Bachelor, Masters etc. – and experience. The range of skills is quite diverse and it was important to harmonise the level of knowledge for all our employees. We wanted to achieve this by changing from a classroom type of training that was the same for everyone to a training solution that is capable of adapting to each individual and is also appealing to the younger generation. We were also looking to optimise our training budget as the indirect costs associated with classroom training (travel, accommodation, catering, etc.) were really high. So our challenge was to find a pedagogical method that was efficient and innovative, that took into account the different backgrounds of our new recruits, the expectations of generation Y in terms of digital but also the traditional budget constraints…

We need to move from a classroom type of training that was the same for everyone to a training solution that is capable of adapting to each individual.

What training plan did you implement?

To tackle these challenges we have rethought our training plan focusing on five pillars:

• The acquisition of knowledge using the training modules, Learning Boxes, available online via our corporate training platform;
• Use of Memory Anchoring^® – an innovative and fun technology that makes it possible to individualise training sessions and maximise the retention rate for the key points;
• Implementation of an initial assessment to determine precisely what each employee knows or is lacking in order to schedule training (editors’ note: this feature is managed by Woonoz);
• A final assessment of the individual participants’ level of knowledge attesting to their mastery of the key points (editors’ note: this feature is managed by Woonoz);
• A blended learning programme, combining e-learning and classroom so as to avoid departing too much from our corporate culture that is traditionally based on verbal and exchanges.

Today, at KPMG each new recruit is required to follow a training programme that includes Memory Anchoring^® sessions interspaced with testing and integration seminars.

We needed to move on from a classroom-based training programme that was the same for everyone to a training programme that can actually adapt to each individual.

Why did you turn to Woonoz?

We were interested in the Memory Anchoring^® solution proposed by Woonoz because it addressed all the resistance points we were up against. First, it enabled us to address our initial issue that was to offer training sessions that were adapted to our participants’ level and pace. It also proposed a training methodology that is particularly efficient in which learners are active rather than passive, while ensuring that the retention rate of the key points is optimised. Unlike other e-learning solutions available on the market, Woonoz also offers to assess our employees’ initial level which enables us to closely monitor their progress over time. Finally, the last asset but not the least, the training tool is quite flexible, meaning that it was possible for us to adapt it to our own training programme and to use it as we wanted with no particular requirements or constraints.

Unlike other e-learning solutions available on the market the solution proposed by Woonoz enables us to closely monitor our teams’ progress over time.

What about the results?

After one year, we decided to measure our teams’ level of satisfaction with the new training programme. Feedback on experience speaks for itself: 80 % of participants reported the programme was efficient and 90 % said they were able to put what they had learned into practice. Our younger employees are delighted as the method makes the acquisition of knowledge smooth and effortless. They really appreciate the self-assessment feature that enables them to monitor their progress using the stats provided by the tool. We are also very satisfied as we have the figures to confirm the efficiency of Memory Anchoring^® technology.
In terms of organization, we moved from a programme requiring 21 days of classroom training to a 9-day programme, thus resulting in 53% savings in training costs. So obviously for us there is no doubt the experience is a great success, both in terms of learning efficiency and costs.

The younger employees are delighted as the method makes the acquisition of knowledge smooth and effortless. They really appreciate being able to monitor their progress using the self-assessment feature.

What are your projects for the future?

The solution proposed by Woonoz was perceived as highly innovative, high-impact and differentiating by our employees at KPMG. Nevertheless, the training programme still has a few teething problems. We need to improve our internal communication in this respect. We are aware that taking up a new position is not always straightforward so we wanted to give our new recruits some flexibility regarding their training modules. Surprisingly they expressed the need for more supervision, so we are considering sending reminders or setting weekly objectives. Another point we need to take into account is the fact that our employees seem to find it difficult to find the time to train. We could try to introduce training from home as part of their working hours.

The solution proposed by Woonoz was perceived as highly innovative, high-impact and differentiating by our employees at KPMG.