Axens fuels a fire for learning excellence

Axens, a global leader in sustainable technology solutions, is dedicated to transforming biomass into cleaner fuels, providing essential equipment such as furnaces and catalysts, and advancing technologies in carbon capture, plastic recycling, and hydrogen production. With a focus on greener energy and water treatment, Axens is at the forefront of sustainable innovation.

Employing approximately 2,350 individuals across the globe, they boast a diverse workforce representing over 50 nationalities and operate in more than 30 countries. While predominantly composed of highly skilled engineers, Axens also oversees manufacturing facilities to support their mission of delivering comprehensive solutions for a cleaner, more sustainable future.

As they faced challenges in optimizing their human resources processes across their expansive operations and diverse workforce, they turned to Cornerstone to propel their employees toward greater success.

Sirikit BERI serves as the Learning and Development Manager at Axens, spearheading initiatives to attract and retain top talent in an industry where competition for skilled professionals is fierce. Sirikit emphasizes the importance of positioning Axens as a complete partner, offering employees a journey that showcases the company's commitment to excellence across various sectors, including the production of cleaner fuels and technologies aimed at reducing carbon footprint.

Reflecting on the challenges Axens faced prior to implementing Cornerstone's solutions, Sirikit highlights that the company’s existing skill management system has been implemented before external growth acquisitions. Therefore, today, this tool does not fully leverage the skills and competencies of its workforce. Indeed, she notes that the system in place lacked agility to update the skills library and did not provide the expected support wished by the employees in building their career path.

“We needed to provide a complete collaborative journey to work on what Axens can provide to the world,” she says. “We had to show our team that working for Axens is meaningful for the future—both their own and for the planet. That means providing more self-development opportunities."

Axens faced several critical challenges in their learning and development processes. Central to their concerns was the imperative for employees to create in-house content and engage meaningfully with available resources. There was a gap between the availability and adoption of learning materials within the organization.

Moreover, while Axens boasted a workforce proficient in their domain of expertise: technological and technical skills , there was a lack in soft skills training. This disparity underscored the importance of a balanced learning curriculum to equip employees with the comprehensive skill set necessary for success in a dynamic industry landscape.

In response to these challenges, Sirikit and her team recognized the need to foster a culture of self-directed learning.

“We wanted to encourage employees to take ownership of their development, using their free time to engage with learning materials," she emphasizes. “That way, our people could proactively pursue growth opportunities that aligned with their professional aspirations.”

Axens also identified a pressing requirement for an efficient tracking system to monitor employee progress and competencies. In other words, they needed a robust platform capable of providing comprehensive insights into the learning journey of each employee and able to provide clear concatenated data. To start their overhaul, they knew they just needed the ideal partner.

Cornerstone emerged as the clear choice for Axens to address their diverse learning and development needs.

"We’ve implemented Cornerstone in our headquarters, and over time, we’ve spread this solution throughout our affiliates across the company,” Sirikit says. “We want to provide a unique and unified experience throughout the world, and Cornerstone is our only common tool in terms of HR management across the group. Now, we have a complete solution that we are promoting internally, using each module of Cornerstone”

This endorsement underscores Axens' confidence in Cornerstone's ability to deliver tailored solutions to meet their specific requirements.

Furthermore, Sirikit praised Cornerstone's commitment to collaboration and responsiveness: "In terms of collaboration with Cornerstone, what I can say is that you are really listening, and that is really appreciated because you are easy, accessible, and listening." She highlighted Cornerstone's willingness to engage with Axens to address pain points and explore potential solutions: "We can freely tell you what our pain points are and where we want to go. You can guide us to the right contacts so that we can exchange visions and implement solutions."

Moreover, Axens found Cornerstone's learning management system (LMS) to be exceptionally effective with the recent development of reporting tool. In essence, Axens selected Cornerstone OnDemand for its ability to provide scalable, comprehensive solutions tailored to their global needs, as well as its commitment to collaboration, responsiveness, and technology. This partnership reflects Axens' dedication to fostering a culture of learning and development across its organization.

The collaboration between Cornerstone and Axens has been instrumental in implementing tailored solutions to address the company's evolving needs. Prior to bringing Cornerstone on board, they found their team wasn’t engaging with the existing learning materials they provided. Recognizing the challenges of balancing learning with daily tasks, Axens took proactive steps to promote a culture of learning beyond traditional classroom settings.

"Learning is not only when you sit in a classroom and listen to someone,” Sirikit elaborates. “It’s any time you’re acquiring new skills anywhere.”

This adaptability has allowed Axens to seamlessly integrate Cornerstone's platform into their HR management processes, ensuring alignment with the company's strategic goals. For instance, Cornerstone and Axens have worked hand in hand to implement solutions that cater to the company's evolving needs. This strategic investment in Cornerstone's Content Library, ensures that employees have access to high-quality, relevant training materials to enhance their professional development.

In addition to utilizing Cornerstone's off-the-shelf content, Axens has also developed customized training focused on their specific technologies. Sirikit explains, "Our team at the digital academy also creates customized content focused on the technologies that we provide to our customers." This tailored approach reflects Axens' commitment to equipping employees with the knowledge and skills required to navigate the company's evolving product portfolio, particularly in the realm of greener and more sustainable technologies.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a shift towards remote learning, prompting Axens to adapt their training methods accordingly. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Axens remained committed to providing a diverse learning experience for employees, balancing in-person and virtual training to accommodate individual learning preferences and needs.

Cornerstone's AI-based solutions (in particular: Capabilities) have helped them navigate challenges on either side of the COVID crisis. Sirikit especially notes their role in identifying relevant skills and competencies within the workforce: "As we evolve through greener, more sustainable technologies, we need to find people who are adaptable, agile, and curious." She also underscores the value of Cornerstone's AI capabilities in mapping employees' skills to emerging needs, ensuring alignment with Axens' strategic objectives. She plans to deploy this feature really soon.

In other words, the collaboration between Cornerstone and Axens has facilitated the seamless integration of solutions to enhance employee learning and development. By leveraging Cornerstone's content library, customizing training materials, and harnessing AI capabilities, Axens is well-positioned to equip its workforce with the skills needed to drive the company's success in a rapidly evolving industry landscape.

The partnership between Axens and Cornerstone has yielded tangible results, affirming the value of their collaboration. One of the standout achievements resulting from this collaboration was the inaugural Axens Learning Festival, a worldwide event conducted simultaneously across Axens' global offices.

“We conducted simultaneously across our different bureaus,” Sirikit says. “It worked well because events took place not only in the headquarters but also in locations such as the United States, Malaysia, India, China, and Saudi Arabia. Cornerstone was amazing throughout it. We discussed the idea of having our learning festival, and they sponsored our event by providing us with some nice goodies for the staff. It was really awesome."

Outside the festival, Cornerstone has also been a help in day-to-day issues. Sirikit and her colleagues know they can always turn to their Cornerstone support team for any help they need at any time.

"When I am struggling with something, I can go to the Success Center and find good hints,” Sirikit says. “I also promote it to my team and highlight the office hours, where we can voice our questions and learn from each other's experiences."

These achievements serve as a testament to the effectiveness of their partnership in driving organizational success and fostering a culture of learning and development.

The partnership between Axens and Cornerstone OnDemand has been nothing short of transformative, revolutionizing the company's approach to learning and development. Through strategic collaboration and a shared commitment to excellence, Axens has successfully addressed longstanding challenges in talent acquisition, skill development and employee engagement.

Cornerstone's comprehensive suite of solutions has provided Axens with the tools and resources needed to meet the diverse learning needs of its global workforce. From customizable content libraries to AI-driven talent management systems, Cornerstone has empowered Axens to cultivate a culture of continuous learning.

The tangible outcomes of this partnership, including the successful execution of global events like the Axens Learning Festival, underscores the value of collaboration and innovation in achieving organizational objectives.

Looking ahead, Axens remains committed to leveraging Cornerstone's expertise and support to further enhance its learning initiatives and ensure continued success in a rapidly evolving industry landscape. With a shared vision for the future, Axens and Cornerstone are poised to continue their journey towards excellence, empowering employees to thrive and succeed in an ever-changing world.