How Stepstone used learning to optimise its internal development culture

The Stepstone Group is represented in over 30 countries and is one of the world’s leading digital recruitment platforms. The Stepstone Group connects more than 130 million job applications with around 140,000 employers every year. With its integrated platforms, The Stepstone Group simplifies the candidates job search as well supporting recruiters with AI-powered solutions for the entire recruitment process. Naturally, The Stepstone Group also wants to create a successful workplace internally.

The main goal of The Stepstone Group was to deploy a global learning management system (LMS) that meets the needs of its approximately 4,000 employees worldwide and fosters a sustainable learning environment focused on need.

The challenge was to find a solution that would meet the needs of various target groups, given the company’s global presence and different business areas (sales, tech, finance, HR etc.). The large number of administrators and trainers each had different approaches and methods for designing their training programmes. Stepstone’s goal was to standardise and harmonise these solutions to create a uniform training structure that meets global requirements while still taking into account the specific needs of the various functional areas.

As a dedicated software-as-a-service provider, Cornerstone also ticked the boxes for Stepstone on the integration front, with IT having to deal with very few integration requirements, just those relating to HR system connectivity and single sign-on. No IT involvement was needed for the rest of the technical implementation. Cornerstone releases major innovative solutions three times a year and makes them available to all customers. This allows Stepstone to ensure that its employees always benefit from the latest and best offering.

The last piece of the puzzle was Solics GmbH, a Cornerstone implementation partner. Solics has worked with Cornerstone on consulting and implementation for over 12 years. With the highest customer satisfaction rating among Cornerstone partners in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Solics has also proven that it can successfully lead even the most demanding customers and the most ambitious implementation projects. Stepstone therefore decided to put its trust in Cornerstone and Solics.

To begin with, an L&D framework was developed, including the company’s vision for learning, definitions of processes and terminology, and clear roles and responsibilities. The framework was created in parallel with the solution selection process. Framework, system selection and system all influenced each other and this informed the actual implementation of the solution. The primary goal was to implement the functional and technical design of the LMS in such a way that it met the global needs of around 4,000 employees. Global standardised processes were to be introduced to ensure efficiency and consistency in the learning content. An interdisciplinary, international project team was formed to take into account the different perspectives and needs of the various business areas.

The actual implementation took about four months and each of the company’s individual requirements were taken into account during this process. Solics’ iterative approach and regular, structured exchanges in workshops and project status meetings ensured that everyone involved knew where the project was at, at all times. In a very short time, a high-performance team was formed in which each party (implementation partners and customer) helped to make the go-live a success.

After the successful implementation of the LMS, the focus was on follow-up support and user empowerment. This included creating a community of administrators to promote internal know-how and ensure sustainable use of the system.

The acceptance of the global LMS and the learning content can be assessed using various KPIs, including training finished, number of active users, and assessments of completed training. These quantitative and qualitative metrics provide insights into the effectiveness and benefits of the LMS for employees.

In addition, managers were empowered to use the system as effectively as possible and promote learning in their teams. The LMS is a regular feature of internal training and speaking engagements, in order to further increase the profile and acceptance of the system. Furthermore, additional learning content is being uploaded to the LMS all the time in order to gradually make it the ‘single source of truth’ for learning at Stepstone.

The fourth phase involved the use of a defined learning manifesto to ensure that the solution would be sustainable. This manifesto contained principles designed to ensure that learning was not only effective but also a positive experience for employees. This focus was on fun, relevance, applicability, actionability, relationship building and team spirit. This learning manifesto was shared with internal and external trainers to ensure a consistent learning experience and quality standard.

The introduction of the global LMS was a strategic step towards transforming the learning landscape in a global company. The project phases from the creation of the learning & development framework, through the technical implementation and post-go-live empowerment, to the focus on sustainable learning, ensure that the platform is not only used by the administrators, but is also tailored to the needs of employees.

The project’s most significant innovations were implemented at two levels. At the learner level, they were implemented by providing learning content on a ‘single source of truth’ platform instead of on individual, domain-specific platforms (e.g. Excel lists, SharePoints, etc.). In addition to this, reframing learning as an independent activity allows the company to promote a learning culture by shifting responsibility to managers and employees. Learning content is designed to be sustainable and all employees can map out their continuing development according to their learning style. At the administrative level meanwhile, the LMS has delivered innovations through automating learning processes, reducing manual administration, and creating a database for learning data and KPIs. Furthermore, an administrator community has been established to promote the exchange of knowledge and best practices.

Both a ‘push’ approach (assignment of training) and the ‘pull’ approach (providing content in an open catalogue) are pursued, and thanks to Cornerstone, Stepstone has the ideal solution for both. Mandatory training is often assigned to sales and service employees in particular, and the Cornerstone solution is also used to fully track completion of mandatory training in other areas (e.g. compliance). The Cornerstone platform is also intended to pave the way towards a culture in which all employees can learn in a way that is tailored to their needs.

Stepstone relies on blended learning, a method that enables all employees to learn according to their individual learning style. The LMS offers a variety of learning options that suit different preferences to ensure that the learning content is not only consumed once, but many times and in different contexts.

‘Off-the-shelf’ e-learning courses have also been integrated into the platform. The focus here was on quality rather than quantity. By the go-live date therefore, only around 200 purchased courses made it into the course catalogue.

Employees can now independently select learning content that meets their needs and that is offered in suitable formats. Stepstone offers these 200+ e-learning courses on various soft skill topics, which can be accessed by all employees free of charge at any time.

The project was also characterised by an innovative approach to cooperation: it was implemented remotely from start to finish. At no time during implementation did the internal team or the joint project team meet in person, with all meetings taking place online. The successful outcome shows that such projects can be delivered without the burden of travel costs and travel time. Stepstone’s main priority before the project began was a smooth interaction between the software provider (Cornerstone), the implementation partner (Solics) and Stepstone itself. Solics’ approach to the project and their comprehensive knowledge of Cornerstone's solutions, as well as the transparent and efficiently structured workflow, meant that implementation ran smoothly. Solics brought open communication, a constructive team spirit and a flexible mindset to the table, as demonstrated by its willingness to find solutions for the go-live. The partnership is still going strong even after implementation: Solics regularly supports Stepstone with training for administrators, finding solutions, and implementing and rolling out additional LMS functions. Nevertheless, Stepstone is able to operate the Cornerstone system independently and in its entirety, without having to rely on the implementation partner or a Cornerstone consultant.