Headed up by THRIVE's Head of Analytics, Ian Blackburn, the Data Lab is a direct response to the L&D industry's hunger for proof of ROI and tangible results, but it packs much more than number crunchers.
Working closely with L&D teams, the Data Lab plays a close-knit supporting role, building a clear strategy that links L&D programmes to organisational goals, in an intrinsic, influential fashion.
It provides the data needed to prove the impact and value of learning activity; to influence key stakeholders; win awards (THRIVE will even write them); and secure a seat at the table.
At the Data Lab's core are simplicity and a human-centric approach. The initial strategy workshop pinpoints business goals and key stakeholders, providing the tools, skills, and plans to demonstrate why L&D deserves a seat at the table.
From there, a clear strategy is built, with achievable goals and data analysis to report results along the way and a 'test and adapt' approach to continually fine tune the analytics journey.
Finally, the Data Lab helps L&D to shout about its successes, with award-winning submissions that they'll write.
With the Data Lab, L&D efforts aren't restricted to making sure everyone's up to speed and compliant. Instead, L&D becomes a research arm of the business, with actionable insights to help L&D teams respond to their peoples' needs and give them the right resources to be happy, engaged and successful at work.
Debbie Frearson, Digital Development Partner at Ted Baker, said, "The first Data Lab workshop with Ian and the team really left us with a lot of food for thought. As a team made up of various departments across Ted, we all arrived with our own agenda and what we wanted to get out of the session.
"The series of tasks guided by Ian were quick fire, with independent input, although they felt very collaborative. The brainstorming element allowed everyone's thoughts and opinions without judgment, often hard to achieve online.
"With the help of the Thrive team, and in the absence of procrastination, we were able to summarise these points and identify three core objectives upon which to base the second part of our workshop. And it was interesting that these were different from those we set out at the start of the session. We’re really looking forward to part two and taking a deep dive into how THRIVE can support us to achieve our business goals."
