abrdn is a global investment company that helps clients and customers plan, save and invest for the future. It manages and administers £496 billion in assets on behalf of its clients (as of 30 June 2023) and is structured around three businesses — Investments, Adviser and Personal — focused on the changing needs of its clients.
Formerly known as Standard Life Aberdeen, abrdn formed following the merger of Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management in 2017. As part of the integration and subsequent transformation, they had to make decisions about the direction of the company, including its HR strategy and the HR technology platforms that underpinned it.
Why Cornerstone
Prior to the 2017 merger, abrdn had already taken the step of adopting Cornerstone Learning Management System (LMS), and the relationship has been renewed twice since then. In 2020, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic required the company to overhaul its approach to learning and development (L&D). Suddenly, in response to lockdowns, abrdn needed to rapidly pivot away from its reliance on traditional, classroom-based learning. The company also wanted to offer ongoing support for employees forced to work from home.
This urgent need to adapt and change prompted abrdn to purchase Cornerstone Content Anytime. The company needed a solution and content package that supported its crucial transformation as well as provided critical support to its people when they needed it most. With Cornerstone, abrdn was able to implement virtual classrooms and blended learning approaches, taking a ‘digital first’ approach to L&D.
The Results
Digital-first learning approach
Following the seamless integration of Content Anytime, abrdn was able to rapidly digitally transform its L&D strategy. Cornerstone has become abrdn’s central hub for learning, and the company now curates curriculum playlists for its workforce from the extensive content catalogue.
Measurable engagement and impact
Since launching with Cornerstone Content Anytime, abrdn’s workforce has shown strong learning engagement figures. abrdn’s review of the first half of 2023 reported that 55% of employees have actively engaged in some form of structured learning.
Improved user experience
abrdn centralized its learning offerings to ensure its employees had a user experience that reduced logistical complexities and put the focus on content. The ‘bite-sized’ nature of the content ensured employees were able to engage with learning content efficiently within the working day. Further integrating through other platforms — such as their intranet, multiple internal communication channels and most recently, the Cornerstone Microsoft Teams app — has enabled abrdn employees to share content with greater ease across multiple channels. In addition, abrdn has worked with a Cornerstone-approved partner to integrate their Cornerstone LMS into a separate content management platform. This integration has resulted in the creation of visually engaging and user-friendly custom pages that provide digital ‘brochures’ for abrdn’s Academies.
Diverse learning opportunities
Embracing the digital content in Cornerstone Content Anytime has unlocked a wide range of learning opportunities that directly affect every facet of learning — classroom, professional education, mentoring, coaching, external courses, gig opportunities and more. abrdn has maintained a variety of high-quality learning opportunities that have maximized user engagement.
