November 2024: how to make your eLearning content shine, takeaways from our Customer Advisory Group, and more

Our November LinkedIn newsletter is packed full of wonderful internal updates, from our latest Ciphr hero to an in-person CipHERS meet up, and excellent external initiatives, like our Customer Advisory Group and the Ciphr Technology Fund. Read on for more!?

Last month Zo? Bloomfield BCA, CIPD and Lauren Scott-Jackson hosted a wonderful webinar: how to set new starters up for success with your induction process. And we’re not the only ones who thought so! Attendees gave it an average rating of 8.2/10 - and we received some lovely written feedback as well.?

Some key takeaways for upping your induction process (and creating better eLearning content ) include:?

• Get subject matter experts involved – they’re the experts for a reason?

• Think about accessibility for neurodivergent or differently abled people?

• Make it interactive – gamification is a game changer?

• Personalise it with your organisation’s branding and tone of voice?

Watch the recording here. ?

We recently had our second Customer Advisory Group meeting of the year. Every six months, we meet with a diverse selection of customers – different industries, different sizes and using different products.?

These meetings are incredibly valuable, as we receive feedback from real users. They tell us what they like and what could be improved, and we share our product strategy and plans with them, as well as hands-on demos of prototypes with future features. This helps us make sure we’re moving in the right direction, and gives us invaluable insights into our vision.?

Select customers are already getting a previous our new-look system. Why not book a demo now to see it for yourself??

Calling all mid-market UK organisations! We’ve got a deal for you that you won’t want to miss out on.?

We’re launching the Ciphr Technology Fund. Organisations like you can apply for funding worth up to 50% the value of your project. Yes, you read that right – 50%!?

Why are we doing this, you ask? The answer is simple: you’ve got goals. We want to help you achieve them. Because we care about HR professionals and the employees they support.?

Book a demo to apply for your discount today.?

Our latest Ciphr hero is our digital design lead Lauren Scott-Jackson . She received multiple nominations for three of our values: service excellence, accountability and authenticity.?

She’s made a positive impact that has rippled across all areas of the business. She’s talented, creative and a certified guru when it comes to ensuring comms look quality and on-brand. And she’s proactive, always taking the initiative to help out.?

Not only that, she’s taken on a leading role in CipHERS (see below). She’s a major part of creating a safe and welcoming space for the women in our organisation to learn from and support each other.?

Very well deserved, Lauren!?

We also want to shout out three very special mentions: Hara G. (service excellence), Zo? Bloomfield BCA, CIPD (authenticity) and Vandana Surani MCIPPdip (service excellence).?

And, of course, a round of applause for everyone who was nominated:?

• For trust – Neil Brooks , Andy Leech , Philip King and Meg Shona Halpin Webster ?

• For service excellence – Alex Mead , Jonathan Holmes , Victoria Wareing-Barker , Melanie Edlin , Andy Leech , Arjun Gill , Dannie Clark , Katie Chowns (Allen) , Gerard Malone , Cameron McKeever , Robert Brend , Zeeshan Ullah , Sonika Pun, Pav Ruprah and Robert Hatch

• For authenticity – Cameron McKeever , David Joy and Thomas Matthews

• For accountability – David Joy , Matt Logan , Meg Shona Halpin Webster , Katie Chowns (Allen) and Sal Matsemela

Congratulations, everyone!?

Last month we had our first in-person CipHERS meet up.?

We had a lovely time, socialising and discussing the various issues women face. In fact, the day went so well we’re already planning another one for early next year!?

Here’s what Meg Shona Halpin Webster has to say about CipHERS:?

"My favourite thing about CipHERS is how effortless the conversation feels, no matter the topic. It's really encouraging that the conversations flow freely, which shows how comfortable women in our business feel within this safe space we've created. It's extremely rewarding and insightful learning from each other and being able to support each other within the CipHERS group. Lauren and I are excited about the potential of growing CipHERS and seeing how it continues to evolve!"?

And here’s what Lauren Scott-Jackson has to say:?

"It's been such a privilege seeing CipHERS grow into such a supportive community. Bringing it into the office and getting to see everyone in person was an absolute joy. The conversation flowed easily and you could feel the positivity in the room. We're so excited to do more of these in-person events and are working on more ways that we can bring value to the women in Ciphr."?

Thanks to everyone who attended: Karen Lough , Sophie Hellmuth , Amy Thomson , Holly Batchelor , Gwenan West, MCIPD , Courtney Thompson-Ayerst Assoc CIPD , Katie Chowns (Allen) , Amandeep Kaur Gill , Meg Shona Halpin Webster and Lauren Scott-Jackson .?

The results of our polls over the last month are in!?

• 47% of you work for organisations that need to report on their gender pay gaps?

• 40% of you take breaks and PTO to maintain a healthy work-life balance, 33% of you set boundaries, 25% of you manage your time well and 3% of you do something else (although you never told us what!)?

• 75% of you think empathy/a high EQ is the most important quality in a good boss, 11% of you said knowledgeable, 8% said something else (you mentioned empowering, trusting and adaptable, especially for neurodiverse employees) and 6% said the ability to delegate?

• There was a tie in our poll on menopause support! 41% of you said there’s lots of support in place for women going through menopause... and 41% of you said there wasn’t. If you’re part of that second 41% (or the 18% who said support was limited), we recommend booking in a free trial of our menopause at work eLearning course?

• 79% of you guessed correctly – SaaS stands for ‘Software as a Service’??

Further reading:?

• Gender pay gap reporting 2024/25: what’s required (blog post by Cathryn Newbery )?

• HR SaaS: solving common business challenges for SMEs (blog post by Louis Wellings )?

14 November – signs you’ve outgrown your HR system?

If your HR system is hindering growth and performance, or simply your quest to work more efficiently, then it might be time to switch to a different provider.?

Join Shirley Bousfield MCIPD and Amanda Barnden as they discuss the five signs it's time to make the change – and the benefits of upgrading your software.?

Register here. ?

4 December – is the grass really greener on the other side? Why investing effort in system optimisation could solve your HR software problems?

There’s a lot of value in doubling down on your existing system, and optimising it – and your processes – to get the most value from your current investment.?

Join experts from Ciphr ( Paige Browning and Cathryn Newbery ) and our friend at ReThink HR Ltd ( Philippa Barnes ), an independent specialist HR systems consultancy, as we dive into the benefits of system optimisation.?

Register here. ?

9 December – the future of eLearning in 2025: what’s in store??

Join Tamar Elderton-Welch and Meg Shona Halpin Webster as they gaze into their proverbial crystal balls to give you a glimpse into what could be in store of the eLearning industry in 2025. They’ll be looking at likely hot topics – from soft skills to incorporating AI into your workflows – as well as how eLearning itself might evolve over the next 12 months.????

Register here. ?

Thanks for reading the November edition of HR Boost. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss one. And with that… we’ll see you December. (How is it already nearly December?!)?