Continu Helps First Factory Centralize Training and Increase Learner Engagement

The Context

Software development is a competitive and demanding space. In 2018, while going through tremendous growth, First Factory understood that their primary focus should be upskilling their team, not just expanding.

“What we wanted to do was to create the kind of developers that we wanted to see in the market”
- Tatiana Duran, People Operations Manager.

Learning and development were already at the center of their company culture, but First Factory needed to centralize their learning and track employee progress. Admin tasks added numerous hours of extra work, and their learning infrastructure relied on multiple tools to function. 

The Challenges: Visibility and Centralization of Training Materials

Within 4 years, First Factory grew from 30 employees to 230 employees. This growth introduced several challenges. 

Although First Factory provided various resources and training materials to their employees, the leadership team did not have visibility into what was being completed or how training was impacting their overall goals. It was difficult to track each learner’s progress and understand what employees preferred to learn. 

“The biggest challenges were that we did not have any visibility in what teams were doing in terms of actual learning. We were providing information around upcoming Google events, new courses, etc, but we did not know whether those resources were actually used.” - Tatiana

Simultaneously, this also came with another challenge - training materials available in too many places. Prior to using Continu, First Factory hosted and managed all of their learning materials in Google Drive.

“I would also say that we did not have a centralized platform where people could access resources, both the learning resources and internal resources that we were offering.” - Tatiana added.

Finally, the operations team was spending more and more time answering repeat questions and sending training reminders, which was not sustainable.

Finding Continu: An All-in-One Learning Solution

To cultivate the culture of learning at First Factory and overcome these challenges, First Factory set out to look for an LMS that could provide powerful tracking capabilities, centralize learning and drive employee engagement. 

“When I started researching for an LMS we wanted to have our learning material in various formats. Simultaneously, we wanted effective reporting capabilities. For our COO, Don Gregori, it was also important to have a fully-branded [white labeled] learning management system.” - Tatiana said. 

She further added, “It was my first time implementing an LMS with no prior experience. It was very easy to use Continu in terms of adding content and putting all the learning materials together. I did a lot of research and other LMS platforms did not align with our learning needs.”

Besides using Continu as an LMS, First Factory also uses Continu as an intranet with a lot of internal resources available in the system besides learning material and resources. 

“We did not want 2 or 3 platforms with different information, the less tools we had, the better.” - Tatiana.

Using Continu at First Factory

Instructor-Led Training‍

In 2018, First Factory conducted in-person trainings, and though helpful, they required a more robust system to offer training continuously. With Continu, First Factory has been able to conduct these trainings regularly.

First Factory learners can revisit sessions and learning material at a later date and Tatiana and her team can now track actual interactions from the learners. 

“If we want to conduct such instructor-led sessions again, we do not have to spend too much time recreating anything, since it is already in the system.” - Tatiana explained. 

‍Consistently Upskilling Their Team ‍

First Factory also works with an external English language service provider to help accommodate their teams’ communication skills and help them brush up on technical English terms. However, to ensure accessibility for the team, First Factory customized the program and built it within Continu. 

“So right now, instead of needing to run this training every other week or every three weeks, we have the resources in Continu. So when someone needs to access the master class, they can access it immediately.” - Tatiana elaborated on the immediate availability of learning material. 

Results; First Factory Today

Today, the entire team at First Factory uses Continu as the central source for all learning. The team has accomplished centralizing all of its training material, consistently upskilling their employees and making learning available at any time. 

In the most recent reports, First Factory saw a 99% engagement rate with Continu and a satisfaction score of 9 out of 10. 

“Another valuable thing for us is seeing people actually interacting with all learning material.” - Tatiana mentioned. 

Soon, after implementing Continu, First Factory noticed an increase in engagement with materials relevant for engineering leads, managers and client experience managers. This means their learners were actively making the effort to be fully upskilled and ready for new challenges and technologies. 

“This is one of the easiest platforms I have used, and I would recommend everyone to get Continu” - Tatiana said. She added, “...the support offered from the team has also been really good. Throughout the actual implementation and every single step of the way, it has been a seamless process for us. The entire Continu team have always been there for us.”