L&D Plus: The Collaborative Learning Podcast

As a leading integrations platform, Zapier helps automate your most important work. And like many companies around the world, right now Zapier is navigating one of the most important workplace questions there is: optimizing existing talent resources when the pace of hiring slows down.

So, how does Zapier use its internal mobility program to soften the impacts of a hiring slowdown? And how can Zapier ensure its most talented members have the chance to grow and upskill, even when budgets are shrinking?

In the latest episode of the L&D Plus podcast, we chatted to Tracy St. Dic, Zapier’s Global Head of Talent, and Colin Monaghan, Head of Learning & Development, to find out how talent and L&D can work together to help talented people upskill from within with the right internal mobility program.

For centuries, workplace mentorships have helped people learn, grow, and thrive. But how can organizations–particularly large-scale enterprises–develop mentorship programs at scale to connect people and build these relationships?

At My2be, Co-Founders Adam Mitcheson, CEO, and Damien Shiells, CTO, are on a mission to make workplace mentoring better for everyone. In the latest episode of the L&D Podcast, we spoke to them about how workplace mentoring helps people to learn by stealth and achieve their diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.

The world is always changing. And let’s be honest: trying to connect learners in different regions while driving the right impact can feel a little overwhelming. So, how can we take a step back, pause for a moment, and focus on the fundamentals? And how can we harness new technologies to help people keep learning in a changing world?

Carol Sinko, Senior Vice President and Marcel Classes Global Lead at Publicis Groupe, is bringing together the company's 90,000+ creative minds to share their expertise and solve problems together. In this latest episode of L&D Plus, we chatted about her accidental path into L&D, how she keeps creative minds engaged with learning, and how Publicis Groupe is using technology to get back to the basics.

Sales are the true engine room of every company–and it’s up to all of us to give our reps the support they need. But what does it really take to support new sales reps with the right collaboration between L&D and Enablement? To answer this question, we spoke to Rory Sacks, Senior Learning and Development Partner, and Kaitlin Ziemer, Commercial Enablement Manager at Komodo Health. Rory and Kaitlin are collaborating to ensure new hires have access to engaging and actionable insights, and their L&D and Enablement partnership is making an impact by focusing on peer-driven content. Listen to the latest episode of L&D Plus for the full story!

It's no secret that COVID-19, the Great Resignation, and the shift to hybrid work have caused plenty of disruption within L&D in recent years. Fortunately, according to independent learning consultant Myles Runham, this state of flux creates an opportunity to switch things up and create the learning experiences people really crave–all through focusing on user needs. Listen to the latest episode of L&D Plus to find out more!

In L&D, we're taught to see failure as a dirty word. But what if encouraging the right 'fail fast' approach could lead to greater innovation in learning? In episode two of season two of L&D Plus, we're joined by Dr. Cenina Saxton, Director of Talent and Culture at Focus Brands, to talk about embracing failure in learning, demonstrating real business impact, and making the right impression when you move into a new industry.

For years, L&D leaders everywhere have focused on shipping learning content and measuring engagement. But how can L&D teams transform themselves into business partners solving tough problems? In our first episode of Season 2 of L&D Plus, we're joined by David James and Josh Squires formerly of Looop, now our colleagues at 360Learning! We talk about how to support people during moments of transition, the trap of measuring engagement, and how to solve hard business problems with great L&D.

Company values are easy to define in the abstract—but it’s much harder to codify how to embody them in practice. It’s even more difficult to ensure these values are passed on throughout a company as it scales. David from L&D teamed up with Farshad from Engineering and found a solution. In this episode, they share how they elaborated this leadership development program, what’s at stake, and why it’s critical to bake collaboration from all corners of your company into this process.

Talent doesn't always equal job satisfaction. So, what can you do when a superstar employee gets bored and wants a new challenge? Cassie and Haley of content marketing agency Animalz tell us all their personal story of frustration, support, and reinvention.

Marketing is baked into Drift’s identity. But is it important enough to make L&D a part of the marketing team? For Allie and Colleen of Drift, the answer is yes. Here’s how it works.