Bidvest Bank wins overall title at first-ever e-Learning Indaba Awards

Bidvest Bank emerged as the overall winner in the inaugural eLearning Indaba Awards, held via a Zoom webinar on November 18.

End-to-end online learning solution provider New Leaf Technologies launched the awards earlier this year to celebrate the excellent work being done by Learning and Development (L&D) professionals, HR professionals and corporate trainers.

The New Leaf Technologies eLearning Indaba is an annual conference series that boasts a range of expert speakers who provide insights on resources, latest trends and best-practice methods in the eLearning space.

Started in 2013, the conference provides Human Resources and L&D professionals a platform to network and collaborate with peers from a range of industries.

To enter the awards, participants were required to submit a screen recording of between five and 15 minutes showcasing their eLearning experience.

Their presentations needed to discuss and meet a number of criteria, including: edutainment value; overall training efficacy and impact; media-rich, interactive content; a fit-for-purpose didactical approach; learner feedback; learner uptake metrics; success in the context of training ROI; analytics around the learning experience; and overall course aesthetic.

At the end of the day, it was Bidvest Bank that took the honours for its submission, which focused on an innovative e-learning campaign that concluded in February 2021.

Because of the arrival of Covid-19 and the centralisation of operations, Bidvest Bank was required to move to a blended learning approach from the face-to-face engagement traditionally associated within its induction programme.

It created a monthly induction learning journey that included a virtual online session which immediately yielded results.   

The campaign involved welcoming learners to the bank as well as videos and images that were visually appealing. It also provided essential biographical information and details on the bank’s values, cultures and strategies in addition to the overall organisational structure. 

Furthermore, the programme introduced learners to Bidvest Bank’s products and services, policies, employee wellness programme, information on “How to log a call with IT”, aspects of the dress code and email etiquette.

A few departments within the bank, namely Human Capital, Payroll, Compliance, Occupational Health and Safety Facilities and the Financial Crime Unit, were also introduced. Finally, the trainers conducted a survey among learners, asking the question, “How was it for you?”

The results were overwhelming, Bidvest Bank says.

“We had very positive feedback from new starters who felt they could be integrated into the bank, its ways of work and culture quickly.

“The online induction helped to standardise training, as opposed to face-to-face training where new starters could say they were not informed. This reduced risk factors significantly.”

Another benefit of the programme was that new starters could revisit the information as many times as they wished, thereby helping to reinforce Bidvest Bank’s values, strategy and branding.

“We also found the programme to be a time-saver and cost-effective. Business unit subject matter experts no longer need to free up time to attend face-to-face induction sessions.

“Another big win was that our reports were accurate.”

In being named the overall winner, the Bidvest Bank team won a three-night stay at a private game lodge near the Kruger National Park, while runners-up received R3,000 Takealot shopping vouchers for their stellar entries.

The final edition of the 2021 series, which doubled as the eLearning Indaba Awards ceremony, saw some 140 guests from around the world, including the US, Canada, the Netherlands, the UK, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Australia and South Africa, being treated to talks by two of the biggest names in the global e-learning industry.

Chris Van Wingerden, the senior vice-president of dominKnow, a powerful cloud-based eLearning authoring tool, and co-host of the world-famous “Instructional Designers in Offices Drinking Coffee” (#IDIODC) video and podcast series, offered guests some valuable insights about planning and content design strategies for multiple learning purposes.

Ger Driesen, an innovation leader at aNewSpring, an online training platform based in Rotterdam with more 400 customers training more than a million learners worldwide, also inspired attendees with his passion for connecting people and generating ideas in the global learning community.

Driesen has held a number of roles in the L&D industry, including consultant, trainer/facilitator, manager and entrepreneur, so his views were enthusiastically welcomed.

New Leaf Technologies co-founder Paul Hanly was thrilled the inaugural eLearning Indaba Awards had been such a success, and congratulated Bidvest and all the winners for what they had achieved in the past year. 

“The Indaba was also meaningful because it gave the attendees insight into each speakers’ tools and systems and how they work,” Hanly says.

“We have enjoyed another remarkable series and are so grateful to our speakers and clients who have given of their time so freely. Like last year, 2021 has presented an enormous number of challenges to our industry, but once again our professionals have come through.

“Looking ahead to next year, we are planning to host the series as blended events, allowing for both in-person and online attendance which, as always, will be free to attend.”