Registrations in self-managed mode, a win/win for everyone involved
Written by Ingrid Goris | Febelfin Academy, Natacha Delcourt | BNP Paribas Fortis, 19/08/2024 • Blogposts
Using self-management, participants in exams or courses get control and can flexibly schedule a date that suits them best. At the same time, this reduces the administrative tasks for course staff.
What do we mean by self-management? In short, it means that course or exam participants have full control over choosing the date for their exam or course without involving their course coordinator. Several organisations have already chosen to work with this system of self-management, including BNP Paribas Fortis. We discussed this topic with Natacha Delcourt, Head of Learning & Development, Diversity & Inclusion at BNP Paribas Fortis.
Time-saving and efficiency for both sides
If we look at the number of intermediate exams, resits, and (refresher) courses that the course coordinator has to organise every year, we are talking about a considerable volume.
A good deal of communication is usually involved in arranging a suitable date for each individual employee to take exams or schedule refresher courses. For large organisations in particular, the practical arrangements quickly accumulate and become a very time-consuming and inefficient process. The self-management system 'streamlines' this process by limiting unnecessary communication.
How exactly does this work? The course coordinator registers the employee for the necessary courses via the MyFA learning platform. The employee has access to MyFA and can then decide when he or she will take the exam or follow the course. This saves a lot of back-and-forth communication and helps avoid mistakes.
Does this mean that the course coordinator's role becomes redundant? 'No, certainly not. The course coordinator remains responsible for the pre-analysis.
When a new employee joins, there is a need to determine which exams they still have to complete. He or she may have completed some of them while working for a different employer in the sector. It's then the course coordinator's job to identify those and set up an appropriate learning path. The coordinator will then register the participants with the learning platform. The participant can only choose the date for the exam or training after having been assigned to a course,' explains Ingrid Goris, Business Development Manager at Febelfin Academy.
This brings benefits for everyone involved. On the one hand, the participant gets more responsibility and greater freedom. He or she acquires control and is able to select the exam slot that best suits him or her best. That makes planning and studying easier. Moreover, this facilitates combining studying with their own work schedule and helps avoid misunderstandings.
On the other hand, considerable advantages accrue to the course coordinator.
'A reduced administration load for the L&D staff also entails doing things a bit differently. The follow-up requires a different approach and a different way of thinking. It's mainly a question of adapting,' says Natacha Delcourt.A reduced administration load for the L&D staff also entails doing things a bit differently. The follow-up requires a different approach and a different way of thinking. It's mainly a question of adapting,'
Specific tools are provided within MyFA to assist the course coordinator with follow-up, such as reports.
Presumption of good agreements for self-management
When setting up self-managing programmes, Febelfin Academy provides an advance consultation with the course coordinator of the organisation in question. 'In this session, we explain the principle of self-management and the fact that we offer it for our courses. It then becomes a matter of discussion to determine for which programmes they want to implement this. That's because it's possible to fine-tune it programme by programme,' according to Ingrid Goris.
The communication between Febelfin Academy and the course coordinator is therefore vital, but Febelfin Academy also communicates directly with the participant. Once the course coordinator has registered the participant, Febelfin Academy sends an email to that participant explaining the concept of self-managing programmes. This supports organisations in familiarising their employees step-by-step with the self-management process. The internal communication between the course coordinator and the employees is also important.
'As the course coordinator, you need to explain this properly because it's definitely a new way of working. The organisation of information sessions can be useful in this regard. We have even put together a short video,''As the course coordinator, you need to explain this properly because it's definitely a new way of working. The organisation of information sessions can be useful in this regard. We have even put together a short video,'
It does call for some adaptation, but once this phase is over reactions are very positive. 'Self-management requires a mind-shift on the part of everyone involved. But it's a win-win all round. It takes a load off the course coordinator's shoulders, and participants can manage their own training, which adds an extra layer of motivation,' according to Natasha Delcourt.
Would you like more information about self-management, or are you already convinced and looking to explore how you can implement self-management within your organisation? Ingrid Goris, Isabelle Meulemeester and Kelly Deschacht, from our business development team, will be happy to provide you with more information and/or guide you in taking the next steps. You can contact our business development team via letstalk@febelfin-academy.be.
