Babbel Admin

Program Management and Engagement Strategies:

For the past two years, I have managed the company's language learning program- Babbel. Babbel's automatic reporting system allowed me to track activity levels, enrollments, and progress for over 300 learners, with the ability to pull reports as needed. After discussions with the Customer Success Manager at Babbel and my L&D director, we established a goal for learners to complete 20 lessons per month, as lessons ranged from 10 minutes to an hour. I communicated these expectations to interested learners and reiterated them upon enrollment. Monthly reminders were sent to those not meeting their goals, and a three-strike rule was implemented: learners who failed to meet their goals for three consecutive months were unenrolled to manage the waitlist, given our limitation of serving only 40 employees at a time. This strategy boosted engagement by 200% with enrollees.

Evaluation and Market Research:

Inefficiencies with Babbel included the inability to effectively measure learning outcomes, a high cost of $6,000 for only 40 seats, and limited capacity for a company with over 3,000 employees. For market research, I first explored general language learning programs to identify key features of effective programs, such as assessments, personalized learning paths, and interactive content. I then focused on finding construction-specific programs, consulting with our field instructors to ensure the feasibility and accuracy of these programs for our field employees. This approach ensured that the selected programs would meet our employees' needs both in terms of time investment and language relevance.

Implementation of Diverse Learning Options:

To address the identified issues, I introduced a variety of language learning options. These included self-paced mobile applications like Babbel and Rosetta Stone, structured courses through platforms such as Udemy, and the option to hire live tutors. Recognizing the specific needs of our employees—primarily Project Managers, Superintendents, and Foremen who needed effective communication on job sites—I found two structured courses focused on construction language. One course was for Spanish speakers learning English, and the other for English speakers learning Spanish. Both courses started with the basics and progressed to construction-specific terminology.

Additionally, we shifted the responsibility for managing progress from me to the employees, allowing them to choose their preferred learning paths. This change increased engagement and ownership, as employees could select programs based on their learning styles, available time, and specific needs. Initial feedback has been positive, with significant buy-in and many employees enrolling in their chosen programs. We are awaiting more comprehensive metrics to fully evaluate the effectiveness of these new options.

Future Plans:

Future plans will be guided by ongoing feedback and metrics. We are open to adjusting the courses based on their effectiveness and exploring additional options that employees may find helpful. We also plan to offer company-specific language learning classes, where employees enrolled in various programs can come together for in-person sessions. These sessions will be led by our bilingual field trainers and will cater to both English and Spanish learners. We believe that having a diverse group of learners in the same class will foster a supportive learning environment and enhance the overall learning experience.