Reframing 'Messy': Expanding on Bersin's L&D insights.

Why TikTok and YouTube hold the key to L&D's future.

Sep 03, 2024

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Happy Tuesday,

Yes, this is apparently a Tuesday newsletter now.
Again, things…happened. Work happened.

We have two spots left to our AI & HR - training.
It’s going to be a great one!

But that said.

I’m nervous about today’s topic, so let’s get to it.

If you've been in HR for any length of time, you're probably familiar with Josh Bersin's work. I've followed his insights since 2010 when I first started writing about "digital HR".

Over the years, I've seen him speak at various events, and I think the first time I listened to him was in Amsterdam in 2011.

Bersin has a talent for distilling complex industry trends into digestible insights. For a very long time, his analysis has been a valuable resource for many of us navigating the evolving landscape of HR, specifically HR Tech.

I follow his podcast closely. A few weeks back, he discussed AI's impact on the L&D scene—a highly relevant topic!

I listened to the episode while running and as per usual, I found myself nodding along to his insights. Until I had to stop the podcast, rewind it and listen to it again. What did he say there? Did I catch that right? Rewind again. Yes, I heard that right.

And that moment is the moment I’d like to ponder about in this article.

Before we dive in, I want to share a quick thought.

I'm a big believer in building the future together. While I'm about to challenge some of Bersin's ideas, it's all in the spirit of collaboration.

I think this is how we make work better – by pushing each other's thinking and creating something amazing together.

He is right.

As said, overall, I agree with Bersins’s points.

AI's gonna flip the L&D role on its head.
We need a learning architecture that's not one-size-fits-all.
L&D folks need to get tech-savvy, and fast.
AI could be a game-changer for tailoring content to what people actually need.

Solid insights.

But then there are these things he said that got me to stop running.

YouTube and TikTok: Messy or Misunderstood?

YouTube is a very fantastic place to find videos and stories and entertainment and education. But it is a mess.

/…/

So while these technologies can create a lot of content and assemble a lot of content dynamically, we are going to want to constrain them so they don't end up creating a something as messy as YouTube or TikTok.

It happens around the 29:30 mark in the podcast, and it instantly made me stop in my tracks.

Why? Aren't these platforms killing it when it comes to personalized content and getting you the exact content you are searching for?
If you, like I have, spent an unhealthy amount of time on both platforms, you know how insanely personalized they are.

TikTok's algorithm is so good at figuring out what you like, it's almost creepy. The Wall Street Journal conducted an investigation into TikTok's algorithm and found that it can identify a user's preferences with alarming speed and accuracy.

As one researcher put it,

"TikTok's algorithm is scary good. It's like it can read your mind."

And it's not just anecdotal. A study published in the Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction found that TikTok's algorithm outperforms other social media platforms regarding personalization and user engagement.

YouTube is getting better at personalization overall. It also has a nifty feature that can drop you right at the exact moment in a video that answers your questions. You search and are instantly airdropped into the exact right moment.

That's not messy - that's microlearning magic!

YouTube has also invested heavily in AI to improve its search and recommendation capabilities, such as the “Jump ahead” feature.

As reported by Mashable.

YouTube is officially launching its AI-powered "Jump Ahead" feature for Premium users.
Back in March, YouTube began testing a way for users to skip ahead to the most interesting parts of a video, determined by user watching data and AI predictions.

This focus on personalization and ease of access is what we're talking about when discussing effective learning platforms.

So, on the one hand, Bersin is all about AI-driven personalization for L&D, but he brushes off platforms that are absolute pros at this.

From my point of view, it's like praising the power of search engines while dismissing Google.

Where do we go from here?

Calling platforms like TikTok and YouTube "messy" is not just missing the point - it's ignoring a massive opportunity.

These platforms are no longer messy; they're the future of content consumption.
And our employees (and future employees) are already living in that future.

We've got an entire generation growing up with TikTok.
They're used to instantly getting content that's relevant, engaging, and perfectly tailored to their interests.

Do we really think they'll sit through hours of generic, one-size-fits-all training videos when they join the workforce?

Not a chance.

So, instead of writing off these platforms, let's learn from them.

Here's what I'm thinking:

Embrace AI for hyper-personalized learning experiences. Just like TikTok's algorithm, which seems to read minds, our L&D platforms should anticipate and deliver exactly what each employee needs to learn when they need it and serve it to the user.
Make microlearning the norm, not the exception. TikTok and YouTube have shown us that people can learn a lot in just a few minutes.
Let's weave these bite-sized learning moments into the fabric of the workday.
Create a learning buffet that adapts in real-time. Imagine a platform that learns from every interaction, constantly refining its offerings to match what each person needs and loves - just like how your TikTok feed evolves the more you use it.
Balance structure with discovery. Yes, we need some structure in corporate learning. But let's also include a "For You" page in our L&D platforms - a place for surprising, delightful, and unexpectedly relevant learning content.
Make it addictively engaging. There's a reason people spend hours on these "messy" platforms. They're fun and interactive and keep you coming back for more. Why can't corporate learning feel the same way?

Imagine if we could blend the best of both worlds - the depth and rigor of corporate L&D with the addictive personalization and engagement of consumer apps.

I argue that’s not just the future of L&D - it's what our employees are already expecting.

Remember, the TikTok experience is anything but messy. It's a masterclass in user engagement and personalization.
If we dismiss it as messy, we might miss the opportunity.

So, let's stop calling these platforms messy and start seeing them for what they are: a blueprint for the future of learning.
Our employees are ready for it. The question is, are we?

So, what do you think?
Am I onto something here, or am I the one who needs to go back to L&D school?

Hit me up with your thoughts!