Training Program: A Rapidly Developed and Deployed Wellness Program During COVID-19 at HRdownloads
HRdownloads Inc. is a low-price competitor in the HRIS SaaS industry that needed to transform its training library. I rapidly created a six-course wellness program and deployed it during the COVID-19 pandemic.
HRdownloads Inc.
Problem Statement
The COVID-19 pandemic was a unique time for HR consultancies. Our teams were laser-focused on HR issues that often crossed the legal realm. Can someone who tested positive be eligible for extended sick leave? How do we manage employee health and safety if everyone is working from home suddently? Are we responsible if someone hurts themselves during work hours at home? One issue we missed at the immediate onset of the pandemic was the negative impact the COVID-19 pandemic was having on the mental health of...well, everyone really. I knew we had to ask our clients about their mental health to see if a program would be of value.
Solution Implemented
During a market pulse survey we sent out during the pandemic, I was able to sneak in one question about mental health, and the results were shocking. Over 95% of respondents believe that the pandemic had negatively impacted their mental health. It became clear that a mental health program was needed for our clients.
After some debate, the obviousness and immediacy of my plan became apparent, and I was able to commit 50 minutes of animation time across five courses. Producing five ten-minute courses would be a challenge, but one I would accept with eagerness. Midway through the project, my CEO had one of his infamous epiphanies and wanted one more course added to this package of five courses - an additional course on financial wellness. While not mental health, finances certainly impacted mental health, so I unwaiveringly supported the idea.
To that end, I produced six programs for the "Anytime Wellness Essentials" Training Program. Below are select clips from each course. Full course descriptions with learning outcomes are available on my LinkedIn page under the projects section.
Anytime Wellness Essentials – Expressive Writing
Anytime Wellness Essentials – Finding Purpose
Anytime Wellness Essentials – Introduction to Financial Wellness
Anytime Wellness Essentials – Mindful Meditation
Anytime Wellness Essentials – Refocussing Perspective
Anytime Wellness Essentials – Self-Compassion
Each course was roughly 10 minutes, with Introduction to Financial Wellness taking closer to 20 minutes due to the topics taught. The courses included knowledge checks and a short quiz at the end to ensure the learners effectively learned the material.
These courses were written, produced, developed, and published within 5 weeks - a feat I am particularly proud of given the urgency of the problem. This is one of the reasons I truly loving learning design - every so often I get to help a group of people who are facing an urgent need.
Results Achieved
This program was exceptionally well received by our membership, with over 8800 average learners in the first year alone. Two courses even breached the 10000 annual learners threshold, which indicates a top-rated course. A new course tends to average about 2200 learners per year. The courses were also used internally, which was fantastic, given that the mental health conditions of the folks at HRdownloads was also degrading very quickly during the COVID pandemic.
Please use the arrows to navigate through various screenshots of projects associated with the case study presented. Please reach out to me if you have any questions about the above.