“Mystery Coffee” and the Art of Getting Better

Regular and structured learning on the job — which continues long after employees complete their official vocational and professional training — is becoming ever more important in everything from trades and services to commerce and industry. Highly qualified personnel who command the latest knowledge are a crucial factor in competitive success.

Companies need to adapt their business models, integrate new technologies, and develop additional skills to meet these expectations. HR leaders are called upon to provide smart and highly flexible qualification and further training options for their workforces. For a company’s own training programs to succeed, they need to be developed and run by people with educational expertise. One important factor here is the relevance of program content to actual practice. Ever more companies are therefore opting to recruit instructors from their own ranks and provide them with extensive training in education. Internal instructors are well received, because they already have an authenticity bonus. That in turn increases the degree to which trainees identify with their subject matter. As for the organizational side, information about these programs should be compiled on a central learning platform that is accessible to all employees.

Deutsche Bank is setting a good example. The company has made learning a core element of its HR strategy. Its approach builds on an attractive, personalized, and diverse range of learning opportunities. “LearningHub” is the name of Deutsche Bank’s platform that uses smart technologies to suggest individualized learning content to all employees. Users can increase their skills in precisely the areas they wish to develop. They can recommend content to their colleagues by sharing links and resources. And they can join groups, work together, and leverage expertise. In 2023 alone, Deutsche Bank employees made use of nearly one million learning opportunities. The bank’s philosophy is that learning consists not only of acquiring new knowledge, but also of both personal and professional growth. Innovative formats, such as the "Mystery Coffee", provide variety and a positive working atmosphere: with the help of clever algorithms, colleagues are brought together to exchange ideas, expand networks, and ideally discover how they can support and advance each other's work in the future.