In 2008, Qstream set out to revolutionize the way that organizations empower their employees through personalized learning. That has been and always will be our vision. Backed by science and developed at Harvard Medical School, our solution uses spaced repetition, the testing effect and scenario-based learning that are proven to increase learner engagement, promote superior knowledge retention and improve proficiency.
Over a decade later, we’re helping hundreds of customers, including some of the world’s largest corporations and biggest brands in critical industries, successfully train and develop their workforces. 90%+ engagement, 170% increase in knowledge retention and up to a 35% increase in proficiency. The company broadened from its original strength in sales coaching into broader corporate learning, and we are continuously exploring new ways to apply our technology to improve how people perform in the work they do every day. Qstream is a staple in the workplace technology ecosystem for many organizations.
So, how do you make such an amazing product even better? We asked ourselves that question shortly after the onset of the pandemic in early 2020. It was clear that COVID-19 would change the way the world works. None of us really knew how just yet, but we began to get a sense of what was to come when companies began announcing permanent hybrid work models, with many offering the ability to work from home full time. While this was a huge win for many, we knew that the L&D function would be directly impacted.
Engagement with learning and training was already quite low, with typical LMS completion rates sitting at less than 20%. And as burnout rates and Zoom fatigue began climbing, we understood that it would increase the demand for proven remote learning solutions that engage users. Qstream presented a simpler, faster, more effective way to train and develop employees in an increasingly digital hybrid workplace.
The Qstream Product: Putting The User Experience On A Pedestal
Where did we start? First, we spoke to our customers. We are fortunate to have close relationships with our clients and that has led to so many valuable conversations on the future of Qstream. We looked at our usage data: how could we extend value in those places we observed greatest engagement and increase engagement with others. And finally, we consulted with analysts to learn how the industry is evolving and what the L&D market needs from a technology perspective to address their pressing challenges.
Qstream asserts that when it comes to learning and development in 2022, simple is better. We wanted to create an experience across our product that delights, never frustrates, one that engages rather than distracts, and one that creates value most efficiently, instead of wasting precious time. After all, we are living in an increasingly digitally distracted world, where the proliferation of social media and applications are all vying for our mindshare and attention.
We let this idea guide us as we set out to innovate and build a solution fit for the future of learning. While the Qstream product roadmap is extensive, we settled on a few key areas to focus our efforts on first, all of which not only amplify the effectiveness of individualized learning but providing an exceptional user experience.
Since the analytics and coaching data have been such a powerful part of our solution, we started there. Our thought process was that managers are now tasked with developing distributed teams and need real-time data to help them have targeted conversations with their direct reports. Our improved Frontline Manager Reports enable them to do just that, putting the most important information about their team members at their fingertips. Armed with this data, they can directly address any performance issues and offer praise where it’s due.
This improved Qstream experience extends to each user of our solution – from learners to L&D teams to executives that rely on our analytics to make business decisions – and the information that each person needs is always easily accessible.
We invested in our integration capabilities to enable organizations to meet learners in the flow of work and deliver microlearning challenges via Slack, Microsoft Teams, Webex and more. Just imagine a world in which employees are no longer bogged down by email messages but can interact with learning in the apps they use every day. Training is no longer a checklist item to complete but part of daily routines. We’ve recently started referring to this concept as “knowledge in motion” and we believe it will be critical for the future of L&D because it keeps employees skills sharp while remaining productive.
We also made significant improvements to the content authoring tools. As our head of product puts it, if you can create an Instagram post, you can create a question in Qstream. Our revamped solution supports rich, responsive photos and videos to add context to your content and boost engagement.
But wait, there’s more. As I mentioned, we have several exciting enhancements coming down the pike, so stay tuned.
The Qstream Team: Fostering A Group of Forward-Thinking, Innovative Individuals
Around the same time, we took a closer look at our business and those behind it. We invested in a new leadership team, bringing in some of the brightest minds to guide us in our journey of growth and innovation.
The group has been critical in uniting Qstream – “One team, one mission,” as our updated values state. The others include “We own it,” a commitment to doing what is right for our customers, team and the company; “We are curious, we collaborate & we celebrate”; and “We are customer obsessed.” These four pillars were developed with input from the entire company and are at the heart of what we do every day.
We’ve also hired a number of individuals that have helped us break into new and exciting industries such as financial services, food and beverage and law enforcement. I believe that Qstream is applicable to nearly any industry that has ongoing training and development needs, so I’m confident we’ve only begun to scratch the surface here.
The Qstream brand: signaling the next generation of our product with a modern makeover
Investopedia defines brand as “a business and marketing concept that helps people identify a particular company, product, or individual. Brands are intangible, which means you can’t actually touch or see them. As such, they help shape people’s perceptions of companies, their products, or individuals.” We wanted our brand to reflect everything that Qstream is today and what we aspire to be in the future – invigorated, confident and inspired in our vision and mission. Just as we focused on the user experience in our product, we made sure that was reflected in our new brand and corresponding website. You’ll notice an updated look and feel to Qstream.com.
The new site is elegantly simple, yet bold, bright and energetic, perfectly embodying the spirit and brand of Qstream. It’s intelligently designed to be intuitive and logical for all visitors. We architected it for efficiency but also to provide a wealth of information and resources for multiple personas – our customers and partners, job seekers and anyone looking to learn more about us. It’s loaded with resources to help learning and enablement teams make the most of their efforts and just as we preach incorporating rich media into Qstream questions to boost engagement, our new site shares a variety of content formats – videos, infographics, white papers, webinars and more.
Just as someone might purchase a new suit before they embark on the next phase of their career, Qstream’s new look shows the world that we have our eyes set on the future and are committed to innovation.
We hope you like what you see! A special thank-you to our awesome customers and partners and the Qstream team for embarking on this exciting next phase of Qstream with us!
