Introduction
Symetra is a remote-first financial services company offering life, retirement, and group benefits products for over 60 years. Symetra emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and professional development to its 2,600 employees.
Driving Forces for Symetra
Lizz Servidone, Assistant Director, Talent Development, and Jordan Croom, Enterprise Learning and Tech Optimization Manager, played an integral role in the selection and implementation of the Industry Advantage program at Symetra. Servidone serves on the Industry Advantage Advisory Board that helped launch the program in January 2024.
Transforming Learning with Industry Advantage
Prior to the creation of Industry Advantage, Symetra employees enrolled in LOMA’s short online courses. Course participation confirmed the need for short, bite-sized learning opportunities to accommodate decreased attention spans of today’s learner, the need to build a solid foundation of industry knowledge, and boost knowledge of trending topics such as artificial intelligence (AI).
Servidone’s quarterly calls with the LOMA product and sales teams in 2022 introduced her to the concept of Industry Advantage. The need for just-in-time learning across the organization combined with Symetra’s implementation of a new Learning Experience Platform across the enterprise, provided the perfect catalyst to utilize Industry Advantage.
Why Symetra Implemented Industry Advantage
Several factors prompted Symetra’s adoption of Industry Advantage:
- LOMA was replacing its short online course library — an important professional development resource for Symetra employees — with Industry Advantage.
- Symetra employees continued to desire short, engaging, just-in-time learning.
- Symetra wanted to integrate just-in-time content into its new learning experience platform.
- Symetra has had a long-standing relationship with LOMA and wanted to continue to provide LOMA professional development opportunities to employees.
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“Industry Advantage offered all the pieces we were looking for — modernization, bite-sized learning, consistent updates to the course library, and an excellent learner experience.” – Jordan Croom |
How Symetra Utilizes Industry Advantage
Symetra began using Industry Advantage in August 2023 as part of the Advisory Board trial program. During the trial, Symetra aligned their existing “Student of the Business” program that offers professional development opportunities by line of business with the courses available in Industry Advantage. During the trial, Servidone and her team partnered with business areas to set up a pilot program. Some participants were assigned specific courses, while others could choose any course in the catalog. This process provided Symetra with well-rounded perspective and feedback on the content and delivery of Industry Advantage.
Following the trial, Symetra purchased additional Industry Advantage seats and now allows any employee to take courses. Symetra encourages program usage through continual internal marketing of the program and scheduled Break and Educate sessions (LOMA professional development webinars).
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“I think we have a unique way of assigning Industry Advantage licenses. When a user goes into the catalog — if they don’t already have a license — a license is activated when they click on a course. It is a very seamless approach.” – Lizz Servidone |
The Results
Since implementing Industry Advantage, Symetra’s usage of the program has been excellent. Employees have taken over 2,400 Industry Advantage courses, utilizing 83 percent of the 225-course library. Engagement is strong, with more than 6 courses completed per learner. Symetra’s opinion on the program has remained very positive, and they’ve enjoyed the feedback solicited from participants and end of course surveys.
Learn More About Industry Advantage
Learn more or reach out to IndustryAdvantageSupport@loma.org.