Skill Pill

In today’s technology driven era, education industries are developing increasingly user friendly tools for creating a positive impact on students and professionals.  In current industrial scenario, there is a significant change and shift in the profiles of employees. Understanding the super busy life of employees learning must be short, concise, and available at the time of need. It should be accessible from anywhere and on any device as per their comfort which leads to a new trend Microlearning. One of the leading companies which is moving forward this new movement is Skill-Pill, the creator of educational software, games animated videos, gamified mobile apps, quizzes, related documents and other social tools.

In an interview with Globe Outlook, Gerry Griffin, CEO and Founder of Skill-Pill, sheds light on the company’s cutting-edge solutions which are enriching the education sector. Considering these innovative and inspiring aspects, Globe Outlook recognizes Skill-Pill as one of the 10 Best eLearning Application to watch in 2020 across the globe.

Below are highlights from the interview conducted between Gerry and Globe Outlook :

• Journey and the inspiration behind the Skill-Pill: Skill Pill was founded back in 2010, with the aim of producing engaging microlearning in a variety of forms –From the off, our aim was to create useful digital content ‘in the flow of work’. This includes everything from performance support, which sets out how people can be their best selves at work, to optimization for digital devices such as mobile, and the ability to drop content into workflow tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams and Trello.

The inspiration behind Skill Pill was content retention decay. I am a great believer in face-to-face learning – it is, and always will be, important. But when it is not partnered with digital solutions, it is hugely inefficient – estimates suggest that up to up to 85% of content from face-to-face training is lost within six weeks. In founding Skill Pill, I wanted to provide memorable e-learning (primarily focused around soft skills), which could deliver lasting results to employees and make a lasting impact to their organisations.

• About the Key person contributing major success of Skill Pill:  

Gerry Griffin, the founder of Skill Pill, his hard work, dedication and passion placed Skill Pill to the highest peak of success. He said, “I have always been passionate about the impact technology can have on workplace learning and productivity. A former director of the London Business School and author of six business books, I am also a frequent TV commentator on web developments and have lectured in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Africa. I have also worked closely with various charities over the years; I am a board member at the Foundation of Social Improvement and Skill Pill has been recognised by various award granting bodies for its voluntary work with Save the Children.

• Skill Pill Offers:

The prominent features of what Skill Pill deliver are variety and versatility. We have an extensive content library with over 500 high-impact micro-learning courses, deliberately focused on the soft skills which are difficult to teach, but essential for anyone who wants to thrive in the modern workplace. We can also create bespoke custom animations for clients, matching their brand and tone of voice.  

Our responsive courses mix videos, quizzes, flashcards, comics and further reading, which are optimised for the learner – and this is where the versatility comes in! We can suit any learning style, our courses can be accessed on any device, and clients can leverage content on our own LMS, or we can integrate into theirs. Finally, available in over 20 languages, and having been deployed in over 168 countries, our content is also international.

•       Skill Pill _the future of Digital Learning :

We have always been ahead of the curve in terms of developments within the e-learning sector. A ‘blended approach’ is something you often hear nowadays, but through our range of resources we have been encouraging it since day one!

The same is true of soft-skills, which have always been our main focus (although we have refined our approach over the years). For example, our all new ‘Power of Q’ series seeks to redefine the standard soft-skill e-learning offering. Focused on 12 different types of intelligence, such as DQ (digital intelligence) and CQ (creative intelligence), it includes a diagnostic quiz to personalize the learning for the end-user.

We are also launching a series on Diversity and Inclusion this Autumn, expanding on previous courses on unconscious bias and inclusivity. We are already seeing a growing demand for this type of training across multiple sectors, but what sets our resources apart is their quality of content. We have taken the time to dive into topics such as allyship and nudge theory to provide highly valuable resources to our clients.

• Top Position in the market

In a word – agility. E-learning is a fast-paced and ever-changing world, and the only way to survive, let alone grow, is through being agile and constantly adapting. We have certainly learnt this and been tested since 2010, but Coronavirus was obviously an unprecedented challenge. Our agility meant that we were one of the first content providers to deliver complimentary access to remote-working content, with material on virtual onboarding and emotional resilience. Furthermore, as the pandemic shifted in nature we responded, producing some new materials on returning to work and flexible working. We also participated in the UK government’s ‘Skills Initiative’, providing material to help people skill-up during the pandemic.

• Unique characteristics of Skill Pill :

The chief characteristic which sets us apart is the quality of our resources. The growth in e-learning over the past decade, has been reflected in the growth of bad e-learning. At Skill Pill, we have always ensured that ‘best in class’ resources support our methodology. It is not uncommon for our ‘pills’ to tap into the ideas of leading thinkers within learning, development and management, such as Michael Porter, Stephen Covey and John Kotter. 

Another major factor in our success is our relationship with our clients. Our resources are used by major corporations (the likes of the BBC, NHS, and John Lewis), and over the years we have formed partnerships with Financial Times Publishing and Pearson Education. We have always put a premium on good customer service and are constantly refining our offering based on the needs of the end-user. It goes back to agility, but I think staying at the top of the ladder requires you to course adjust and meet the needs of a constantly changing world. I think our content over the past year demonstrates this and proof of our clients’ satisfaction can be seen in our extremely high net promoter score and the fact we have grown primarily through recommendation

• Motivation to overcome challenges :

In short, not being average! In the modern workplace, we all have a good idea of what poor quality e-learning looks like. I do not want Skill Pill or any of our partners to settle for mediocrity. Whenever we have faced challenges, I always think back to the reasons why I founded Skill Pill. The desire to deliver high-quality and relevant microlearning, targeted at the end-user pushes me and the team onwards.

• Social Awareness :

A key development has been the necessity for e-learning on topics such as racism, unconscious bias and microaggressions. Black Lives Matters has demonstrated the need to teach about these issues, while Coronavirus remains an obstacle to face-to-face teaching. Our new Diversity and Inclusion series takes a deep dive into these topics and I think the resources we have produced are informative and memorable. Obviously, e-learning can only do so much; but if it can do something (and it can, particularly during this pandemic) then it should, and it should do it well with high-quality resources.

• Foresight about eLearning: (Views, Vision & Mission)

Obviously, we have seen a massive uptake in e-learning during the pandemic. The future for the sector looks bright, but it is more important than ever to strive for quality within a growing market. I think we are going to see greater options for personalization and customization, as learning becomes more focused on the needs of the end user. At the same time, I always maintain that content is king – and Skill Pill will strive for quality both in terms of the what and the how of content delivery.

1. The Future goals of SkillPill :

Our chief goal this Autumn is the launching of the Power of Q and Diversity and Inclusion series. Alongside this it is the day-to-day work of ensuring a high quality of customer service with our existing clients and generating leads. There is also plenty of preparation to be done for next year (such as LearnTech 2021), while remaining open-minded about what the future could bring!