There was lots of talk around  ‘the Netflix of Learning’ at Learning Technologies 2019 where people were promoting curated sites containing  videos to support learners at the point of need. There is no denying that Netflix is a hugely successful organisation, but I believe Learning & Development practitioners should consider a few things before jumping straight in and adopting this approach.

Netflix made their site a place where people went to watch old favourites and in 2013  took the jump from being a pure curation provider to a creator after outbidding  traditional networks for the political thriller House of Cards. This ensured the future of the company which has since gone on to release many original series and films and transitioned into a TV & Film studio with a large subscribed client base and distribution platform.

This transformation has paid off as their original film, Roma, was nominated for The Best Picture award at the 2019 Oscars. Even though Roma lost the biggest prize it went onto win Best Foreign Language Film, and Cuaron won for directing and cinematography. According to Forbes “Netflix  came closer than any streaming giant (or Hollywood outsider) ever has to winning Best Picture”.

Video learning is a wonderful way to support employees and a carefully curated site would make it easy to find a suitable video quickly. Before L&D invest in a platform dedicated to video it is essential to think about the future of this tool and consider the potential for transformation:

• Are there enough videos to make the platform a comprehensive tool?
• Are the curated videos relevant to the organisation?
• Will these videos be reviewed to ensure they meet current business needs?
• Does the culture support this way of learning?
• Will new videos be uploaded frequently?
• Is there the potential for user generated content to be uploaded?
• Can AI enhance this platform and recommend further viewing?
• How will ‘Recently Added’ videos be promoted?

If video is the organisations learning solution of choice then we need to ensure that the videos are engaging and fit a business need. L&D also need to look at ways to future proof the sustainability of a video platform by frequently uploading new videos and marketing old favourites.