We chose a two-host model for facilitating each two-hour
session; this keeps the energy high and broadens the style of
delivery. In addition, the duration provides new hires with
multiple opportunities to engage with hosts. The conversa-
tions and multiple perspectives between our hosts and new
hires bring this virtual experience to life.
We also embraced the modern consumer influence of social
media in our design. We wanted Adobe Life Orientation to
feel familiar, to be “easy to do,” and to embrace the familiar
digital elements we encounter every day in social channels
like Facebook. Ultimately, our program brings all these ele-
ments into the experience in a powerful, integrated way.
Building memorable experiences at scale
Each week, the Adobe Life Orientation hosts mov e
through a sequenced presentation, complete with preloaded
digital media including streaming videos to keep the experi-
ence engaging. This reusability
translates into scale. The virtual
classroom offers an ideal for-
mat to present core materials,
such as an introduction to the
company’s “check-in” per-
formance framework, Adobe
core values, and introductions
to important processes and
systems.
Reusing the same digital
environment each week also
means we can upload new or
refreshed media quickly and
easily, helping us ensure the
orientation experience remains fresh over time.
Using an intuitive digital platform for Adobe Life Orien-
tation also gives Adobe leaders an opportunity to prerecord
videos to welcome and connect with new employees in a
direct, meaningful way. This affords great reach vertically and
horizontally throughout the company to further enrich the
new employee experience with leadership perspectives that
reinforce our culture and values.
The design of Adobe Life Orientation digital environment
is anchored to a multi-layout framework with a balance of
dynamic pods; each layout serves as a “chapter” in the digital
experience. On every layout, we have pods such as the host
web-cam, a discussion pod for open questions, content
sharing, attendance, and an “insights” pod, which is a unique
space for new employees to synthesize and share their learn-
ing in real time throughout the experience.
Far from traditional
By adopting a flexible digital platform, Adobe Life Orien-
tation takes advantage of every opportunity for interactiv-
ity, including dynamic word clouds, screen sharing, videos,
discussion pods, and polls with real time results. This “elastic-
ity” of the digital platform helps add visual appeal and keeps
new employees engaged. It also enables hosts to improvise
throughout sessions, tailoring
the experience to the unique
conversations that emerge
each week.
We also can extend the
design through application
programming interfaces,
which provides flexibility to
develop new, innovative en-
gagement tools and activities.
For example, we developed a
word cloud “app” for Adobe
Connect that lets us ask new
hires, “What word comes
to mind when you think of
Adobe?” As they respond, repeated words grow within the
word cloud in different sizes based on total number of shared
responses. Colorful trends emerge, which results in a power-
ful visual memento for new employees.
Another feature that was developed is an anonymous chat
app, where new employees can provide feedback to presenters
or participate in discussions without attribution. We believe
July 2017
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