The Office of the Comptroller audits taxpayers for compliance, handles delinquent tax collection, and enforces license and unclaimed property laws. Acting as Maryland’s chief accountant, the Comptroller pays the state’s bills, maintains its books, prepares financial reports, and pays state employees. The agency is comprised of multiple divisions and departments, including the Office of Human Resources. It’s here, in the HR department, where the Comptroller’s mission statement — treating people with respect, being responsive, and getting results — begins. Aiding the HR team in that effort is OpenSesame, a leader in curated elearning curricula.

A hit from the start

“We launched our LMS (Learning Management System) in early 2020, just two weeks prior to quarantines and shutdowns,” recalls Melissa King, Training and Development Administrator for the agency. “In many ways, the timing was ideal. Our staff began working from home and many had a bit of extra time to engage with OpenSesame and enroll in courses right from the start.”

70%

of the workforce enrolled in at least one course within a few weeks

46

courses completed per learner on average

91%

course completion rate

“We initially opened up all of OpenSesame to the staff, not mandating any courses or restricting access to any topic,” says Robin Funk, Deputy Director of Human Resources. “People loved it. We began getting feedback from employees all across the agency telling us how much they were enjoying what they were learning and how valuable the training was to them.”

We have five generations of individuals in the agency,” says King, “and a wide range of comfort with technology. Our staff finds OpenSesame easy to use, and they are discovering how much value they can get out of the courses, regardless of where in their careers they are.”

70% enrollment, 91% completion rates

The agency’s HR team is passionate about employee engagement, and when telecommuting made face-to- face interactions scarcer, Funk and her staff stepped up other efforts to encourage online learning.

Their communication efforts paid off. “Within a few short weeks, nearly 70% of our workforce had enrolled in at least one course. The average is over 46 courses per learner, with a 91% completion rate,” adds King. “OpenSesame has exceeded all our expectations.”

“Within a few short weeks, nearly 70% of the workforce had enrolled in at least one course. The average is over 46 courses per learner, with a 91% completion rate.”

Melissa King, Training & Development Administrator, Comptroller of Maryland

Empowering individual learners

With multiple courses to choose from, employees are free to select how they want to approach a topic. Some courses are high level overviews, for example, while other take a deeper dive. Some are quick, 10-minute courses while others may take several hours. Some use live-action animation and others are hosted by subject-matter experts. “People learn differently,” Funk says. “We’ve found that thanks to the breadth of OpenSesame’s catalog, employees can find courses that meet them where they’re at and keep them engaged.”

“It’s an empowering approach to learning,” says King. “I received an email from an employee who’d enrolled in leadership courses through OpenSesame. She told me what a confidence booster the training had been and that she now feels that she can apply for a higher-level position in the agency. That’s a core goal of our department, growing the next generation of leaders, and we’re able to do it much more effectively with OpenSesame.”

Generous ROI

The agency reviewed 30-40 vendors before selecting OpenSesame. “Other vendors wanted us to buy their LMS and their content, but we prefer the best-of-breed approach. Smaller content providers just don’t have the variety we need to train such a diverse workforce. And it’s very simple to bring OpenSesame courses into our LMS,” says Funk.

“Online training is less expensive and logistically easier to administer,” explains Funk. “We have a main campus and 13 branch offices, making travel and work time a consideration set for classroom learning. Learning software such as OpenSesame recaps employees’ progress, measures courses complete, and what is resonating with learners. We have seen tangible increases in employee output, production, and behavior modification, which are metrics for ROI.”

“We have seen tangible increases in employee output, production, and behavior modification, which are metrics for ROI.”

Robin Funk, Deputy Director of Human Resources

“Having a strong learning culture and a modern approach to learning is attractive for hiring talent and retaining existing talent,” adds Funk. “Micro learning classes of 5-15 minutes, plus mobile learning and cloud- based options allow for employees to engage during their break times or in remote environment. As part of the performance appraisal process we have utilized OpenSesame content as a resource to skill, reskill and upskill.”

‍