MongoDB created an automated new manager training program with Pyn

MongoDB is the developer data platform that empowers innovators with services and tools to build distributed applications at the scale and performance users demand.

MongoDB has experienced massive growth, particularly in their manager population. More than 1,000 of MongoDB’s over 4,600 employees are in management positions. With new managers being promoted and onboarded all the time, the Learning & Development team needed a way to automate their management-focused training and messaging—and to do so in a way that integrated with their current systems and processes.

Anne O'Gara, Senior Manager of Learning & Development, and Kelly Bouzi, Learning & Development Specialist, share how Pyn has supported the company’s new manager training program.

Challenge: Streamline learning & development support for new managers

As MongoDB’s manager population grew, the Learning & Development team created a program to onboard new managers, support them through their promotion, and develop the skills they needed to be successful in their new position.

“We’re dedicated to providing just-in-time learning for managers, both because of the impact that it has on them—they get professional development to do their jobs well—and the compounding effect strong managers have on the broader company,” says Anne. 

They were using an email marketing tool to deliver their new manager training messages, but it wasn’t fully automated or able to integrate with HR systems. “We were a small stakeholder in a broader tool—versus having a tool that was designed for our use case,” says Anne.

In looking for a platform better suited to their use case that could integrate with HR systems, and was tailor made for HR teams, they found Pyn. 

“We chose Pyn because it allows us to have a truly automated program, delivering core learning opportunities to people the moment they are promoted to manager,” says Anne.

Solution: Just-in-time learning for new managers automated by Pyn

Anne rolled out MongoDB’s new manager training program with a series of nine automated messages. These included both weekly education for newly promoted managers as well as messages targeted to second-line managers (or, in other words, managers managing other managers), reminding them to check in with their newly promoted employees on their new responsibilities as managers, and provide support as they acclimate to their new role.

Pyn is now an important part of the overall suite of resources that MongoDB provides to managers. “People build their skills in a variety of ways, and Pyn helps ensure that people aren’t waiting until their schedule is free to go to new manager training,” Anne provides as an example. 

“Managers aren’t missing content because it takes too long to sit through an on-demand course. Pyn helps us quickly set expectations for managers—and prompts their manager to focus on how that person’s responsibility has expanded and that they need to provide them with support.”

This kind of just-in-time learning enables MongoDB to send managers messages at their moment of need, providing them the right nudge to engage with new skills. 

“The follow up that managers get through Pyn is important to ensure that people continue to think about these skills at the moment of promotion when it’s top of mind,” explains Anne.  

Results 

Since implementing Pyn in their new manager training, Anne and her team have seen promising results. To date, MongoDB has sent a total of 8,157 content deliveries, both to new and second-line managers. 

In addition to increasing managers’ exposure to key messaging, Pyn has also helped save Anne and Kelly significant time in developing, scheduling, and pushing out messaging.

“A lot of Anne and I's work is making sure that all of our learning experiences are accessible and automated,” says Kelly. “By automating support for new managers we don't have to think about it constantly. It just runs and that helps a lot.”

Looking to the future, MongoDB is exploring how to leverage Pyn to effectively foster reflection and learning within a business unit or team, cascading messages at different levels within the company.