Banks are not usually seen as early adopters of new technology. Kotak Mahindra Bank challenged that view with Learning-a-fair, a virtual learning experience for employee engagement that won a Brandon Hall award and engaged more than 35,000 employees.
Why physical learning events fall short
Large company events are a useful way to connect employees, build team culture and encourage new ideas. But the physical format has three weaknesses.
- Cost and capacity: venues and resources are expensive, and only a limited number of people can attend.
- No measurement: it is hard to know whether an event worked. You cannot easily count how many people visited each booth, which talks they attended or what they discussed.
- Static content: unless the content is dynamic and keeps people involved, it has little effect.
A virtual event addresses all three. It can hold far more people, it records metrics that help plan the next event, and it is interactive from start to finish.
What Kotak built
Kotak partnered with GMetriXR to build Learning-a-fair. GMetri's browser-based, no-code toolkit allowed Kotak to keep adding learning modules, virtual classrooms and live interactions as the platform grew.
- Real-time interaction: employees interact with colleagues and digital objects as they would in person.
- A full learning venue: speakers from around the world, virtual classrooms and a large learning centre, designed to encourage collaboration and new ideas.
- Any device: employees can join from mobile phones, desktops or VR headsets.
- Easy to use: the simple experience made it easy for employees to take part, even those new to the technology.
- Gamification at the centre: treasure hunts and quizzes keep people engaged while they learn.
Because new modules, classrooms and live sessions can be added easily, Learning-a-fair is a platform that keeps developing rather than a one-off event. It supports Kotak's goals for operational efficiency.
How to apply it in your organisation
- Start with an existing event. Take an annual learning week, induction day or product training and plan a virtual version that more people can join.
- Make it work on every device. Employees on the shop floor or in the field may only have a phone.
- Build in games. Treasure hunts and quizzes turn content into tasks people want to complete.
- Decide what to measure. Attendance by session, time spent and quiz results tell you what worked.
- Keep adding. Treat the space as a platform and add modules over time.
Next step
If you want to run a learning event or gamified training programme for a large, spread-out workforce, talk to our team.
First published on the Metaverse911 blog.
Frequently asked questions
What was Kotak Mahindra Bank's Learning-a-fair?
Learning-a-fair was a gamified virtual learning event created by Kotak Mahindra Bank for employee engagement. It engaged more than 35,000 employees and won a Brandon Hall award. The virtual venue included speakers from around the world, virtual classrooms and a large learning centre, with treasure hunts and quizzes to keep employees engaged while they learned.
Who built Kotak Mahindra Bank's Learning-a-fair platform?
Kotak Mahindra Bank partnered with GMetriXR to build Learning-a-fair. GMetri's browser-based, no-code toolkit allowed Kotak to keep adding learning modules, virtual classrooms and live interactions as the platform grew. Because new content can be added easily, Learning-a-fair works as a platform that keeps developing rather than a one-off event.
Why do physical learning events fall short for large companies like Kotak Mahindra Bank?
Physical learning events fall short in three ways, according to the Metaverse911 article on Kotak Mahindra Bank. Venues and resources are expensive and limit attendance, it is hard to measure which booths or talks people visited, and static content has little effect. A virtual event can hold far more people, record useful metrics and stay interactive throughout.
Which devices could Kotak employees use to join Learning-a-fair?
Kotak Mahindra Bank employees could join Learning-a-fair from mobile phones, desktops or VR headsets. The experience was designed to be simple, so even employees new to the technology could take part easily. Support for every device matters for large workforces, because staff on the shop floor or in the field may only have a phone.
How can an organisation run a virtual learning event like Kotak's Learning-a-fair?
An organisation can run a virtual learning event like Learning-a-fair by starting with an existing event, such as an annual learning week or induction day, and planning a virtual version. It should work on every device, include games such as treasure hunts and quizzes, measure attendance, time spent and quiz results, and keep adding modules over time.
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