Rostelecom (Websoft HCM (formerly WebTutor))

2021: How the neural network selects courses for the Rostelecom team

In September 2021, the Online University "" Rostelecom launched a recommendation service for selecting training courses based on. The Websoft HCM service is based on, algorithm artificial intelligence which helps to automatically select for each employee of the company content relevant to his or her interests and roles in Rostelecom.

There are more than 800 content items in the customer's catalog. In this variety, it can be difficult for an employee to understand and find a useful course for himself. It is also important for Rostelecom to involve employees in optional training - to form a habit of constantly learning and developing based on their professional interests. It is also important that a person not only begins to study an optional course, but also completes it.

The developed module "Recommendation Service" includes two algorithms that recommend different content to employees based on the preferences of the employee himself and his colleagues. One of the algorithms is built on the classical bulkhead model, data the second on one of the methods. machine learning Companies can use different algorithms, compare their results and choose the right one that gives employees more accurate options.

Technical parts of the project

• Widget, which contains a selection of recommended courses for each individual user of the Online University.

• And employees also receive a personalized e-mail newsletter with a selection of courses and programs once a quarter. At the same time, the newsletter was created in two versions: with encouragement for those who spent a lot of time on their development on the platform, and with a request to devote more time to training in the future if the employee did not study at all.

The project team also introduced a function into the service that allows you to analyze not only an individual employee from a certain block, but also his colleagues. The system monitors which courses they choose and offers them to the employee.

After conducting tests, studies, collecting feedback from users and analyzing the information received, the project was improved and finalized. In October 2021, the service became available to company employees throughout the country.

Results

The recommendation service helps the company's employees find the relevant content that will be really important and valuable for them. After all, only the quality of the content does not guarantee that a person will find it in all the variety of new products. Personal recommendations support the motivation of employees necessary for personal and professional development at work.

According to the results of the pilot project, the coverage of users studying using the service increased from 38% to 68%, that is, by 30%. This exceeded the customer's expectations, the initial forecast was 20%.

Over the year of the service's operation, more than 60% of users of the Online University react to recommendations in the mailing and widget (the total number of unique platform users is about 80,000). Relevant content attracts people to the platform, and then they can decide whether to stay and start training or not.

The percentage of completion of courses has also grown - from 32% (statistics of 2020) to 64% (statistics of 2021). Positive feedback was received from the platform's employees - people praised its convenience and personalized recommendations for courses and programs.