3506: How Marriott International Builds Digital Fluency at Global Scale,

[00:00:03] How do you redesign learning for nearly a million employees and do it without losing the human touch? Well today I'm joined by the VP of Learning Design and Development at Marriott International. And from his early days as a public school educator to now leading global learning innovation for one of the world's most recognized hospitality brands, Victor brings a truly fascinating view of how technology,

[00:00:33] culture and people intersect inside a global enterprise. So in our conversation today we will unpack what digital transformation really looks like behind the scenes of an organization like Marriott, the technologies driving its learning strategy and how his team is helping associates across 139 countries and help them build digital fluency and confidence. And he'll also share how Marriott measures

[00:01:02] ROI in learning, how partnerships like WhatFix are helping reduce training time by as much as 60% and why continuous in the flow learning is the future of workforce development. So if you've ever wondered how one of the biggest names in hospitality is scaling innovation without losing sight of the people that it serves, this episode promises to offer you a rare behind the scenes look at that very journey.

[00:01:32] But before we jump into today's conversation I just want to take a moment to thank our sponsor for helping make this show possible. One thing that I repeatedly hear from CTOs and CISOs on this podcast is that trust in a digital network is simply not enough. You need to verify every connection every time and on every network. And this is exactly what NordLayer does. It's built around zero trust principles,

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[00:02:30] and keep your data locked down. You can find out more details by checking out nordlayer.com slash tech talks daily and use coupon code tech daily dash 28 to claim 28% off your annual plan. But now let's get today's guest on. So a massive warm welcome to the show, Victor. Can you tell

[00:02:55] everyone listening a little about who you are and what you do? Sure, be glad to. I serve as the VP of Global Learning Design and Development at Merritt International. I care for a lovely group of learning specialists that create learning experiences for our nearly 900,000 associates across the world. Strangely enough, I actually got my start. My background is in public education where I was a

[00:03:23] high school teacher. And you know, that early experience as an educator really shaped the way I think about the way we look at learning. We all learn in similar ways, whether we're children or adults. And it's a great way to bring it all together, full life cycle of the way we learn. Wow, there is so much to unpack there. And just your answer to the intro alone, 900,000 plus

[00:03:51] associates around the world. And the fact that you started your career as a public school educator before leading global learning innovation at Marriott, I always try and find out more about the the origin story of my guests. I've got to ask, tell me more about that background. And how has it shaped your approach to designing learning experiences for such a large diverse workforce? It's got to be a story here, right?

[00:04:17] Yeah, I think I'm always intrigued by candidates that have started their career, candidates that are interested in joining our team at the start of their career in the public school sector, because that really is just foundational experiences where you really start to understand that we all learn a little bit different. And that one size fits all approach just really doesn't

[00:04:39] work quite well for anyone, for children or for adults, really. And so just having that be part of the foundational experience that you can continue to grow from, I think it's great. Not to say that you can't be successful without it, but I do think it does give you a leg up. And I think at Marriott, I recognize that similar to those students that were in my classroom, that so too,

[00:05:06] our associates just need support in different ways and add the cultural component of different languages, it becomes even more challenging, but it becomes even more important to be reflective of that challenge and to leverage those different aspects of acknowledging who is in the classroom and what the makeup of your population truly is.

[00:05:30] And I'd love to give everyone listening a sneak peek behind the curtain. It's such a recognizable global brand, and I think everybody listening will know exactly who you are. So what does digital transformation in learning and development really look like behind the scenes at the Marriott there? Tell me more about that. And so we are right now in a massive digital learning transformation effort where we are updating our

[00:05:58] system stacks. And it is just as, not only is it important, but also as challenging as you might think when we say we're updating our system stacks for our associates across our population. And so for us, it's less about the tools, to be honest, even though the tools of course are how we are, ensuring that our associates have the latest technology, but it's really more about the people that process the mindset, right?

[00:06:27] How do we go through that adoption process? What is it that we need to learn? How is it that we move forward together? Of course, like I mentioned this, the tools are important, but what is that actual transition from where we were yesterday to where we're going tomorrow? What does it look like? And how does it all come together? So when we think of digital transformation at Marriott, but particularly the way that my team looks at it, we're looking at it from different perspectives, but absolutely

[00:06:57] the most important is that human aspect. And I think one of the things that stands out most to me about how the Marriott leverages technology is the fact that you do it across hundreds of countries and indeed cultures. So how do you design learning programs that scale effectively while also still feeling relevant and human at the local level? I mean, imagine that's quite a challenge.

[00:07:22] It is. And it just takes a really focused approach to ensure, like I mentioned before, we are a people-first organization, so that's always in a front of mind. We spent years, years and years planning what this transition would look and feel like for our associates. We do we do experience validation tests. We do all sorts of different events to ensure that our associates, that we understand what our associates are going to go through. And so that also does inform our

[00:07:51] instructional strategy. We start with this first conceptualization of what change is going to look like. A day in your life looks like this today and tomorrow, it'll look a little bit different. And so we start by priming that information, if you will, and then really helping our associates experience what that change is going to look like in a real world scenario through our digital learning,

[00:08:14] what we call our DLZ or digital learning zone. And then what we really are focused on and leveraging quite a bit in this transformation, and might be different from others in the past, is this concept of learning in the flow of work. We want to ensure that our associates not only get the foundational learning that they need through traditional methods, our digital learning

[00:08:37] zone, but that learning, that performance support is, or I should say that performance is supported within the tool closer to where they're actually going to be experiencing this change. There's actually a real passion point for me is sometimes you look at learning and we're removing people away from the environment for which they will be executing that behavior or that business process. We're putting

[00:09:07] them in the back of the house somewhere and they're clicking next, next, next, and maybe in some scenarios that's best. But really bringing them closer into that tool and to where they're going to be, what they're going to experience, and providing that support at their fingertips when they really need it. That's where we're really, I think that's a game changer here for us. And as this is a tech podcast, I've got to ask you, what kind of technologies or partnerships have been

[00:09:36] most instrumental in helping modernize Marriott's learning ecosystem there? And how do you evaluate which tools are worth adopting? Tell me a little bit more about what goes on behind the scenes here. Well, you've been on a journey, I think, when we're looking at our digital adoption tools and we've worked with other partners in the past, but we've landed really with a partner by the name of WhatFix.

[00:10:03] And it's a cornerstone truly of our strategy. If you look at our digital tech transformation strategy, WhatFix is a prominent feature because we understand that our associates need that support, as I mentioned before, and the flow of work. But what's also really impactful and helpful for us as an organization is that we can reduce training seat time. Speak to any executive in the learning

[00:10:28] space across any industry, they're going to know what that's like. They're going to know that one of their main objectives in 25 and beyond is to ensure that our associates are on the floor as quickly as they can. That time to competency metric that we all look at. And anytime that we can reduce that training seat time and get them to execute those behaviors on property, on the floor, however it is

[00:10:54] that your industry refers to it, it's going to be helpful. And WhatFix is able to do that for us. And we've been able to reduce training seat time in some instances by 60%, which is just a massive, massive unlock. And when you look at utilization in general across our platforms today with WhatFix, we can see that our associates are using it. 55% adoption or higher at this point. We've created

[00:11:22] over 500 flows across, I think at this point, 17 platforms that we're leveraging WhatFix for. So it's a really key component of our success so far. And I've been to a lot of tech conferences this year, and I've seen many leaders talking about digital fluency. But what does that actually mean in practice for your teams there? And how do you encourage that almost mindset shift right across the organization?

[00:11:51] David Morgan I think it's interesting, right, that you're using the word mindset because it is an absolute mindset, right? It is confidence that we need to build within our associates. And it's actually part of, I'm thinking of this slide that I'm so used to presenting about our overall learning strategy when it comes to this transformation. And it starts with this idea of confidence, building muscle memory, helping the learner know that, yes, you're going to go through this traditional learning experience,

[00:12:20] but if you don't remember 100% of it, we've got to. There's this tool within the platform you're going to be engaging with that will support you if you don't remember every aspect of it. Or let's say it's a task that you don't routinely complete. Feel confident that you can go into that tool and you'll have the support you need to carry you through that process. And I think that contextualized

[00:12:45] support where you could be halfway through a business process, click on that need help menu item and have it help you continue that process is a game changer for our associates because they know no matter what that support will be there. And I think it's also it's that building on curiosity, right? And iteration within our org. We understand that these platforms are going to continue to adapt.

[00:13:14] They're going to continue to improve. These platform owners are continue to improve the way we complete business processes. So, so too, do we need a tool that is flexible and allows our associates to to get that support and all these different aspects of the way they do work. And I'll add another aspect that I think it's really important to remember is that training can't solve for every

[00:13:38] single version of a business process or the way we do work. That's not what a learning module actually should be intended to do, right? It should be somewhere around the middle. So with the in-tool support, we can fill in some of that gray area. We can provide additional support when you go left or when you go right that we normally would not do in a training traditional training module.

[00:14:02] David And I think one of the most repeated themes I have on this podcast is how large-scale transformation often depends on the organizational culture as much as the technology and many get distracted by that latest shiny must have tech or tool. But if you don't get the culture, right, you're not going to get the adoption. You're not going to get the buy-in. So from that side of things, what kinds of behavioral and cultural changes have been most critical to Marriott's

[00:14:30] success in completely reimagining learning and development? David Yeah, I think, and I think I mentioned it earlier, it's that transition, that mindset shift from a sit down in front of a computer and now you're prepared to more continuous learning. David I think that when you're using digital adoption platforms, it allows that bit of nuance. It

[00:14:57] allows that bit of continuous improvement where you're going to reengage with this platform. You always know where to go. You always know where to get the support, not only for today, but you know that when that module that you're interacting with in that particular system is updated, this is where you're going to go. This is where you're going to experience that change and it's going to support

[00:15:20] your development. I think also the data aspect of it, having a tool like WhatFix show us how our associates are engaging with these platforms, whether dropping off, whether picking up where maybe something might be confusing, helps us better under, helps us better provide better feedback, let's say to the product owners, but also helps us improve our learning experiences. So there's something we need to hone in

[00:15:50] on. If there's an additional module that's required that maybe isn't there, that data-driven culture that we've been able to continue to grow because of these platforms for us is really, really, really helpful. And I'm curious, digging a little bit deeper there, how do you connect learning initiatives to real tangible business outcomes and what kind of ROI or performance metrics are you seeing as a result? And one of the reasons I asked that question, there's been a lot of businesses this

[00:16:20] year struggling to get ROI from things like AI projects or in fact any tech projects. So what do you measure and what kind of results are you seeing? Yeah. So I think, again, for all my counterparts in the industry, ROI and learning is really can be a bit of a challenge because sometimes it's difficult along other variables to hone in on how learning

[00:16:46] really did help achieve that goal. But one of the things that we really focus on is that preparedness measure, right? We want to ensure that our associates feel well cared for or again, being people first is important that they are cared for, but that they feel confident in their ability to complete those business processes and a tool or whatever behavior we want to see on property. And so for us, that

[00:17:12] preparedness is important, but also the adoption I mentioned earlier about 55% or more of our associates are engaging with the tool is meaningful as well, because that means this tool is working. It's providing the support that they need for them to be able to work and to be able to deliver this amazing service that we're used to here at Marriott. I think when you look at the adoption of in-tool support

[00:17:42] within our community of associates, and we see these higher rates of adoption, what comes clear to us, or becomes clear to us is that by removing these challenges and any barriers that might exist in their ability to complete their tasks, that allows them to be more effective in their ability to deliver excellent service. At the end of the day, we want to make sure that above anything else, our guests are well taken care of. And when associates feel confident, they feel like

[00:18:11] they have what they need to be successful, and the tools that they interact with, afford them additional time to spend with our guests, then we all win. And I think that's the biggest ROI of any kind when it comes to our learning approach and our digital adoption platforms. 100% with you. And as someone that is putting people first across 900,000 associates and also

[00:18:39] millions and millions of guests around the world, I would imagine things like continuous learning, adapting, and new technologies are things you're always going to be following very closely. So if I ask you to look ahead to 2026 and beyond, are there any current trends or emerging technologies that excite you at the moment, especially in learning and development? And also, the bigger picture, how do you see Marriott preparing for that future too?

[00:19:05] Well, it's interesting because of course, you can't attend a learning conference without AI being on the schedule. AI is going to be something that's front of mind for everyone. And so it should, because I do think AI in general is going to be transparent for our space, not only in the way that we look at designing curricula, designing learning experiences for our associates, but the way that we validate

[00:19:33] those learning experiences, the way we combine data with our learning experiences that are launched to our associates with really critical KPIs. AI is going to allow us to do that in a much better way, in a faster, more cohesive manner. I look at that aspect of AI and how measurement is going to

[00:19:59] be so much easier for us in our learning space. That's going to be a real game changer. But when you continue to explore this space, for example, if you use any of the new, I think it's perplexity, that has a, I believe it's called Comet, a web browser that allows the AI model to see what's on

[00:20:24] screen and provide you support. I think that that's the way that we look forward as well in our digital adoption platforms and the way that they support our associates so that when they're interacting with these platforms, they're getting real life support from the tool about the things that they're doing well and maybe the ways that they should look at completing their tasks differently. Maybe there's a more effective or efficient way. Maybe there's more data that we can gather from that in

[00:20:53] our entire approach. So this space is really primed, I think, for some type of revolution and some type of, maybe it's not revolution is not the right word, maybe a paradigm shift in the way that we look at learning, the way that we look at how metrics inform our learning strategy, the way that AI can support the adoption of digital platforms in general. I think our space is really primed for that.

[00:21:23] David-Execided. Exciting times ahead. And thank you so much for sharing your insights with everyone today. And before I let you go, for anybody listening, maybe a business leader wanting to learn more about how you're using technology and learning and development and the journey that you've been on there, we'll just continue the conversation we started today. Anywhere in particular you'd like to point everyone listening? David-Execided. Yeah, sure. I'd love to connect with folks on LinkedIn. So

[00:21:50] feel free to send me a message. I think one of the most powerful things about being on LinkedIn is being able to reach out to someone who maybe is experiencing some of the difficulties, some of the barriers, challenges that you are as well. And having just a different perspective of how to go about that can be particularly helpful. I have this lovely group of friends that I've made within the hospitality learning side of things, but also outside of it. And just the way, different ways that we all

[00:22:20] solve for the same problem can sometimes, oftentimes be really, really, really helpful. So happy to connect with anyone who wants to continue the conversation, particularly in the AI space. You can find me on LinkedIn. Awesome. I'll add a link to that. And thank you so much for joining me today. We did cover a lot in a short amount of time from the technologies and partners that are enabling Marriott's learning and

[00:22:45] development transformation, solving at scale, overcoming key challenges in deploying modern learning across so many different countries there. And 900,000 associates, a phenomenal figure and also building digital fluency, shifting mindsets across the global workforce. Fantastic to see what you're doing here. And also what's next, future trends in L&D tech and where Marriott is heading. Exciting times. I'd love to get you back on next year and see how things are continued to evolve. But thanks again for

[00:23:15] joining me today. Absolutely. Thank you for having me. It's been fun. Wow. For me, that was a masterclass in what digital transformation really means when people are at the center of it. And I loved hearing how Marriott is blending technology and empathy to power a global workforce from cutting training time with what fixed to redefining what it means to learn in the flow of work.

[00:23:41] And as the world of learning and development continues to evolve, I think Victor's insights today remind us that transformation is not only about new systems and data, but it's about things like confidence, curiosity and culture. So what did you think about Marriott's approach to scaling digital learning in a global scale? Could more enterprises benefit from a people-first mindset?

[00:24:11] I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one. Please join the conversation online. Let me know. TechTalksNetwork.com. That's where you will find me hanging out. Also on LinkedIn X Instagram at Neil C. Hughes. Let me know. But that's it for today. It's time for me to take a little break and I'll return again bright and early tomorrow. I'll be the guy waiting in your podcast feed with a new episode. Speak with you then. Bye for now.

[00:24:46] Listen to you. Episode 10