Buying a learning platform is a big decision.

You’re comparing features, pricing, integrations, and user experience. But there’s one thing that often gets pushed down the list is security.

It shouldn’t be.

Learning platforms sit on a goldmine of sensitive data e.g. employee records, performance data, personal details. If that data is mishandled, the impact isn’t just technical. It’s reputational, legal, and operational.

So before you get dazzled by a slick demo, it’s worth asking more important questions such as:

Is this platform safe? And can I trust this vendor?
‍

Why security matters when buying a learning platform

Security conversations are often left until the final stages of evaluation.

By then:

• Data has already been shared
• Internal stakeholders are invested
• Walking away feels expensive

That’s how risky decisions get made.

Instead, bring security into the conversation early.

Loop in your InfoSec, IT and data protection teams from the start so they can review vendors alongside you (not play catch-up at the end which is what we often see).

It saves time, avoids friction, and builds confidence internally.
‍

What security certifications should an LMS or LXP have?

There are plenty of badges vendors can display.

Not all of them mean the same thing.

When it comes to learning platform security, there are two certifications that actually matter:

ISO 27001:2022 — The Global Standard

ISO 27001 is a globally recognised information security standard.

It’s a risk-based framework that shows a vendor takes security seriously across their organisation (not just in isolated areas).

But this is where many buyers stop too early.

The certificate alone isn’t enough.

Ask for the Statement of Applicability (SoA).

This document shows:

• which controls are implemented
• how risks are managed
• why specific decisions were made

When reviewing it, pay close attention to:

• information classification
• data leakage prevention
• handling of personally identifiable information (PII)

Learning platforms process large volumes of employee data. If a vendor can’t clearly explain how that data is segmented and protected in their cloud environment, the certification doesn’t mean much.
‍

What to double-check

• Does the certification cover the whole organisation or just part of it?
• Is it officially accredited?
• Is it the vendor’s certification, or are they pointing to their hosting provider (AWS, Azure, etc.)?

If it’s the latter, push back. Hosting infrastructure doesn't mean application security.
‍

Cyber Essentials Plus — Essential for UK-based organisations

If you’re a UK-based company, Cyber Essentials Plus should be your baseline.

Unlike the standard Cyber Essentials (which is self-assessed), the Plus certification includes:

• independent technical verification
• hands-on testing
• real validation of controls

For a learning platform handling sensitive employee data, this provides confidence that the basics are properly secured.

As with ISO 27001, don’t just take it at face value.

Verify it:

• check the certificate is current
• confirm the scope
• validate via the IASME register
  ‍

Security checklist for evaluating any LMS vendor

Even with the right certifications, you should go further.

Here’s a simple checklist you can use internally or share with your IT team:

Before approving a learning platform, confirm:

• ISO 27001:2022 certification (with SoA available)
• Cyber Essentials Plus (if UK-based)
• SSO support (e.g. Okta, Azure, Google)
• encryption at rest and in transit
• data classification and leakage prevention controls
• penetration testing summaries
• disaster recovery and business continuity plans
• incident management and breach response policies
• data processing agreement (DPA)
• subprocessor transparency

If a vendor struggles to answer these clearly, that tells you something.
‍

Questions to ask your LMS vendor

If you want to quickly separate strong vendors from weak ones, ask:

• Can you share your Statement of Applicability?
• Does your ISO 27001 certification cover your entire organisation?
• How do you protect PII within your platform?
• How do you prevent data leakage in your cloud environment?
• Can you verify your Cyber Essentials Plus certification?
• Is your certification your own, or your hosting provider’s?
  ‍

HowNow’s approach to learning platform security

At HowNow, security isn’t an afterthought. It’s built into every layer of the platform.

We’ve designed our approach to make life easier not just for L&D teams, but for IT and security teams reviewing us too.

Our compliance framework includes:

• ISO 27001:2022 for information security management
• ISO 9001:2015 for quality and continuous improvement
• Cyber Essentials Plus for independently verified technical controls
• GDPR compliance and data protection standards
• NIS2 readiness and evolving regulatory alignment

We also provide full transparency through our Trust Center, including:

• encryption standards (including AES-256 at rest)
• SSO and identity provider integrations (Okta, Azure, Google, etc.)
• penetration testing summaries
• vulnerability management policies
• disaster recovery and business continuity plans
• subprocessor details and data handling practices
• AI security and ethics policies

👉 Explore the HowNow Trust Center: https://trust.gethownow.com/

This gives your IT and security teams everything they need to evaluate us properly without delays or back-and-forth.
‍

The bottom line:

A great learning platform should help your people perform better.

But it also needs to earn your organisation’s trust.

Security credentials might not be the most exciting part of the buying process but they’re one of the most important.

The right certifications, combined with real transparency, give you confidence that your data is protected and your decision is sound.

Bring your IT team into the conversation

If security is slowing down your buying process, you’re not alone.

The easiest way to move forward is to involve your IT and security teams early and give them direct access to the information they need.

Share our Trust Center with them or book a call with our team to review everything together.

No chasing. No vague answers. Just clear, honest security information.

Learning Technologies is back and we could not be more excited.

L&D is changing faster than most organisations can keep up with. AI is reshaping how people learn, skills gaps are widening and the pressure on L&D teams to prove impact has never been higher. The conversations happening at this year's event are going to matter.

HowNow is already working with companies to build the talent of tomorrow; closing skills gaps, connecting learning to performance and giving L&D teams the data to prove it's working. We want to help you do the same.

Learning Technologies is a great place to start this journey.

You'll find us at stand E30. Come and find us.

Here's what's waiting for you.

‍

1. Get a Free Learning Health Check

Most L&D teams we speak to already know something isn't quite working. Maybe engagement is low. Maybe learning is scattered across too many tools. Maybe the business is asking questions about impact that are hard to answer.

The Learning Health Check is a free 15-minute desk-side consultation with one of our experts at stand E30. No slides, no sales pitch; just a focused conversation about where your organisation is right now, what's getting in the way and where the biggest opportunities are.

You'll walk away with tips you can apply to your strategy straight away, whether you use HowNow or not. This is exclusive to Learning Technologies and designed to be relevant to you and your organisation.

‍

2. Hear How to Prove Learning Is Actually Building Skills

Day one. 1:10pm. Bitesize Stage

If you've ever sat in a leadership meeting struggling to demonstrate the impact of your learning programme, this one's for you.

Harvey Stead is taking the stage for a bitesize session on one of the biggest questions in L&D right now: how do you prove that learning is genuinely building skills? Join a group of 30+ L&D leaders for a practical, focused conversation designed to give you something you can actually take back to the business.

Arrive at 1pm to secure your seat. Spaces are extremely limited and assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

‍

3. Learn What It Means to Be a Self-Improving Company

Day one, 2:45pm in Theatre 2. 

Every company wants the same thing: people continuously getting better at their jobs. But running that loop manually is nearly impossible. Who's struggling? When do you intervene? What actually helps? Did it work? By the time you've coordinated answers to those questions, months have passed and the moment is gone.

In this session, Nelson Sivalingam; CEO of HowNow, one of the fastest-growing AI learning companies and author of the acclaimed book Learning at Speed; introduces a fundamentally different model: the self-improving company.

Nelson will show how AI agents are transforming organisational performance by monitoring work systems in real time, detecting struggles the moment they emerge, intervening with the right support at the right time and measuring what actually improved in performance data; not surveys.

4. Hear Directly from Trainline on Linking Learning to Business Outcomes

Day two, 11:45am in Theatre 2. 

Proving the business impact of learning is one of the hardest things L&D teams are asked to do. Most organisations know learning matters; getting the data to prove it to the business is a different challenge entirely.

This is the session for anyone who's ever had to make that case internally.

Trainline will be on stage sharing exactly how they've connected learning to real business outcomes; the approach they took, the challenges they faced and what the results actually looked like. No theory, no vendor pitch; just a peer in the same shoes telling you what worked.

If you're trying to win more investment for L&D, build credibility with your leadership team or simply understand what good looks like in practice, bring a notebook.

‍

5. Meet HowNow Customers at Our Happy Hour

Our customers will be joining us at Learning Technologies and we would love to introduce you.

Straight after Nelson's session, we're hosting a customer meet and greet at stand E30. Prosecco, canned cocktails, beers and the kind of conversations you actually come to events like this for.

Want to know what it's really like to use HowNow? Don't ask us. Ask them.

Look out for the special 'talk to me' badges; those are the HowNow customers with the real stories. They'll be in and around the stand all afternoon and they're easy to spot. Pull them aside, ask them anything and hear first-hand what's working for organisations just like yours.

‍

6. Start Day Two with Breakfast on Us

Day 2. Stand E30.

Come and find us first thing on day two.

We'll have coffee, croissants, Danish pastries and muffins waiting; and it's a great chance to have a relaxed conversation with the team before the day gets going. No agenda, no pressure; just good food and good company.

The best conversations at events like this often happen before the programme even starts. And we will provide food for thought… literally.

‍

And so many more reasons….

So, whether you want to catch a talk, grab a drink, or just have a proper conversation about your learning strategy, we'd love to see you. Learning Technologies is one of the best opportunities of the year to connect, learn and get inspired and we're making sure our stand is worth your time.

See you there.

Onboarding is one of those things everyone agrees matters and yet it’s still one of the most inconsistently done processes in most organisations. Too often it’s a chaotic first week of back-to-back meetings, a SharePoint folder nobody can find, and a laptop that arrives three days late.

Designing onboarding that actually scales is one of the biggest challenges HR and L&D teams face. Most organisations know their onboarding could be better. 

Pauline Taylor, VP of People at HowNow, spoke with Ian Walker on the L&D Disrupt Podcast about what great onboarding really looks like and how to build it properly.

This blog walks you through what came out of that conversation and where to start.

Why Onboarding Matters More Than You Think

Let’s start with the business case, because it’s a strong one.

As Ian puts it:

“The value, of course, is that you are accelerating people’s sense of connection. And the statistic about that is that if people feel that they have been treated well in the onboarding process, their longevity is extended. So from a retention point of view, the evidence is pretty unequivocal.”

Connection drives retention. If a new hire spends their first few weeks feeling lost, anxious, or like an afterthought, you’re already on the back foot, regardless of how good the role is. Good onboarding accelerates that sense of belonging and gets people up to speed faster. Friction in those early weeks doesn’t just feel bad. It costs you time, productivity, and ultimately, people.

Want to learn how to create an onboarding process? Check out this blog on how to create an onboarding process.

Should Employee Onboarding be In-Person vs. Remote?

There’s no universal answer here, but there are some useful principles.

If you’re onboarding in person, you’re making a strategic investment in culture. Salesforce, for example, made in-person onboarding a priority specifically because they believed it was the best way to embed culture from day one. That’s not a logistical decision; it’s a values one.

If you’re onboarding remotely, the goal is to make the experience feel as close to in-real-life as possible. As Ian says:

“Similarly, if you’re doing it remotely, make sure that all of the experience is as far as possible close to the in real life experience.”

The principles are the same: connection, culture, and clarity. The delivery just looks different.

Nail the Employee Onboarding Fundamentals

This one sounds obvious, but it’s where so many onboarding programmes fall apart.

If you’re bringing someone in person, the infrastructure has to be invisible. Ian is direct on this:

“If you’re gonna do it in person, make sure that all of that is properly handled and does not come back onto the individual. Not only will that distract them, it’ll make them more nervous, it’ll make them feel less good about the whole experience. But it will detract from the efficiency of ramping them up quickly as well.”

That means flights and hotels booked correctly, a laptop ready on day one, security badges sorted in advance, and schedules organised. Get the admin right, and everything else has a chance to land.

What Should Actually Be In Your Onboarding Programme?

Your company culture is the most important element of any onboarding programme. Don’t just list your values on a slide and move on. Bring them to life.

Ian’s advice here is clear:

“Bring in managers, bring in people who are living the culture. So it’s not just someone listening to the same person, same voice all day. You’re getting different voices in there, but you’re getting people sharing their lived experience of why is this culture important to me?”

When people share their lived experience, it lands differently. It’s personal, it’s real, and far more memorable than a PowerPoint.

Networking opportunities

When you’ve got a cohort of new starters in a room (or on a call) that’s a real opportunity. Ian puts it well:

“Use this opportunity to build your network as well. Understand what’s happening within the company because not only will you leverage those relationships, but you’ll learn about what are potential career paths that you can also follow?”

Build in time for people to actually connect with each other. Those relationships can shape how people collaborate and grow within the organisation long after onboarding ends.

Setting real performance expectations

Be upfront about what working there actually looks like. Ian recalls:

“I remember talking to a room full of newly hired employees and saying, you’re gonna be expected to work hard. And you could see these big eyes — and it’s like, yeah, it’s just a reality. You are gonna be held to account for what you do. So expectation setting early on, I think, is really key.”

Ideally, it starts in the interview process, but reinforcing it early avoids misalignment down the line.

The big picture

Help new starters understand how the company works from top to bottom. As Ian explains:

“If you can explain from a top level down, this is a corporate objective, this is what we try and accomplish, this is how it cascades down within each team and each department — how it all fits together and what role you play in it — people get the sense of the bigger picture they’re playing within the organisation as well.”

When people understand how their work connects to something larger, they’re more motivated and more effective.

The Triangle: Getting the Handoff Right

This is one of the most important (and most overlooked) parts of onboarding at scale.

Onboarding isn’t one team’s job. It’s a shared responsibility across three groups:

1. The onboarding team: responsible for culture, company-wide knowledge, and the rites of passage every new starter goes through
2. The enablement or L&D function: responsible for the functional knowledge someone needs to actually do their job
3. The manager: responsible for supporting the new hire and integrating that learning into day-to-day work

Ian is emphatic about how closely these three need to work together:

“The enablement organisation and the onboarding organisation need to be in a triangle. A really close triangle. So that the handover is happening effectively. The knowledge is being built upon. It’s not being duplicated. Nothing worse than when someone’s being invited to one call for onboarding and then they’ve been invited to an enablement call. You can’t allow that to happen. It has to be sequential and it has to be managed collectively.”

When this triangle breaks down, the new hire falls through the gaps. When it works, everything flows.

Onboarding is a Two-Way Street

Onboarding isn’t something that happens to a new hire. They have a role to play too. As Ian puts it:

“The fourth person is the learner themselves. They need to invest the time in order to onboard themselves effectively. So they need to read the materials, do the out of the room learning piece, as well as relationship building out of the room as well, which is so key to onboarding effectively.”

Setting that expectation early makes a real difference. People who take ownership of their own onboarding get up to speed faster and feel more settled sooner.

How Long Should Onboarding Last?

There’s no magic timeline that works for every role, every person, or every organisation. The length of onboarding depends on the complexity of the role, the individual’s prior experience, and how transferable their skills are.

What Ian suggests is a more interesting reframe altogether:

“You should always feel that you’re onboarding because you are always in your job. And particularly now, jobs are changing so quickly that if you have that beginner’s mindset, you are always onboarding yourself in a new direction. If you are always growing yourself.”

The most effective people don’t stop onboarding when week four ends. They carry that curiosity with them.

The Summary

Great onboarding isn’t about cramming as much information as possible into someone’s first week. It’s about connection, clarity, and getting the fundamentals right so people can do their best work sooner.

Get the logistics sorted. Bring culture to life. Build the triangle. Give new starters the space to take ownership. Resist the urge to put a fixed time limit on it.

Want to hear the full conversation?

‍

Watch on YouTube

‍
Listen on Spotify

‍

Other relevant blogs:

• Setting effective onboarding objectives for successfully welcoming new employees
• 5 ways to avoid employee onboarding being incredibly boring
• 7 creative ways of onboarding new employees: Lessons from real companies