Innovation for Impact: What HR Can Learn from Experimentation in Learning Tech

If you work in HR today, you’re not just managing change—you’re navigating a storm of transformation. The pressure to reskill at scale, integrate AI into roles and workflows, and drive measurable talent outcomes is higher than ever. As leaders on the frontlines of learning technology, we see it daily: enterprises need workforce solutions that move as fast as the business does. Not in years. In weeks. 

At Degreed, we’ve made experimentation our operating system. We believe it’s the single most important strategy for solving the biggest challenges in learning technology—and in broader workforce transformation. It’s also how HR leaders can future-proof for what’s next. 

What Experimentation Looks Like in Learning Tech 

The traditional approach to learning platforms—long product cycles, feature-heavy interfaces, and slow responsiveness—no longer fits today’s dynamic workforce needs. Business leaders are asking sharper, more urgent questions. Are we closing skill gaps or just reporting on them? Can we reskill fast enough to stay competitive? How do we support managers without overwhelming them? And where’s the measurable ROI? 

The answer isn’t more complexity—it’s clarity. Experimentation offers a disciplined, outcome-focused model to test what works, scale what delivers, and stop what doesn’t. 

The most impactful innovations don’t start with a feature list. They start with a problem worth solving. In that spirit, innovation should be sparked by real needs, tested in live environments, and evaluated by real outcomes—not assumptions. 

For a forward-thinking company, an experimentation model ensures that solutions evolve in real time and stay aligned with business priorities. The process is straightforward: 

• Start with the problem, not the features.
• Pilot ideas in real workflows and teams.
• Measure business outcomes, not just activity metrics.
• Adapt quickly, using data—not guesswork. 

This experimentation model doesn’t just work in theory—it powers how we innovate at Degreed. We’ve used it to build products like Degreed Automations and its nudges, communications, and reminders designed to streamline learning workflows. It’s given rise to Degreed Skills+ visualizations, which measure shifts in workforce capabilities and tie development to business outcomes. And it’s led to Degreed Maestro, AI purpose-built for learning and designed to deliver personalized, role-based skill development at scale. 

Each of these began with a single client challenge. Each was tested in the wild. And today, each is delivering measurable impact for some of the world’s most innovative employers. 

For HR Leaders: How to Embrace This Mindset 

You don’t need to overhaul your entire tech stack to benefit from experimentation. HR leaders can use this mindset to create faster wins and smarter investments. Here’s how to get started: 

1. Identify One Friction Point. Is onboarding too manual? Are managers disengaged? Is skill data scattered? Start with a real business pain point.
2. Test a Targeted Solution. Don’t roll out a sweeping initiative. Pilot a new approach with one team, one region, or one workflow. Make it measurable and time-bound.
3. Measure What Matters. Track metrics that tie directly to business value—time to proficiency, skill mobility, compliance speed, or manager enablement.
4. Scale—or Stop. If the pilot works, scale it. If not, document the learning and move forward. That’s how you build agility without sacrificing intention. 

Why Degreed 

As a platform built by learning professionals for learning professionals, Degreed doesn’t just talk about experimentation—we operationalize it. 

We’ve embedded agile experimentation into our product strategy, our client partnerships, and our own internal culture. That’s why leading organizations trust us to help them reskill at global scale, adapt to the impact of AI on jobs and workflows, and drive talent transformation with real, measurable data. 

And most importantly: to do it all with speed, intention, and impact. 

In a landscape where the pace of change is unrelenting, HR teams don’t need more promises—they need partners who can evolve with them. That’s what we do at Degreed.

Ready to See It in Action? 

Watch our Degreed LENS 2025 session “The Impact of Experimentation” to see how our model is helping global companies navigate transformation. Or request a personalized demo to explore how Degreed can help your organization experiment with purpose—and deliver results that matter.