Fosway Group, Europe’s #1 independent HR analyst, this month marks 20 years of learning and HR technology research since its inception in 1996. As part of its anniversary, Fosway is opening its archive of research, sharing some of its original papers, models and insights. Its analysts will also be exploring what the next 20 years will bring, as organisations try to keep pace with the digital revolution.
Founded in 1996 by current CEO, David Wilson, Fosway Group, originally known as Elearnity, was formed with a focus on understanding how technology was enabling new ways of working. The objective was to provide research and insights that would help organisations accelerate their progress with technology, whilst de-risking their decision making. These goals remain unchanged to this day.
With a wide portfolio of major corporate clients including Alstom, Deutsche Bank, PwC, Rolls-Royce, Shell, Swiss Re and Vodafone, Fosway’s analysts have developed a unique understanding of the realities of HR, talent and learning and how it is changing within European organisations. This insight is coupled with independent supplier research to ensure an objective insider view of market developments and innovation.
CEO, David Wilson, comments, ‘The last 20 years have obviously brought about massive changes both in technology and how we interact with it. This has made our job at Fosway both challenging and rewarding. But whilst this anniversary is an important landmark for us, looking back is not what we’re about. Fosway has always tried to stay ahead of the curve – from our original focus in 1996 on collaborative and social learning and criticism of the isolation of ‘click next’ e-learning, through to our early advocacy of cloud computing and transforming HR.’
He continues, ‘There are also valuable insights that can be gained from reflection. Opening our archive has enabled us to explore just how far corporate learning, talent and HR, has come. But it also highlights what has been slow to change; many of our insights from 10 or 15 years ago could have been written yesterday! For instance, why has it taken until the last couple of years for user experience to become such a hot topic? And problems of legacy systems, lack of employee engagement and outdated IT policies are all still issues that continue to impact companies today. But as organisations become increasingly digital, there is a unique opportunity for HR and L&D to become real agents for change, which we believe is long overdue.’
The future remains exciting for Fosway, with the team having doubled in size following the successful rebrand from Elearnity. Unique industry partnerships including those with HRN and Learning Technologies further extend the reach of its research and the depth of its insights.
The first in the ‘Fosway 20’ series is now available on its website http://www.fosway.com/research/fosway-20/ Archive research papers and reports will also be released regularly over the coming months. To join in with any reflections on your time in learning and HR technology, use the hashtag #Fosway20 https://twitter.com/hashtag/fosway20
Rebecca joined the HRreview editorial team in January 2016. After graduating from the University of Sheffield Hallam in 2013 with a BA in English Literature, Rebecca has spent five years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past she has been part of the editorial teams at Sleeper and Dezeen and has founded her own arts collective.
