The Big 5 Sporting Goods Learning Center is a division of the HR Department focused on educating and equipping employees across the company. From onboarding new hires to offering leadership development and compliance training, the Learning Center provides a range of resources including live instruction, webinars, LMS-based courses, and specialized content for store-level managers and staff. The goal is to ensure consistent, high-quality learning experiences that support employee growth and operational excellence company wide.
Prior to my involvement, the Learning Center faced two major challenges: outdated training materials and a lack of employee engagement. Courses needed fresh content, modern delivery methods, and a more captivating learning experience. Shortly after I joined, the COVID-19 pandemic added even more pressure with new training needs being introduced weekly. One critical issue that emerged involved scam callers targeting store managers, attempting to manipulate them into sending money to illegitimate locations, a growing threat that demanded immediate and effective training.
In response, I collaborated with the Loss Prevention team to develop a dynamic training course specifically focused on scam call prevention. Inspired by crime documentaries like Law and Order, I produced an interactive video training that featured dramatized scam scenarios, mock recordings, and manager interviews to bring the issue to life. This engaging and story-driven approach resulted in a 93 percent increase in course completions and an 85 percent drop in scam call incidents within one month of its release, demonstrating the power of creative storytelling in driving meaningful learning outcomes.
