Cornerstone LMS Reviews

“Simplest LMS I've used”

Pros

Out of all the LMS platforms I've used, this one has felt the most user-friendly by far and I've worked with quite a few. The system is very user-friendly and there's plenty of product support available in different formats, including Online Help and the CSC.

Cons

Because the system is so powerful, it can be tough to stay current on all the newest features and functions especially the ones that don't really affect daily work. That said it's not a bad issue to have and I'm still discovering new details about the system all the time.

“Thoughtful LMS design”

Pros

The LMS really stands out for its visuals and the amount of detail that seems to have gone into every function.

Cons

There are a few drawbacks when it comes to the reporting features.

“Valuable live training support”

Pros

Coming from a licensed educator and experienced LMS administrator, the Admin "Learn It Live" virtual training sessions have been incredibly helpful. Being able to interact with the instructors, get questions answered in real time and pick up insights from other participants has been truly invaluable. I really appreciate all of the free training support provided.

Cons

It does take some time to become fully comfortable with all of the powerful tools available. For any new administrators, having a mentor is something I would definitely recommend.

“Crucial for my job”

Pros

Handling my admin workload is much more manageable with CSOD. The automated emails, reporting dashboards and Learner Home save a lot of time and I honestly can't picture doing this job without an efficient LMS like this.

Cons

A few parts of the system aren't very user-friendly to navigate on your own but the Online Help feature available on every page is really useful.

“looking forward to QR Code attendance feature”

Pros

Reporting 2.0 has been a strong improvement and the Security Role administration tools are very useful. The new Learning Details Page is also a welcome update and I'm really looking forward to the QR Code attendance feature being released.

Cons

The only frustrating part has been Edge Import which is very annoying whenever we try to upload learning loads.

“Wonderful learning experience”

Pros

Catalog management, the course console and Learner Home have all been really strong parts of the platform and make the overall learning experience much better.

Cons

Certification setup, security roles and editing courses still have room for improvement and can be frustrating to work with at times.

“Lots of valuable course options”

Pros

There's a really broad selection of courses available which is something I've genuinely appreciated about Cornerstone.

Cons

One thing I don't care for is that Cornerstone doesn't bring over the subjects from LinkedIn Learning.

“Keeps clients updated”

Pros

Having it as a cloud-based solution is a big plus since clients automatically stay current with new releases. The end-user experience is also very simple, clear and simple.

Cons

With a user base of more than 100k, managing it from the admin side can be pretty challenging. Compared with other LMS platforms, it also feels less flexible in that area.

“Supports all learning formats”

Pros

CSOD Learning supports pretty much every type of learning format you might need. Like most platforms, it takes a little time to get used to but they're actively updating it to feel more user-friendly for today's users and better match modern learning needs.

Cons

One thing I'd like to see is faster rollout of some updates. A few of the compliance-related features can slow down content management when you need to move quickly even though I understand why those controls exist.

“Feels modern”

Pros

The platform feels much more modern now and the updated user experience makes the pages work better overall which really helps improve workflows.

Cons

Some parts still feel outdated especially ILT Management, Performance 360s and the Test Engine. That said it's encouraging to see that some of these areas are currently being revamped.

“A powerful LMS with lots of integration points, catalogue customisation but room to improve”

Pros

The e-Learning tracking functions as expected, and the WebEx/VILT integration is solid. I have ample customization options for web pages and custom pages.

Cons

During downtimes, especially in an eXe environment, it feels like my concerns get lost in a queue, even when users can not register or make payments. Certain parts of the platform, like Certifications, urgently need improvement. Whenever I bring up these issues, I am directed to file a thread in the Success Centre, but it often feels like I'm just talking to myself or other frustrated users.

“Awful LMS”

Pros

Despite its flaws, Cornerstone's security measures offer peace of mind against hacking attempts.

Cons

In short, it is the worst LMS I have ever used. It is very slow, both in response time and workflow.

“Simple to handle”

Pros

Looking at it from the admin side, once you get through some basic training and build a solid understanding of how the system works, it becomes fairly simple to use. After working with it for around six years, I can usually come up with 5 to 10 different ways to manage the same task and that kind of flexibility is really valuable because it gives clients multiple options to choose the solution that fits them best.

Cons

Even though I appreciate the email functionality, a few parts of it are frustrating. Deep links can be a hassle and the formatting is hard to keep under control since fonts often switch back to older styles. I also don't like having to wait until the half-hour mark to send a marketing message because a lot of important time gets wasted while waiting for test emails to be generated.

“Cornerstone OnDemand”

Pros

This LMS is quite flashy, presenting a great appearance to users. For our large organization, it proved invaluable for tracking regulatory trainings and more. It's packed with all the extras.

Cons

I would not recommend this to a colleague because of the pricing and administrative functions. First, let's talk about the price. Initially, we were shown everything the system could offer, which we loved, but we did not ask enough questions. What we saw initially did not match what we got.

“Supports different file types”

Pros

Cornerstone Learning feels like a powerful platform. I'm able to host training from different sources using a wide range of upload options. The knowledge bank add-on helps me keep my learning community engaged and I can turn almost any file type into a learning object instead of being limited to just Word docs or PDFs.

Cons

Having so many options also means you really need to know exactly what you want before getting started. It takes planning and you need to understand the buttons and settings well or the user experience may not turn out the way you intended. The testing portal still isn't very advanced although that should improve in upcoming deployments. Also, the help page now requires logging into a second website which is inconvenient.

“Superb talent management system”

Pros

It has been a dependable talent management system for us especially when it comes to stability and reliability. The admin tools are solid and having separate portals/OUs for different affiliates works really well while still letting us centralize learning and performance in one platform. It's simple for learners to search for courses and complete them in the system. Curricula are useful for grouping learning objects together and the standard reports do the job well. I also appreciate being able to quickly check training status right from the course console. A one-click export option from that view would make it even better.

Cons

One thing I really wish existed is a connection between pilot and production. Since we do our testing in pilot, having a way to copy configurations or content directly from pilot to production would be extremely helpful. A lot of the challenges we run into also come from having limited internal resources which makes it harder to take full advantage of everything the system can do. I'm not a fan of the hover-based navigation bar at the top because it can be awkward to use and I'd much rather have a clickable landing page for each section like My Learning or My Performance. It would also be helpful to support embedded Vimeo modules instead of only YouTube videos. On top of that, Custom Reporting feels overly complicated.

“Interactive interface”

Pros

It offers a very customizable, engaging interface and features like Learner Home give it a Netflix-style browsing experience that feels modern and user-friendly.

Cons

integrating it with other software can be a challenge since Cornerstone tends to work best when you're using its full suite of products.

“Versatile software”

Pros

Compared with the other products in the Cornerstone suite, Cornerstone Learning has been the strongest one for us. It integrates really well with Cornerstone Recruiting and at our organization we use it both as an LMS and as part of our onboarding process.

Cons

amount of manual work involved in assigning training is frustrating. If there were an automated way to assign training to new hires, the whole process would be much more efficient.

“can adjust everything”

Pros

You can adjust almost every part of the system to fit exactly what you need.

Cons

The online help section is very comprehensive but it can be tricky to navigate and locate the right information quickly.

“Very user-friendly overall”

Pros

Everything about it feels simple and extremely friendly for end users.

Cons

The biggest downside is how long it takes to get responses when GPS issues come up.