For many employees, the COVID-19 pandemic sparked soul-searching regarding their passions, interests, and skills and how to blend them together in the workplace. To that end, employees often seek continuous learning opportunities.
Continuous learning helps organizations and employees stay ahead of the curve amid changes in business trends, technology, and employment laws. One of the tools employers can use to foster continuous learning and turn knowledge into action is job shadowing. Many organizations provide job shadowing to college students preparing to enter the workforce, but employers should also consider job shadowing as a tool to sharpen the skills of current employees.
Job shadowing can be used as a strategic learning and development tool to help new hires build confidence, prepare high-performing employees for leadership positions as part of succession planning, and help underperforming employees improve. It gives employees the opportunity to observe someone else in their role to gain further insight into the job responsibilities as well as an opportunity to perform certain tasks. This allows employees to experience some of the nuances of a particular role that are not always captured in the job description.
Job shadowing can be a highly effective tool to increase creativity and boost performance. Here are some considerations for employers.
Formal vs. Informal Job Shadowing
Job shadowing can be done formally through a detailed program for selecting employees or informally based on changing business needs. With informal job shadowing, employees are only observing what is being done. Formal job shadowing programs may involve more hands-on projects where employees are performing specific job tasks.
Both formal and informal job shadowing programs have benefits and limitations, so it’s important for employers to decide which form of job shadowing makes the most sense for their organization.
Define the Purpose
Is the purpose of job shadowing to prepare certain employees for future leadership roles, provide additional hands-on training to a new hire, or help develop underperforming employees? No matter what your job shadowing process looks like, being clear on the purpose and desired outcomes is critical to ensure success and continuous learning.
Develop Clear Guidelines
Whether your organization decides to develop a formal job shadowing program as part of succession planning efforts or stick to informal job shadowing, it’s important to set clear guidelines for what the experience will look like.
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Will there be formal eligibility requirements for employees to participate?
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Will the employee be simply observing another employee performing their jobs or will there be hands-on projects to complete?
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What skills and competencies are your organization seeking to develop?
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Will there be a specific timeline?
Conduct On-Going Check-Ins
Ongoing check-ins during and after the job shadowing experience help ensure learning objectives are being met and employees are getting the most out of their experiences. These check-ins can provide additional insight into what is working well with the job shadowing process and what aspects of the process can be refined.
Offering job shadowing opportunities is a great way for employers to foster a culture of continuous learning and help employees turn knowledge into workplace excellence. To learn more about the benefits of job shadowing and how to implement a program, please reach out to us for assistance from an Employers Council HR consultant or our HR Professionals Services team.
We also offer training courses designed to bring out the best in your workforce, including the following:
Brittanie Young is a human resources consultant for Employers Council.