Every fortnight I curate some of the observations and insights that were shared on social media. I call these Friday’s Finds. "The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it." - Henry David Thoreau - via @dennisdenktmee @hvaelama - "get all of humanity to educate itself swiftly enough to generate spontaneous social behaviors that will avoid extinction." @monkchips - "holacracy is Greek for bullshit, right?" The end of walking in America - via @marshallk "Jaywalking was once a semi-derogatory term referring to country bumpkins, or ‘jays’, who inefficiently meandered around American cities; by the 1920s, the term was being used to transfer blame for accidents from motorists to pedestrians. Making jaywalking illegal gave the supremacy of mobility to those sitting behind combustion engines. Once upon a time, the public roads belonged to everyone. But since the ingenious invention of jaywalking we’ve battered pedestrianism in one of those silent culture wars where the only losers are ourselves." What I learned from six months of GMO research: None of it matters - via @stephtara "Beneath all this is a fundamental disagreement about technology. At one end you have the Ivan Illich position, which suggests our innovations are hurting more then helping us. At the other end are the technological utopians who see restraints on innovation as intolerably prolonging the suffering that would end in a more perfect future. Hardly anyone sits at these extremes, but most of us have an inclination to err on the side of humility or audacity. This is a hugely important discussion, but it’s hard to talk about in the abstract, so we attach it to the example we have at hand: GMOs. The reason it’s so hard to see the facts here is that the actual genetically modified organisms have been crowded out by the things they represent. This is a problem." Study shows hierarchy causes declines in cooperation due to decreased investment by lower-ranked individuals - via @scienceporn "We have shown that achieving cooperation among humans is more difficult when there is an underlying hierarchical structure producing different ranks between people and therefore unequal payoffs for the participants. This result is driven by insufficient contributions from lower ranked individuals who cannot be confident that they will benefit from cooperating. Remarkably, human behavior is consistent with a trend that permeates the rest of the primate order; primates in steeply hierarchical societies have difficulty cooperating for benefits that must be divided, whereas primates organized in weakly hierarchical (egalitarian) societies are more successful." On the origins of corporate evil - and idiocy - via @reachscale "We know what strain does to people. Even without it, they tend to underestimate the probability of future bad events. Put them under emotional stress, some research suggests, and this tendency gets amplified. People will favor decisions that preempt short-term social discomfort even at the cost of heightened long-term risk. Faced with the immediate certainty of a boss’s wrath or the distant possibility of blowback from a faceless agency, many will focus mostly on the former … Decisions may be the product of culture. But culture is the product of decisions." Google: on effective teams via @HelenBevan "It turns out that the secret to a high-performing team lies less in the individuals that make it up and more in the wider team dynamics: "Who is on a team matters less than how the team members interact, structure their work, and view their contributions." High-performing teams, they found, almost always displayed five characteristics" Image: re:Work

At the close of 2015, there is much for which to be grateful: 71 posts 168 comments 4 webinars 3 regional simulcasts 124 new subscribers (325 total) Users from 103 countries As you review a...Continue Reading »

As 2015 draws to a close, it makes sense to look back and reflect on highlights from the past year. It’s especially appropriate for our team at Talented Learning, because the New Year also marks our second anniversary and a chance to reflect on how far we have come and how far we have to go.   Our Content Starts with Conversations We founded Talented Learning to be a fresh, independent, accurate and practical voice in the learning technology industry.  We wanted to determine why there are so many LMS vendors in the world so we could help LMS buyers make better, wiser choices.  At first in 2014, we blogged about what we knew.  Now, we blog about what we learn from conversations. We uniquely research both the supply and demand side of the LMS equation to formulate an analysis of what is actually going on in the market.  So far, we have conducted in-depth reviews of over 100 LMS vendors, and we’ve developed executive communication channels with almost every one of those companies.  We also speak with vendors’ customers, so we can learn about how they are using the LMS, for what purpose and with what gain.  Finally, we consult with LMS buyers to define what they really need [...] The post Talented Learning: Greatest Hits of 2015 appeared first on Talented Learning.

There are endless blog posts that can help you understand the actual status and the future of workplace learning and eLearning, but sometimes too much information can be overwhelming. Which is why we compiled this list of 2015 posts you absolutely must read before this year ends.

The post What Kept us Busy in 2015? appeared first on Fedena Blog.

For most of the year, the LearnUpon team is busy in the office, building and enhancing the LMS features our customers love. But with the descent of the holidays, most of us are chilling at home with special helpers we learn a lot from too - our cats! We’re taking a short break from the serious side of eLearning to introduce you to a few of our fluffier colleagues you don’t see so often. Meet the feline assistants we call the top cats of eLearning.   Bailey Lawless (eLearning Marketing cat) Bailey is five months old. Well, that’s the vet’s best guess. Bailey found Caroline, LearnUpon’s Marketing Manager, three months ago. In that brief time, Bailey has made an invaluable contribution to Lawless family life. The most profound lesson Bailey has taught Caroline is that she loves cats. Before she found Bailey, Caroline believed she wasn’t a cat person. Growing up in a dog household, she says: My first ever memory is of biting my dog Rudy’s nose - just out of curiosity, to see what it would taste like. Needless to say, the dog whined and I think I may have cried a little too! Now I think I was very lucky we didn’t have cats because I would have ended up with a scratch to the face and a lifelong hatred of them and Bailey would definitely not be living with us! Bailey’s main job is surviving the many hugs he receives from Caroline’s 4 year-old daughter, Sadhbh. Like many LearnUpon cats, Bailey hopes to scale the Christmas tree by New Year’s Eve. His chances of success are looking good - he made it to the second tier an hour after the Christmas tree was raised.   Sue Buric (UX/UI Design cat) Among her many duties, Sue acts as assistant to Aleksandar, LearnUpon’s UX/UI Designer. Job: In addition to UX/UI, Sue works full time as a PEPS - Pigeon Excrement Protector Specialist, specializing on the Buric family terrace. During the summer, Sue also works part-time as Bug Exterminator Manager. Like her manager Aleksandar, Sue loves her work. Her performance review notes she’s highly professional, detail-oriented, and devoted to her job. When Sue’s not working, you’ll find her sleeping or meowing requests for special treats. Key contribution: Sue has taught Alex to be more patient and gentle with animals. Like Caroline, Alex grew up in a dog household. When Sue came to live with him, Alex learned that cats need to be treated differently, to receive a little more care than dogs. There are no more games of fetch in the Buric household!   Isa and Nigell Nolan (eLearning Operations cats) The names of Isa and Nigell betray their mutual obsession with rugby. Isa was called after Isa Nacewa of Leinster rugby team, while Nigell’s namesake is Nigel Owens, a rugby referee. This rugby obsession is shared with housemate Susan, LearnUpon’s super-organized Operations Manager. Although Isa and Nigell have different strengths, they’ve both taught Susan big lessons in 2015: Isa is clever. She’s taught me that cats are far more intelligent than humans and know exactly how to get what they want. Nigell plays more of a supportive role. She taught me that at the end of a stressful day I’ll always be cheered up by arriving home to my cats (and my husband - a close second!) Isa and Nigell look forward to a quiet Christmas, snuggled up on the couch watching Christmas films and stealing treats from Susan. They’ll also be kept busy with their VIC (Very Important Cat) duties. Isa makes sure that Susan’s kept warm and cuddled, while Nigell focuses on her USP, being the prettiest cat in the neighborhood.   Giles Cregan (Customer Support cat) Giles acts as mysterious assistant to Brendan, from LearnUpon’s Customer Support team. In addition to general duties, Giles is the only cat in LearnUpon to bear the special title of Executive Tormentor. This quarter, Giles dedicated a lot of time to attempting to reach the very top of Brendan’s Christmas tree. His ambition is to go further than any other LearnUpon cat, revealing the atmosphere of healthy competition that exists between team members. Key insight: A fierce individualist, Giles’s motto is "Not all cats need hair."   Shandri, Hunter and Baxter Shiel (Digital Marketing Analyst cats)   There’s a substantial age gap between the cats that work with Drew, LearnUpon’s Digital Marketing Analyst. Shandri, cat team member #1 is about 11 years old. Hunter and Baxter, pictured below, are newer recruits at about 6 months and 5 months respectively. As all three cats are strays and rescues, their ages are approximations. Key insights: These sophisticated cats bring a range of interesting perspectives to LearnUpon. Shandri has taught Drew that dignity is optional, and should be deployed only when necessary. Hunter takes a more aggressive approach, advising us to go directly for the thing we want. Diffidence is for people who don’t get what they want, Hunter adds. Baxter takes a more relaxed approach. Eating, sleeping, being petted and licking people’s noses are all the things you need in life, he believes.   Christmas plans? Shandri will stare grumpily at everything, punch the kittens and the dog occasionally, and luxuriate in sleeping on the bed for whole days at a stretch. And when there’s a fire, he’ll lounge in front of it. Hunter will almost certainly be up the tree. Or hanging from wall decorations. Or tearing presents open. Or otherwise causing trouble, essentially. We’ll keep a footstool to hand so that we can get her down from high places. Baxter will be trying for gold in the World’s Fattest Kitten Championship of 2015, so we’ll be keeping him off the table.   What are the team’s roles, Drew?  Shandri is the furry alarm clock. If I sleep too late, a firm punch in the ear, or some claws in my elbow will inform me that it’s breakfast time. He also helps light the fire, when he can be bothered. Hunter catches and kills spiders, moths, and any other bug that enters the place, and patrols the immediate neighbourhood in case any more try to get in. Baxter eats the spiders and moths that Hunter catches. He also joins the dog in making sure that anything dropped in the kitchen is immediately consumed.   Minx McKeown (Customer Success cat) At 3 years old, Minx is one of LearnUpon’s more mature cats. Minx works with Michele, a recent addition to LearnUpon’s dedicated Customer Success team. While Michele is looking forward to spending the holidays with Minx, she’s also hoping that the Christmas tree survives intact. Can you tell us about Minx’s role, Michele?  Catching flies, moths and spiders which she absolutely loves to do! It sounds like Minx would get along very well with Drew’s team member, the aptly named Hunter!   That’s how the top cats of eLearning are spending the holidays. We hope you and your loved ones have an equally relaxed time - and that no-one pulls down the Christmas tree! See you In January for a return to the eLearning routine.   Want to read more? Sign up to get our latest posts! The post Meet the top cats of eLearning appeared first on LearnUpon.

From guest writer, John Dalziel: I wrote the notes, on which this post is based, just over a year ago with the view to add to my podcasts. It didn’t happen, for lots of reasons but, having found my notes again, thought I’d share it with you. With or without the suggestions from FELTAG, does […]

Training within manufacturing organizations has undergone a lot of changes over time, and there are plenty more changes coming. In fact, even if you’re not aware of it, changes are happening right now. And the infrastructure that will lead to even more changes is coming soon. If this seems interesting to you-and if you’re in manufacturing training, it should, because it directly affects your present and future realities-you may find the quick overview below of interest. This is also a great post for including your own thoughts at the bottom, since so much of the future is speculative. Please share your own experiences and thoughts and let us learn from you. Convergence Training is a training solutions provider. We make a series of learning management systems, many libraries of e-leraning courses for workforce development, mobile apps for mobile learning and mobile performance support, and more. Contact us to ask us some questions and set up a demo. And while you’re here, download our free guides below: Guide to Effective Manufacturing Training Guide to Effective EHS Training   Manufacturing Training Through Time We’re going to break down some tools for manufacturing training, looking at three different time periods: Past Present Future Here we go. Manufacturing Training in the Past Let’s take a look at the past to see some aspects that we still use (rightly), some aspects we’re moving away from (rightly), and some of the reasons why the present looks like it does. We’ll look at some commonly used methods of training delivery from the past, and then some commonly used methods for training record keeping and the creation of training data from the past. Training Delivery Training delivery means how training is delivered to workers. In the past, we focused  a lot on the following methods for training delivery: Job Shadowing Also known as "following," "mentoring," or "go follow Joe," this means pairing a less experienced worker with a more experienced worker in the field. This method has some real strengths. We’ve used it in the past, we use it today, and it will continue using it in the future. However, there are some ways it can be improved. One of the big problems with this method is that the experienced worker wasn’t always a good candidate for teaching. For example, the  experienced worker may not be aware of adult learning principles, like the importance of letting the less experienced worker learn in an active method. Another problem is that it’s often not clear what the more experienced learning is supposed to be teaching the less experienced worker. As a result, the results of this kind of training was very inconsistent-sometimes people would learn a lot, sometimes people would learn little, and at times they’d learn different or contradictory things. This problem can be addressed, at least partly, by using an LMS to structure the OJT training (a tool from the present, as you’ll see). Instructor-Led Training We also used a lot of instructor-led training in the past. Again, this can be great, we still use it today, and we’ll continue to use it in the future. However, one problem we ran into in the past is that there weren’t enough instructors to provide all the training necessary. That’s still true now, and it won’t go away in the future. Another problem we faced was that instructor-led training tended to be very expensive and was difficult to scale. Manuals and Written Materials Yet another common method of delivering training was to do it in the form of manuals and written materials. There’s nothing wrong with this. For some training needs, it can be effective, even very effective. (Speaking of that, why not check out our tips for writing training materials and our tips for formatting written training materials?) However, providing training in this form did present some challenges. Where do you store it? How do you make it easy for people to access when they need it the most? How hard is it to update quickly? What happens when multiple people need it? What if multiple people at entirely different plants need it? One effective way to address a lot of these problems was to make the written materials in a digital form and then make them accessible via an LMS or mobile devices. Simple Video-Based Training Video-based training, which effectively brought together visuals and audio narration, was a true improvement. Our brains have two "processing channels," one for words and one for visuals, and so this method of training delivery fit with the way people learned like hand in glove. But there were some challenges in the past. A lot of that video was in the form of Betamax or VHS tapes. Over time, that got replaced with DVDs. But all these physical media forms meant you had to store the videos, they were harder to access, they could get damaged, they couldn’t be in two training rooms for two different audiences at one time, etc. Plus, a video included no assessment. So you never knew if people actually learned, unless you went ahead and created your own test. As you’ll see, being able to delivery video-based content via the Internet, and the advent of e-learning courses, were game changers here. Training Records OK, let’s turn our focus on the past from training delivery to training record keeping. Written Tests The development of training records and training data often began with training managers creating paper-based tests for employees. These then had to be handed out to employees, who answered them. Then they were collected, and someone else had to score them. And then, as we’ll see, those scores had to be put into some form of record keeping process. All told, there’s little good to be said about this method. So much of it can be easier, and is today. Paper-Based Recordkeeping Systems Another element of training record keeping from the past was storing records of training in paper-based systems. You’ve create a record of training of one sort or another. It was paper-based. Then you’d take that piece of paper and put it in a manila envelope. And put that manila envelope in a metal filing cabinet, perhaps. Or one of many metal filing cabinets, perhaps in many rooms. And even of those metal filing cabinets would include many manila envelopes, each full of many paper-based training records. But none of that was easy, quick, or inexpensive to do. Retrieving those records later was also often a challenge, no matter how diligent you were with filing. It took time, and often they were lost and never found. And it was essentially impossible to collect data from those paper-based documents, "crunch the numbers," and come up with any meaningful data on your training. Excel Spreadsheets and Access Databases It was a big step forward when we left paper-based systems behind, at least partially, and started putting those records into Excel spreadsheets and/or Access databases (or similar systems). But still, we were using a general tool for a specific solution. Programs like Excel and Access weren’t specifically designed for training record keeping. So you had to create the templates and fields. You had to manually enter the data. And so on. And it was very hard to run meaningful reports, especially on training records in different spreadsheets/databases. You get the idea-although this was an improvement, but this wasn’t the promised land for training records. Manufacturing Training in the Present Now that we’ve taken a look at manufacturing training in the past to set the scene, let’s look at some of the tools of manufacturing training in the present. In many cases, you’re probably using these already. Online Learning Online learning systems helped to ease a lot of the challenges associated with manufacturing training in the past. That includes training delivery and training record keeping. Let’s see how. Learning Management Systems (LMSs) A learning management system, commonly called an LMS, made it much easier to administer and run an effective training program. In particular, LMSs made it easier to: Collect all training materials in one centralized repository Assign training "strategically" to the workers who needed it (and not to those who didn’t) Notify workers of their training assignments, helping to make them responsible for their own training Deliver some of that training to workers online Deliver online tests to see if workers learned from the training Store completion records, test scores, and other training records automatically Run reports on training records to gather more  helpful information Use and assign training in a blended learning solution e-Learning Courses One thing that an LMS let you assign to workers was an e-learning course. e-Learning courses offered several great benefits that we’ve touched on earlier. These include: The ability to provide "video-based training" with images and audio narration to workers The ability to provide that training online, so individual workers could complete it on their own schedule The ability to provide training to workers at many locations or on different shifts Built-in assessments (tests) to determine if the worker learned from the e-learning course Automated record keeping, in which the e-learning course "tells" the LMS if the worker passed or failed, what the test score was, how long the worker took, etc. Other Online Learning Activities But LMSs let workers complete more than just e-learning courses online. Most of them also provide tools to help you write and deliver your own online quizzes to your workers. And in addition, some of them include tools that you can use to write and deliver instructions on the different steps for performing a task at work (or for evaluating the worker’s performance while demonstrating those skills to a supervisor). Other LMSs include other forms of online learning activities as well. Such as tools for social learning. Online Record Keeping And a big plus for online learning tools is the ability to digitize a lot of the record keeping chores we’ve talked about earlier. Online systems make record keeping for training easier in a number of ways, including: Creating one central repository for all training records Providing access to those training records for all who need them Automating the creation of a lot of training records (for training completed online) Removing the need to create your own training record templates Making it easy to run report and see who’s done and not done with training Automatically sending reports to managers on training completion, more Mobile Learning Tools Mobile technology is a big part of today’s world. Chances are good you’ve got a mobile phone in your pocket, right? Maybe even your kids do. In fact, maybe they were raised in a world that included mobile phones. And how about tablets? Do you have one for personal use? An i-Pad, perhaps? A Surface? A Kindle? Something else? And are you already using mobile at work? Do you check your email on your phone? Do you have mobile apps for tracking performance, revenue, or safety? Well, if mobile’s come to your home, and to your work, you can be sure it’s come to your workforce learning & development, too. Let’s look at just a few applications. Mobile LMS/Training Access Even today, people can view and complete training on mobile devices, including tablets and phones. This makes it even easier for employees to complete their training when it fits their schedule, which is a plus. It also makes it easier for them to access training materials when and where they need it: on the job while performing a skill. Mobile Record Keeping If it’s nice to be able to complete training on a mobile device, and maybe even in the field, that’s true of creating training records, too. Why should you have to run back to your desk top to create a training record? Wouldn’t it be nice to use a mobile device to check a worker off when he/she is demonstrating jobs skills in the field and you’re evaluating them? Or just to keep a record of the people who attended an instructor-led training class? Mobile Performance Support Training has its place, but so does performance support. By performance support, we mean getting helpful information to workers when they need it on the field/on the job. Mobile devices can make it easy for workers to access training materials while they’re working. This means they won’t waste a bunch of time leaving the work area to find the information, or they won’t go ahead and do something without knowing the proper method. It might be as simple as using a tablet to scan a barcode and then learning work procedures related to a task, machine, work area, or process. Informal Learning According to the 70/20/10 model of workplace learning, much of what people learn on the job occurs outside their formal, assigned learning. There’s no reason to get caught up on the exact percentages, and in fact they’re in dispute, but the basic idea is this: 70%-Stuff people learn while directly on the job through experience 20%-Stuff people learn while talking/communicating with coworkers 10%-Stuff people learn from formal, assigned training As you see, a lot of workforce learning happens informally. And there are a lot of tools you can use to help facilitate that learning. Many companies are using social learning tools to help their employees more effectively share helpful information. In some cases, those social learning tools are even integrated into their LMS. Future of Manufacturing Training Now that we’ve seen the past and present, let’s look at a few of the trends we’ll see in the future of manufacturing training. More Video Video-based training is going to become increasingly common. That’s because the Internet makes it easier to distribute it, and it’s also because mobile devices make it easier to capture it (most of us have phones that can record videos at work in our pockets, after all). This will include videos in e-learning courses, of course, but it won’t be limited to that. More 3D Video As the use of video-based training increases, you’ll also see an explosion in the use of 3D in video-based training. 3D animation has some great benefits, including showing things you can’t ordinarily see because they’re: Inside something else Too small to see Moving too quickly to see Too far away to see Only visible if you stop production (which you don’t want to do for training) Too dangerous to see More Interactivity & Simulations A "standard" e-learning course of today can be a pretty linear affair. Open, click the next button, advance to the next screen, and continue until you get to the test. Take the test, pass it, and you’re done. In the future, you’ll see more and more interactivity in e-learning courses. In many cases, this will mean using scenario-based learning, in which your workers are put in a scenario like one they’d face at work.   In other cases, this will mean using game-based learning, in which your workers play a learning game online that helps them develop knowledge and skills that will make them more productive workers. And in still other cases, this will be the use of virtual-reality simulations (remember, we’ve already discussed the increased importance of 3D, which is part of what will make the virtual reality so compelling). All of this will lead to more effective training, and it will also lead to more training data (we’ll discuss that shortly). More Informal Learning The emphasis on informal learning won’t go away. Instead, it will continue and it will grow. Why wouldn’t we want to facilitate the most effective form of workforce learning & development? When we can find tools to facilitate it, we will. And, is it something we can track? That we can analyze and learn from? You’ll see that two things that already exist-the Experience API (also called Tin Can) and Learning Records Stores (also called LRSs)-are already making roads to capturing that informal learning data. More Big Learning Data Finally, we’ll see an increased emphasis on big data in learning. You’ve heard of big data. You know it’s all around, right? We see it in our personal lives, with Google, Facebook, Amazon, and more. We see it at work with big data approaches, Industry 4.0, and the Internet of Things/Industrial Internet of Things. And you’re going to see it in learning & development, too. For more about that, read this article about Big Data and Big Learning Data. Conclusion Hopefully, you found some stuff of interest here. Maybe it’s even helped you identify some opportunities for the future, or some things to plan for, or some stuff to learn more about. We hope so. We also hope you’ll share your own experiences and predictions about the future of manufacturing training below. That’s what the Comments section is for, after all. And since you made it all the way to the bottom of this article, why not reward yourself and download the free guide to effective manufacturing training below? The post The Past, Present, and Future of Manufacturing Training appeared first on Convergence Training Blog.

What do you do when a new employee is hired? Some organizations have no real plan for managing this process at all. Whatever happens, happens, and it varies from one new employee to the next based on a variety of circumstances. Other organizations have some minimal preparations in place. The person gets a desk, computer, and phone, or the proper tools and safety equipment, and gets to fill out his or her benefit papers. But high-performing organizations have a consistent, well-thought out new employee onboarding process in place. Convergence Training is a training solutions provider. We make a series of learning management systems (LMSs), off-the-shelf e-learning courses for workforce training, custom training solutions for our customers, apps for mobile learning and mobile performance support, and more. Contact us for more information or to set up a demo. And why not download our free Guide to Effective Manufacturing Training and Guide to Effective EHS Training since you’re here? What Onboarding Is According to a report by Booz Allen Hamilton prepared for the Partnership for Public Service, "Onboarding is the process of integrating and acculturating new employees into the organization and providing them with the tools, resources, and knowledge to become successful and productive." To get into a little more detail, onboarding is also a process that: Involves business leaders from many departments, not just HR Takes place over as much as a year, not just a day Is designed based on a set of specific objectives Involves many people in the organization, including people who play specific roles Is evaluated and measured to assure continuous improvement and positive outcomes Is delivered to all new employees Can be tailored for employees in specific job roles/positions/locations/etc. We’ll look at this more comprehensively below, but that’s a starter. What Onboarding Is Not Doing nothing to help a new hire is NOT onboarding. But you probably guessed that. And doing a set of somewhat-random things for one new employee, and a different set of somewhat-random things for another new employee, based on circumstances, time, and your gut feeling, isn’t onboarding either. In addition, people sometimes get confused and think that a one-day orientation process, often led by the HR department, is onboarding. That’s better than doing nothing, by far, but it still falls short of an onboarding program. Instead, the one-day orientation is part of a more robust onboarding process. You don’t want to throw out the baby (orientation) with the bathwater (onboarding), but you’ve got to pour a lot more water into that tub. Why Should You Develop an Onboarding Program? Onboarding programs that are well-designed and well-executed often have these benefits: Improves new employee performance Increases new employee engagement Increases employee retention Decreases the time after hire until new employee becomes fully productive As you can see, these are strong benefits for both the onboarding company and the employee being onboarded. In short, onboarding is worth it. What An Onboarding Program Should Include Your onboarding program for new employees should include specific: Objectives Roles Phases or stages, during which activities occur Measurements and evaluations Let’s look at each of these four aspects more closely. Objectives of an Onboarding Program In general terms, your onboarding program should have the following goals or objectives: Help new employee learn the company’s mission, vision, strategic goals, and priorities Help new employee understand performance expectations for new job Help new employee reach those performance expectations Help the new employee understand, navigate, and comply with the company’s culture, expectations, organization structure, interpersonal relationships, and networking Make the new employee feel valued by the company and excited to work for the company Keep these goals in mind while designing your onboarding program. Note that they may require you to do some research (what is our company’s mission?) and introspection (what is our company’s culture?). As an additional benefit, your onboarding program will help you learn more about your new employee, as well. Roles in an Effective Onboarding Program Different people at your workplace will play a role in the onboarding program. The roles are explained in more detail below. Business Process Owners HR will have paperwork for the new employee to sign, benefits to explain, and policies to go over. IT will have computers to set up. Facilities will have desks and chairs or other work equipment to put in place. Safety may have PPE to distribute. Training will have training to deliver and performance support to supply. Leaders of other departments or work processes may be involved. The efforts of all these people/departments should be coordinated, organized, and timely. Because there are multiple owners of this process, there’s a risk that nobody takes true ownership and accountability. That raises the chances of something going wrong. One way to address this is to make sure the responsibilities of each business process owner is very clearly defined and communicated. Another way is to consider appointing a single person with the overall responsibility and authority to make sure all the business process owners stay on task. You could think of that person as an "onboarding czar." Senior Leadership It’s important that senior leadership play a role and make an effort to meet or otherwise communicate with the new employee (in large companies, that may happen through group meetings with new hire groups, videos, email communication, signed welcome letters, or similar means). For example, during the new employee’s first day, senior leadership should address and welcome them, explaining the history, mission, values, and strategic goals of the company. If it’s a smaller company, this can happen in person. If it’s a larger company, this can be via a live webinar or a recorded video. Senior leadership may also make it a point to check back in with the new hire, maybe hosting a meeting or even lunch after 90 days and again after a year. It’s also nice to have an email, letter, or in-person visit from senior leadership to mark the new employee’s one-year anniversary. Manager and/or Supervisor The new employee’s manager and/or supervisor will play a large role in the onboarding process. This will include: Welcoming the new employee Meeting with new employee as soon as first-day orientation is complete Explaining the new employee’s job responsibilities Beginning to explain and set cultural expectations at work (how and when to communicate, what decisions the worker can make without manager approval, etc.) Explaining the company’s system for performance management and performance reviews Working with the employee to create a performance plan for the employee Assigning relevant training to the worker (possibly in concert with the Trainign department) Assigning meaningful, real work to the employee during the first week (and after, of course) Monitoring the new employee’s performance and offering helpful feedback throughout first day, month, year, and onward Sponsor This is a more experienced, successful worker in the same department or job role. The sponsor should be a good employee, should have good people skills, and should be enthusiastic about playing this role. It’s also important to give the sponsor enough time to perform this role-don’t just dump another responsibility onto the person’s already busy schedule. The sponsor can be the person the new employee goes to with common questions, such as "Where can I find this?" and "Who do I talk to about that?" The sponsor can also help to explain to the new employee formal/written and informal/unwritten elements of the organization’s culture and expectations, help the new employee understand the organizational structure and internal politics better, introduce the new employee to personnel over time, and answer random questions. New Employee We’ve listed a lot of people doing stuff to help the new employee "fit in" and succeed at work. But onboarding is a two-way street, and the new employee has responsibilities, too. These include: Being engaged, attentive, and eager to learn Being open to new work processes, procedures, and styles and being prepared to adapt Completing required training Completing required paperwork Communicating clearly, effectively, and appropriately with business process owners, senior leadership, managers, supervisors, the sponsor, and other new coworkers Asking important questions Developing essential work relationships Finding and location resources and information needed at work Identifying knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to succeed in his/her new position Acquiring the necessary knowledge, skills, and competencies Helping to develop his/her own career development plan Continuing to grow as a worker during the onboarding process (and beyond) Five Phases of an Effective Onboarding Program We’ve mentioned earlier that onboarding is more than just a one-day process and can take place during the entire first year. You can break it down into a different number of stages or phases, with different activities occurring during each phase. We’ve chosen to break it down into five stages. The first stage begins after the employee is hired but before the first day on the job. The final stage ends at the worker’s one-year work anniversary. Before the First Day There’s no need for an employee to fill out all paperwork and/or learn about all benefits on the first day. In fact, it’s probably better for everyone involved to get this started before the first day. That gives the new employee more time to learn and think about things, and makes it easier to consult with family or friends if necessary. It also means your staff can focus on collecting paperwork, answering outstanding questions, and getting the new worker moving forward more quickly instead of on clerical work. Much of this can be done by mailing materials to the new hire, emailing materials, setting up some form of online web portal for hew hires, or a combination of all this. Here are some things to think about sending/getting completed before the worker’s first day: Send the employee a welcome letter or welcome packet explaining how excited you are for the person to join your organization Send general information about your company (perhaps even your annual report) Send some information about the site the employee will work at, the department the employee will join, and the role the employee will fill Send HR and other legal/benefits-related paperwork and try to get it completed before the first day (or as much as possible) Have someone (HR, the person’s new manager, or both) contact the new employee and ask if he/she has any outstanding questions Select and assign a current employee to act as the new employee’s sponsor Have all business process owners complete necessary tasks to prepare for new employee’s arrival (phone, desk, computer, tools, work area, PPE, etc.) The First Day (New Worker Orientation) Many companies offer some form of first-day, new employee orientation program. That’s true even if the company doesn’t have a larger, more comprehensive onboarding program, and it’s certainly true of companies who do. Here are some things to do/include during that orientation program: Personalize the experience for the individual and job role (as appropriate) Make the experience fun and active when possible Explain the organization’s mission, values, and strategic goals. This is a good opportunity for senior leadership to be involved-either in person or via video Link the new employee’s job role to the organization’s mission, values, and strategic goals Provide realistic, accurate information about the organization, its culture, and the person’s job role Introduce the new employee to his/her manager or supervisor Introduce the new employee to his/her sponsor Have someone with HR follow-up on any benefits issues, forms to be collected/signed, etc. Take the new employee on a tour of the work location Show the new employee where he/she will be working; ensure all necessary equipment is in place Introduce the new worker to other members of his/her team/department Show the new employee the "basics"-parking, entrance, restrooms, locker rooms, lunch room, coffee, water, etc. Provide some training to the worker. This is a good time to introduce the worker to your learning management system (LMS) at work. If possible, provide a meaningful work task to the worker Arrange to have senior leadership, the worker’s manager/supervisor, the sponsor, or other coworkers take the new employee to lunch The Association for Talent Development (ATD) offers a helpful New Employee Orientation Training Workbook written by Karen Lawson with guides and activities for conducting a new worker orientation. The book is quite detailed and offers checklists, slides, activities and online resources, and gives tips for presenting the orientation in different lengths: two days, one day, and a half-day. If you’re looking for additional help with this phase, this book is a good start. First Week During the first week, keep integrating the new employee into the general workflow while continuing to address "new employee" issues and needs. Here are some things to address during this time: Clearly communicate specific job responsibilities to new employee. This will probably be in the form of a discussion with the supervisor or manager. Answer any questions the employee may have. Continue introducing the new employee to his or her coworkers. The manager and/or the worker’s sponsor may play a large role here. Give the new employee some real, meaningful work to perform, if possible. Get the new employee a list of contacts for various needs. Have the employee offer feedback about the first-day new employee orientation program. This can be done in a discussion, paper-based survey, online survey, or other means. Use this information to continually review, evaluate, and improve your new employee orientation. First Ninety Days After the first week, the employee should begin the process of accepting additional work responsibilities and moving toward full productivity. Here are some things to focus on during this phase: Have new employee complete any remaining "new employee" training Move new employee up to level of fully productive employee (or as close as possible) Begin providing training for advanced job skills/knowledge/needs Continue to monitor employee’s performance, provide regular and timely feedback, and answer questions It’s not unusual for many companies to have hired a new employee on a temporary basis, with the 90-day point being the point at which the employee is let go or offered a permanent position. First Year Here’s what you can focus on after those first ninety days and during the remainder of the employee’s first year: Move out of "hand-holding" and "new employee-scaffolding" mode and move into a position of empowering the new employee to work efficiently and productively and provide increased value to the organization Provide necessary training to fill remaining knowledge/skill gaps and/or help the worker acquire necessary competencies Conduct a new employee survey at 3 months and again at 1 year, getting employee’s feedback on your onboarding program Observe and assess employee performance; provide regular feedback, compliments, and constructive criticism/guidance Conduct formal performance review at one year point Have senior leadership congratulate employee at one-year point (personal conversation, email, written letter, etc.) Measurements of an Effective Onboarding Program You should take and evaluate measurements on key performance indicators (KPIs) to see if your onboarding program is having a desired effect. Don’t simply assume it is, as you may be wrong. But what should you measure? Consider measuring and tracking things like: Percent of new employees with all paperwork completed before day one Percent of new employees with "all necessary supplies" in place by day one Reported employee satisfaction with new employee orientation (day one workshop) Reported employee satisfaction with new employee onboaring program (at 90 days and 1 year) New employee performance metrics (same as used for general employee performance evaluation) Attrition rate of new employees If your KPIs are moving in the right direction, you’re making progress. If they’re not, go back to the drawing board and tweak some dials (to mix my metaphors). Getting Started On Your New Employee Onboarding Program Now that you know what a new employee onboarding program is, and you know about objectives, roles, phases, and measurement, let’s move on. Here are some tips to keep in mind and use while developing you’re own onboarding program.  The Path to Success Here are some general tips to keep you focused while developing or improving your current onboarding: Be comprehensive Start now It’s OK to start small Think of more than just the new employee orientation Identify key onboarding stakeholders; get their opinions, needs, and involvement Onboard all employees Use technology as appropriate Get feedback from onboarded employees (plus other stakeholders) Measure results of onboarding program Use measurements to continually improve onboarding program What Are Your Goals? More specifically, you’re going to want to keep the following goals in mind: Align the onboarding process to your company’s mission, vision, and goals Create a linkage between the onboarding program and your company’s culture Cleary define, communicate, and assign onboarding roles and responsibilities Help make workers more productive more quickly Self-Assess: What Is Your Current State? Do an organizational analysis and come up with a current baseline. Analyze, understand, and document your current processes and measurements. Assess: The scope of your onboarding. Who gets it and how long does it last? What does it cover? Your current onboarding approach. How are you doing it now? Who’s involved and who’s not? What technology is involved? The current program’s effectiveness. What are you doing well now? What are you doing poorly? What are you not doing at all? How Can You Improve Quickly? Some day, hopefully not too far in the future, you’ll have an excellent, comprehensive, exhaustive, world-class new employee onboarding program. But until then, after you’ve assessed your current state and have identified some gaps, you can make some quick wins that will have a fast payoff without taking a lot of time or requiring a lot of work. Some of these may include: Creating a "welcome" email or letter to be sent to new employees after they have been hired Creating an informational packet for the new employee Identifying sponsors for various departments Creating onboarding checklists for new employees Creating onboarding checklists for the managers and supervisors of new employees Making sure your orientation programs include information about the company’s mission, values, objectives, and history Getting senior leadership involved in orientation and in later onboarding activities With these items and other quick wins addressed, you can turn your attention to more time-consuming, difficult, or problematic items. Create Universal Onboarding First; Then Tailor For Specific Needs Ideally, your onboarding program will really have several programs. This will include one that will be universal for all employees. Get this one in place or moving forward first. Next, you’ll have a series of more "tailored" onboarding programs for employees who are joining specific departments or filling specific job roles. The department-level managers or supervisors will have input in how to create these, and these may differ from department to department. Begin working with department heads and/or empower them to begin creating these. It may be helpful to create a general checklist of things for the department-level managers to consider/include. Coordinate, Cooperate, and Communicate Don’t have various stakeholders creating onboarding materials in silos. Get people together, make sure there’s a shared vision, communicate, and make resources available for copying/borrowing. Using Technology You don’t have to do all of this with paper, the mail service, and in-person discussions. Here are some tech tools that may prove helpful: Online Onboarding Software Systems There are companies that make products entirely dedicated to this process. Online Form Completion There are some forms that can be made available to new employees online. Then can then print and complete these forms, bringing them to work on the first day, or complete them online. Online Web Portals You can create your own Intranet web portals for new and current employees to access. These portals can be organized for ease of use and can include useful information that the employee can refer to-organization structure, contacts, mission statement, company rules and policies, benefit information, and more. Video You can use video (in many forms-recorded, webinar, etc.) to deliver information to your new employees. One example would be a recorded video of your CEO or another senior leader explaining the company mission, values, and objectives. Learning Management Systems (LMS) A learning management system (LMS) can help you create, assign, deliver, track, and report on the training aspects of onboarding. Check our article on Using an LMS During Onboarding for more on this. Mobile Apps and Devices You can use mobile devices and apps during your onboarding. For example, you could have your coworkers "find" important work documents and contacts by using mapping information on a mobile device. Social Networking Tools Wikis, "traditional" social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn, and similar tools made to facilitate inter-company communication (Jive, Yammer, etc.) may be helpful as well. Checklists Use this checklist to help walk you through the steps of onboarding a new employee. Modify this checklist as needed by adding, deleting, or changing items to fit your needs. New Employee Onboarding Checklist New Employee Name: Job Role/Position: Office/Cube/Work Area: Hire Date: Start Date: Phone Number: Email: Complete these tasks before the employee’s first day on the job Send welcome letter and welcome packet to employee Provide information about the company and the job Send paperwork to new employee for completion (or make available on line) Have HR and/or new employee’s manager/supervisor contact new employee to address any questions Assign a sponsor to the new employee Assign and prepare office, cube, workspace, and all necessary supplies Complete these tasks on employee’s first day of job Offer some personal gift/token to new employee Communicate company mission, vision, and objectives Explain benefits and policies to employee Have employee turn in or complete necessary paperwork Have senior leader of company greet new employee (perhaps explaining company history, mission, vision, objectives) Explain company culture to new employee Complete rest of new employee orientation session Take new employee out to lunch/provide lunch Introduce new employee to sponsor Have new employee perform meaningful work if possible Have new employee complete some basic training if possible Complete these tasks during employee’s first week on job Communicate job roles and responsibilities to new employee Explain to employee how his/her performance will be evaluated, when, and by whom Introduce new employee to rest of department Introduce new employee to senior staff, other helpful contacts Review with employee organizational structure Provide employee with list of helpful contacts Gather feedback about new employee orientation (first day program) Complete these tasks during employees’ first 90 days on the job Review performance objectives with employee Work with employee to set personal growth goals Give regular, frequent feedback to employee Provide basic training to employee as needed Discuss preferred work and communication styles Check with new employee often; address questions, provide guidance Complete these tasks during employee’s first year Provide additional training to fill gaps in knowledge, skills, and to build competencies Conduct new employee survey to get opinions/thoughts on onboarding process Assess performance of employee at six months and again at year Send congratulatory email from senior leaders to employee Conclusion: What Are Your Thoughts On New Employee Onboarding? Let us know if you have tips of your own for successful onboarding, that’s what the Comments section below is for. What do you do at your own workplace? What works well and what doesn’t? What did we say well above. What did we miss or say poorly? How important do you think it is to onboard a new employee effectively? And don’t forget to download the Guide to Effective Manufacturing Training below. The post Onboarding New Employees: Why and How to Do It appeared first on Convergence Training Blog.

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