Strategies To Implement Learning On The Job
Knowledge retention and application of learning on the job are significant challenges in corporate training. Gaining new knowledge and enhancing physical and manual skills are the main purposes of learning. When your employees do not apply their learning on the job after training, your efforts to provide new learning become futile. Therefore, it is essential to monitor the application of their learning on the job and provide the necessary support to implement it. In this article, we'll look at 6 ways you can support your employees in applying learning on the job.
Scenario-Based Learning
Scenario-based learning is one of the most effective learning approaches to facilitate better knowledge retention. This is an immersive and effective learning strategy. In this, learners are put into a virtual scenario to bring their learning into practice. It provides a safe and challenging environment for their practice. It helps to navigate through the systems, processes, and procedures. It gives confidence to the learners to face the challenges in people interactions.
You can include real-life scenarios in your training videos to explain the concepts better to your employees. For example, scenarios can help the salesperson or customer sales executive explain better a product or a service to a prospective customer. These can provide insights on how to motivate the customer, how to handle the customer's questions, concerns and doubts, and finally, how to close the sale. Use impactful scenario-based learning strategies to provide experience to your employees and to support the application of learning on the job.
Adaptive Learning
Adaptive learning helps deliver personalized learning to your employees. It considers their strengths, weaknesses, and patterns of engagement. Adaptive learning systems use innovative learning strategies and incorporate a variety of content formats to support learners as per their needs.
In adaptive learning, learners are provided with customized learning resources, paths, and activities that mainly target their unique learning needs. You can use Artificial Intelligence, which implements computer algorithms, to analyze the needs of each learner and offer suitable learning using an effective learning strategy. In this methodology, the learning platform changes its approach based on the inputs provided by the learner. Since the employees learn what is relevant to their job profile, there are better chances that they apply their learning on the job.
Spaced Repetition
Even though you use an effective learning strategy to train your employees, knowledge fades away over a period of time. Spaced repetition of learning helps the learners retain knowledge for longer durations. Use short-duration, bite-sized learning modules and assessments to help learners retain their knowledge. Spaced repetition mainly focuses on knowledge and learning, which are fading. With the help of bite-sized mobile learning modules, you can make learning effortless and comfortable for your employees. They can refer to and recall information on mobile devices when needed for their job.
Performance Support Tools
You can also offer tools like job aids, simple checklists, memory boosters, ready-reckoner PDFs, infographics, etc., to support your employees in applying learning on the job. Job aids provide clear instructions on how a particular task or a process is carried out. With memory boosters, information recall becomes easy. PDFs can be used as short learning guides or quick reference tools. Infographics help your employees recall and retain information on their daily tasks, as does specific "how to" content. These tools help to drive the application of learning on the job.
Practice With Application In Mind
Try to establish connections between the learning and doing situations. For example, you can organize role-plays involving employees and make them as similar as possible to a normal work scenario. They can practice work situations, leadership, decision-making skills, process implementation, etc., which will typically occur on the job. You may involve various people and settings that employees encounter on the job. Since the time permitted for training sessions is limited, you can develop and implement practice sessions and provide feedback, which may extend beyond the training program.
Mentoring And Coaching
In mentoring, a senior employee or a more experienced person (the mentor) is assigned to act as a counselor, a guide, and an adviser to a junior employee. The mentor will provide job skills, technical support, as well as emotional support.
Employees learn the practical knowledge and skills required to perform their job through coaching. Coaching mainly focuses on improving an individual employee's performance and overall development. Your employees should have the appropriate mentor to support them in their job roles and task assignments. Coaching needed to support your employees in their jobs should be readily available, easily accessible, and easy to use.
Conclusion
Support your employees in the application of learning on the job. It can build their confidence levels, provide a better understanding of the concepts learned, and enable them to be responsible in their job.
Digital content can help you support your employees in applying learning on the job. Our team can build customized eLearning solutions with a high engagement and learning quotient, or you can author your courses with minimum effort on our learning platform, KREDO. You can also select the courses of your choice from our library of courses.
Leverage the services of the SmartChoice Preferred Solution Provider by Brandon Hall Group. Give an edge to your corporate training and achieve your L&D goals and objectives. Contact me or leave a comment below to learn more about our services and how we can help you.
