Applying Just-In-Time Training In The Workplace
So, what is Just-In-Time training in the workplace? Think of it as on-demand learning at the point of need. As the name suggests, there’s some level of urgency involved. For this reason, Just-In-Time resources are usually bite-sized for easy consumption and available on mobile devices for instant access.
Benefits Of Just-In-Time Training
There are multiple benefits to having training resources readily available. Let’s take a look at the most important ones:
- Higher accessibility
Just-In-Time training resources are created following microlearning and mobile learning principles. They’re short, targeted, and right at your fingertips. This way, all employees can enhance their performance in an instant, even if they have limited time or are on the move. And who might that be? Think field workers, salespeople, healthcare professionals, and anyone working outside an office. - Increased employee efficiency
Just-In-Time training material is easy to create and add to existing courses to improve accuracy and relevance. That means that employees stay up to date with the latest trends and best practices and can do their jobs more efficiently. This can be anything from performing a manual task to answering a client’s question. What’s more, all employees work with greater autonomy without disrupting the workflow of others. - Enhanced knowledge retention
A lot of what your employees learn during formal training gets lost somewhere along the way. Especially if they don’t apply it for a long time. Now, there’s a way to lessen this learning curve. Employees retrieve information, immediately put it into practice, and store it back in their memory.
Helping out employees at the point of need reduces mistakes that could hurt your reputation—and, eventually, your bottom line. Plus, if you’ve been looking for a way to train deskless workers or a global workforce, Just-In-Time training ticks all the boxes: it’s efficient, cost-effective, and knows no time or space boundaries.
Examples Of Just-In-Time Training
Need more convincing? The following examples will not only demonstrate to you how to apply Just-In-Time training in the workplace. They’ll also help you realize how big a difference bite-sized resources can make.
1. Global Sales Representatives Stay Up To Speed
Consumer demands change rapidly, with their expectations getting higher and higher. To keep up with the new market needs, you release new products or update existing ones. Perhaps you tweak your sales strategy every so often as well.
But it’s not just about you. To give a winning sales pitch, your sales reps need to know everything about your competition too.
Bottom line, you update your sales training frequently, and your sales representatives need to follow through. If you operate globally, you must additionally find a way to streamline sales representative training to ensure everyone is on the same page. Stressful, huh? Luckily, Just-In-Time mobile training can make everyone’s lives easier.
First of all, it falls under the category of online training. This means that you offer the same learning material to every sales representative across the globe. That’s particularly useful when you need to maintain brand consistency.
As for updating your sales courses, you can simply create a few Just-In-Time learning resources in a microlearning format. Microlearning works like magic when it comes to integrating training into a fast-paced work routine.
There’s no question that can catch your sales representatives off guard anymore. The answer is a minute away, at a hand’s reach. And when it’s time for an important sales pitch, your sales representatives can prepare themselves and join the room with confidence and an air of authority. This alone will inspire trust in the prospective client and increase their chances of sealing the deal.
2. Manual Workers Can Look Up Instructions On The Job
Employees who perform manual labor need a quick and reliable source of information when they’re in the field. Mistakes when performing manual tasks can put both them and other employees at risk of injury.
Imagine a technician trying to install new equipment or a freshly-hired warehouse worker operating the forklift. Wasting time trying to find the instructions and then going through a printed manual is not practical. Written instructions are not much of a help either, as manual tasks are better demonstrated visually.
Just-In-Time training videos can help manual workers do the job fast and safely, without bothering their coworkers. Watching an instructional video and performing the task right away will also help them better internalize the steps. So next time, they’ll probably need no help whatsoever.
3. All Employees Can Look Up Safety Protocols
Another example of Just-In-Time training in the workplace is for safety and compliance. A minor overlook in safety protocols can put employees at physical risk, cause environmental damage, and bring costly fines to your company. The risks are greater in working environments that are less safe than the usual office workplace.
The manufacturing workplace is one example. With electrical and machinery hazards all around, manufacturing workers take more safety precautions than you can count. The same is true for healthcare employees, who are exposed to numerous chemical hazards on a daily basis.
All employees working in hazardous workplaces need to be extra cautious with safety protocols. The problem is, they are usually deskless, so they need a flexible training solution and TalentLMS can offer such. Just-In-Time compliance training can help them protect themselves and others from potential harm.
Additionally, safety protocols keep getting stricter as more detailed procedures are put into place. Employees can rely on on-demand learning resources to guide them through every critical step.
4. New Hires Can Deliver Better Service, Faster
As your company grows, new talent keeps coming in and needs to receive onboarding training.
In general, onboarding helps new hires become productive faster. In some cases, though, it can slow down other employees and cause an overall loss of productivity. This usually happens when more experienced employees interrupt their work to demonstrate tasks and processes to the newcomers.
With Just-In-Time online training, new hires can deliver better service, faster. And without having to turn to their colleagues for help. Even if they haven’t retained all the new information, it’s right there in their hands. All they have to do it is pick up their phone and look it up.
Just-In-Time training helps with the onboarding process thanks to its microlearning format too. Employees can log in to the course and learn something new every day. Plus, content that comes in microdoses sticks better. That’s because it addresses one learning objective at a time and doesn’t overload learners with new information.
5. Health Professionals Provide The Best Care
Healthcare employees need to provide the best possible care to every single patient. Administering the wrong drug dosage or not considering potential side effects can result in severe complications or fatalities.
Also, the healthcare sector is rapidly evolving. New drugs and medical equipment with more advanced capabilities have increased the level of medical care. To make this possible, healthcare staff receives regular training.
Now add to that the fact that healthcare workers, especially hospital staff, not only work long shifts but also encounter emotionally stressful situations. Both of which can compromise their mental clarity and lead to pressure- or fatigue-induced mistakes.
Minimizing mistakes in healthcare is absolutely essential. Just-In-Time training in the healthcare workplace helps health professionals give reliable answers and take responsible care of their patients.
By accessing Just-In-Time resources frequently, healthcare employees can also keep information fresh in their minds and, this way, act faster under time-critical situations.
Conclusion
What is your plan on providing Just-In-Time training resources for your workforce? If you develop training for a deskless or global workforce, then a mobile training app is just right for you.