Training Managers and Instructional Designers are all too aware of following problem:
“John is a new employee who underwent 2 weeks of training. Everything seems to go relatively well, he’s motivated, attentive, excited to join the team, work hard and succeed. Yet once training ended and now John has been at his desk for more than a few weeks, still struggling to remember what he learned. John is trying to operate our software, yet he’s continuously making mistakes and waiting for help. “
I don’t want to get into a whole introduction about the shift that the training industry has undergone recently (and continues to undergo), away from a focus on traditional classroom training and toward a long-term continuous learning outlook. Or at least, a blended learning strategy, one which combines classroom formats with web-based e-learning tools, webinars, social learning, and performance support tools.
Yet in any strategy, there still remains that challenge about how to help employees perform their software tasks themselves, as opposed to having to turn to the IT or helpdesk team for assistance. It costs money, wastes time, and is frustrating for both the managers and the employee.
In comes WalkMe, a new web-based app that I came across recently. WalkMe allows managers – both training managers as well as those tasked with monitoring employee performance and development – to provide their employees with in-the-moment instructions to perform online tasks. Whether it’s on a CRM or ERM software, online app or on a company website, employees can receive real-time guidance in tasks completion, thus making their work easier to perform and master.
Here’s how it works. Managers can overlay instructions in “tip balloons” on their enterprise software or website. Each tip balloon contains a clear call to action, such as click here, or type this into the text box, etc. What’s nice about WalkMe is that it’s not about an employee asking for online assistance, and then having to open up another window onscreen, or even getting initial assistance in the form of a list of steps to complete the task, and then being alone to fend for himself. WalkMe actually stays with each employee – each step in the process – until the task is actually completed. The tip balloon sequence is labeled as a “Walk-Thru” by WalkMe.
Nice also, at least according to the company, is the absence of a need for any advanced technical knowledge for overlaying the software. The WalkMe plug-in enables managers to link a balloon with a specific action or part of a website a pretty simple process. Just about any manager or team leader in the organization should be able to do this.
I don’t know of any similar options available yet that directly responds to this need. But I’m sure some will open up soon enough. An option like WalkMe should provide managers with a very nice tool to provide independent performance support to employees which can benefit them in several scenarios, whether you’re onboarding new employees, migrating to a new CRM or other enterprise software, or even want to provide a continuous learning tool that employees can turn to when in need, without having to ask for help.
