- Retain talent. Job shadowing programs can help companies tackle retention by providing development and career growth opportunities.
- Upskill the workforce. These programs can also help companies raise and diversify the skills present within their workforce to meet future organizational needs.
- Structure needed. Observation alone doesn’t always lead to skill or knowledge transfer; effective job shadow programs should be structured to facilitate learning.
Job shadowing is not a new concept; for decades, it has been common tool to facilitate learning in hands-on career fields like the trades, hospitality or healthcare. However, many companies — across all industries — either fail to effectively apply and implement such programs or maximize their impact. Done well, job shadowing programs can help companies onboard new talent, provide growth opportunities and upskill the workforce to meet future organizational needs, according to new findings from McLean & Co.
The findings, incorporated into a related McLean & Co. guide, outline that employees typically participate in job shadowing by observing experienced individuals as they perform their duties for a short period of time. The process may also involve the observing employee practicing tasks associated with the role they’re shadowing. In a nutshell, job shadowing enables the transfer of needed knowledge and skills — typically from experienced employees to those newer to the organization or a given role.
Why Job Shadowing? And, Why Now?
Lack of development and career growth is a top reason why employees leave a job, according to research from Gallup. A job shadow program can offer employees the learning opportunities they’re craving, making it a powerful tool to address retention in a challenging labor market.
“It’s an opportunity for employees to gain access to new experiences, to access managers or leaders they haven’t had a chance to meet and to experience new job content,” said John Bremen, chief strategy, innovation and acceleration officer at WTW. “It’s an opportunity to, in a structured way, be exposed to new areas of growth and development.”
The access and visibility angle may be important to organizations that have shifted to remote and/or hybrid work environments in recent years.
“One of the greatest challenges to virtual work is career development and exposure to more senior people,” Bremen said. “This is a structured mechanism to make that happen.”
Job shadow opportunities can also provide a realistic job preview that can help employees understand if they want to pursue a particular role or career path, said Val Olsen, an executive and leadership coach at Korn Ferry Advance.
“It’s a hands-on way to get insight into what a typical day looks like,” she said. “You have an idea in your mind what a particular job might be like, but until you really experience it, you don’t know. Job shadowing can help you clarify your career goals.”
That may help an organization address retention problems.
The Low-Down on Upskilling
Job shadow programs offer companies a focused way to upskill the workforce, Bremen said. Addressing skills needs can be a game-changer, since shortfalls in this area can hinder organizational capabilities and growth plans.
Read: Tapping into Retirees to Bolster Knowledge Transfer
“In a world of skill shortages and labor shortages in key skill areas, it’s an opportunity for employers, also in a structured way, to identify additional sources of talent and create more of a pipeline for talent and jobs where people today might not have the skills or experience,” he said.
Mid-term and long-term benefits may include increased productivity, employee engagement and process improvements, said Rachel Stewart, associate vice president of HR research and advisory services at McLean & Co. She noted the increased visibility and access to career paths can also support diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
“Job shadowing programs present a low-cost learning and development opportunity that uses resources already available to the organization: its employees,” Stewart said. “They can leverage collective employee knowledge to improve organizational awareness, support [reskilling] or upskilling, close skills gaps and enhance internal mobility.”
Creating a Successful Job Shadowing Program
An effective job shadowing program should be designed to facilitate learning for the individual learner, according to Stewart. For instance, while observation can be an appropriate and primary method, it is indeed just one way to transfer knowledge or skills. Therefore, program components should be dynamic and fit an individual employee’s learning preferences.
In addition, she said companies should carefully vet their instructors, or “job hosts.”
“These individuals are in a position to guide their shadower. As such, they must be competent in their role and have a genuine desire to mentor, coach and teach,” Stewart said. “Organizations must also be aware that any negative habits a job host exhibits may be picked up by the job shadower. It is critical to appoint job hosts that are engaged in their work and wish to pass on their knowledge while developing their leadership skills.”
Companies should be prepared for temporary dips in productivity as employees spend time away from their regular tasks to participate in training.
“It’s an investment — nothing is free in the workplace,” Bremen said. “But long term, it leads to greater productivity because [the company] will develop a more productive workforce.”
Companies should also commit a functional or task-level leader’s time to run the program, manage ongoing coordination, and develop and execute feedback loops, though this time commitment may lessen as processes are streamlined and the program shifts from establishment to maintenance, Stewart said.
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