Looking back on some trainings I have taken part in throughout my working career, I think the least effective training or information I received was an on-boarding video about the workplace or the company. Generally there is a cheesy video with actors acting our scenes about sexual harassment, workplace violations, etc. and it just seems to be so useless. I know these are supposed to give a broad umbrella of company policy, but I think that providing interactive training on these topics would be more beneficial to the employee as well as the company.
Before I was hired as a paid coach for the school district, there are a lot of training and protocol videos that are mandatory for staff to take. These include videos and interactive quizzes and games to play while you watch. This can be more interactive and engaging than watching a cheesy video of situations that may never happen. I believe this is a way to ensure that the audience is watching and retaining information as they move along.
Reflecting on the materials in class this week, I think that organizations are finding new and innovative ways to onboard their employees as they grow out of the older generations and into technology based generations. Learning ways to engage new generations in the best way possible, so they retain the information, reducing turnover, and increase employee knowledge.
New generations are engaged differently than older generations, which is how UPS decided to change their training to streamline technology. Engagement in newer generations involves technology as opposed to hands on, in-person interaction, and UPS wanted to keep their new employees engaged in the work they did for the company. The company noticed turnover and hiring processes were diminishing, and needed a way to change the cycle in the future by determining what had changed in the needs of new employees.
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