Training Industry Magazine - Fall 2023 - 55

information and providing information
in suitable formats for all individuals.
* Encourage new employees to share
their perspectives on organizational
norms and values. Give new hires
specific opportunities to ask questions
and pose new ideas that can help
influence and shape organizational
culture and processes.
* Incorporate social interactions into
onboarding. Social connections
help people recognize that they
are not alone in any confusion they
may have, help them feel more
comfortable asking for help, illuminate
different perspectives, build empathy
and provide opportunities for
collaboration. Socialization initiatives
can be as simple as assigning a new
employee a " buddy " or as complex as
formal mentoring programs.
* Establish employee resource groups
(ERGs) or affinity groups. ERGS are
voluntary, employee-led groups with
shared identities and interests, created
with the goal of nurturing a sense of
community, support and inclusivity in
the workplace. They can provide a
platform for growth and development
opportunities, mentoring, professional
development and social interaction.
* Involve managers in the onboarding
process in meaningful ways. Managers
can encourage and listen to questions
and stress the importance of progress
and improvement over time - all of
which can help normalize mistakes
and encourage trust.
Learning Principle 2
Goals and expectations must be clearly
articulated and feel achievable. They
should be accompanied by opportunities
to practice, learn, apply knowledge and
receive timely feedback on progress.
Clear goals help employees focus
their efforts by conveying what's
important and how success is defined.
Further, they facilitate the process of
evaluating progress and identifying
any
gaps
or
obstacles
that
may
arise. Because learning accumulates
gradually, employees must be given
many opportunities to practice, learn
and respond to timely feedback in an
iterative fashion.
How to Implement This Principle:
Learning Principle 3
* Provide clarity around the job
role, expectations, accountabilities
and boundaries.
* Help employees see how they connect
to the big picture. Help employees
see what they need to do to succeed,
how expectations connect to the
larger goals and the part they play in
realizing the overall vision.
* Collaboratively
establish clear,
measurable and achievable shortterm
goals. Short-term goals provide
opportunities for employees to make
progress and experience small wins.
Over time, tasks can increase in
complexity and level of responsibility.
* Nurture employees' sense of
confidence, competence and selfefficacy.
Help new employees articulate
and understand their strengths and
how they can be applied within their
job. Progressively more difficult tasks
and challenges help build self-efficacy,
as can breaking down projects and
tasks into manageable components.
Together, these approaches can help
employees to develop and maintain a
growth mindset.
* Watch for signs that new employees
are struggling. If employees perceive
tasks to be " over their heads, " they
may need reassurance and support
to restore confidence and motivation.
One strategy is to encourage people
to reflect on times when they have
surmounted similar challenges
and help build a recognition and
appreciation for the fact that they can
grow and learn with practice. Share
examples of others who overcame
similar challenges.
* Schedule (and keep) regular, one-onone
check-ins. These touchpoints are
important for assuring new employees
that they are on track (or letting them
know if they are not) and providing
clarity on how to close any gaps. These
conversations also support a smooth
transition into their new role by helping
TRAINING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE - FALL 2023 I WWW.TRAININGINDUSTRY.COM/MAGAZINE
New learning builds on prior knowledge.
To optimally provide a foundation for future
learning, space out learning opportunities,
take care not to overwhelm and provide
novices with appropriate scaffolding to
guide their learning.
Deep learning involves more than
simply attaching new concepts to
existing knowledge; it incorporates
conceptual changes and the creation of
rich,
integrated knowledge structures.
Effective teaching requires figuring out
what learners already know about a
concept and then finding ways to build on
and develop that knowledge.
managers and employees to get to
know each other better and identifying
roadblocks as quickly as possible.
Without a solid
start,it is easy for
new employees to
become disengaged.
How to Implement This Principle:
* Develop and follow a standard,
documented onboarding procedure,
maintaining an onboarding checklist
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https://trainingindustry.com/articles/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/encourage-an-inclusive-workplace-with-employee-resource-groups/ https://trainingindustry.com/articles/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/encourage-an-inclusive-workplace-with-employee-resource-groups/ https://trainingindustry.com/magazine/spring-2023/shaping-the-employee-onboarding-experience/ https://trainingindustry.com/magazine/spring-2023/shaping-the-employee-onboarding-experience/ https://trainingindustry.com/magazine/spring-2023/shaping-the-employee-onboarding-experience/ https://trainingindustry.com/magazine/spring-2023/shaping-the-employee-onboarding-experience/ https://www.trainingindustry.com/magazine https://www.trainingindustry.com/magazine

Training Industry Magazine - Fall 2023

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