In a new talent-focused guide, global HR research and advisory firm McLean & Company suggests that job shadowing can be used to support a variety of talent needs and programs, including talent retention in a challenging labour market.
As the labour landscape continues to evolve in an unpredictable way, talent acquisition and retention remain critical HR priorities for organisations. In a new industry resource, Job Shadowing Guide, global HR research and advisory firm McLean & Company points to job shadowing as a tool organisations can use to address talent retention challenges, highlighting that the number one reason employees leave the average organisation is opportunities for career advancement. According to the firm’s findings, job shadowing can be used across different stages of the employee lifecycle to support onboarding, career development, and knowledge and skill sharing, ultimately leading to improved employee retention as talent concerns remain top of mind for organisations across a variety of industries.
Job shadowing is defined in the new guide as what happens when employees observe experienced individuals, also called job hosts, as they perform their duties for a short period of time. Occasionally, the observing employee, also called the job shadower, may practise performing tasks. To achieve mutual benefits, such as improved employee engagement and productivity, a job shadowing programme must address and provide value to the organisation’s unique needs while also delivering value to the job shadowers and job hosts.
“When job shadowing programmes are implemented correctly, there are additional benefits beyond employee retention for the organisation, job shadowers and job hosts alike,” says Rachel Stewart, associate vice president of HR Research & Advisory Services at McLean & Company. “These benefits include increased productivity, skill development enablement, and organisational awareness. However, achieving mutual benefits requires that the programme be designed to facilitate learning and engage the right participants. As observation doesn’t always lead to knowledge or skill transfer, hosts must be carefully selected to ensure they are competent in their roles and have a desire to build mentoring, coaching, and leadership skills.”
The firm’s resource acknowledges that, alongside ample benefits, there can also be challenges associated with job shadowing. For example, negative habits may be passed from the host to the shadower and temporary reductions in productivity may occur as participants must balance their primary roles with the needs of the job shadowing programme.
To assist HR leaders in understanding, planning for, and implementing the right job shadowing programme for their organisations, McLean & Company’s new guide outlines 10 easy-to-follow steps, which include determining the goals and approach, selecting participants, and collecting feedback for continuous improvement. A dedicated full-page breakdown for each step is included in the complete resource.
McLean & Company advises HR leaders that ongoing coordination is required to maintain a formal programme and that investing in employee learning and development through job shadowing can yield long-term dividends for all key players.
