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  • Getting Started
  • STEP 1: PREPARE FOR ACTION
    • Executive Driven Survey Overview
    • Timelines and Deliverables
    • Schedule a Meeting with your Consultant or Project Manager
    • Stategic Assessment Session
    • Prepare for Action FAQ
      • Who will be responsible for different aspects of the project?
      • What kind of support can we expect during each phase of the survey process?
      • What are the recommended timelines for various project phases?
      • When should we schedule the questionnaire design call?
      • What kind of access will we have to the online reporting tool?
  • STEP 2: DEVELOP QUESTIONNAIRE
    • Questionnaire Design
      • TalentMap Employee Engagement Questionnaire
      • 5-Point Rating Scale
      • Response Scale From Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree
      • Length of an Employee Engagement Questionnaire
      • Determining Areas of Importance
      • Employee Net Promoter Score
    • Questionnaire FAQ
      • Can we customize the standard questionnaire?
      • How can we incorporate our specific themes or categories into the survey?
      • Can we add questions about our organization's mission, vision or strategic plans?
      • Which benchmark should we choose?
      • How do I sign off on a survey?
      • What is the difference between engagement and satisfaction?
      • Where should we place demographic questions?
      • Will the survey questions change in the future?
      • When you use the term “we” in the questionnaire, who does this refer to?
      • Can we change the scale so that Strongly Disagree is the last option?
  • STEP 3: PRE-SURVEY COMMUNICATION & SETUP
    • Participant Information File
      • Change Date of Birth and Length of Service to Ranges
    • Email Whitelisting
      • Compass Email Whitelisting (DIY)
    • Survey Communications
      • Comprehensive Guide To Survey Communications
      • Pre-Survey Email Communication Package
      • Promotional Posters
      • Employee Info Sheets
      • Engagement Survey Invitation Email
      • Exit Survey Invitation Email
      • Entry Survey Invitation Email
      • PIN Survey Invitation Email
    • Response Rate Strategies
    • Pre-Survey FAQ
      • Is the survey confidential?
      • How can we effectively communicate the survey to our employees?
      • How long should the survey be open?
      • Can I make changes to my PIF?
      • What methods are available for survey distribution?
      • Should we include new employees in our survey?
      • Should we survey contract or term employees?
      • What languages are available for communications material?
      • How long does it take to program my survey?
      • Are there standard invitations for Pulse surveys?
      • Why am I getting invalid entries in my import log?
  • STEP 4: DEPLOY EMPLOYEE SURVEY
    • Monitor Response Rates
    • Survey Live FAQ
      • How often are survey response rates updated?
      • Can I save my responses and complete the survey later?
      • Can responses be changed once submitted?
      • Can I extend my survey?
      • My survey link is not working what do I do?
      • We had bouncebacks, can you send the survey to them immediately?
      • What reports will our organization have access to?
  • STEP 5: ANALYZE, INTERPRET & REPORT
    • Compass Reports
      • General
        • Filter Data
        • Bulk Export
      • Snapshot
        • Webpage
          • Snapshot Report Overview
          • Sort Data
          • Compare to Overall
          • Compare to Other
          • Hide Benchmark and / or Previous Period
        • Export to PowerPoint
          • Export Response Rate
          • Export Lookup / Lookdown
          • Export Heatmap
          • Export Key Driver Analysis
          • Export AI Comment Summaries
        • Export to Excel
      • Heatmap
        • Heatmap Overview
        • Heatmap Previous Period
      • Comments
        • Comments Overview
        • AI Comment Analysis
          • Ask Comment Questions
          • Comment Summary & Suggestions
          • Search Comments by Meaning
        • Comment Settings
          • Hide Words & Phrases
            • Import Hidden Words or Phrases
          • Comment Dimension Score
          • Sentiment Analysis
          • Minimum Words & Random Sample
          • Auto-Translate
        • Word Cloud
          • Word Cloud Overview
          • Word Cloud Settings
          • Import Stop Words
        • Export to Excel
        • How to Handle and Distribute Verbatim Comments
        • FAQ
          • How should disclosure of employee comments be handled?
          • Who has access to comments in Compass?
          • How is AI data handled?
      • Insights
      • Correlations
      • Prepare Reports for Senior Leadership
      • Reporting FAQ
        • How should I analyze the survey results?
        • What is key driver analysis?
        • What is Pearson correlation?
        • What size group is required to do driver analysis?
        • Why do some scores total over 100%?
        • What is the purpose of the neutral option?
        • What is the minimum participation percentage to achieve statistically valid results?
        • Should we focus on dimensions with low scores?
        • How does report filter confidentiality work?
        • Can I turn off the confidentiality similarity warning message?
        • Can I filter by questions in the survey?
    • Compass Admin
      • Results
        • General
          • Enable Results for Reporting
          • Edit Demographic Report Labels
          • Update a Survey Title
        • Participants
          • Edit Participant Information
          • Remove Participant(s) From an Email Campaign
        • Survey Items
          • Customize Survey Items
          • Convert a Survey Item into a Demographic Filter
        • Benchmarks
        • Previous Period
        • Snapshot Customization
        • Dashboard Editor
        • Assign Access
      • Users
        • Permissions
        • Add a User
        • Log In with Microsoft Account
        • Assign Restricted User to a Report
  • STEP 6: DISCUSS, CLARIFY & PLAN
    • TalentMap Reports
      • Scouting Report
      • HR Preview
      • Executive Presentation
      • Additional Presentations
      • TalentMap Report FAQ
        • What’s the difference between a preview and a final executive presentation?
        • High satisfaction vs low engagement (or vis versa)?
    • Post-Survey Consulting Services
    • Focus Groups
      • Conduct a Focus Group
      • Focus Group Invitation Email - Template
    • Management Resources
      • Improve Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace
      • 360 Leadership
      • Employee Onboarding
      • Stay Interviews
      • Exit Interviews
      • One-on-One Meetings
  • STEP 7: COMMUNICATE & TAKE ACTION
    • Communicating Results
      • Constructive Strategies for Leaders with Low Scores
    • Action Planning
      • Organization vs. Leadership Action Plans
        • Pitfalls to Avoid When Action Planning for Senior Leaders and Managers
      • Develop an Action Plan
      • Create Action Teams, Documentation and Implementation
    • Action Planning Resources
      • Before You Start
        • Action Planning Quick Wins
        • 6 Steps to Successful Action Planning
        • Plan for Action Planning Difficulties
        • Proven Action Planning Tips
      • Tactical
        • How to Start Action Planning
        • Action Plan Framework Guide
        • Action Planning - How To Guide
        • Action Planning Checklist
        • Action Plan Template
        • 3 Post-Survey Action Planning Tactics
    • Action Plan Library
      • Compensation
        • Bonus Pay Or Incentives
        • Determining Fair Compensation
        • Total Rewards Packages
      • Customer Focus
        • Build Loyalty, Not Delight
        • Making Customer Feedback Work for You
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      • Diversity & Inclusion
        • Employee Resource Groups
        • Mentoring Program
        • Multicultural Potluck
        • Sensitivity Training
      • Growth & Development
        • Develop Cross-Training Programs
        • Implementing Job Shadowing Programs
        • Increase / Improve Training
        • Instituting Regular Career Pathing Conversations
        • Professional Development Plans
      • Immediate Management
        • Avoid Switch-Tracking When Given Feedback
        • Developing Emotional Intelligence
        • Fika: Creating Genuine Connections Over Coffee
        • The Pomodoro Technique
      • Information & Communication
        • BLUF Your Way to Better Communication
        • Stand Up for One Another
        • Want Better Groupwork? Talk Less
      • Innovation
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        • HR Analytics
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      • Mental Health
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        • Volunteer Program
      • My Role
        • Autonomy Advances the Workplace
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        • Set Clear Goals
        • Utilize the Right Technology
      • Safety
        • Fitness Challenge
        • Health and Safety Committee
        • Health Fair
        • Kick the Sit Out of Work
      • Senior Leadership
        • Develop Empathy Superpowers
        • Embracing Change in Long-Term Thinking
        • Evangelizing Your Vision
        • Hosting a World Cafe Session
        • Increasing Visibility
        • Integrating Vision to Boost Engagement
        • Setting Ambitious and Realistic SMART Goals
        • Understanding Communication Styles
        • Use Storytelling to Share Your Vision
      • Systems & Resources
        • Investing in Technology
      • Teamwork
        • Clarifying Roles
        • Project Management Tools
        • Reward Excellent Teamwork
      • Work Environment
        • Adapting to Open Office Environments
      • Work/Life Balance
        • Enforced Digital Downtime
        • Flextime
        • Focus on Productivity Not Hours
  • DIY SURVEY DESIGN & DEPLOYMENT
    • Compass Questionnaire Design (DIY)
      • Getting Started (DIY)
        • Build a Survey
        • Style a Survey
        • Test a Survey
        • Pulse Survey Overview
        • Getting Started With Logic (Branching)
      • Compass Survey Design (DIY)
        • Build
          • Question Types
          • Add a Question
          • Require a Question
          • Add Text / Instruction
          • Page Title and Description
          • Copy & Paste
          • Reorder Questions
          • Reorder Pages
          • Copy a Survey
          • Skip Logic
          • Question Logic
          • Restore "Undo" a Question or Page
          • Textbox / Long Answer Character Limit
          • Post a Survey Link
          • Disable a Question
        • Style
          • Add Logo
          • Text Options
          • Preview Survey by Device or Language
          • Choose Respondent Interaction
          • Hide Progress Bar
          • Hide Page Titles, Descriptions, and Question Numbers
        • Test
          • Survey Diagnostics
          • Invite Others to Test
          • View Comments Made by Survey Testers
        • Tools
          • Rename a Survey Title
          • Text & Translations
            • Change Required Text, Messages, and More
            • Add Translation
            • Test Translation
            • Share A Translated Survey
            • Reuse Translations for Standard Messaging
        • Design FAQ
          • Why is there a red asterisk on my question?
          • How do I add or remove page breaks?
          • How can I design surveys to be more accessible?
          • Why is my question title and/or answer option blank?
          • Why Is the font for some of my survey questions different?
          • Why are the option buttons not displaying in my survey?
          • What is a thank you page?
    • Compass Survey Deployment (DIY)
      • Create an Email Campaign
      • Hide Unsubscribe Link
      • Upload Participants
      • Add Reminder or Thank You Emails
      • Add Image to Email
      • Change Email Font
      • Test Email Campaign
      • Convert UTC Time
      • Resend a Survey Link
      • Source Tracking
      • Rename an Email Campaign
      • Close a Survey
  • GENERAL
    • FAQ
      • How do I escalate an issue?
      • When will I receive an invoice?
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  1. STEP 7: COMMUNICATE & TAKE ACTION
  2. Action Plan Library
  3. Growth & Development

Implementing Job Shadowing Programs

PreviousDevelop Cross-Training ProgramsNextIncrease / Improve Training

Last updated 11 months ago

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Now more than ever, employees want to work for organizations that help them learn. While employee development programs are a powerful way to attract and retain talent, creating and executing these programs can seem like a daunting task. But it doesn’t have to be. For a simple, yet effective way of providing developmental support, look no further than job shadowing programs.

Goal

Expose employees to potential career options and parts of the organization they may not be familiar with.

What is job shadowing?

Sometimes the best way to learn how to do a job is through observation. Job shadowing is an on-the-job training method that involves following or “shadowing” another employee throughout their workday to learn more about their role and what it takes to be successful in it. Unlike cross-training, the purpose of job shadowing isn’t always to build a new skill set. It is also used to expose employees to other jobs they want to try and different parts of the organization they may not be familiar with. Learn more about job shadowing .

How does job shadowing increase employee engagement?

Job shadowing is great for career development because it allows employees to explore potential career options and better understand the nuances of a job they are interested in, without necessarily learning the new job well enough to do it. Even if an employee is content where they are, job shadowing can help them develop in their current role and provide them with valuable knowledge and understanding of how other departments work — leading to improved employee collaboration and teamwork across the organization. Find out how job shadowing can benefit your employees .

How does job shadowing benefit the organization?

Job shadowing is an effective way to onboard new hires and transition employees into new positions within the company. Because job shadowing leverages the experience and knowledge of existing employees, organizations do not have to invest much money or time into developing the program — making it easy to put in place. Job shadowing programs can also lead to increased productivity. Shadowers will gain a broader understanding of how the business operates, adding more value to the team and the organization as a whole. Finally, job shadowing helps improve employee retention, as it satisfies the employee’s need for growth and development.

How do you implement a job shadowing program in the workplace?

While easy to execute, implementing an effective job shadowing program does need some preparation. First, determine the objectives of the program. What are you trying to achieve? More interdepartmental collaboration? Promote employee growth? After choosing clear and measurable objectives, consider the length of the program and how it will benefit both employees and the organization. As always, it might be a good idea to start with a pilot program before rolling it out organization-wide.

Once you get the program going, prepare shadowers and hosts for a successful experience with tools such as Live Career’s and this article on .

Action

Implement Job Shadowing

  1. Identify participants - Determine which departments and/or employees who would benefit most from shadowing each other. Try to include departments that don’t often interact with one another.

  2. Seek employee participation - Allow employees to volunteer, but also seek out employees whom you think would benefit, even if they don’t volunteer directly. Talk to the selected employees and ask if they are interested in participating in the program. Explain the reasoning for job shadowing and how it can benefit their personal growth and career development. Ask interested employees to choose 3 jobs they would like to shadow for the day.

  3. Choose employees to act as hosts - Select engaged, experienced and/or well-trained employees to host the job shadowers. Recognize that hosts will serve as important mentors and opinion-leaders, so choose not only based on technical competence. Like step 2, explain to them the reasoning for and benefits of job shadowing. Assure hosts that the shadowing experience will not get in the way of their day-to-day activities.

  4. Match shadowers with the right hosts - Once hosts agree to be shadowed, match employees interested in shadowing with the appropriate host. For example, if the shadower is looking to develop within their current role, have them follow someone more senior in their department.

  5. Develop training methods - Work with hosts and shadowers to develop the best and most effective way to job shadow.Some tactics may include allowing employees to observe the host for the day and ask questions, rather than perform tasks (observation approach), or letting employees observe and undertake some of the tasks they have learned (hands-on approach).

  6. Schedule time together - Have shadowers reach out to their host and schedule time together. Timing will vary depending on the nature of the job and the length of the program. Often, one or two days is enough time for the shadower to get a good feel for the job. Remember, they are not training to do the job. They are observing to become familiar with what the job is like.

  7. Prepare employees for a successful job shadowing experience - Once dates have been set, make sure both parties are clear on the details and prepared ahead of time. Use the articles linked in the how-to section to help with the preparation.

  8. Measure success - Following the program, meet with your employees to discuss their job shadowing experience. Ask them questions that allow them to provide their insight and perspective: How has job shadowing enhanced your personal and professional development? What did you gain from the experience? If this position something you are still interested in pursuing? Incorporate these findings into their career development plans going forward. This will give you an understanding of the impact job shadowing had employee performance.

Reference Material

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Job Shadowing Questions to Ask
How to Be an Amazing Job Shadow Host
How Shadowing Coworkers Can Make You Better At Your Job
The Benefits of Establishing a Job Shadowing Program for Employees
Job Shadowing Guidelines