When we talk about employee learning and development and training, much focus has been on desk-bound employees. But what is the state of training of deskless workers? To understand this, Talentcards recently surveyed 600 frontline workers from different countries across industries like healthcare, retail, and education.
One major finding from the study was that a majority (63%) of deskless employeesOpens a new window would feel more connected to their employer’s values and mission if they had access to additional training. Further, for a significant percentage of non-desk employees, the preferred device for training is a tablet or smartphone.
The following are a few more insights in detail.
1. Majority of Training Was Compliance Related
When asked what types of training they had received over the last year, about 72% said it was compliance-related. About 70% said that the training was COVID-19 related, and 60% said it was hard skills training they received. About 41% said they had received soft skills training. Some of the industries reporting the highest rates of COVID-19-related training were healthcare and social assistance, retail, hotel and food services, manufacturing, construction, transportation and warehousing, and education.
See more: Deskless Workers Want, and Deserve, Better Technology
2. A Significant Percentage Received Training Online
About 59% of the deskless workers received training online either through a learning platform or over a mobile device. About 40% of the respondents received training offline, through handbooks, face-to-face, and shadowing, among others.
The preferred device of training? According to 26% of the respondents, their preferred device for training was a smartphone or tablet. This number increases in younger adults. Moreover, about 74% of the respondents were either “somewhat†or “very†comfortable using their own mobile devices for training purposes.
3. A Sizeable Percentage Forgets the Training After a Month
So, how much of the training they received could employees remember? About 17% said they remember less than half of the training immediately after it is done. About 31% remember less than half after a month of training. About 54% said they remembered less than half after a year.
4. More Training Can Restore the Sense of Being Connected
About 19% of the respondents said they felt somewhat or very disconnected due to working away from a central company location. Hence, ensuring they feel connected to the organization’s mission and values must be a top priority. Technology may be one way to solve the problem as it bridges the gap between non-desk workers and the company location.
While technology is one way, 63% of the respondents said that access to additional training would help them feel more connected.
5. Training Is More Enjoyable if It Is Made Fun
What can make training more enjoyable? When this question was posed to respondents, 55% said that it would be more enjoyable if it were more fun, while 41% said the ability to complete it at their own pace would make it more enjoyable. About 33% said it would be enjoyable if they had easier access to it, while 31% said shorter training would be more enjoyable.
In fact, while 31% said they would enjoy shorter training, 80% actually prefer short sessions that happen at regular intervals over one-time sessions.
Numbers Vary Across Industries
The type of training, devices preferred, and how much of their training deskless employees remember also varied by industry. For example, in the healthcare and social assistance industry, 46% of employees received soft skills training in the last year. About 22% of the respondents preferred mobile devices for training, and 29% remembered less than half of what they learned after a month. In the retail sector, 39% received soft skills training, and 26% of respondents remembered less than half of what they learned after a month. About 30% preferred mobile devices for training. In the education industry, 48% received soft skills training, a whopping 51% remembered less than half of what they learned after a month, and only 11% preferred mobile devices for training. Further, about 60% reported boring training as a problem.
See more: Focus on Deskless Worker Experience When Designing for the New Work Era
Our Take
Considering the ongoing pandemic, it is understandable that a significant percentage of the non-desk workforce is receiving pandemic-related training. However, considering that a sizeable percentage of non-desk employees interact with customers, the percentage who received soft skills training should be improved.
When it comes to the preferred device of training, a significant number of people liking mobile devices is understandable since a majority of the non-desk workforce comprises Millennials. Now, Gen-Z employees, too, have started entering the workforce. About 51% of the respondents were aged 25-44, and 35% were aged 18-24. Since both these generations prefer tablets and smartphones, these devices can be expected to grow in importance. This could also mean that there could be more than 26% of employees who prefer mobile devices but do not know it yet.
Yet, only 6% of the respondents cited receiving the majority of their training on a mobile device. Moreover, only a small percentage of software venture funding (1%, according to a report by Emergence CapitalOpens a new window ) has gone toward tech focusing on deskless employees. This indicates a significant opportunity for technology and training and development companies to create the right training opportunities for deskless workers.
Lastly, when it comes to remembering their training, it may be seen that a significant number of employees forget half of what they learned within a month. This means that without reinforcement or a follow-up training and review, employees may soon forget what they learn.
Considering that deskless employees make 80% of the global workforce, it is imperative that organizations provide the right training the right way not only to their desk-bound employees but also to their non-desk employees.
What steps have you taken to train your non-desk employees over the last year? Share with us on FacebookOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , and LinkedInOpens a new window .