6 Tips for Knowledge Transfer Best Practices Post Hiring

You have found the “ideal” candidate. Everyone is glad and thrilled to get this new person on board and up the curve. The process of introducing and incorporating a new employee into a company is a crucial task for an organization. The organization must make sure that the new employee feels part of the team, gets up to speed, as fast as possible, without impacting the team’s output. This will also help in improving the retention rates. At Hexaware, we ensure that the new recruits settle down quickly and become effective team members through imparting them the essential knowledge, skills, and behaviors.

The Power of Structured Knowledge Transfer

Numerous challenges go with the knowledge transfer process, but the lack of a structured approach or strategy is a critical challenge. There are several ways, by which an organization can recognize, store and transfer knowledge. A few strategies that work well for one organization, may not be suitable for others. Therefore, it is significant to understand the business needs and develop complementary methods to manage, transfer and retain knowledge. The Key is to come up with a customized approach for every training need, for improving the knowledge transfer effectiveness.

Knowledge Transfer Best Practices

• Exploring the Existing Best Practices Very often we think that the finest practices take place outside our organization. The fact is that, every organization has its own existing best practices. We have created a panel of trainers to discuss, review and document these best practices for the entire Learning & Development team (L&D) to refer and implement them when required.
• Training: Training includes a wide selection of activities designed to facilitate learning of skills, knowledge, and capabilities. Training methodologies can include: classroom training, role-plays, simulations, computer or web-based lessons, small or large group training and more. It can be self-directed or instructor-led in nature. Explore and finalize on the best training methodologies for the customized training frame work that is designed for a specific need. The idea is to reduce theoretical learning and increase practical learning through activities, simulations and on the job training methodologies. Tell me, and I will forget.
  Show me, and I may remember.
  Involve me, and I will understand.
                                                         – Confucius
• Information Exchange: We facilitate seamless information exchange across peers. Some of the programs that we plan and implement include coaching programs, paired work, shadowing, mentoring, internships etc. for transitioning or onboarding new employees.
• Business Goals: A recurring challenge for trainers is to ensure that the training programs are current and aligned with the business goals. To make this possible, we agree on business goals in advance, develop a training framework accordingly and implement steady and ongoing training programs. Periodic review of the training approach is mandatory to ensure that we are always aligned with the business goals.
• Knowledge Evaluation and Effectiveness: (Heart of the training process) Knowledge evaluation assist organizations to identify their knowledge assets which includes: assessing the available knowledge, and the need for updation. A Knowledge level repository or report is one of the best ways to facilitate knowledge transfer. The repository should include the current knowledge level and the desired knowledge level of every learner. By posting the training intervention, the repository becomes the training efficacy report which captures the progress, or the improvement achieved by each learner. This becomes a clear training need input (TNI) for the trainer to conduct subsequent focused knowledge transfer sessions for an individual or a team. Series of knowledge level assessments are recommended during a training programme. Post the training programme, continuous evaluation and measuring the effectiveness of training, will help in making sure that the knowledge transfer is both effective and current. Remember! We invest heavily on new employees’ training and development, so desired results are crucial for us be successful.
• Training Delivery Methodologies: Deliver training using variety of methods that are easier to comprehend and engaging (e.g., Storyboards, case studies, social learning, videos, narrative transfer or storytelling, lunch & learn etc.)

By developing and implementing a formalized knowledge transfer strategy, and by focusing on areas of improvement, even the least experienced employee will have information at his fingertips and will be given the ability to perform like a pro.