Many students and job-seekers have long been familiar with the value of “job shadowing” programs to learn more about prospective careers or positions and build connections in their chosen fields. But an intra-office “job shadowing” program can offer similar benefits to your current employees.
Just like a student or candidate program, an intra-office “job shadowing” program allows workers to “shadow” one another through their daily tasks. It gives each employee an inside look at what their coworkers do, building appreciation and respect while also providing key insights into how each person contributes to the health and success of the company as a whole.
What Do Employees Learn by Shadowing One Another?
Employees who participate in job-shadowing one another learn:
- What their co-workers do all day,
- How their co-workers’ daily tasks relate to their own,
- How their work and the work others do is interrelated and mutually supportive,
- How to improve their own productivity and motivation by working effectively with others,
- Ways to communicate more effectively across departments.
These employees also build better interpersonal relationships, allowing each of them to expand on their personal networks and resource pools while also learning how to work together more effectively.
Questions Employees Should Ask While Job-Shadowing One Another
When one employee job-shadows another, the experience should allow for free exchange of questions, answers, and communication, whether while the job is being performed or in an informal debriefing session afterwards. Questions employees may want to ask one another include:
- What would you say is the most important part of your job?
- How does your job relate to the company’s goals as a whole?
- What do you think is the easiest part of your job? What is the hardest? What features make the easy parts easier, and what kind of assistance or support would relieve the stress of the more difficult parts?
- How does what I do connect, relate, or overlap with what you do? In what ways can my work make your work easier?
At Marquee Staffing, our experienced recruiters can help you find the talent you need and build the workplace culture that best supports your strategic vision. Contact us today to learn more!