Did you know that front-line workers are the largest segment of the global workforce? 2.7 billion front-line workers keep the global economy running. Even though these workers represent 80% of the global workforce, most organizational learning technologies and programs are focused on knowledge workers.

Learning programs that do exist for front-line employees are highly focused on new hire training, a reaction to the “perfect storm” engulfing frontline operations currently: traditionally high employee turnover rates coupled with an aging workforce and The Great Resignation.

Make no mistake, onboarding training is critical to reduce new employees’ time to proficiency, improve long-term retention and improve safety. However, training shouldn’t end at onboarding. For front-line workers, the most important part of the learning journey continues after the first few months and even years on the job.

The greatest need for front-line workers is most often overlooked and under supported by current learning programs:  the ability for them to learn and apply knowledge in the flow of work. Learning on the job is critical for employees working on the front line to continuously develop new skills and abilities while also performing at their best.

Front-line Workers Don’t Need Training — They Need Performance Support

As said before, onboarding is a critical step in the employee lifecycle but only so much can be learned and retained upfront. Also, most organizations with large front-line workforces don’t have the luxury of dedicating extended periods of time to new hire training. In some cases, new employees are expected to get up running into their new role.

This means that reducing time to proficiency is critical to operations. In order to do that, organizations need to find ways to deliver continuous learning and development (L&D) to front-line workers — and in a way that is easy for those learners. And in some ways, this type of development can be classified as performance support, rather than training. Though learning something new may be involved, the intention is to enable better performance on the job.

One of the most crucial times a front-line worker may need learning is in the flow of work to help them solve problems or answer questions when they arise. They need to be able to access that information quickly, consume it in an easy way and then get back to the task at hand.

Creating a True Front-line Learning Experience

Front-line workers have different learning and work needs than knowledge or information workers. Because of the nature of their work (e.g., health care, retail, manufacturing, etc.) many of them lack the time to sit and train. To create a learning experience for front-line workers, L&D leaders and instructional designers need to put themselves in their shoes:

• How much time do they have for training? 
• What devices do they use to access information? 
• How do they want to learn? 

All of these factors dictate the learning modality suitable for their workday, and the type of learning technologies that are appropriate to create and deliver learning. Here are some key considerations in designing a true front-line learning experience:

• Ensure you’re delivering the right type of learning content. Front-line workers don’t need all their learning content delivered in the flow of work. What makes the most sense for your front-line workforce will vary, but generally, topics related to workplace safety, work processes, equipment repair and operation, customer-specific scenarios and technology/systems training are the most applicable.

• Use the technology front-line workers carry with them. Front-line workers are deskless workers — and many of them carry mobile devices, whether those are smartphones or tablets. But the way most eLearning content is delivered today is via desktop or browser, which doesn’t work well on mobile devices. Your eLearning content should be designed with mobile learning in mind. 

• Make learning bite-sized and digestible. Front-line workers don’t have the time to sit through long modules and lessons. They need micro-learning content that can be consumed quickly, on-demand, where and when they need it.  And the format is crucial here as well — quick walkthroughs, simulations, videos or short-form reference articles work best.
• Organize learning content with their workflows in mind. Delivering learning in the flow of work means that information should be made easily accessible for employees so they can find it and apply it on the job. Allowing workers to search quickly for content by topics that are familiar to them — in the terminology they would use to describe what they’re doing — is critical.
• Work with business leaders to prioritize time for more in-depth learning. The pressure on the business to maximize the effectiveness of front-line operations means that work is tightly scheduled. Your front-line workers are already under stress to complete their daily scheduled tasks. Ensure to dedicate time in their workday for in-depth skills training to support their professional development.

Designing front-line specific learning programs aimed at better performance support requires the right approach and the appropriate learning technologies. But by taking advantage of the mobile and digital technology that front-line workers carry with them and designing and delivering learning programs focused specifically on their needs, organizations can transform their learning strategies to empower their most critical employees.