Knowledge Retention Issues and Their Impact on Employees and Clients.

Employee tenure plays a critical role in stable process delivery. When a majority of a team is less than one year old in the process, there is a high likelihood of process failure leading to client escalations. In 90% of cases, existing employees handle the workload until new hires are trained, as only in 10% of cases is a replacement employee hired on time. This leads to employee frustration and stress.

We conducted interviews of more than 200+ employees and supervisors from different SSC and BPO companies and discovered that nearly all of the companies stored their process knowledge in formats such as SOP-Word documents, PPT-based training material, and screen recordings in audio-video format. While these methods may have been effective 20 years ago, they no longer serve as engaging and efficient tools for knowledge retention.

There are numerous gaps and issues within this traditional training approach, leading to ineffective knowledge transfer. Some of these issues include buddies who are not necessarily good trainers or lack full-time dedication to training, insufficient opportunities for trainees to practice in a dummy environment, and no LMS platform to validate the training's effectiveness. Additionally, cross-training is often need-based, covering only specific activities rather than the entire process.

According to an APQC survey, it takes over a year for a new employee to regain the trust of a customer. In the first 3-4 months, new hires experience a rollercoaster ride during the knowledge transfer or cross-training phase. The survey revealed that 35% of employees spend more than 3 hours searching for information, 25% spend considerable time recreating their own version of notes, and 17% waste time reaching out to the right person to resolve a query. More than 43% of trainees go through frustration and stress during the knowledge transfer process, which is a significant cost to the company.

Best Practices for Improving Employee Cross-Training and Knowledge Retention

Companies must prioritize knowledge retention to ensure their employees are equipped with the necessary skills, tools, and resources to perform their jobs effectively.?

By implementing the following best practices, organizations can improve employee cross-training and knowledge retention:

• Implement an engaging and interactive learning management system (LMS) to facilitate effective training and monitor progress.
• Provide comprehensive and ongoing training that covers the entire process, not just specific activities.
• Allocate dedicated and skilled trainers to ensure quality and consistency in knowledge transfer.
• Create opportunities for trainees to practice their learning in a sandbox or dummy environment.
• Periodically assess and update training materials to maintain relevance and effectiveness.

Immediate and Long-Term Benefits of Focusing on Knowledge Retention

By focusing on knowledge retention, companies can experience immediate and long-term benefits such as:

• Reduced employee frustration and stress.
• Improved customer satisfaction and trust.
• Increased employee productivity and performance.
• Enhanced employee engagement and collaboration.
• Minimized costs related to poor knowledge transfer and attrition.

In conclusion, knowledge retention is crucial for the success of a company and the well-being of its employees. By adopting best practices and focusing on effective cross-training, companies can reap immediate and long-term benefits, ultimately leading to increased productivity, customer satisfaction, and overall growth.

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