Virtual job shadowing definition

Job shadowing involves observing how someone does their work. It’s sometimes used when a person is interested in a job and they want to learn more about the career. A job shadow can also be used as a training method for employees where they observe someone else to learn the role or specific skills.

A virtual job shadow moves the learning opportunity to a virtual setting. Someone observes an employee from a different location using online methods. Video conferencing software can be an easy tool to use for virtual job shadowing. This option is popular for remote companies and can increase flexibility with job shadowing.

Benefits of a virtual job shadow program

A virtual job shadow program is versatile and can offer several benefits for your organization:

• Recruitment tool: Offering virtual job shadowing to people outside the company could be a recruitment strategy for your company. The person might be a good fit for a current opening, or you might keep them in your talent pool for a future vacancy.
• Employee fit: Letting prospective employees job shadow can also help them decide if your company and the role they’re considering would be a good fit for them. They might realize they would be better suited for a different position, or they might love what they see and be more excited to apply.
• Current employee training: If a current employee is planning to move to a new position or take on new duties, they can learn those skills through virtual job shadowing . This is especially helpful if you have a remote workforce and need to train a team member for a new position.
• Flexibility: You can reach a wider audience without geographical constraints when you offer a virtual program. The people involved could be on different sides of the country and still interact through job shadowing .
• Expert positioning: By sharing virtual job shadow opportunities, you’re positioning yourself as an expert in the field. It can make a positive impression on people interested in working for your company.
• Ability to save content: Since you’re presenting the information virtually, you could record what your employees share for future use. You could compile the recordings into a training program or prerecorded job shadowing experience that you can share over and over. The recording could also be a good way to review your processes and decide if you need to make improvements.

How to offer virtual job shadowing

Ready to start a virtual job shadow program? These steps can help you get going.

1. Establish your purpose

Decide how you want to use the virtual job shadowing program. Will it be an internal program to train employees for new positions or an external program to recruit new employees? The purpose helps you plan the details of the program.

For example, if it’s an external program available to people who don’t work for your company, you’ll likely focus on general job information. The point is to give interested parties an idea of what the career looks like on a daily basis.

If you’re using it for current employees, you’ll likely need a more structured, detailed program. When training employees, they’ll need specifics on the different processes used in the position they’re considering.

2. Identify roles for shadowing

You might not open up all positions for job shadowing within your company. If you’re using it to create a talent pool of external candidates, start with in-demand positions that would be popular with job seekers. You can also consider what types of positions you might need to fill in the future. By offering job shadowing to people interested in those positions, you could start creating a talent pool for future vacancies.

For internal training purposes, the roles that offer job shadowing depend on your needs. If you’re cross-training employees, you can choose roles that make sense. For instance, you might train an administrative assistant in bookkeeping or human resources tasks.

When identifying roles, make sure your current employees in those positions are willing to participate. It adds extra responsibilities to their day and could slow their productivity as they explain what they’re doing or answer questions.

Keep in mind the virtual format when choosing positions. Some roles will be easier than others to shadow virtually. Think about how well the employee can demonstrate what they’re doing and what their job entails through online platforms.

3. Choose your virtual job shadowing platforms

You’ll need ways to connect your employee with the person doing the job shadowing when working in a virtual environment. Consider the video conferencing software you already use. This allows the participants to see one another and the work environment. Your employee can show what they’re doing via screen share or take the job shadow participant along to work meetings or client calls.

4. Outline the shadowing activities

Deciding which activities to show and how to share them ensures the people who shadow have a meaningful experience. Some aspects of a job you might show include:

• Workspace setup to show what types of tools the position uses
• Tours of different work areas, such as production areas
• Work processes that can be screen-shared
• Team meetings and interactions with colleagues

Think about the key duties of the role when choosing what to share. For people outside the company, activities should help them better understand the role and its duties. For internal job shadow participants, consider what key skills and job duties they need to learn.

5. Publicize virtual job shadow opportunities

If you’re offering virtual job shadowing to the general public, make sure it’s well-known. You can start by adding a section to your company’s website about the opportunity. Detail eligibility, what positions are available for job shadowing, how long the job shadow lasts and what participants can expect. Include information on how interested parties can apply for the job shadowing opportunity.

You can also collaborate with local colleges or employment programs. They might promote your virtual job shadowing program to their students or program participants, allowing you to reach people who are interested in new career opportunities.

Tips for a virtual job shadowing program

Once you iron out the basics, you can delve more deeply to create the program. These tips and best practices can make the program more effective:

• Make it fit your needs. Every company is unique, and your virtual job shadowing program should fit your individual needs.
• Personalize the experience. Each person who goes through the virtual job shadow program has different experiences, backgrounds and perspectives. While you should have a planned structure for the program, personalizing it based on the individual can make it more effective. For instance, you might skip some basic background information for a participant who already has experience in the field.
• Ensure it’s interactive. While job shadowing is mostly observing what the other person is doing, giving participants the chance to ask questions and get involved can make it a more meaningful experience.
• Test different platforms. It might take you a while to find the right combination of tools to make your virtual job shadowing program effective. Test different platforms and methods of presenting the information to find what works well for you.

Get feedback. Hearing from your employees and the job shadowing participants can help you improve the program. Create a survey for both parties that they complete after the experience. Leave room for written comments so you can get detailed feedback on what works and what could be improved.