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Your In-Depth Guide to Implementing...

Your In-Depth Guide to Implementing Job Shadowing (+ Google Case Study)

Written by Catherine Scott

8 minutes read

In an increasingly competitive and complex environment, employees seek opportunities to grow in their careers to earn a bigger paycheck and have a greater sense of purpose in the organization. Employers are looking for ways to retain top talent and ensure organizational productivity and stability. Job shadowing is a tool that can be used to satisfy the needs of both employers and employees.

Contents
What is job shadowing?
Benefits of job shadowing
Types of job shadowing
Developing and implementing a job shadowing program: 7 Steps
Real-life job shadowing example: Google’s G2G job shadowing program
Stay interview best practices
Tips for successful job shadowing

What is job shadowing?

Job shadowing is a unique type of on-the-job training where an employee learns from a more experienced co-worker by observing them as they perform their job tasks. It focuses on practically developing the skills needed to perform the tasks of a specific position rather than simply reading a job description or being told the ins and outs of the job.

Job shadowing is typically shorter in duration than interning, with most job shadowing opportunities lasting a few days or less. Additionally, while interning encourages active, hands-on training, job shadowing is intended to be more observational, providing a snapshot of the job or profession.

Benefits of job shadowing

Benefits for the organization

Enhanced employee engagement: Job shadowing can also help to enhance employee engagement by allowing employees to learn more about their colleagues and the company.
Improved skills: Job shadowing can be a great way for employees to develop new skills and refine existing ones. By observing another employee in their job, the job shadowee can learn about techniques and approaches they may not have been exposed to before. This can help them develop new skills that will benefit the organization.
Increased productivity: Job shadowing can also help to increase productivity within the organization by allowing employees to become more efficient in their roles. By having a better understanding of how other departments work, employees can identify areas where processes could be improved or streamlined, leading to increased efficiency and productivity.
Improved knowledge sharing: Job shadowing is also an effective tool for knowledge sharing between departments within an organization. By allowing employees from different departments to observe each other’s work, they can better understand how their department fits into the bigger picture and how their own role contributes to the company’s overall success.
Improved employee retention: Job shadowing can help improve employee retention by providing employees with opportunities for growth and development within the organization. By offering job shadowing opportunities, organizations are showing that they are invested in helping their employees grow and develop professionally, which helps create a more positive working environment and encourages employees to stay with the company longer.

Benefits for the employee

Improved job knowledge: Job shadowing allows employees to better understand their job and the associated tasks. By observing experienced colleagues, employees can gain valuable insights into how certain tasks are performed and what techniques they can use to improve their own performance. This can help them develop new skills and increase their knowledge of their job, which can lead to improved job satisfaction and better performance.
Enhanced professional network: Job shadowing also allows employees to build relationships with other professionals in the organization. By observing experienced colleagues, employees can learn from them and establish connections that may be beneficial in the future. These connections could help them find mentors or open up potential opportunities for career advancement.
Growth and development: As indicated in LinkedIn Learning’s fifth annual Workplace Learning Report, upskilling is extremely important to employees, particularly younger workers. Job shadowing is a great way for employees to learn new skills and develop their existing ones. It can also provide employees with valuable career advice from experienced professionals in their field.

Types of job shadowing

There are many types of job shadowing that can be used to drive employee engagement and help employees to develop their skills within the organization.

Job shadowing types	Description
Virtual job shadowing	Technology has revolutionized how we connect and learn, offering virtual opportunities like telemedicine and video conferencing for companies to link employees across distances. Job shadowing can be done virtually, too, allowing employees to connect with mentors through video conferences or pre-recorded videos, gaining insight into day-to-day work activities.
Internal job shadowing	This traditional form involves employees within the same organization “shadowing” each other to learn tasks, responsibilities, and challenges. Internal shadowing trains new employees and cross-trains them for different positions as needed.
Career-specific job shadowing	Students or job candidates can shadow professionals in fields they are interested in, gaining firsthand knowledge of what it’s like to work in that career.
Executive job shadowing	As employees climb the organizational ladder, they often aim for top-level positions. However, transitioning into these roles can be challenging. Executive job shadowing offers new executives the opportunity to learn from leadership and gain valuable insights to navigate their new roles effectively.
Cross-functional job shadowing	Organizations foster resilience and flexibility within work teams by cross-training employees. When an employee leaves or takes an extended absence, tasks performed by that employee no longer come to a halt. Cross-functional job shadowing allows colleagues to understand each other’s tasks and be prepared to step in when needed.

Developing and implementing a job shadowing program: 7 Steps

Creating and implementing a job shadowing program involves several essential steps to ensure its success:

Identify the purpose and goals of the program: Clearly define the reasons for implementing job shadowing and the desired outcomes.
Assess organizational needs: Evaluate the specific requirements of your organization. If you intend to fill executive positions, consider implementing executive job shadowing. Alternatively, internal job shadowing may be more beneficial if you aim to provide new trainees with an in-depth understanding of entry-level operations before they start working.
Establish a job shadowing framework: Develop guidelines that outline the duration of shadowing and how you will assess the program’s effectiveness. A well-defined framework helps employees and mentors understand expectations.
Determine participating departments/employees: Analyze organizational needs to determine the relevant departments or specific employees who will participate in the program based on their alignment with the program’s goals.
Define job shadowing guidelines: Clearly communicate the responsibilities and expectations of the employee and the mentor involved in the job shadowing program. Establishing these guidelines in advance increases the likelihood of a successful program.
Match job shadowing candidates: Match employees seeking personal growth with mentors looking to enhance their skills or take on additional responsibilities. Carefully selecting suitable candidates ensures a mutually beneficial experience. Provide training for staff involved in its implementation. This should include information on how to properly supervise participants during their job shadows as well as best practices for providing feedback and guidance throughout the duration of their experience.
Communicate and promote the program: Effectively communicate the program’s benefits to gain employee buy-in. Provide easily accessible information for all eligible employees interested in participating.

Monitor participant progress

Finally, monitor participant progress throughout their experience to ensure they get the most out of their job shadows and meet their learning objectives. This can be done by encouraging managers to regularly check in with participants. Monitoring participant progress can also help identify areas where additional training may be needed or where further support may be beneficial for participants’ success in completing their job shadows successfully.

To create the most effective program, involve employees in its development and ask for their feedback. Additionally, consider post-program opportunities for participants, such as becoming mentors themselves. These considerations will help tailor the program to your organization’s needs.

Job Shadowing: 7 Steps To Develop and Implement

Real-life job shadowing example: Google’s G2G job shadowing program

Google’s Googler-to-Googler (G2G) Program was initially started when Google was rapidly hiring employees for their Dublin office. With only 3 trainers available to onboard new staff, Google was faced with the challenge of training hundreds of new employees within 3 months. To quickly onboard the new staff, Google trained existing sales staff to teach the new employees. This helped ensure that the new hires were ‘job-ready’ and could quickly contribute to the organization’s goals.

The results of the program were positive. The mentors’ quality scores were high, the new employees also provided excellent training feedback, and the experience was an all-round success for both the existing employees and the new hires. Google realized that there was an opportunity to continue providing job shadowing opportunities within the organization that benefitted everyone. The G2G Program was subsequently launched across other global offices.

Currently, the G2G program provides 80% of the organization’s tracked training. In 2020 11,000 volunteers from the company helped their peers by offering teaching courses, mentoring, and designing learning materials.

Google’s key learnings:

1. Trust is critical

The initial launch of the G2G program was highly successful because anyone could become a trainer, and there was a greater degree of trust in employees to upskill new employees.
However, as the program became more formalized, the requirements for becoming a trainer became mandatory and very restrictive. These requirements indicated a lack of trust in participants to get the job done well, resulting in a stalled program. Google realized that the key is to have influence, not control, over the job shadowing program.

2. A core set of beliefs

Google developed a core set of beliefs to guide the G2G program. These were:
1. Every Googler had the right to learn, regardless of location, role, tenure, or level.
2. Googlers had the capacity to grow Google’s learning culture.
3. Learning and development should act as a guide and empower, not own and control the program.

3. Build an infinitely scalable solution

Google set up its systems and infrastructure in a way that enabled the program to be scaled rapidly. They did this through:
- Instituted standard tracking to understand who was teaching, when, to who, and how well they were doing with it. This helped them to continuously optimize the system and help improve the success metrics. This helped the quality of the program improve as it scaled.
- Google launched the ‘Office Leads Program’, which provided on-the-ground support to the G2G Program participants. This ensured that there was always a lead of the program available within every location.
- Removed the mandatory requirements of the program and made these optional to participants. Full participation tripled in the first year that these were made optional, and satisfaction ratings from participants who completed the program increased significantly.

Tips for successful job shadowing

Match shadowing candidates and mentors based on career interests, skill development needs, and compatibility.

Ensure the program is inclusive and accessible to employees.

Create a plan to analyze the program’s effectiveness through participant feedback, performance evaluations, and success metrics.

Gather feedback from both shadowing candidates and their mentors to identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments.

Foster a culture of openness and collaboration that encourages employees to work together both for the sake of their own knowledge and growth as well as for the organization’s stability.

Provide ongoing support and resources for both shadowing candidates and mentors in order to keep them engaged and less prone to frustration.

Key takeaway

Keeping employees engaged in work and creating a cohesive team are among some of the top challenges for companies as new generations of workers have not only a greater appetite for learning but also far more options for employment.

A job shadowing program can be a positive addition to your company as it benefits both the employer and the employee. It also comes at a lower cost than covering educational expenses as a workplace benefit or dealing with the constant churn resulting from employees feeling undervalued or disengaged.

It’s important to obtain feedback from your workers throughout the development and implementation of your program and to make necessary adjustments as needed to keep the program viable and valuable for your entire team for years to come.

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Catherine Scott

Catherine is the Manager, Editorial Content & Strategy at AIHR. She manages the content for AIHR's blogs. Catherine aspires to provide content that is relevant, insightful, and unique to the HR audience.