Job shadowing allows people to learn more about a particular occupation or profession so that they can gain a deeper understanding of the related daily activities. This is highly beneficial for college students as well as adults that are pursuing a specific field and who want more information to help them choose the right path. Job shadowing is not only beneficial for prospective workers but also for businesses interested in qualifying employees before hiring.

What Is Job Shadowing?

Job shadowing is where a business provides experiences for a student to perform a specific job by having them accompany a seasoned worker as they execute their daily tasks. This helps the student or person learn about the specific skills it takes to work in that field. The shadower is able to gain real world experience while learning if this career path is a good fit.

Molding Desired Skills

When a student or potential hire shadows, they become better educated about the job requirements. As they gain actual experience, the business gains more qualified employment candidates. Furthermore, companies can mold the working behaviors and habits of the shadower so they are more knowledgeable about company vision and goals. Components such as business principles, quality control and customer service can all be introduced during the shadow process. This allows for a business to develop prospective employees without having to pay for training wages until both parties are sure the role is a suitable fit.

Understanding Prospective Personas

What types of people are looking into working with your company? Job shadowing is a strategic method to answer that question. According to Chron, a shadow will display to the company new ideas they have learned in their schooling and the quality of education they have received. This helps the company to determine if certain schools are doing a better job than others at preparing students for the workforce. As people shadow, they learn new experiences and a business learns new techniques.

Developed Training Methods

Training can be an expensive task that requires a lot of time from experienced workers who are just trying to get their jobs done. Allowing people to shadow can cut down on the time and costs due to an educational experience that doesn't require payment. Additionally, through the shadowing process, the employee being shadowed doesn't have to compromise much time away from their duties because the person is there to observe rather than train. According to Bright Hub, many companies spend a substantial amount of funds on hiring professional training agencies or creating an in-house training department to groom new employees. However, with job shadowing all such expenses may get reduced or eliminated entirely.

Improve Productivity

People and students who seek job shadowing opportunities want to gain real world experience and will work hard to gain more knowledge in their desired field. A company that delivers educational opportunities will more likely gain and retain loyal employees. Your company can benefit from shadowing, as you are able to mold potential candidates. Those who shadow will benefit from the experience as well as the potential to work in their dream career.

Check out the guide below for information to maximize your organization's productivity and efficiency.