鈥淲hen we鈥檙e out in stores, people are saying learning is easier than ever. We鈥檙e hearing managers say that this is such an incredible tool to leverage to coach their associates.鈥
Jamie Furey, VP of Talent Management, Learning and Diversity, Lowe鈥檚
Building a compelling associate journey at Lowe鈥檚
Last year, home improvement spending hit all-time highs. One survey found that three out of four American homeowners have completed a home renovation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lowe鈥檚 stores across the country saw high demand from customers looking to change up their living spaces.
Transformation was underway behind the scenes at Lowe鈥檚, too. Over the past year, they have re-envisioned their associate journey to ensure that the frontline has everything they need to perform their best on the job.
鈥淲e鈥檝e really adapted a mentality at Lowe鈥檚 that training is continuous,鈥 says Jamie Furey, VP of Talent Management, Learning and Diversity at Lowe鈥檚. 鈥淲e believe that training has to be there at all the moments that matter. In retail, those moments are when you start, when you interact with a customer, when we change over our products and trends. There are so many moments that matter, so we just knew that we had to be there more often.鈥
Lowe鈥檚 partnered with 91看片网 to create Lowe鈥檚 U, a one-stop shop for personalized, bite-sized training, communications and on-demand job aids and resources. It鈥檚 all accessible on the devices they鈥檙e already using, so they can keep the learning going without leaving the floor.
Streamlined onboarding sets associates up for success
Furey and her team knew that an associate鈥檚 first few weeks on the job set the tone for their whole tenure with the company. Their goal: stop firehosing new hires with content they can鈥檛 possibly absorb and remember. To do that, they had to get strategic about what associates need to learn and when.
鈥淲e went on this quest to figure out the five things that are most important for associates to get done when they first start, for every department at Lowe鈥檚,鈥 Furey explained. 鈥淲e rooted our onboarding program around those five most important things, breaking them down in a really digestible way.鈥
This meant developing new content鈥800 micro videos, as well as a host of quizzes, images and hands-on activities. The content was personalized to each department and served up in different modalities to accommodate different learning styles.
鈥淲e wanted to think about onboarding the way that a new associate might,鈥 Furey explained. 鈥淲e鈥檝e broken it down so that in eight shifts or less you will go through your onboarding content, and we鈥檝e created a full shift plan. It鈥檚 very easy to finish something and move onto the next thing鈥攊t guides you through it. Associates have a million things going on when they first start. Being told very clearly in a succinct way how to get yourself onboarded is a big win in and of itself.鈥
Continuous learning boosts confidence and competence
Furey and her team recognized that the traditional way of training鈥攑iling everyone into the backroom or a conference room for long sessions鈥攄idn鈥檛 match the reality of life on the frontlines.
鈥淵ou learn best when you鈥檙e in the environment where you鈥檒l be applying the learning. So we wanted to get learning out on the floor, around the products, around the customers, around the people that you work with. It was really important for us to provide learning at the time of need, out on the floor,鈥 said Furey.
Associates can easily fit learning into their day, building their skills and knowledge on a continuous basis. Over 80% of Lowe鈥檚 associates log in between 2 – 5 times a week for quick training sessions to reinforce critical information and get them up to speed on new developments.
鈥淭hings are always changing. That鈥檚 the constant in retail,鈥 said Furey. 鈥淲ith the partnership of 91看片网, we鈥檙e able to continuously send new tips, tricks, videos, facts and microlearning on product knowledge, customer trends and seasonalities.鈥
Giving associates short, digestible training content, accessible in the moment of need, is proving to be a game-changer.
鈥淲e can have people repeat training as needed, because we鈥檝e shortened the training and made it really compelling and bite-sized. And they鈥檙e able to apply that knowledge quickly, because we aren鈥檛 giving them everything at once.鈥
Better frontline performance is good for business
鈥淲hen we鈥檙e out in stores, people are saying learning is easier than ever,鈥 says Furey. 鈥淲e鈥檙e hearing managers say that this is such an incredible tool to leverage to coach their associates.鈥
When associates are equipped to perform their best, that means happier employees, smoother operations and better service for customers. It鈥檚 no wonder that Lowe鈥檚 views continuous learning as critical to their continued growth in a competitive market.
鈥淟owe鈥檚 U has become a platform that allows us to make sure that we鈥檙e able to go after being a growth retailer and being the best home improvement retailer.鈥
