Making learning and development a priority in retail

It's peak season for retailers and Deloitte is predicting holiday sales, from November to January 2024, will reach $1.54 trillion to $1.56 trillion. This means more customers, more returns, and ultimately, less time for other important, and often undervalued, efforts such as learning and development.

In recent years, customer expectations have evolved, and consumers expect faster service alongside more personalized experiences — leading to an increased need for a consistent retail experience that will create customer satisfaction and loyal customers.

Learning and development is a key tactic to making sure that employees can provide the positive experience necessary to create repeat customers in a fast-paced, constantly changing environment.

But, considering that sales are expected to rise 3.5-4.6%, how can employees find the time to make this a priority?

Why adopt just-in-time training?

Taking the time to complete training remains one of the biggest hurdles in the retail industry. Enter just-in-time training. As a time-sensitive form of training, just-in-time training is a great solution for retailers to help seasonal workers get up to speed quickly, increasing customer loyalty, while creating many internal benefits for the team.

• Accessibility: Working in retail is busy and, at times, overwhelming. Because of the fast-paced environment, learning and development tends to take a back seat to immediate customer needs. Just-in-time training allows employees to access quick training sessions that support their work in the very moment that they need it. For example, in recent years retail employees utilize tablets while on the sales floor. By having training in the palm of their hand or, in this case, tablet, businesses can provide training that is accessible to them while they are on the move.
• Cost savings: By developing targeted materials that can be accessed when a learner needs them, employers can reduce their dependence on lengthy, and often times, more expensive training courses.
• Increased productivity and desire to learn: Just-in-time training increases employee productivity and reduces burnout by providing employees the opportunity to learn in the flow of work. This flexible approach lends itself to a culture of continuous learning, allowing employees to acquire new skills and knowledge that keeps them motivated in their day-to-day tasks.

How to facilitate just-in-time training in retail

While the benefits of L&D in retail are clear, implementing an efficient and quality program is another hurdle entirely. Adopting a new L&D strategy, like just-in-time training, can seem daunting, but there are a few ways retailers can make this process simpler and a valuable experience for learners and employers alike.

Identify and anticipate employers' needs: In L&D, being proactive is essential in order to ensure employees are trained properly before an issue arises. As such, L&D professionals should strive to anticipate when their teams will need just-in-time training by regularly connecting with managers to identify tasks that may require additional training. For example, retailers may discover that their customer service teams find it challenging to help a customer when they identify more than one possible solution for the issue at hand, or that tasks are incomplete when employees are faced with new technology or processes, both of which tell the organization's L&D professional where additional training is needed.

Don't over complicate the training: When employees seek out just-in-time training, they are in search of quick answers to address real-time challenges, such as a customer complaint or questions about restocking an item. While designing these types of modules, it is important to keep in mind the sense of urgency the employee is probably feeling and keep the training simple. Employers should focus on what their employees need to know and what essential information employees can grasp quickly to solve the issue in real-time. This approach will help maximize the effectiveness of just-in-time training while also saving time.

Focus on "must haves" first: There is no shortage of what an employer wants their employee to learn, but when it comes to just-in-time training it's better to start with the basics. Just-in-time training is designed to allow employees to squeeze a lesson into an already busy schedule. If employers inundate their staff with a wide variety of trainings, it can lead to fatigue and burnout. When prioritizing which trainings to focus on, employers should first focus on "must have" trainings, followed by "nice to have."

Just-in-time learning provides a convenient path for accessing content that is flexible and adaptable to learners' needs. Not only does this benefit the employee, but also benefits retailers by saving on costs, boosting employee satisfaction by reducing burnout, and contributing to a better customer experience, especially during the peak holiday shopping season.