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September 30, 2017 • read
Turnover Costs and the PDC
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Skyward Insider Team Skyward Expert |
Skyward Insider Team
Turnover can be costly.
If your team consists of silos of experts, it’s time to develop a deeper staff lineup to combat these costs. The fact is, many districts struggle to reduce turnover-related expenses and are left searching for ways to reduce the impact of an ever-revolving door.
Skyward’s Professional Development Center can help you carry out more efficient onboarding, cross-train employees in every department, and lay a strong foundation for your employees’ long-term success. Let’s take a closer look.
Efficient Onboarding
Onboarding is about more than paperwork and introductions – it’s about getting recruits up to speed quickly and helping them build confidence from the get-go. When it comes to an employee’s first few weeks and months in a new role, nothing is more detrimental than ambiguity and a lack of accountability. This is where the PDC comes in.You can assign courses relevant to the areas in Skyward that new hires will engage in daily. Courses allow self-paced learning and include clearly-defined goals and knowledge checks at the end of each section. Supervisors can track each individual’s progress, ensuring better accountability for the critical early learning objectives that build a foundation for their success.
What’s more, using the PDC during onboarding plants a seed for future learning. Employees who fly through Quick Start courses might feel compelled to take on a Mastery Course or even become a certified Skyward module expert. Speedier onboarding helps new employees become independent contributors in record time.
More Cross-Training, Less Turnover
What does cross training have to do with reducing turnover? To start, ongoing professional growth keeps employees engaged in their work. Research from the National Research Business Institute shows that almost ¼ of employees leave due to lack of development and training.Cross-training works for school staff for the same reasons it works for world-class athletes: exceptional teams are built when individuals are strong and flexible enough to be able to step up to help a sidelined teammate. Occurrences like parental leave don’t have to be anything but a reason for celebration when Quick Start Courses can get teammates up to speed even before the due date.
The PDC makes it easier to ensure that no process is known by only one person. And the benefits compound – once cross-training becomes a routine practice, the effects of lowered stress, increased confidence, and reduced turnover can have a noticeable positive impact on your school culture.
Digital Badging & the Future of PD
The future of professional development lies in digital badging. With the PDC, staff can earn digital badges for each completed course, building a living portfolio of their skillsets. Beyond being a resume booster, digital badges offer a tangible goal to aspire to and a legitimate reason to become more productive with technology.The PDC’s digital badges are aligned with Open Badges standards and provide proof of achievement for users in every role. This kind of authenticated evidence of core tech competencies enables employees to take charge of their professional progress and helps leaders identify local experts in every area. Earning a set of badges could even become part of an employee’s improvement or effectiveness plan.
Digital badging gives employees full ownership of their learning and helps them become confident in their ability to effectively navigate the tools they use every day. When technology not only fits with the culture you hope to build, but helps shape it, you know you’re on the right path.
Are you getting the most out of the PDC? Learn how you can foster a culture of continuous learning, preparedness, and teamwork with these 5 Steps to Success for PDC administrators.
Thinking about edtech for your district? We'd love to help. Visit skyward.com/get-started to learn more.
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Skyward Insider Team Skyward Expert |
