It’s a bird, it’s a plane, No! It’s the Mighty Job Aid! A job aid is a step-by-step guide for performing a task on the job. Nowadays job aids are also called Performance Support Tools.
Job aids can take many forms such as checklists, worksheets, tables, and flow charts. Your content drives the form the job aid will take. For example, if you are teaching a process, a flow chart makes sense. If you are creating a job aid to help a supervisor oversee someone’s work on the job, a checklist makes sense.
Job aids are an instructional designer’s best friend. Why you ask? I love them because they save you both design and development time if you use them to replace or supplement formal training. If you base some or all of your training on job aids then all you have to do is teach people how to use them!
Here is an example of how you can use a job aid to save training time: Let’s say the Human Resources Department asks you to design some training for new hires on how to log in to the company’s computer system. Rather than designing time consuming instructor-led training, design a one page, step-by-step job aid with graphics and include it with a new hire packet of materials. You can leave your name and extension at the bottom of the job aid giving employees an opportunity to call you if they need further assistance. Training is done!
So when should you use job aids anyway? Use them if:
1. The tasks you teach are performed infrequently on the job
People forget what they do not use often so create them a job aid to help them remember!
2. It is critical that the tasks be performed correctly
If someone is working with heavy machinery, power tools, or electricity then job aids can help prevent injuries.
3. Training cannot be done in a timely manner
If you are teaching software, for example, and the version is not going to be released immediately after training, learners will need a job aid to refresh their memory on how to perform key tasks once the software is ready for use.
Job aids are really fun to develop if you are a creative person. Keep these tips in mind when designing and developing your tools:
- Keep them short, 1-2 pages is fine – Learners won’t use a job aid if it’s too long.
- Use graphics and text – Pictures with text will aid retention and help the visual learners, too.
- Use plenty of white space – Learners can add additional notes if they wish.
- Number your steps clearly – This format will promote the correct application of the task if sequencing is important to the task at hand.
I hope that you will consider using job aids to replace or supplement every training program you design. They are huge time savers and learners will love them! If you are not convinced that job aids can leap tall buildings in a single bound, try assembling that new barbecue grill or home gym equipment by yourself without any instructions!
Do you have any job aid tips you’d like to share?
Lynne
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