launchfire.com

OnbOarding

SeaSOnal emplOyeeS

With game baSed training

The holiday season is the busiest — and most

profitable — time of year for many retailers.

But it’s also a time when they bring in large

numbers of new employees. Seasonal workers handle the holiday rush on the frontline. They interact with

your customers and represent your brand. Yet almost 30% of them don’t receive

any training.1

We get it. Investing in training temporary employees can seem like an unnecessary

expense. After all, they’re only here for a few months. Why bother?

Here’s why.

Regardless of their temporary status, seasonal staff represent your brand.

They interact directly with your customers. Customers who expect them to

be knowledgeable and helpful. In fact, a knowledgeable sales staff is one of the

most important aspects of the customer experience.4

And without proper training they can leave customers with a negative experience, hurting your brand’s reputation and potentially losing future sales.

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1Consumers like talking to Sales StaffA competent sales staff is important, even in the digital age.

1 in 3 consumers prefer to consult store associates when selecting

products.2

But to provide the assistance consumers expect, your sales staff

need to be trained in:

• Product Knowledge

• Customer Service

• Sales Skills

Without these basic skills and knowledge, your new employees

just won’t be effective. They’ll be scared customers will ask

questions they won’t be able to answer. And they’ll actively avoid

situations where that could occur.

Untrained employees are expensive

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Untrained employees just aren’t as good at their jobs as

trained employees. They tend to be:

• Less efficient

• Less productive

• Less knowledgeable on the sales floor

• Unable to offer great customer support

And all of that adds up to disgruntled customers and

lost sales. Not really what you want for your most

profitable quarter.

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how game based training Can helpTraining employees can be time consuming — and you need your

temporary employees on the floor. That’s where game based

training comes in.

It lets you create bite-sized training modules that can be completed

in short bursts. You can offer a variety of mini games that cover the

basic skills and knowledge your new employees need.

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role playing ScenariosRole playing scenarios are a great way for new sales staff

to practice skills in a safe environment.

Imagine a game, where to be successful employees had to

correctly suggest products, provide great customer service,

and select the right options to make the sale.

Basically everything they need to know to do their jobs.

It’s more engaging than traditional e-learning or in-classroom

training. And it’s less risky than on the job training since there are

no real customers to upset if the employee makes a mistake.

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product Knowledge gamesShort training games are a great way to improve your new

employees’ product knowledge.

You can create trivia games that ask questions about

product features. Or games that ask them to identify the

best product for a specific consumer problem.

Regardless of the structure, gamified training modules are

effective at getting employees to engage with content. They

appeal to employees’ competitive nature, getting them

to beat their previous scores, unlock new levels, or trump

their co-workers’ high scores.

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On the go trainingSince the training games are quick, they can be completed

whenever there is a lull in-store. Instead of pulling sales

staff off the floor for a full day of training, gamified training

modules ensure your staff are where you need them, with the

resources for help if they need it.

Plus employees can retake courses whenever they need a

refresher. The repetition helps with retention, and ensures the

new employees feel empowered in their position.

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perfect match for millennialsMost retail employees are Millennials and they learn in

distinctly different ways than other generations.3 Gamified

training solutions address these different factors, improving

the effectiveness of your onboarding training.

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Interactive TechnologyMillennials are comfortable using technology. And they

expect it to be used, especially if it makes tasks simpler.

Refusing to use technology in your training programs is

a sure-fire way to alienate your new employees and zap

their motivation.

But just adding powerpoint presentations with cheesy

instructional videos to your courses won’t cut it. Millennials

have high expectations for content — ones that are best

addressed with interactive technology, like gamified

training modules.

Mobile OptimizedMillennials also spend significant amounts of time on

their phones. Making your training modules mobile

accessible is an easy way to appeal to your new millennial

employees, while making sure they can access the training

whenever they need it. They could take a course on their

breaks, during a lull in-store, or even at home.

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provides Frequent FeedbackMillennials like to know how they are doing. But providing constant

feedback can be taxing on management. With gamified training

programs, they get instant feedback on their decisions within the

game. And that empowers them with skills and knowledge while

satisfying their need for frequent feedback.

Encourages CollaborationMillennials enjoy working in teams, but many times training is done

solo. Game based training on the other hand encourages a learning

community. It incorporates aspects of social learning that let new

employees learn from more seasoned ones.

Plus it encourages all of your employees to work as a team.

Something that 31% of retailers identified as an essential skill

for workers.1

1 • 800 • 896 • 4115

LET uS hELp!

SourcES: 1 http://www.retailcouncil.org/sites/default/files/documents/Retail_Training_Survey3.pdf 2 http://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/consumer-business/us-cb

-navigating-the-new-digital-divide-v2-051315.pdf 3 http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/qc/job_futures/statistics/6421.shtml 4 http://www.marketingcharts.com/traditional/what-does-it-take-to

-get-the-customer-experience-right-68648/attachment/cmocouncilsaphybris-most-important-attributes-customer-experience-jun2016/

The Bottom LineConsumers expect your sales staff to be competent and helpful. Untrained seasonal

employees just aren’t as effective, and can lead to lost sales and disgruntled customers.

Game based training is a great way to onboard your seasonal employees — especially if

they are millennials. Providing engaging bite-sized learning modules empowers new

employees with the skills and knowledge they need to perform their jobs. And that

improves their job performance while taking pressure off of your managers.

The holidays are the most profitable time of the year. Can you really afford not to train

your seasonal employees?

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