FOCUS INTERVIEW
– as well as UK nationals – who will need to
fill those jobs, and whose development in our
experience has largely been held back through
underinvestment. They need to be trained to
a consistently high standard and – because
budgets are tight – at a low cost.
“This is why upskilling for the 98 per cent is
going to be key, and for us and for UK plc, the
big opportunity is in targeting that neglected
tier of workers.” For employers, it’s also a
vital way for them to be able to demonstrate
compliance with law and good practice.
The other ongoing debate within the sector
has been on whether FMs need to be accredited
or whether it’s just a matter of improving skills
and knowledge.
Comments Sharp: “I think formal
qualifications are still very valid and I
wouldn’t want to get into a bun fight between
qualifications and skills as they’re both
very important. But I do think that gaining
a professional qualification can o en be
overemphasised in comparison to ensuring
that everyone has the requisite skills. We as
a sector need to bring the skills of lower-paid
workers up because that’s where it is really
needed.”
The system has only been live a few weeks,
but given the skills shortage in the sector it’s
already created a lot of interest. Sharp has
also been surprised at how open people are to
using the technology. There is sometimes an
expectation that some frontline workers, such
as cleaners, might be put o by digital learning,
but he has talked to retail customers who’ve
already got iPads strapped to cleaning trolleys
to help their sta keep tabs on the need to
replenish supplies or monitor busy areas.
As for the argument that only the millennials
will get it, he says: “Some people have ideas
about technology and don’t trust it. But
we’ve demonstrated Workplace DNA to some
self-confessed luddites who really liked the
competitive elements and the leaderboard,
and if you can persuade them you can
30 APRIL 2020
People want to be part of something bigger –
they want to feel included and part of the
whole organisation.”
persuade anyone. It’s utter rubbish that it
is only millennials who adopt tech; older
people are quite comfortable using iPads
and mobile phones, you just have to make
the content interesting and engaging.”
With over 25 years’ experience of training
and development behind him, Sharp also
believes that the use of apps and social
media has a bigger part than ever to play
in keeping workers at the front line feeling
connected to their employers.
“People want to be part of something
bigger – they want to feel included and
part of the whole organisation. For their
part, employers have got to be aligned with
the needs of their employees, especially
in developing the right skills and the
confidence to do a good job. The new
metrics for learning and development are
engagement – not just once or twice a year,
but continuously – and the impact that
engagement has on performance. That is
what Workplace DNA is all about.”
DNA BASICS
There are over 400 five-minute
microlearning resources in the DNA library.
Every DNA learning resource includes a list
of the credentials upon which it is based,
as well as sources of further information
for learners. Content in the DNA resource
library is reviewed regularly. The five types
of credentialled sources are:
1. International bodies (such as the
International Labour Organization)
2. International standards (such as ISOs)
3. Professional bodies (such as RICS)
4. Legal or regulatory requirements (such as
UK and EU law)
5. Industry guidance (for example, codes
of practice)
The library is split into five di erent
resource types that each share a consistent
design and treat a subject from a di erent
perspective:
Defining
Need to know
Managing
Case stories
Compliance
Every resource ends with a standardised
five-question DNA test, taken from a bank
of 10 questions. Workplace DNA is built on
the premise that most people are already
fairly familiar with most subjects; it is not
a teaching resource, but instead aims to
refresh existing knowledge and challenge
normalised behaviours. There is no pass
mark for the quiz and no requirement for the
learner to re-access the resource to improve
a low score.
Key to the ecosystem is the learner’s DNA
score. This increases as they engage with
news and content, but will degrade over
time if the learner’s engagement level drops.
A learner can view their own performance
and that of their team members on a
leaderboard, while managers can view the
performance of their teams or benchmark
the DNA score of their organisation against
others in their sector.
REFERENCE NOTES
(1) www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/
peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/
bulletins/uklabourmarket/august2019
(2) www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/work/skills/
untapped-potential-uk-skills
(3) www.fmj.co.uk/dna-of-a-successful-facilitiesmanager
mapped-out/
(4) Microlearning to Boost the Employee Experience
(TD at Work) by Elise Greene Margol, ATD Press (2017)
(5) Learning Technologies in the Workplace: How
to successfully implement learning technologies in
organizations by Donald H Taylor, Kogan Page (2017)
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