“Knowledge is constructed through social interaction and shared experience.” — Lev Vygotsky
We’ve all experienced the power of collaboration — whether in college or at work — and consequently, are aware of its benefits as a success driver. Though we’ve witnessed the power of social learning for ourselves, many of us fail to incorporate it into onboarding. Most new hires still sit through hours of slides, videos and lectures that don’t reflect how people actually learn in the real world.
Social learning tactics often show up in classrooms and academic settings, yet they don’t always make it into corporate learning. That’s a missed opportunity.
So, let’s change that. Here’s a quick look at why social and collaborative learning should be part of your onboarding — and three practical ways to make it happen.
3 Social Learning Tactics for Onboarding
Collaborative learning in onboarding can help increase sense of employee belonging from day one. According to a report published on ScienceDirect, “Benefits of Collaborative Learning,” social learning can increase the chance for higher achievement, greater productivity and stronger relationships. Since new hires are entering a new work setting, it’s vital that they are set up to build meaningful relationships from the start.
Aside from delivering a large amount of information to trainees, another key goal of onboarding is to equip new hires with the resources they need to flourish. With a social network, new hires can support one another not only through onboarding, but also, as a new work buddy moving forward. Collaborative learning activities can help strengthen the social bonds new hires are already forming just by being in the same space. When you combine that stronger network with better learning retention and higher engagement, you can create a powerful way to boost the learning outcomes that matter most during onboarding.
Many learning theory and teaching courses emphasize the importance of techniques, like “Think-Pair-Share” or “Socratic Questioning,” yet we often find ourselves listening to an instructor ask, “Do you have any questions?” This is a common and not-so effective way to check for understanding. Let’s tactically dive into an easy technique that should replace that question in your onboarding programs forever.
1. “Think Pair Share.”
After covering a key concept or difficult section of a presentation, ensure to assess comprehension prior to moving to the next section. Instead of posing a generic question to the room, you should say, “Turn to the person next to you and take turns explaining what we just covered to one another in your own words.” Then, after one to two minutes of discussion, call on a few individuals and ask them to share what they discussed. This simple replacement for, “Are there any questions?” can promote social learning, multiple opportunities for understanding and increased learning retention. By putting concepts into their own words and then explaining them to others, learners can solidify what they know and expose gaps in their understanding, prompting meaningful clarifying questions.
2. Real world applications.
Another easy-to-implement strategy is a group application of real-world scenarios with your onboarding content. If you place trainees into small groups and have them leverage the knowledge, they have gained so far in an example that mirrors a real-world scenario, you can reap many of the benefits we have discussed so far. For example, give each group a potential buyer with specific pain points and have them decide which products they would offer and why. Then, have them present their solutions and discuss their reasoning. This approach can drive engagement, enhance retention and replicate the real working environment that new hires are stepping into. If your training is predominantly lecture-based, this technique can break the monotony and reinforce learning through active participation.
3. The learner-led model.
This concept is simple but may require an upfront investment in creating a clear, consistent source of truth and a shift in the instructor’s role from lecturer to facilitator. After a brief introduction to the material, learners should work in groups to answer real-world questions such as, “What does this product do?” or “Why is this user interface (UI) element green?” Instead of the instructor providing answers, learners find the answers themselves by using company resources, such as a knowledge repository, and asking questions to one another, mirroring the behavior you want them to exhibit after onboarding ends.
This model can promote engagement through active problem-solving, social collaboration and peer-to-peer learning, and emulate a workplace-relevant approach to finding information. By layering in collaborative learning and questioning techniques, the instructor can become a guide on the side, creating a perpetually engaging environment.
We all should recognize the value of collaborative and social learning, yet we often struggle to integrate it effectively into onboarding.
Take a moment to evaluate your onboarding program through these lenses: Where can you increase opportunities for new hires to talk, collaborate and problem-solve? How can you ensure they leave your program already feeling like part of a team?
By making small but intentional shifts in how you facilitate learning, you can transform onboarding from a passive experience into an active, engaging and highly effective one.
