Using Simple Poll To Combat Knowledge Decay in Corporate Training

As Human Resource and Learning & Development professionals, we are all too familiar with the challenges of ensuring that training is not only delivered effectively but also retained by employees over the long term. One of the most significant hurdles we face is the phenomenon known as Ebbinghaus's Forgetting Curve, which illustrates how quickly learned information can fade from memory if not regularly reinforced.

Understanding Ebbinghaus's Forgetting Curve

The Forgetting Curve demonstrates that learners typically forget 50% of new information within an hour of learning it, and up to 70% within 24 hours if no attempt is made to retain it. This rapid decline in retention underscores the importance of continuous reinforcement to ensure that the time and resources invested in training yield sustainable benefits.

The Risk of Knowledge Decay

For most businesses, the implications of the forgetting curve are profound. People development are designed to enhance employee skills, improve performance, and ultimately drive the organisation's success. However, if key elements of these activities are not retained, their effectiveness is diminished, leading to wasted resources and missed opportunities for growth and improvement. In critical areas such as compliance, safety, and customer service, knowledge decay can also pose significant risks to the organisation.

Combatting the Forgetting Curve with Simple Poll in Slack

One practical and effective solution to combat the forgetting curve is the use of Simple Poll to reinforce your activities. By automating and scheduling polls, HR and L&D professionals can keep critical pieces of information at the forefront of their employees' minds.

How Does This Work In Reality?

1. Setup: Simple Poll is easily integrated into Slack, allowing you to create and send polls directly within your Slack channels or to individual users.
2. Identify Reinforcement Areas: Speak with the subject matter expert to identify the areas that are typically forgotten about and would therefore benefit from additional reinforcement. Work with them to craft a series of polls to provide that additional reinforcement.
3. Automate Your Polls: Prepare and schedule your polls in advance, ensuring that reinforcement is consistent and timely. For example, if employees have completed a training session on data security, you can schedule weekly polls to ask key questions related to that subject for the next four weeks.
4. Review The Responses: This will help to identify not only where additional 1:1 reinforcement might be needed but also if there are areas of widespread misunderstanding which could indicate that the training needs refining.

Benefits of Using Simple Poll

Reinforcement: Regular polling helps to reinforce key training concepts, aiding in long-term retention and application.

Engagement: Polls keep employees engaged and thinking about the subject, making the learning process more dynamic and interactive.

Feedback: Immediate feedback allows for quick identification of knowledge gaps and provides opportunities for corrective action.

Convenience: Automated and scheduled polls ensure that reinforcement happens consistently without adding to the HR or L&D team's workload.

In the fast-paced corporate world, ensuring that training is not only delivered but also retained is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge. Ebbinghaus's forgetting curve highlights the need for continuous reinforcement of training content to prevent knowledge decay.

By leveraging Simple Poll within Slack, HR and L&D professionals can create an effective reinforcement strategy that keeps critical training information fresh in employees' minds, ultimately enhancing the overall effectiveness of training programs and contributing to the organisation's success.

Incorporate Simple Poll into your training reinforcement strategy today, and turn the tide against the Forgetting Curve in your organisation!