The Role of Trainees in Knowledge Transfer and Succession Planning

Key Takeaways

• Knowledge transfer is how skills and know-how pass from experienced staff to newer ones. Succession planning is how you prepare for key people leaving.
• Trainees are well placed to learn from experienced staff while they are still available to teach.
• Written procedures capture explicit knowledge. Mentoring and working side by side capture tacit knowledge.
• Start succession planning by listing the roles and skills your business cannot afford to lose.
• A trainee is not a guaranteed successor, but the process shows who has the potential.

Introduction

Knowledge transfer and succession planning are two parts of the same problem: what happens to your business when an experienced person moves on. The role of trainees in knowledge transfer is to learn from those people in a planned way, so that skills are passed on before they are needed.

Future1st is a Melbourne group training organisation that recruits, employs and places apprentices and trainees with businesses in Victoria. The host business provides the day-to-day work and supervision, which is where most knowledge passes from one person to another. This guide explains the types of knowledge, the common obstacles and a practical approach.

Two Kinds of Knowledge

Explicit knowledge

This is knowledge that can be written down: manuals, procedures, checklists, templates and records. It is easy to share, but only helps if it is current and easy to find.

• Keep procedures short and dated.
• Store them where trainees can find them.
• Ask trainees to point out steps that are unclear. They will often notice first.

Tacit knowledge

This is what experienced people know without thinking about it: how a machine sounds when something is wrong, which customer needs a call, how to read a situation. It is hard to write down, so it passes mainly through working together.

• Pair the trainee with the expert on real tasks.
• Ask the expert to talk through decisions as they make them.
• Let the trainee try the task while the expert watches.

What Gets in the Way

Several common obstacles block knowledge transfer.

• Turnover: when someone leaves suddenly, what they knew can leave with them.
• Time pressure: busy people skip teaching because the job has to be done now.
• Different generations: people with long experience and people new to work may communicate differently.
• Silos: knowledge held by one person or team and not shared.
• Reluctance: some staff worry that sharing what they know makes them less valuable.

Naming these problems makes them easier to plan around. Reluctance in particular is easier to handle when experienced staff are recognised as teachers, not replaced by them.

How Trainees Help

A trainee is new, curious and expected to learn. That makes them a natural recipient of knowledge.

• Learning in a planned way: a trainee follows a training plan, so what is taught can be set out in advance.
• Asking questions: trainees ask the questions that experts have stopped asking themselves.
• Documenting: asking a trainee to write up a procedure as they learn it creates a useful record and checks that they understand.
• Spotting potential: you can see who picks things up quickly and takes responsibility.

Our post on the role of trainees in supporting organisational growth and expansion looks at the wider picture.

A Simple Succession Plan

Succession planning does not have to be complicated. A short written plan reviewed twice a year is better than a long one that is never looked at.

Step 1: Identify key roles and skills

List the roles that would cause serious problems if they were suddenly vacant. For each, note the skills and relationships involved.

Step 2: Find who could learn them

Look at your current staff and trainees. Who has shown interest or aptitude?

Step 3: Plan the transfer

Decide who will teach whom, which tasks come first and how long it might take. Build this into the trainee's regular plan.

Step 4: Capture what can be written

Update procedures and checklists, and record anything that only one person knows.

Step 5: Review

Check progress regularly and change the plan when people or priorities change.

Mentoring and Digital Tools

Mentoring is the main way tacit knowledge passes on. Choose mentors who are respected and willing, and give them time for the role.

Digital tools can help store explicit knowledge, share short training clips and keep records in one place. They support mentoring and do not replace it. See the role of trainees in driving digital transformation for ideas.

Measure What You Are Passing On

Ask whether the process is working.

• Can the trainee do the tasks the expert used to do alone?
• Are procedures up to date?
• Could someone cover if the expert were away tomorrow?
• What does the trainee say is still unclear?

For more on tracking results, see how to measure the success of trainee programs. Future1st field officers visit workplaces and training institutes to monitor progress, so tell your contact if training is not going as planned.

Related Resources

• The Role of Trainees in Supporting Organisational Growth and Expansion
• The Role of Trainees in Driving Digital Transformation
• How to Measure the Success of Trainee Programs
• The Impact of Trainee Programs on Employee Engagement
• The Impact of Trainee Programs on Employer Branding
• Traineeship and apprenticeship job board

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between knowledge transfer and succession planning?

Knowledge transfer is passing skills and know-how from one person to another. Succession planning is preparing for key roles to change hands.

What is tacit knowledge?

It is the know-how people hold without writing it down, such as judgement built from years of doing a task.

Will a trainee take over from an experienced worker?

Not necessarily. A trainee learns part of the role, and what they take on depends on their progress and your needs.

Who supervises the trainee?

The host business provides day-to-day work and supervision. Future1st is the legal employer and handles payroll and training administration.

How often should I review a succession plan?

Twice a year is a reasonable rhythm, and any time a key person gives notice or a role changes.

Pass On What Your Best People Know

Start with the one skill your business would struggle without and pair it with a learner. To see current traineeship and apprenticeship roles, browse the job board or call Future1st on (03) 9656 9797.