Case study

From policy overwhelm to streamlined onboarding

We turned outdated policies into a streamlined training system for staff, volunteers, and board members of a non-profit organization, saving time and simplifying onboarding.

The client: A community-focused non-profit organization

The problem

They run over 40 programs a year with small staff and limited number of volunteers
Their overworked staff lacked time and resources to train new volunteers to support programs
Their policies and procedure documents were outdated and needed updating
Many of their new volunteers never received policies, procedures, or job descriptions.

The ask

The client approached Deveaux Learning Solutions, asking for an online course to help them train new volunteers. Here’s what they thought they needed.

Update the policies

The piles of policies and procedures that would normally be kept updated and stored properly were a mishmash of physical papers, half-written digital copies and unapproved updates.

Create a manual

There was no central location for the volunteers, let alone staff to find information if they needed it. This meant that questions couldn’t be answered or confirmed quickly when asked.

Develop training

Create a training course to inform new volunteers of the policies and procedures and make them aware of what their job duties are.

Make it easy to use

Consider the technical experience and literacy levels of the volunteers.

But there was more…

It would be nice if…

…this training could work across the organization for everyone to create a more streamlined onboarding system for the entire company. After consulting with the client, it became clear that one training program wasn’t going to cut it. The client needed to serve several learners: volunteers, staff and board members.

Heather Deveaux is smiling at her laptop while talking to a client on screen. Her coffee mug appears to her left and she wears a cream sweater.

Volunteers

Volunteers needed the least amount of information about the organization, but needed access and training related to policies, procedures and job duties. They needed a portal to login and participate in the training.

Staff

Staff needed more access than volunteers, but less than board members. They needed to be able to view volunteer progress and communicate with them effectively as well as update the training as needed.

Board members

Board members needed the most access to the training and documents to make appropriate updates and recommendations, as well as oversee the activities of the staff and volunteers. They also needed training on their roles.

The process to create streamlined onboarding

What started as a simple ask: update some policies and create a training, became a larger project when I realized they needed different information for different stakeholders: volunteers, staff and board members. In addition to the learners that would interact with the training, the staff needed to be able to update and maintain the solution I developed for them. Here’s how I worked with the organization to build a learning solution to suit their needs and ensure their ongoing autonomy.

Step 1: Review and update all existing policies, procedures and have them approved.

Time: 4 weeks

Step 2: Build a learning matrix for the 3-tiered system to assign learning pathways.

Time: 1 week

Step 3: Build learning materials for specific learning pathways based on required outcomes.

Time: 4 weeks

Step 4: Source and develop cloud-based LMS that could house multi-level learning pathways.

Time: 3 weeks

Powered by The DLS Method™

The results

At the end of 3 months, I had built a complete learning solution that was easy to use and update, considered the literacy and technical abilities of the end-users, provided a hub for reporting and progress tracking of the new training program. In addition to creating the training, these deliverables were also provided.

By using a cloud-based learning management system, the organization didn’t have to worry about hosting the tech. Because we opted for the free version of the software that had limited functionality, I built a 3-tiered learning matrix that allowed the learner to self-select and choose their own learning journey based on their position. Also, the LMS provided reporting and progress tracking, email management and communications functionality, and drag-and-drop updating for the admin staff. In addition, I trained the staff on how to use the LMS, manage users and pull reports.

The main objective of this project was to create training that would allow the staff to streamline the onboarding process of new volunteers. Because of the 3-tiered learning solution I built, I also created a set of onboarding manuals for each level of learning relevant to the end users. Each contained the updated and approved policies and procedures (employee handbook) as well as templates for requesting time off, submitting reports, and filing issues or requests. These manuals were adopted and used by the organization as standards.

It’s important that all training materials remain fluid to be adjusted or updated over time. Few training courses are truly “evergreen” in that the information remains true forever. Policies change and processes get updated. This 3-tiered learning solution was built so employees could easily maintain the products themselves. I provided in-house training for staff and conducted a full hand off with support for a period of time to ensure they were comfortable managing the system on their own.

In their own words

Town House Citizens Service League

“Working with Heather was a dream. She created a beautiful system to efficiently onboard staff and volunteers, which has, in turn, saved us time and money so we can focus our energy on impacting our community.” – Patti McDonald | Executive Director | Town House Citizens Service League

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