January Office Hours Recap: Refresher Training

Refresher Training & Memory

January's workshop kicked off with a powerful demonstration of how memory works through a simple sunset drawing exercise. This activity illustrated a crucial point: memories with context and personal connection are stronger and more detailed than abstract concepts. This led to the introduction of the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve, which shows that:

• Knowledge retention decreases dramatically over time
• By day 30, people only retain about 21% of what they learned on day one
• Regular reinforcement is crucial for long-term retention
• Context and personal connection strengthen memory retention

Proactive & Reactive Approaches to Refresher Training

The workshop identified two primary approaches to identifying areas for refresher training within your business:

Just-in-Time Training

A proactive approach to prevent bad habits that:

• Interferes before performance gaps develop
• Focuses on specific skills or knowledge areas
• Typically tied to upcoming events or changes (like menu updates)

Corrective Action Training

A reactive approach to address existing issues that:

• Responds to specific business problems
• Addresses performance gaps in operations
• Triggered by metrics like customer complaints or void rates

🍔 See how Smashburger revamped their product knowledge training by implementing 30-day automatic refresher training. Their strategic approach to menu training demonstrates how breaking down complex information into manageable pieces can lead to better retention and performance.

Strategy: Evaluating Training Gaps and Needs

Like all training initiatives, begin by defining your end goal. Determine the specific skills and abilities you want trainees to master after completing the training, and which methods make sense for your desired outcome. This focused approach will help you design more targeted and effective refresher training.

Consider Your Entire Training Toolkit

Before creating new training content, take inventory of your existing tools and resources - from in-person meetings to digital solutions - to determine the most effective way to deliver refresher training to your team.

• Pre-shift and post-shift meetings
• Messaging tools
• Quick assessments and pop quizzes
• Structured manager audits via Check-ins
• Role-playing exercises
• Short, focused videos (25-30 seconds)
• Message boards in back-of-house areas

Mastering a Slow-Drip Approach

Spreading out refresher training over time, rather than delivering it all at once, helps combat the natural forgetting curve and ensures better long-term retention of critical knowledge and skills.

• Break training into smaller, manageable pieces
• Space out content over time
• Combine different training methods
• Follow up with assessments after 7 days

Context Before Content

By providing real-world context and examples that mirror actual workplace situations, learners can more easily connect training concepts to their daily tasks, making the knowledge transfer from training to job performance more natural and effective.

• Repurpose existing training materials
• Keep videos short and focused
• Use scenario-based learning
• Incorporate real-life examples
• Make the content focused, simple, and in context

⏳ One thing at a time, over time. Before you address a training gap, keep prioritization and time top of mind. Respond first by addressing the immediate problem, then think about how you’ll follow-up to maximize knowledge retention. This allows you to be both reactive, driving immediate results, and proactive in considering the full training lifecycle.

Execution: Weighing Out Effort vs. Impact

To maximize impact while minimizing effort, we laid out these three steps:

Optimize Your Existing Content

• Make sure your resource library is up to date - old trainings may need to be corrected!
• Re-purpose existing trainings into one-time quizzes or simply reassign individual courses
• Utilize AI Assist to save time creating net-new training based on what you already have

Automate Where Possible

• Set up automatic 30-day refresher assignments using Paths
• Implement Check-ins with passing requirements to evaluate skills in-person and get your managers highly involved in day to day coaching

Focus on Specific Goals

• Target particular performance metrics. Go deeper than just “Provide a better guest experience”. What specifically about the guest experience are you trying to improve? Is it upselling? Is it guest connection which can also lead to increased sales?
• Address one section or topic at a time. Refresher training should be a reminder of what a team member has already learned.
• Create focused, short-form content. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new mediums like quick 30-45 second videos where you speak directly to your team members.

💡 Working on a new training initiative and not sure where to start? Visit help.opus.so to see our getting started guides and templates for Refresher, Role-Based, New Hire Training, and more.

Join us at Office Hours 🍏

Looking for more deep dives into training problems and use cases? By attending, you'll get to see and hear firsthand how your peers are tackling training problems in their businesses and offer up your own insights. Can't make it? No worries, we publish our recaps and takeaways on our blog.

Don't miss our upcoming session on "Creating a New Store Opening Game Plan." We'll share insights from successful expansions featuring testimonials and tips for Opus customers. Save your seat today.