DAY ONE 

It’s day one at my first retail job. I’m a sales associate at Urban Outfitters. They pack me and the other new hires into a small office with a piece of paper and training videos loaded on the computer. First, my manager talks through the store policies, periodically stopping to ask if any of us have questions. Later, she leaves the room to handle the sales floor while we sit together and watch an hour-long video breaking down the history of Urban Outfitters and the corporate culture they aim to cultivate in all their stores across the country. 

My first real shift comes a few weeks later. The senior members of my team started to train me on different stations, and through trial and error, learned experience, and asking questions I grew more confident in my position. But do I remember everything they told me during orientation?  

NO! 

My point is that there are many ways to handle the onboarding or training of a new employee, but sitting people down in a room and talking to them doesn’t inspire understanding or efficiency in the long run if they’re forced to ask the same questions weeks later. 

New technology platforms, such as Axonify, a mobile learning service utilizing microlearning and AI to train and engage employees, are taking advantage of technology’s accessibility and impact to provide training programs with real applications in their workplace.  

Axonify delivers optimization in three key sectors: Learning, Communications, and Operations. 

For new employees, repeated learning exercises, alongside AI generated reinforcement, work to improve retention and bring new team members up to speed faster. Communication is an integral part of a well-functioning business, and having two-way communication at your fingertips keeps the staff engaged with new efforts, informed on recent developments, and connected from the top down. When it comes to daily operations, Axonify takes the traditional training method to the next level with guided task management and demonstrates the ways training modules have real life application in daily operations.  

Technology is at the root of all the success Axonify has gained. AI-powered brain science rewards employees for their dedication to training and improvement. This encourages positive behavior and empowers the frontline with all the tools they need to shine on the floor.   

If you’re a business with a “bring your own device” (BYOD) policy, easily accessible software emerging from companies like Axonify integrates seamlessly into your operations. Providing an easily accessible and useful application that prioritizes learning and engagement within the organization, beyond the initial training period, is essential for curating a team of informed and prepared professionals (Axonify.com). 

This touching story details the importance of employee engagement and learning in all facets of a business. Dick Johnson, the former CEO of Foot Locker, proudly completed the Axonify training of the day and even boasted about how well he did to his team. On the surface, it’s surprising that a CEO would participate in a training initiative designed to strengthen his team’s knowledge and workplace readiness. However, this proves that empathetic leadership and team engagement span from C-level professionals to frontline workers serving customers on the sales floor (Parker 2024). 

Enabling a team to perform at their best means investing in all the resources available to keep up with a growing staff and an evolving business model. Technology puts expert training insights into the hands of the most influential and impacted people. One program that unites and informs all departments on the skills they’ll need to efficiently excel at their jobs everyday drives businesses forward. Retail is an industry known for its quick turnover rate, meaning there’s an incentive to not only maintain employees by offering a connected work environment but also to continuously add or replace members of the team seamlessly, without disturbing the flow of daily operations. If senior employees stop work to constantly repeat directions and answer questions, no one can perform at their full capacity and represent the business well. I encourage all businesses to rethink their approach to training new and current employees. New technology invites your staff to engage with team members all over the country or even the world in seconds and learn more about their roles through proactive training exercises and positive reinforcements with undeniable results.  

What starts on day one carries over, defining the future of your business and your employees’ success.