Checklist to Design Effective Job Aids

A job aid provides concise information or an easy-to-follow set of instructions to perform a specific task or procedure. Job aids are known by a variety of names, including: "cheat sheets," quick reference cards, performance aids, getting-started guides, flowcharts, checklists or "read me first." Regardless of what name we call them, job aids are designed to help us quickly and easily accomplish a goal, such as connect a digital camera to a PC, fill out an accident report, or find client information in the new database system. The two key words that define a job aid’s value are the words, "quickly" and "easily."

Job aids often can be produced quickly and inexpensively and should be considered an integral part of your training and documentation efforts. Job aids have many advantages and benefits, including:

- Enhancing retention and transfer of training to the job
- Providing consistency
- Supplying just-in-time information
- Communicating updates to learners or system users
- Reducing information overload in training
- Improving efficiency and quality
- Reducing risk and safety accidents
- Orienting new employees to job tasks

Job aids come in many formats, including checklists, step-by-step instructions, flowcharts, decision trees, graphic diagrams, worksheets, forms and look-up tables. The key to designing an effective job aid is careful planning and needs analysis to select the format and content for the job aid that best suits the target job need and audience.

Use the checklist job aid below as a guide to create and evaluate your own job aids.

Complete the Needs Analysis: Determine ...
- Purpose, audience, access, usage during training and on-the-job
- Subject matter experts and project team members (include representative users on the project team)
- Topic and sequence of topics
- Budget and timeframe for pilot and rollout
- Media and format
- Distribution and maintenance


2. Gather the Information: This can include ...
- Job information, concepts, and/or key business measures
- Procedures, process flowcharts, and decision trees
- Worksheets or forms
- Sequence of steps/commands for specific job tasks
- Sample documents
- Sample formats for job aids
- Screen shots for software programs
- Graphics

3. Meet with the Project Team to decide:
- Final size and design plans
- Page layout
- Conventions
- Use of graphics
- Creating a template

4. Create a Mock-Up
- Present to project team
- Make edits
- Review final outline draft
- Get final approval of final layout and topic sequence

5. Create Job Aid
o- Have subject matter experts, sample users, and content reviewers review draft
- Make edits as needed

6. Pilot the Job Aid
- Plan communication strategy
- Print job aid (limited copies as needed) or make available in other media
- Gather feedback from pilot group of representative users
- Review feedback with project team and prioritize edits
- Make edits as needed for rollout

7. Implement the Job Aid
- Plan printing and distribution schedule
- Create a maintenance and update strategy
- Plan communication strategy
- Print, communicate about, and distribute the job aid

8. Evaluate the Job Aid
- Plan evaluation strategy
- Distribute questionnaire
- Tabulate results and review with project team
- Conduct interviews, focus groups, and observations to gather additional feedback
- Prioritize edits
- Create a maintenance and update strategy
- Make edits as needed for ongoing maintenance

Susan Boyd has over 30 years experience in the training and computer education field and has designed and delivered instructor-led training, virtual webinars, and online e-learning courses. The president of Susan Boyd Associates, she has extensive experience in planning and managing computer training projects, and has directed and participated all phases of the projects including: needs analysis, course development, training the trainers, course delivery and follow-up. For information, visit www.susan-boyd.com.