In an era when most people carry a computer, camera, and phone in their pockets, it only makes sense to provide training that uses the technology we’re all familiar with.
Last year, we rolled out Rootwurks “Launch and Learn” QR codes to allow clients to provide training with instant login, learning, and assessments that align with the speed of the digital age. The QR codes link up to individual courses, assessments, and quizzes, and allow team members and management to instantly launch training without complicated logins that gunk up the workflow.
Within only a year, it has become a game-changing feature for our clients.
The beauty of the QR code feature is in its simplicity. It allows training supervisors to sidestep complicated, one-by-one logins and get employees learning in an instant, while ensuring all progress and worker aptitude are tracked and recorded.
For onboarding, this means new hires begin their training without any cumbersome, individual logins overseen by management and without needing to print out multiple paper quizzes and assessments. After scanning the QR code on a phone, tablet, or computer, the learner can instantly select their username and begin studying, with all progress logged instantly.
Time is money in the food industry, and our research with Rootwurks clients has shown us that for companies with growing teams, this expedited onboarding can save hours of work per week for each training supervisor.
A January 2023 Deloitte article, "Transforming the new hire onboarding experience,” cites research that found that “workers who felt their onboarding was highly effective are 18 times more likely to feel highly committed to their organization" and that “69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they had a positive onboarding experience.”
Better onboarding can also help reduce turnover. The first few shifts an employee works at a production facility can be crucial, and how quickly the team member gets up and running can make a major difference in how long they want to call the company home. And the savings are not to be underestimated - replacing just one hourly food production or restaurant employee can easily cost thousands of dollars.
Beyond instant learning and streamlined onboarding, the QR codes create dynamic training that can be deployed throughout the workplace, centering the training exactly where the work takes place.
“It allows companies to deploy training where they want to on the floor. Why train in the classroom when you can train a person exactly where they’ll be doing their job?,” Andy Hughes, Vice President of Sales at Rootwurks said.
“Our goal when creating the QR codes was for companies to strategically place training where people are doing their work. That way, they scan the QR code and instantly know what they’re doing on the spot,” Hughes said, adding that the QR codes are every bit as effective for classroom-style learning if that’s what a company prefers.
And mainly, that’s due to the ease of operation and the way they reduce friction in learning.
“The QR codes are the most popular way for our clients to get content in front of their production staff. It allows them to access courses without having to remember a username or search for a forgotten password or jump through any digital hoops. Just scan the code, and you’re off to the races,” Hughes said.
After coming on board as a Rootwurks client last year, California-based Maggiora Baking Company decided to put its own spin on the feature.
“Basically, I printed out every QR code in English and Spanish for every training topic and put them in binders,” Maggiora Baking Plant Manager John Hinojosa told Rootwurks. The bilingual nature of the training and the expedited login make a major difference for companies like Maggiora Baking, where the workforce is 97% Spanish-speaking, according to Hinojosa.
“All of the training for all employees is right here in this binder. I also put how many minutes each course takes right below the QR code in the binder, so they know in advance.”
Hinojosa said that the QR code binders allow the company to provide real-time learning in all areas of its production facility.
“I can put a binder in the lunchroom and make another one and keep it downstairs so they can use it down there and train their employees without having to come upstairs.”
Deployment of the QR codes was swift and painless, and gave immediate results. According to Hinojosa’s estimate, the company employees completed more than 200 courses in the first 2 weeks of the program's launch.
“Our time is more valued now. The employees are paying attention, listening, and staying focused. We get better results with training,” Hinojosa said.
In food safety training, it’s not just about what you’ve learned, but also whether you can prove comprehension.
Rootwurks QR codes allow companies to instantly launch quizzes and assessments on key training topics, without printing tests or slowing operations to get employees logged in on a company computer.
Instead, employees can scan the codes on their phone and instantly verify the success of their training - or let management know if they need another round of instruction.
In addition, the codes can be sent via email or text to off-site employees to verify learning on a moment’s notice.
We built Rootwurks to make training easier, more impactful, and better aligned with how people actually work and learn with today’s technology. Our Launch and Learn QR codes are key to this mission, and make better training and onboarding just one scan away. To hear more about the Launch and Learn feature and the Rootwurks platform, reach out ot a member of our team here: