Training a Deskless Workforce: 3 Lessons from Xylem Tree Experts

AI technology is increasingly viewed as a way to boost the productivity of office workers by automating repetitive or mundane tasks. But, despite misconceptions, AI-powered software solutions can also be used to empower the deskless workforce. 

In fact – deskless employees empowered with sufficient technology are 2x as likely to be very satisfied with their job, and over 50% more likely to stay at their job for the next five years. 

Xylem Tree Experts is one organization that’s embraced AI as a powerful tool to better train its deskless workers with the help of AI avatar videos and automatic translations. 

In a recent webinar between Matt Bristow from Colossyan and Joy Lacher, Assistant Director of Learning and Development at Xylem, the two discussed how AI learning solutions like Colossyan can be used to better train workers who don’t work at a computer. 

Here are the highlights from the webinar and a closer look at how Xylem has used AI to overcome some of their top training challenges. 

Key challenges in training deskless workers

Training workers who spend their day working from the field can be a challenge, as your team members may be dispersed across multiple sites. 

Additionally, compliance rules and regulations can be high stakes in a deskless environment, as the consequence of inadequate training can come at the expense of worker health and safety. 

Here are some of the other key challenges Xylem faced when training deskless employees using traditional video methods:

• High turnover: Deskless roles often see high turnover rates. Proper training is key in keeping new workers safe and boosting employee retention. 
• Disconnection: Because deskless teams often work at field sites, training that requires a computer or internet connection can be difficult to access. 
• Compliance-focused challenges: Industries like manufacturing or construction have high safety standards and requirements that require ongoing employee education.
• Flexibility: Since deskless workers may not be working a 9-5 schedule, training methods need to be flexible to properly accommodate different schedules. 

Using AI in a deskless environment: 3 takeaways 

During the webinar between Colossyan and Xylem, Lacher explained how her organization has been able to alleviate many of these pain points using an AI video solution. 

Let's take a closer look at three main lessons from Xylem's experience:

1. Version control is critical in keeping training up to date 

Before Xylem began using Colossyan to automate its video training creation, the organization relied on paper-based training, which was both resource intensive and difficult to update. 

Paper-based processes are extremely common in deskless industries, as 44% of organizations with deskless workers rely solely on paper-based processes. 

But with paper-based book training, if there’s an error in the material, or if the content becomes outdated, all of the printed books need to be recalled, which involves expensive printing and shipping costs – problems Xylem faced often. 

It was also difficult for Xylem to ensure that all of the outdated paper training materials were properly recalled. If outdated materials were still floating around, there was a risk that employees in the field were working off outdated information. 

But when using an AI video tool, updating training guidance for a particular procedure doesn’t require you to recall your entire training booklet. 

Instead, you can easily update your AI avatar’s script, regenerate your video, and update your video within your learning management system. 

Version control is a large challenge for deskless teams with a lot of compliance-related training requirements, as regulations can change the necessary training guidelines.  

Xylem also keeps their video training up to date by regularly swapping out the avatars used in their videos. For example, if a new safety manager joins the team, Xylem is able to add their custom avatar to existing training videos without having to refilm the video or even change the script. 

2. Custom avatars can foster familiarity with safety team members 

Xylem’s services consist of tree trimmings, vegetation management, and disaster recovery services – all of which can pose unique safety risks for those working in the field. 

One of the ways Xylem has helped familiarize the entire workforce with the safety officers working in the field is by creating a custom avatar of each and adding their likeness to safety videos. 

This way, employees are being trained by the very people who they can turn to for safety guidance or questions while working in the field, allowing them to immediately recognize the go-to person for safety information. These custom avatars are wearing the company’s uniform and logo for additional familiarity. 

Xylem takes a unique approach to custom avatars in their onboarding materials, as the organization pairs avatar videos alongside in-person ride-alongs for new employees, which helps maintain a sense of balance between real-world interactions and video-based training during the onboarding process. 

Not to mention, the use of custom avatars prevents these SMEs from needing to get pulled out of the field every time there’s a change to the training material. Instead, someone from Xylem’s learning and development team can update the text-to-speech avatar training video in minutes with minimal effort. 

3. AI makes content accessibility easy

Ensuring the physical safety of employees is a key concern for organizations like Xylem. And when that safety is dependent upon understanding the proper field safety protocols, it’s paramount that all employees understand the training materials. 

Xylem is tasked with training a multilingual team across a variety of roles, meaning all training content needs to be translated for accessibility.

Before working with an AI video tool, Xylem’s paper-based training content needed to be manually translated, which required an additional cost for translation services. Because this process wasn’t automated, any material changes required more translation. 

But now, Xylem is able to write scripts in English and automatically translate them to Spanish in Colossyan – saving a significant amount of time and money on translation. 

How to start training your deskless workers with AI video

Adding an AI tool to your training tech stack can be intimidating. 

Fortunately, Colossyan makes the video creation process simple, even for those without any video editing experience. The platform’s easy-to-use interface allows beginners to create a professional-quality video without any equipment or expertise. 

With more than 150 diverse AI avatars to choose from – and the ability to create your own instant avatar of your team members in any uniform or background – Colossyan is a highly flexible tool for training deskless teams. 

And if you’re already working with a large collection of paper-based training documents – don’t worry. Colossyan offers a document-to-video workflow that allows you to convert your documents into highly-produced videos in just a few minutes. Check it out: 

Start creating engaging videos more efficiently with Colossyan today. Try it for free, or schedule a time with one of our experts to learn more.