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Onboarding on the Go: Mobile Application Enhances Associate Training

March 06, 2018

Tech tools like interview self-scheduling and Text-to-Apply have made applying for a job at The Home Depot easier than ever, but enhancements to the company’s candidate experience don’t end once applicants land a job.

This spring, The Home Depot is also tapping into new technology to improve associate competence and confidence. With PocketGuide, new associates will spend significantly less time in the back room learning and more time on the sales floor interacting with customers. The mobile application delivers product knowledge and learning activities to the palm of an associate’s hand, even leveraging gamification to reinforce the lessons.

PocketGuide can enhance a customer’s experience, too. It helps associates find the right product for a customer’s needs by showing them the correct questions to ask. Its custom “challenges” encourage associates to familiarize themselves with the aisles and products so they’re better equipped to assist customers.

“When associates learn while doing their job, they learn faster and more effectively,” says Michelle Thompson, director of Learning at The Home Depot. “Thanks to PocketGuide, they’re more accessible and better equipped to serve our customers.”

Available on FIRST Phones, PocketGuide rolled out to all garden associates this spring and will expand to more store departments throughout 2018.

Interested in building a career with The Home Depot? Click here for opportunities this spring or check out the “Give Me an H” podcast to learn more about our unique culture.