Worker churn is one of the biggest challenges facing employers today. The on demand sector, in particular, experiences churn rates of up to 500% per year, and when you consider that 80% of workers don’t stay on a platform for more than a year, the costs of churn become even higher.

While churn has become accepted as an unwelcome but inevitable side effect of the growing on demand industry, it doesn’t have to be. There are a number of ways to maximize retention in the deskless space, and one of the most effective solutions we’ve seen is training. 

Here’s how you can leverage relevant, timely and engaging training content to mitigate churn and foster a loyal, productive workforce.

Why do workers churn?

Attracting and retaining deskless workers in this climate is extremely difficult and can be costly for employers, both in terms of acquisition and opportunity. 

But in order to understand how they can mitigate these challenges, employers need to start by identifying the root causes of why workers choose to leave their platform.

One of the key causes of worker turnover in the gig economy is blockers to earning. Over 50% of users who have been recruited and onboarded never end up completing their first job, which means they never actually get started in terms of earning, and never see the full value of your platform. Why do they drop off at this point? Because of a lack of access to information and support, combined with high levels of anxiety before that all-important first trip. If they are at all unsure of what to do, or don’t know where to go for information, they are far more likely to churn.

Financial insecurity in itself is a reason why people might leave your platform.72% of independent workers say financial security is their top priority, and with such a saturated market, they can move easily from one app to another in search of higher earning potential. A quarter of gig workers say they’re able to find alternative sources of income within 24 hours, and half of them feel confident there are other opportunities out there in the market. That means if you can’t present them with an efficient, easy earning opportunity straight away, they will look elsewhere.

So, the key to preventing churn is to make it as easy as possible for workers to earn and meet their financial goals. How can you do this? With information. 

How to prevent churn: relevant, timely and engaging training

With the right training, platforms can provide deskless workers with everything they need to be successful on their app. Whether it’s getting them ready for their first gig with detailed onboarding courses, or offering ongoing opportunities to upskill and improve their earning potential, companies in the on demand space have seen incredible benefits from leveraging training content.

As an example, one client of mobile training platform EduMe saw the percentage of new joiners who actually went and took their first trip increase by 8% within just one quarter of utilizing mobile training. In addition, by creating educational content around earnings and payments they experienced an incredible 48% decrease in support tickets around that topic, highlighting the value of training for end-users.

Some of the most successful platforms in this space are those who understand the power of impactful training and go beyond what’s required. Detailed courses on how to boost ratings and improve customer service are quintessential, but thinking more broadly about how training can be used to upskill and serve users’ personal development shows an even higher level of commitment to their success. You can provide opportunities to learn about mental and physical health, diversity, or even financial literacy, i.e. practical advice on how to save and invest. 

Committing to helping gig workers in all aspects of life, and not just the time they spend on your platform, will foster not just a happier and more motivated workforce, but a workforce that’s more likely to stick around.

How to optimize training for the deskless workforce

1. Make it mobile friendly

The best way to optimize your training for deskless workers is to host it on the device they use most: their mobile phone.

Making learning content mobile friendly not only makes it more accessible, allowing gig workers to fit in 5 minutes of training during their lunch break, it’s also far more engaging. Condensing lengthy in-person training sessions into 2-5 minute courses which replicate the punchy content we consume on social media makes learning feel like less of a chore, and more like a habit. 

2. Make it relevant

If we know one thing about deskless workers, it’s that they are time-poor. It’s all well and good creating bitesize courses, but if they’re not relevant to the learner, they’ll be ignored.

Spend time getting to know your users and what information they crave the most, and craft your learning strategy around your findings. Ensuring that your training program is worker-led will boost completion rates and show that you not only understand their needs, but are willing to meet them. 

3. Make it contextual

In order for gig workers to get the most out of your training, it needs to be available contextually. Leverage in-app notifications to ensure that earners are served up relevant training right at the moment they need it. For example, if a learner gets a poor customer rating, create a notification pop up which offers them a course on how to achieve 5* reviews. If you’re using the right mobile learning platform, they’ll be directly to the course, learn what they need to in under 3 minutes, and go straight back to earning again. 

Making your learning contextual embeds it into users’ existing workflow, showing them the value of training and allowing them to start implementing what they’ve learned straight away.

If you’d like to see how you can use EduMe’s mobile-based training platform to upskill, inform and engage your deskless workforce, get in touch.