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In this Issue:

• Revamped Onboarding at DOR
• Sign Up for LDC Leadership Courses
• Trainer Spotlight: Kelli Cleeton
• Making Training Stick
• Accessibility Corner

Department of Revenue Enhances New Employee Orientation

The Department of Revenue (DOR) has revamped its onboarding process with a refreshed New Employee Orientation (NEO) program, launched in Fall 2024. This redesigned program, shaped by multiple internal stakeholders—including members of the Learning Leaders community—aims to set new hires up for success from day one.

Facilitated bi-weekly by the Organizational Development & Engagement (ODE) team—including Andrea Kaumann, Ashlee Dutton, Conner Jenkins, Rayna Salas, and Mandy Bernstrauch—the program has already received positive and impactful feedback.

A Comprehensive Four-Day Onboarding Experience:

The NEO program provides a structured, multi-day introduction to DOR, ensuring new employees receive the tools, knowledge, and connections they need to succeed.

Day 1: Onsite

• Meet with hiring manager
• Receive assets (equipment, supplies, etc.)
• Obtain operational support
• Acquire badge
• Verify I-9 documentation
• Tour facility
• Receive welcome gift

Day 2: Virtual Program

• Overview of DOR history and organizational structure
• Meet the Executive Director’s Office Teams
• Communication at DOR
• Google navigation and tools
• Performance management overview
• Employee benefits session
• COWINS presentation

Day 3: Virtual Program

• Meet the divisions
• Organizational priorities
• Payroll overview
• Workplace culture
• Governance, regulation, and compliance
• Professional development opportunities
• Introduction to the State of Colorado as an Employer

Day 4: New Leader Orientation (for newly hired and newly promoted leaders)

• Approval authority and accountability
• Leadership expectations
• Governance and policy overview
• Types of leave & UKG timekeeping system
• Performance management for leaders
• Leadership’s role in shaping workplace culture
• Leadership development resources

Key Enhancements to NEO:

The updated NEO program introduces several new features designed to improve the onboarding experience:

• Dedicated intranet portals for both new employees and new leaders, providing a centralized hub for essential resources.
• A welcome gift for new hires.
• New Leader Orientation designed specifically for both newly hired and newly promoted supervisors to clarify leadership expectations at DOR.
• Executive leadership cameos, offering insights into the unique and integral departments within the agency.

"When new employees arrive at their divisions, they already have the context and background for where they’re working—including an understanding of the State of Colorado as an employer of choice. This allows them to focus on learning their division-specific roles and how they contribute to the department’s goals," explains the ODE team.

Employee Testimonials: A Strong First Impression:

Feedback from the inaugural group of NEO participants highlights the program’s impact:

"I thought the program was very well organized, and the coordination helped me understand how all the pieces fit together."

"My favorite takeaway from the program was the focus on Culture, Vision, and Values. My last few employers were only focused on what I needed to accomplish, but this was different."

Investing in Employee Success:

"Many organizations might hesitate to dedicate so much time to orientation during a new hire’s first week. However, the Department of Revenue sees this as an investment—ensuring employees feel supported, informed, and set up for long-term success," adds Andrea Kaumann.

With these updates, DOR’s NEO program is shaping the future of onboarding—one new hire at a time.

Emerging Leader and Supervisor Certification Registration Open

The LDC team continues to release new dates for their in-demand leadership courses in the State of Colorado Learning Experience Platform (LXP). To find them, search "Emerging Leader" or "Supervisor Certificate," or explore the Discover Tab for details and registration.

Both programs are cohort-based, requiring participants to attend all four sessions within the same month. These interactive virtual courses equip leaders with practical skills, best practices, and the opportunity to learn alongside peers from across the State.

Most State employees received an invitation to register when the LXP launched. If you haven’t signed up yet, register here today. 

If you lead teams, encourage your employees to register and take advantage of the training available in the LXP.

For assistance with LXP registration, contact dpa_ldc@state.co.us.

Trainer Spotlight: Kelli Cleeton,
Labor Relations Training Specialist

Adult Learning:
Why We Forget—And How to Fix It

-Abigail Nguyen, HR Academy Program Administrator

Wait...What Did You Tell Me?

Have you ever trained a new employee or colleague, only for them to forget everything the next day? Frustrating, right? You put in valuable time and effort to explain something clearly, only to repeat yourself later. If this sounds familiar, the good news is—it’s not just you. It’s science!

Adults learn differently than kids, so if we want information to stick, we need to tweak our training strategies to align with how adults process and retain information. Enter Adult Learning Theory (ALT), a concept rooted in neuroscience (Knowles, 1980). Below are a few strategies from ALT to help you make what you say more memorable.

1. Tell Them Why It Matters - Adults are naturally more skeptical than kids when presented with new information. We don’t just learn for the sake of learning...we need to know why something is important for us to know. Next time you're training someone on a process or rule, explain how it impacts their job, makes life easier, saves them time, or prevents problems down the road. If they see the relevance, they’re much more likely to retain the information (Knowles, 1980).
1. The Science Behind It: The prefrontal cortex of our brain, responsible for critical thinking, decision-making, and goal-oriented behavior, helps adults filter new information (El-Baba & Schury, 2023). If learning feels personally irrelevant, the brain dismisses it as "noise" and doesn’t store it in long-term memory (Sweller, Ayres, & Kalyuga, 2011).
2. Reduce the Fear of Forgetting - Unlike kids, adults often fear failure because they don’t want to look incompetent. Ironically, this fear actually makes retention worse. When training someone on a new skill, encourage them to ask questions and do your best to foster a judgment-free environment where employees feel safe to fail, learn from mistakes, and try again (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 2014).
1. The Science Behind It: The prefrontal cortex is where we process learning, but if an adult feels stressed or judged, the amygdala (the brain’s fear center) takes over (Arnsten, 2009). When the amygdala kicks in, it makes it harder to retain information.
3. Embrace Storytelling - Facts fade, but stories stick. Instead of just explaining policies or procedures, wrap them in a story, analogy, or real-world example to make training more memorable. Adults also remember conversations better than lectures, so encourage discussion and participation whenever possible (Brown, Roediger, & McDaniel, 2014). Stories and conversations help learners connect new information to something they already understand, increasing the chance they'll retain what you're sharing with them.
1. The Science Behind It: Passive listening (like listening to someone talk at us) activates fewer parts of the adult brain than active engagement (discussion, stories, hands-on learning, etc.). We want more parts of our brain active during learning because more of our brain working = stronger memory formation and deeper understanding (Kandel, 2006).
4. Repetition, But Make It Different - People forget half of what they learn within an hour unless it’s reinforced (Ebbinghaus, 1885). But simply repeating information the same way every time doesn’t always help either. Adults need multiple exposures to information in different formats over time to improve retention. Next time you're training someone, try changing how you reinforce the new information. Try using a visual aid, a follow-up email, a hands-on demo, or a quick discussion to switch things up.
1. The Science Behind It: Neuroscientist Hermann Ebbinghaus' research on memory shows that without reinforcement, people forget 50% of new information within an hour and 90% within a week. Spaced repetition in different formats helps combat this natural forgetting process (Smolen, Zhang, & Byrne, 2016).

Final Thoughts: Your Brain Keeps Learning!

Many people think learning slows down as we get older, but that’s not true! Science tells us that our brain can keep growing and adapting no matter our age— Thanks neuroplasticity! (Pauwels, Chavali, & Swinnen, 2018). By using these simple strategies—explaining why something matters, reducing the fear of forgetting, using stories, and reinforcing information in different ways—you help your colleagues' brains hold onto new information for the long run. With a little adjustment to how you present new information to your peers, you can make sure what you say actually sticks!

The State of Colorado Learning Experience Platform (LXP) hosts a variety of Labor Relations training opportunities, featuring flexible options to fit your schedule. From foundational courses to on-demand and e-learning offerings, there’s something for every role to help build stronger workplace relationships and navigate the Partnership Agreement.

Encourage your employees to attend! Use this sample email template to help spread the word.

Registration:

• Visit this link for labor relations-specific registration instructions.

• For more information, email dpa_laborrelations@state.co.us.

View the upcoming course schedule: Labor Relations Training Schedule

Articulate, a leading e-learning platform, continues to enhance its tools with new features designed to improve accessibility and course creation. Their latest update introduces improvements aimed at making learning experiences more inclusive and user-friendly.

Read the full article from Articulate to explore the newest features and how they can support accessible course design: Explore the Newest and Most-Loved Features of 2024.

Does your L&D team have news to share? Reach out! dpa_ldc@state.co.us