Onboarding Isn't Easy

We have loved taking advantage of local SME internship schemes to get some wonderful students working part time at Taught by Humans. One thing we have struggled with is onboarding.

Our initial approach was a bunch of Google Docs for interns to read:

Taught by Humans 101
Taught by Humans Way of Working
Data Privacy
Cybersecurity and Phishing
The Tech We Use
Our Platform

They read them, then complete a few tasks, including writing in Taught by Humans tone of voice.

For some interns, this is easy. They fly through. Ask questions (so I know they're invested). And we do a few iterations of the tasks. Good to go.

Even these interns occasionally miss something important in the reading (who wouldn't). And those who struggle with remote and self-directed work can end up frustrated. I worry about letting them do anything substantial.

There had to be a better way.

Dotly teaching data privacy basics through conversation, asking the learner about examples of personal data in their work

Dotly teaches through conversation - not just information, but questions and context built around each person

How Our Platform Makes Onboarding Better

What needs to happen is considered, in-context learning. Our platform took these documents and turned them into learning, rather than just information. All with just a few clicks from me.

Then Dotly, our AI learning companion, delivered the training to each intern in a way that worked for them and their roles.

It was effective.

The interns could ask questions in real time, and Dotly gave them tasks to complete. I got oversight of their confidence level for each topic.

They could also get instant feedback on their tone of voice work - which really improved that process as they took it less personally than feedback from me on a Google Doc.

Learning summary showing a high confidence level with key takeaways, skills learned, and practical applications

After each session, Laura could see exactly what each intern had understood - and what still needed work

What We Realised

The intern problem isn't unique to us. Every new joiner in every regulated business is handed a stack of documents and expected to get on with it. Some do. Many don't. And managers rarely know which is which until something goes wrong.

We now help teams across government, fintech, law and other regulated industries onboard their staff. They're happier, more confident and more competent.

One thing that surprised us: they also report better relationships with their managers. When Dotly handles the basic questions, 1-2-1s become actual conversations - not catch-up sessions on things that should have been covered in week one.

Recommended actions dashboard showing which team members are ready for a project and who might be stuck

Managers see who's ready and who needs support - without having to ask

Ready to fix your onboarding?

If your new starters are still working through a stack of documents on their own, we'd love to show you what it could look like instead.

Building a Learning Platform for Your Own Interns

Want to put this into practice?