What Is Job Shadowing & How Does It Work?

A wise man once said, “Your shadow is your first and best friend.”

(Editor’s Note: Suz just made that up.) 

Okay, maybe a wise man didn’t say that. Maybe that’s not even a common sentiment. But shadows do tend to be, erm, attached pretty solidly to us. Most of us can’t escape our shadows no matter how hard we try (vampires aside). Sometimes our shadows even cause problems — think of Peter Pan.

Anyway, shadows are mostly benign. We’re assuming that’s why someone got the bright idea to create the term job shadowing to describe someone following a worker around (like a shadow!)  to learn more about what they do.

You can probably see where we’re going with this. 

(Yes, friends, we’re going to Mordor, where the shadows lie.) 

Or rather, to a heavy-duty repair shop, where a job shadowing program might exist. 

SO LIKE…WHAT IS JOB SHADOWING, ANYWAY?

In a diesel repair shop, job shadowing is probably going to look very much like someone trailing your tech (or parts manager, or office manager, or whoever) for a set period of time to get a better understanding of what they do. If the person is shadowing a tech, for example, they might watch them do some jobs, maybe talk to customers, organize their tools, and make a coffee run. You know, everyday stuff.

(You may also have heard it called work shadowing.) 

Generally speaking, the person shadowing — whom we shall henceforth refer to as The Shadow — should not be doing any work. They are merely there to watch, to learn, and sometimes to ask questions and/or take notes as the tech explains what they’re doing. 

HOW LONG DOES JOB SHADOWING LAST?

The actual duration of the shadowhood varies by industry, but it’s usually not a long-term adventure. Sometimes it’s a half-day, sometimes it’s a full day. Some may even run a week to accommodate for different kinds of jobs and The Shadow’s school or work schedule. 

Speaking of scheduling, a lot of the job shadowing programs you hear about these days are geared towards students — sometimes teens taking a shop class, or students from a trade school. If you do want to include students in your job shadowing program, you’ll need to make sure that: 

• Your program abides by the child labor laws of both the state and the federal government. 
• You get signed parental consent forms, if necessary (particularly if The Shadow is under 18). 
• You get liability waivers and insurance coverage if you’re building a program through or with a school. 

Whether you end up bringing in students or adults as shadows, you’ll need to figure out how and when to get them in. With students, you may need to schedule around classes and extracurricular activities; with adults, well, some of them may have jobs and other obligations already. 

You’ll still have to work around preexisting schedules regardless of The Shadow’s age. Depending on school and/or work obligations, you might get them for a couple hours a day for three days out of the week; you might get them all day for two days. It all depends on your program.

DO I PAY FOR JOB SHADOWING?

You’ll certainly want to pay the person being shadowed — after all, they’re doing their job and presumably explaining said job and answering a lot of questions. You may want to create some kind of “Shadow Pay,” which sounds way more sinister than it needs to be, to ensure they’re being fairly compensated for what is essentially extra work.

As for The Shadow…generally speaking, no, it is not a paid venture. Once you start offering money you cross into paid labor territory, even if the person isn’t technically doing anything. 

We will say it wouldn’t hurt to provide snacks.

IS JOB SHADOWING LIKE AN APPRENTICESHIP?

No. 

It’s also not an internship, if that was your next question.

Both internships and apprenticeships can be looked at as the bottom rung on the employment ladder. They’re basically junior employees. Like The Shadow, the intern and apprentice are learning about the job, but the latter two have usually decided “Ah, yes, this is the field I wish to be in.” They’re often hands-on and can be promoted into higher roles. 

The Shadow…well, The Shadow returns to Mordor and takes a nap. 

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?

It makes you look good.

No, really. If a person has a positive experience shadowing one of your employees (or even you), they’re going to think hard about going into the diesel field. Who knows—they might decide the life of a mechanic is for them, convince all their friends to join them, and solve the tech shortage!

So, Benefit #1: You’re building or potentially expanding an employee pipeline. 

Benefit #2: Establishing yourself further in your community and/or deepening the relationships you have with local schools. 

Oh, and let’s not forget Benefit #3: Taking on mentorship and leadership roles can boost employee engagement and make them happier about sticking around. Happy tech, happy…mech?

(We tried.)

SHOULD I OFFER JOB SHADOWING?

If you have the capacity and the benefits appeal to you, then absolutely, you should offer job shadowing!

Here are some questions you can ask yourself (and be honest) before you start putting a program together:

• Do you actually have the capacity to add job shadowing to someone’s plate? If the entire shop is buried in work and you just had a fleet hit you up to take on their PMs, then maybe now is not the best time to start a shadowing program.
• Who, if anyone, is willing to take on a Mini-Me for a few hours to a few days? This is not something you want to force, by the way; some techs are pleased to chat through a job and befriend gawking strangers, but others just want to be left to their work. Find out who would be interested in a shadow and how much time they can offer.
• Determine what you would be willing to pay the tech who is shadowed, along with how long the program might last. 
• Figure out what your goals are for offering a shadow program. Are you trying to build a tech pipeline, support local trade schools, provide education, or some mix of the three? 
• If you have trade schools or high schools with shop classes in your vicinity, reaching out to them for an introductory chat might be a good idea. They may have a program in place already. 

HOW TO GET STARTED

If you’re still interested in offering job shadowing, here’s three steps to get started:

1. Review Fact Sheet #71 of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which discusses unpaid experiences, and find out what you need to know about hiring workers under 18. 
2. Visit your state’s Department of Labor or Workforce Development website. You’ll be able to find the information you need about job shadowing requirements there. 
3. Make contact with local high schools and trade schools. Don’t know where to start? Our friends at WrenchWay can help you with that. 
4. Talk to your insurer and/or legal advisor, especially if your job shadowing might involve students. You want to make sure everyone is safe and covered!

Job shadowing isn’t just the start of a potential tech pipeline — it’s also a way to introduce a curious soul to the heavy-duty world. Take your time on the research if you decide this is something you want to do, and good luck!