Knowledge transfer best practices

Last updated: May 19, 2021

Without effective knowledge transfer approaches, employees take vital knowledge and experience when they retire or change jobs. 

Knowledge transfer in an organization

Knowledge transfer plays an important role in succession management, operational excellence and the ongoing success of an organization.
 
The benefits of knowledge transfer include:
  • Timely identification of knowledge areas at risk
  • Identification of knowledgeable experts
  • Streamlined onboarding
  • Reduced time from hire to productivity
  • Consistent standards and approach to business delivery 

The BC Public Service, like most employers, is facing a competitive labour market where prospective employees have many employment choices and long tenure employees are retiring.

Without effective knowledge transfer approaches, employees take vital knowledge and experience when they retire or change jobs. 

Building a knowledge transfer culture 

There are many approaches to knowledge transfer with varying levels of formality, depth, and time.

Regardless of the approach, your team will benefit from building a culture of knowledge transfer.

Some ways to help build and strengthen a knowledge transfer culture include: 

  • Begin to identify knowledge of value and how it could be transferred
  • Build in time during regular work, projects, and business cycles to engage in meaningful knowledge transfer activities
  • Communicate and support sharing goals regularly at the ministry and work unit level
  • Train employees for systems and tools
  • Highlight success stories
  • Practice sharing behaviour at all levels of the organization and make activities visible
  • Recognize and reward knowledge sharing behaviour
  • Encourage community development and activities