Job Shadowing FAQ

Job shadowing has recently been highlighted as an action and suggested development initiative in the UCD Athena Swan Silver Award Gender Equality Action Plan 2024–2029. It aligns with the Breaking Boundaries Strategy to 2030, which focuses on enhancing development support for faculty and staff while strengthening the organization's capacity for learning and reflection.

By engaging in job shadowing, employees can expand their professional networks, identify potential career paths, and develop competencies that contribute to both their personal growth and the overall success of UCD. It provides individuals with firsthand experience in different roles, helping them gain insights, perspectives and, if appropriate, new skills. Job shadowing complements UCD’s Performance for Growth (P4G) process by supporting individuals achieve goals in their development plans.

No, participation in a job shadowing experience is voluntary for both the observer (the individual participating in the shadowing opportunity) and host (the individual being shadowed).

All employees at UCD are eligible to participate in job shadowing. The individual and their line manager should engage in a discussion to establish clear learning objectives and expected outcomes for the job shadowing experience, ensuring it aligns with the participant's developmental needs and goals.

Yes, approval from one’s line manager is essential for individuals requesting to participate in job shadowing as an ‘Observer’, as time will need to be allocated away from regular duties. Similarly, the ‘Host’ must also obtain their line manager's approval, as time will be required for preparation and participation in the job shadowing experience.

Not all roles or aspects of a role may be suitable for job shadowing. The team or unit Manager facilitating the job shadowing experience will evaluate the request to determine its appropriateness.

Yes, job shadowing can take place in any School or Unit of your choice. However, clear objectives must be established to explain why you are selecting that particular School or Unit.

Yes, job shadowing can take place between individuals of the same grade, as well as across different grades.

The duration can range from a half-day to a maximum of three days per 12-month period, depending on the individual's learning objectives and the availability of the person being shadowed (Host). The specific timeframe should be agreed upon in advance.

As a UCD employee, you can request one job shadowing experience per 12-month period.

Job shadowing experiences are arranged locally. The job shadowing experience will vary across different Schools and Units within the University, depending on the specific discipline and role of the Host.  Please refer to the Job Shadowing webpage 'Getting Started' for suggested steps to initiate a job shadowing experience.

Employees may take time to participate in job shadowing without cover for their role, but it must be balanced with their role responsibilities. It’s the employee’s responsibility to manage their workload accordingly.

It is recommended that the observation be conducted in person to enhance the experience, equally by agreement if the task or activity can be effectively performed online remote observation is an acceptable alternative.

Each participant: the Observer, the Host and the respective Line Managers, has specific responsibilities in preparing for a job shadowing experience. For full details, please refer to pages 7,8,9 of the Job Shadowing guidelines.

Accessibility and additional support requirements should be discussed with the Host beforehand to ensure appropriate accommodations are provided in advance of the job shadowing experience.

If the job shadowing experience involves public interaction, the Observer and Host should obtain consent from Line Managers and relevant stakeholders to ensure compliance with applicable policies and regulations.

The Observer/ Host should inform the other party as early as possible if the schedule needs to change. Both parties should be flexible and find an alternative date that works.

Yes, all parties must maintain confidentiality. Observers may be restricted from certain meetings, documents or conversations if they involve confidential or sensitive information.

Yes, all relevant health and safety, IT, GDPR, and ethical standards must be followed during the shadowing experience. Any necessary adjustments or accommodations should be arranged in advance.

Any party (Observer, Host, or Line Manager) may end the shadowing experience if necessary. Clear communication about the decision is required.

After completing the job shadowing experience, individuals should reflect on their learnings with their line manager, share key insights, and evaluate whether the agreed learning objectives and expected outcomes were met. They should also consider how to apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills to enhance performance and support career growth.

A job shadowing experience can be documented in the Development Workspace on InfoHub, under the Career Contribution section. It can also be discussed during an individual’s P4G conversation and recorded in their P4G form.