How J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. created a best-in-class technology onboarding program 

Overview of J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.

J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. serves over 500,000 companies across North America, offering cloud-based management tools, consulting services, training, safety supplies, and more. Since 1953, organizations across industries—transportation, construction, healthcare, education, and beyond—have relied on J. J. Keller’s expertise to maintain safety and compliance.

As J. J. Keller experienced rapid growth, ensuring new employees were onboarded efficiently became a priority. Historically, technology onboarding took place in person over three to four hours, leaving little room for flexibility. When the shift to remote work occurred, Anne Rommelfanger, a Technology Analyst leading technology onboarding, sought to build a scalable, digital solution—one that retained the interactive, human element that made onboarding successful.   

The challenge: Balancing scalability and personalization

Having led technology onboarding for years, Anne knew that an engaging experience required human interaction and personalization. Her biggest challenges included: 

• Maintaining engagement in a digital format: Transitioning from in-person training to a virtual format without losing interactivity. 

• Catering to diverse employee needs: New hires had varying levels of tech proficiency, requiring different onboarding experiences. 

• Providing real-time support: Ensuring employees had a way to ask questions and receive help throughout the process. 

The solution: A personalized, scalable experience with BrainStorm

Anne turned to BrainStorm to create a technology onboarding experience that was both scalable and personalized. The results were immediate and impressive, cutting onboarding time in half while improving engagement and technology proficiency. 

Building a best-in-class technology onboarding program

Leveraging BrainStorm, Anne designed a flexible, interactive program that included custom training videos, dynamic course experiences, and real-time check-ins to keep new employees engaged. 

2. Custom training videos 

Short, custom-created videos guide employees through technology setup, tool usage, and key resources for ongoing support. 
These videos are seamlessly integrated into BrainStorm onboarding Flows, preserving the human touch in a digital experience. 

3. Choose-your-adventure-style training 

Recognizing that employees have different technology needs, Anne developed a branching onboarding experience in BrainStorm. Employees select their role (e.g., associate or contractor) and are automatically guided through relevant training paths, ensuring they receive only the most applicable information. 

4. Live checkpoints for support 

To replicate the real-time assistance of in-person onboarding, employees can check in via Microsoft Teams, reporting their progress and requesting help when needed. 

5. Ongoing communication and best practices 

Through BrainStorm, Anne sends automated reminders, tips, and technology best practices to reinforce learning and ensure continued engagement. 

6. Tracking and reporting for continuous improvement 

BrainStorm’s reporting capabilities allow Anne to track course completion rates, in-progress training, and overall engagement. The impact? A 100% completion rate among new hires. 

7. Expanding success to other teams 

The onboarding program’s effectiveness has inspired other departments, like sales, to explore BrainStorm for additional training needs. Teams appreciate the ability to track employee training progress and completion rates effortlessly. 

8. Continued optimization and centralization 

Anne transitioned key communications to BrainStorm’s built-in marketing automation tools, reducing manual efforts. She refined training content, cutting overall onboarding time from four hours to just 1.5 hours. By consolidating technology training resources into BrainStorm, employees no longer have to search multiple platforms for information.