Despite the negative karma training has gained in the corporate world, and the hype it was granted during the

Training lays the foundation for performance

dot.com boom, the simple truth is that training is not merely dispensing information about technique and skill.  It is also communicates expectations and requirements of the job. People need to be told what is expected of them in clear terms, and relaying that expectation is a part of the training process. Training lays the foundation for affirming performance as well as correcting mistakes.

In all of the examples above, the “untrained” employee has emotionally disconnected themselves from the person they are employed to serve. Each has personal issues foremost in their minds which override their willingness to adequately serve others. If you were to get their side of the story, you’d hear some of the following responses:

"Everything moves so fast around here. It’s all I can do to keep up. No one really tells me what to do; they just tell me if I’m doing something wrong.”

“I could do my job if those I depended on could do theirs.”

“I’m tired of taking the hits for the poor performance of my superiors.”

“No one ever told me exactly what my job is. I guess they think I’ll figure it out. What I know of my job expectation has been mostly communicated by others telling me what I’m doing wrong. It’s every man for himself around here”

Poor service is not due to poor employees, but poor employers.

The bottom line is that lack of service = lack of growth, lack of productivity, lack of profits. Your company’s lack of service will pay a high price in the world of your competitors. You will have to continually compensate with special promotions, additional advertising, increased hiring and give-aways to disgruntled customers. Good service is linked to happy, valued employees that provide the service. Training is a crucial tool in helping employees feel valued in the work environment.

How do you use training to solve the problems mentioned above? It’s all about having a training program that is set in place and held as a priority. Don’t fall into the “training out of desperation” category and only offer training when you have to put out a fire. Remember that training can be a form of giving your employees attention and recognition. If done well, they will appreciate it and feel affirmed.

Always have some type of training scheduled. It can be as infrequent as once a quarter or as frequent as once a week. You can do it in house or outsource it. Having scheduled training opportunities will prevent the development of service problems that cost you big time in the long run.

New Hire Orientation

The most important training you’ll ever do with an employee will be when he or she first comes on board. Here’s an example of training to put in place for new hires.

1. As a company policy, be sure to have specific, written job descriptions for each employee, and a system established for continually updates. Job descriptions should focus on competencies rather than functions.

2. Develop an Orientation Training Program for each new employee that is hired. The program can last anywhere from one half a day to a week, but it should include the following:

• Introduction to the rest of the staff.
• Thorough review of the job description and company policies with the direct report, clearly laying out expectations and processes for recognition and correction. Allow time for questions and answers.
• Site tour – where are the bathrooms, kitchen, parking spaces, emergency exit, etc.Employee paperwork – W4, benefit forms, waivers, copy of Personnel Regulations and job description, etc.
• New hire should be given a thorough briefing on what the organization does, its goals, its vision, who it serves and the role of the new hire’s position in the grand scheme of things.
• If possible, assign another staff person to be on call for questions that arise by the new hire.
• Be nice and have that staff person or yourself take the new hire to lunch their first day.
• Have a 30 day review set up (mark it on your calendar) where you will evaluate the new hire’s performance and inquire about their feelings and frustrations related to the job. NOTE: If you reschedule or cancel this 30 day review, you'll send that employee a clear message about the priority you place on their training and development. This meeting is crucial to the new hire and they anticipate it with great expectation.

 

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