Michigan State University Extension
Tourism Educational Materials - 33129606
06/06/02
Training-Getting the New Employee Started Right
Larry D. Hendrix
Area Extension Specialist
Community Resource Development
Cooperative Extension Service
Kansas State University, 1980
L-562
Preface
The longer a good employee stays in a job, the more
valuable he becomes to the employer. Employee turnover is
expensive in terms of time and capital.
Employers are coming to realize that introduction to the
job is one of the most critical steps in retaining good
employees. Changing employers and perhaps jobs can be a
confusing process. The burden is on the employer to
reduce that confusion to a minimum. The initial
investment required to adequately start a new employee
can pay tremendous dividends down the road.
Let's take a took at how you can make the training
process work for you in your business.
There are several basic elements we need to consider in
the training process. The order which we will look at
these is as follows.
- You (or your Company)
- The new employee
- The job to be performed
- How the training will be done (Methodology)
YOU
You is the logical place to begin in the process. You may
be an individual, a company, a large corporation or a
management team. You are the management. What are the
roles of management? It is important that these be
properly identified. This sets the tone of the training.
The roles of management remain fairly constant regardless
of the size of the business. Within each business these
goals will be defined. Generally the roles of management
may be viewed as:
- Provide resources, materials, capital, labor
- Provide market for goods and services
- Set quality standards
- Maintain profitability of operation
- Set performance standards and evaluate
- Accept responsibility for decisions
- Establish policy and procedures to accomplish all of
these
It is easy to separate these roles in theory and
difficult to separate them in practice. These roles are
interdependent.
Training deals with technical and human concerns. We will
deal with those concerns which are human issues.
The first step, before any training is begun, is to
develop the goal or goals of your business. This should
be a fairly well defined, detailed goal.
After the goal is defined you need to ask the question,
What do you expect of your employees? You should develop
a list of expectations. After you have this list you need
to ask yourself, How do these expectations relate to the
goal of the business. Many employers find that they have
expectations which really do not relate to the goal of
the business. The point is that expectations which do not
relate to the goal may cause problems and perhaps your
expectations need to be reviewed. Once you have
identified and reviewed your expectations you have the
basis for training new employees.
The New Employee
One rule of successful labor management says "Hire good
people, start them right, then get out of the way and let
them work." I'm sure that if the rule were followed
completely it would be successful, primarily because you
start with Good People. You can rely on luck and find a
few of these but a far much better system is to actively
pursue a sound plan for recruiting.
In any event, new employees coming to work for you will
come with a built in "Experience Bag." It's up to you to
find out what's in each individual bag and plan to train
accordingly. Any training should be based upon individual
needs. Start where the employee is. You need to know
specifically what their experience or lack of experience
is. Are they familiar with a system similar to yours?
Are they experienced in a system quite unlike yours? If
this is the case, you may have to demonstrate how and why
you do things differently than a previous employer might
have done it. It should not be a case of "un-learning."
You are much better off if the employee realizes there is
more than one way to do it and that your way just happens
to work best in your situation.
The Job To Be Performed
Training will be at several levels. Part of training will
involve Policy and Procedure. Important Policy and
Procedures should be explained and also given to
employees in some written form so that they might refer
to it when a specific problem arises.
Training may also be necessary on how you expect certain
things to be done. How you expect customers to be
greeted, how the phone should be answered, how
merchandise is to be stocked, how idle time is to be
utilized and the like. The best way to help an employee
learn these behavior skills is fairly simple.
1) Explain - Tell how it is done.
2) Demonstrate - Show how it is to be done.
3) Involve - Let the employee do it.
4) Feedback - Tell employee how to improve. Answer
employee's questions.
5) Practice - Let employee gain experience under
supervision.
6) More feedback - Explain and answer questions.
7) Do it - Let employee go to it with reduced
supervision.
Most companies use certain "Hardware" in their business.
This may include paper work such as order forms, letters,
reports, sales tickets and correspondence. Hardware also
includes machinery such as office equipment, cash
registers, communications equipment, manufacturing or
construction equipment.
Use of hardware requires a different level of training
than policy and behavior. Training in the use of
equipment or hardware can be broken down into logical
steps. A formula which has proven successful is this.
1) THEORY - Explain how and why certain hardware is used.
Explain how equipment works.
2) EXPOSURE - Familiarity with hardware.
3) DEMONSTRATE - Show how equipment is used.
4) PRACTICE - Let employee gain "hands-on" experience
under close supervision.
5) FEEDBACK - Make corrections and answer questions.
6) EXPERIENCE - Allow employee to gain experience in
operation with supervision.
7) OPERATION - Employee operates hardware with continued
feedback and lessening supervision.
HOW THE TRAINING WILL BE DONE
A simple checklist of questions can be used to determine
how training will be accomplished.
1) WHY?
What is an acceptable level of performance? The
manager/trainer must be able to answer this. This is
determined by the company goals.
Why is it necessary? The trainee must be able to answer
this. It must be important for learning to be effective.
2) WHAT?
What do you wish trainees to learn? How will you know
they have learned it? You may need to describe the exact
performance you expect.
3) WHO?
Who needs the training? Will you try to train everyone or
only a selected group?
Who can best do the training? Is it the Boss, the
Manager, a Foreman or a Co-worker? Is it perhaps someone
from outside the business? Some large companies employ
training departments. Many more utilize consultants to do
this. The small businessman has many resources available.
To list just a few: K.S.U., K.U., Community Colleges,
VocTech Schools, S.B.A., Chambers of Commerce. Sometimes
suppliers will do this.
4) WHERE?
The physical setting is important. Should it take place
in the business, in a classroom, at a conference center
or perhaps in the home? Who does the training may help
determine this answer.
5) WHEN?
This is an important question. Should the training occur
on "job-time" or "trainee-time?" Should it take place as
soon as the employee is hired, after 6 months or perhaps
before the employee is hired?
6) METHODOLOGY?
Is the methodology appropriate to the content? Do you
expect the trainee to learn new attitudes, behavior or
skills? Do you rely on a single method of delivery?
Variety is essential in learning. Remember repeated use
of a single method tends to reduce effectiveness.
Summary
In some businesses continual training is part of the
operation. In all businesses initial training is very
important. If properly handled, it can lead to greater
job satisfaction, high levels of production and reduced
turnover.
Training should be broken down to logical steps. THE
SEQUENCE IS SIMPLE. 1). Theory, the How and Why. 2)
Lecture or Demonstration, passive involvement and 3)
Practice or exercises, active involvement. Throughout
training, it is essential that there be feedback,
questions, answers, suggestions. Feedback should be
immediate.
Training can be used to learn attitudes, behavior and
skills.
Variety of techniques adds to effectiveness.
The value and effectiveness of training depends upon a
number of elements. The first and perhaps most important
is the establishment of sound company goals. Management
is the exercise of influence over others toward some
predetermined goal of the organization.
Larry Hendrix
Area Extension Specialist
Community Resource Development
Cooperative Extension Service, Manhattan, Kansas
Kansas State University
December 1980
L-526
File Code: CRD-10
Training-Getting the New Employee Started Right
Larry D. Hendrix
Area Extension Specialist
Community Resource Development
Cooperative Extension Service
Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66502
L-562
Preface
The longer a good employee stays in a job, the more
valuable he becomes to the employer. Employee turnover is
expensive in terms of time and capital.
Employers are coming to realize that introduction to the
job is one of the most critical steps in retaining good
employees. Changing employers and perhaps jobs can be a
confusing process. The burden is on the employer to
reduce that confusion to a minimum. The initial
investment required to adequately start a new employee
can pay tremendous dividends down the road.
Let's take a took at how you can make the training
process work for you in your business.
There are several basic elements we need to consider in
the training process. The order which we will look at
these is as follows.
- You (or your Company)
- The new employee
- The job to be performed
- How the training will be done (Methodology)
YOU
You is the logical place to begin in the process. You may
be an individual, a company, a large corporation or a
management team. You are the management. What are the
roles of management? It is important that these be
properly identified. This sets the tone of the training.
The roles of management remain fairly constant regardless
of the size of the business. Within each business these
goals will be defined. Generally the roles of management
may be viewed as:
- Provide resources, materials, capital, labor
- Provide market for goods and services
- Set quality standards
- Maintain profitability of operation
- Set performance standards and evaluate
- Accept responsibility for decisions
- Establish policy and procedures to accomplish all of
these
It is easy to separate these roles in theory and
difficult to separate them in practice. These roles are
interdependent.
Training deals with technical and human concerns. We will
deal with those concerns which are human issues.
The first step, before any training is begun, is to
develop the goal or goals of your business. This should
be a fairly well defined, detailed goal.
After the goal is defined you need to ask the question,
What do you expect of your employees? You should develop
a list of expectations. After you have this list you need
to ask yourself, How do these expectations relate to the
goal of the business. Many employers find that they have
expectations which really do not relate to the goal of
the business. The point is that expectations which do not
relate to the goal may cause problems and perhaps your
expectations need to be reviewed. Once you have
identified and reviewed your expectations you have the
basis for training new employees.
The New Employee
One rule of successful labor management says "Hire good
people, start them right, then get out of the way and let
them work." I'm sure that if the rule were followed
completely it would be successful, primarily because you
start with Good People. You can rely on luck and find a
few of these but a far much better system is to actively
pursue a sound plan for recruiting.
In any event, new employees coming to work for you will
come with a built in "Experience Bag." It's up to you to
find out what's in each individual bag and plan to train
accordingly. Any training should be based upon individual
needs. Start where the employee is. You need to know
specifically what their experience or lack of experience
is. Are they familiar with a system similar to yours?
Are they experienced in a system quite unlike yours? If
this is the case, you may have to demonstrate how and why
you do things differently than a previous employer might
have done it. It should not be a case of "un-learning."
You are much better off if the employee realizes there is
more than one way to do it and that your way just happens
to work best in your situation.
The Job To Be Performed
Training will be at several levels. Part of training will
involve Policy and Procedure. Important Policy and
Procedures should be explained and also given to
employees in some written form so that they might refer
to it when a specific problem arises.
Training may also be necessary on how you expect certain
things to be done. How you expect customers to be
greeted, how the phone should be answered, how
merchandise is to be stocked, how idle time is to be
utilized and the like. The best way to help an employee
learn these behavior skills is fairly simple.
1) Explain - Tell how it is done.
2) Demonstrate - Show how it is to be done.
3) Involve - Let the employee do it.
4) Feedback - Tell employee how to improve. Answer
employee's questions.
5) Practice - Let employee gain experience under
supervision.
6) More feedback - Explain and answer questions.
7) Do it - Let employee go to it with reduced
supervision.
Most companies use certain "Hardware" in their business.
This may include paper work such as order forms, letters,
reports, sales tickets and correspondence. Hardware also
includes machinery such as office equipment, cash
registers, communications equipment, manufacturing or
construction equipment.
Use of hardware requires a different level of training
than policy and behavior. Training in the use of
equipment or hardware can be broken down into logical
steps. A formula which has proven successful is this.
1) THEORY - Explain how and why certain hardware is used.
Explain how equipment works.
2) EXPOSURE - Familiarity with hardware.
3) DEMONSTRATE - Show how equipment is used.
4) PRACTICE - Let employee gain "hands-on" experience
under close supervision.
5) FEEDBACK - Make corrections and answer questions.
6) EXPERIENCE - Allow employee to gain experience in
operation with supervision.
7) OPERATION - Employee operates hardware with continued
feedback and lessening supervision.
HOW THE TRAINING WILL BE DONE
A simple checklist of questions can be used to determine
how training will be accomplished.
1) WHY?
What is an acceptable level of performance? The
manager/trainer must be able to answer this. This is
determined by the company goals.
Why is it necessary? The trainee must be able to answer
this. It must be important for learning to be effective.
2) WHAT?
What do you wish trainees to learn? How will you know
they have learned it? You may need to describe the exact
performance you expect.
3) WHO?
Who needs the training? Will you try to train everyone or
only a selected group?
Who can best do the training? Is it the Boss, the
Manager, a Foreman or a Co-worker? Is it perhaps someone
from outside the business? Some large companies employ
training departments. Many more utilize consultants to do
this. The small businessman has many resources available.
To list just a few: K.S.U., K.U., Community Colleges,
VocTech Schools, S.B.A., Chambers of Commerce. Sometimes
suppliers will do this.
4) WHERE?
The physical setting is important. Should it take place
in the business, in a classroom, at a conference center
or perhaps in the home? Who does the training may help
determine this answer.
5) WHEN?
This is an important question. Should the training occur
on "job-time" or "trainee-time?" Should it take place as
soon as the employee is hired, after 6 months or perhaps
before the employee is hired?
6) METHODOLOGY?
Is the methodology appropriate to the content? Do you
expect the trainee to learn new attitudes, behavior or
skills? Do you rely on a single method of delivery?
Variety is essential in learning. Remember repeated use
of a single method tends to reduce effectiveness.
Summary
In some businesses continual training is part of the
operation. In all businesses initial training is very
important. If properly handled, it can lead to greater
job satisfaction, high levels of production and reduced
turnover.
Training should be broken down to logical steps. THE
SEQUENCE IS SIMPLE. 1). Theory, the How and Why. 2)
Lecture or Demonstration, passive involvement and 3)
Practice or exercises, active involvement. Throughout
training, it is essential that there be feedback,
questions, answers, suggestions. Feedback should be
immediate.
Training can be used to learn attitudes, behavior and
skills.
Variety of techniques adds to effectiveness.
The value and effectiveness of training depends upon a
number of elements. The first and perhaps most important
is the establishment of sound company goals. Management
is the exercise of influence over others toward some
predetermined goal of the organization.
Larry Hendrix
Area Extension Specialist
Community Resource Development
Cooperative Extension Service, Manhattan, Kansas
Kansas State University
December 1980
L-526
File Code: CRD-10
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