When it comes to “on the job training”, how do you treat new hires as a manager?
This can be a touchy subject depending on the mentality of the manager or supervisor; there’s really only two ways to feel about new hires.
“THEY WANT TO TAKE MY JOB”
In my experience, this feeling is buried deep within insecure people that I have encountered in my time observing and being involved in the workforce.
There is one fact of life that could melt away all anxiety for people and get the focus back on doing the best job you can. That fact is: Everyone is replaceable.
Just because you received a compliment from the boss on being the most capable, well equipped employee under their roof does not mean you’re untouchable.
What’s my point, right?
There are people in this world who will try to keep people down so they don’t pass them. Meaning, with malicious intent, they improperly train new hires or they lack key details to help the “newbie” succeed in the company and show potential to grow.
We’ll call this one the “Let ‘Em Drown Method”. When someone in struggling in open water while the lifeguard watches them sink.
If you’re ever on the receiving end of a training supervisor with this mentality, either politely leave the company to save face, or report them to management and request a new trainer.
“PLEASE TAKE MY JOB”
The second type of personality is the best one out there. By no means does this person want to be unemployed (in most cases), but they realize the value of proper training and passing of information along the way to maintain high quality of work and efficiency for the company as a whole.
This person is willing to divulge secret information they’ve acquired over the years to brand new employees in an effort to better them as a professional and give them the tools to succeed.
A few things are achieved through this method of training:
- The new hire grasps company concepts in a way that will remain with them as an aid in finding a “groove”.
- The senior employee/supervisor who is training shows their understanding of company processes and their ability to communicate such processes effectively to create great employees.
- Bosses take note that more that both people within the company are capable of doing the same job, which opens up the opportunity for senior employees to move up if a position is available higher within the company.
Personally, the second option is the absolute best way to go, but not everyone feels secure enough to lay out all of their knowledge and tricks without fear of being terminated once their replacement can handle the tasks for a typically lower pay. But doing so can prove to management that you deserve a higher responsibility and pay.
Limited Communication and Interaction
In a society where people are more introverted than ever, it’s human nature to avoid awkward situations.
Such situations can include working with new people you’ve never met before, and to appease your anxiety, you’ll avoid direct interaction at all costs.
Let me tell you, that doesn’t work when you’re a training manager for new hires… You’ve got to get in there and be thorough with explanations and get feedback if you’re doing a poor job or an outstanding job getting others up to speed and onto the next page.
This is best done by explaining in your head, then verbally, and following up with them to make sure the explained task was carried out satisfactorily.
Also, keep in mind that everyone learns differently. There are hands on learners, listening learners, reading learners and various other ways to fully absorb something. So if you’re not picking up a process or your new employee doesn’t seem to “get it”, maybe it just takes a different way of explanation to get the information planted to start the growth of something great.
So the next time you’re training (or being trained) make sure you know what type of person you are and what type of person you’re dealing with.
The Handy Writer 