Human Resource 5: Orient New and Train Existing Employees

This continues our series on human resource functions that could affect your company

Once you select your new employee, you want to give them the best start. A new employee orientation enhances production and decreases future problems. Unfortunately, most business owners neglect or provide inadequate orientation. Training existing employees enhances their performance and accelerates improvements.

Purposes of Training

• Orienting new employee provides them:
• History of the product or company
• Organizational, team, and individual goals
• Acceptable language used in the workplace
• Organizational behavior, development, and politics
• Significant people the new employee will work with
• Define expected quantity, quality, efficiency, and effectiveness performance
• Safety tips, procedures, locations, and documents
• Training prepares existing employees to perform their current job
• Development prepares existing employees for future jobs
• Management training builds a corps of current and future managers

Assess the feasibility of training

• Is training needed?
• Cost-benefit analysis
• Top-level commitment
• What type of training?
• Skill development
• Cross-functional
• Team training
• Management
• Safety/OSHA
• Define the measurable outcomes of the training

Provide the needed training

• Determine what training methods you want to use
• On-the-job training
• In-house seminars
• Classroom instruction
• Printed materials
• Simulation and role-playing
• Computer-based training
• Computer- or Internet-based Training offer multiple benefits
• Direct job relatedness
• Self-paced
• Global distribution
• Standardized training
• Availability
• Individualized
• Flexibility
• Cost amortized over multiple participants
• Time
• You can also use formal and informal mentoring to train employees. To do so:
• Explore the benefits for both the mentor and the protégé
• Recognize and abate the potential risks for the mentor and the protégé

Evaluate the results of your training

• Advantages of evaluating training
• Identify needed adjustments
• Assess the learning environment
• Do trainees like the program?
• Do trainees acquire knowledge, skills, ability in the program?
• Assess transfer of training
• Does the desired change in behavior occur?
• Do we get a return on investment?
• Some common misconceptions about evaluating training
• Evaluate only after completion of the training
• Must show direct financial gain on the company bottom line
• Prove training is the explanation beyond a reasonable doubt
• Have to develop new tools for measurement

Saturday we will explore how to establish a benefits and compensation program